1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: This is live coverage about one Steelers Minicamp by from 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: haines Field on your seven home for the Steelers SNR. 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio. Welcome to the drive. I'm Dale Ali 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: here with Matt Williamson. This is UH. We are being 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: simulcast on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy with 6 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: our ongoing coverage from Steelers Minicamp, which wrapped up earlier 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: today over at Heinz Field. Uh. What comes next for 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: the Steelers? Who knows? The league is not yet given 9 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: the Steelers the oka to go to training campus. Steelers 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: have sent their plan in to the like every team 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: sends their own plan, right, well, especially now because I 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: mean other years you know, okay, right, no big deal, 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: But now you have to you have to send out 14 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: a plan to the league because of COVID and you 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: know what, Uh, safety precautions are going to be in 16 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: place at the facility that you're going to be at. 17 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: The Earlier this week, the Cowboys, yeah, Cowboys, announced they 18 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 1: were going back to Oxford, California for their camp. The 19 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: league had given them permission to do so. Uh. The 20 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: Steelers are the team that the Cowboys play in the 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. Games, or will be the first two 22 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: teams that go to training camp this year. You would 23 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: think that they would. They would kind of also a 24 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: team that goes away. You know, you're moving on this 25 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: a little bit quicker. Um, you know, five weeks out 26 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: something like that. So when they were looking at right now, 27 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: people have asked me of this, you know, when should 28 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: the Steelers reported if you go by the way it works, 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: fourteen days back from fourteen days before the game, which 30 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: you'll put that data around June twenty ju what's June 31 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: that's just over a month away. And as as as 32 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: we talked about yesterday, UM will be a good conversation 33 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: with Bob about I mean, this is the league goes, 34 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: the whole league office in the month of July goes 35 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: on vacation. They shut it now they do, but everybody 36 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: goes away. Suspensions loom and things like that, and you 37 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: don't know what's going to happen, and probably don't get 38 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: any like the Shaun Watson answers. While they're all away, 39 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: you think somebody be holding down the fort, you know 40 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: what I mean, like the janitor. I guess the president 41 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: goes on vacation that the country don't shut the country 42 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 1: down right, somebody's gotta be able to do things. Um, yeah, 43 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: you would think. I mean an NFL team kind of 44 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: like Labs was talking about yesterday. They move like a battleship. 45 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: I mean, you can't just corner quickly and be like, oh, 46 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: we'll just go to the troupe today and drive up 47 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: there like a fan or me or you. You know, 48 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: this is Hannibal going across the Alps. Yeah right, I 49 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:36,679 Speaker 1: mean a bunch of elephants and some of them don't 50 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: make it. Some of them don't make That was over 51 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: my head, but yeah, I mean a lot needs to 52 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: go into this. I mean not even just where are 53 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: we gonna put the players and where we're gonna feed them, 54 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: but how do you get all the equipment up there? 55 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,679 Speaker 1: And weight machines aren't light, you know, I mean, you 56 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: don't move easy and things like that. I mean, and 57 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: all the um, the stuff of the from the medical 58 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: side of things too, and all the treatment and you know, 59 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: so many people in the organization they have nothing to 60 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: do with football. Yeah. I asked Mike Tomlin about that, 61 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: uh today, Actually Mike pursued it went down the asked 62 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: the first question, said, what's your best case scenario for 63 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: training camp. Uh. Tomlin's answer is, I don't necessarily have 64 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: the answer to that. I know, I've got some calendars 65 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: on my desk, so I'm ready for whatever. But we 66 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: haven't received any official word on what some of the 67 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: details regarding training camp and things like that that you 68 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: asked rest the year, regardless of where we are and 69 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: when we are, that we will be ready. And I 70 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: followed that up with, you know, do you have some 71 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: did you have some expectation that the league would have 72 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: gotten back to you by this time that they they 73 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: told the Cowboys earlier this week? He said, I had 74 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: an expectation. I thought we would know by now. We 75 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: don't always get what we want, as we know when 76 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: we're dealing with the policy and global decision making and 77 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: things of that nature. I had hoped to get some 78 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: clarity prior to now, but I haven't. And of course 79 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: he wants to know, you know, more than anyone, but 80 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: his job can pivot a little bit, you know, like 81 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: he needs to know things like well, how many field 82 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: can I That's the thing. Yeah, Like these are guys, 83 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: you know, the coaching staff at this point is now 84 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: getting ready. I would next week they're gonna be on. Yeah, 85 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: he probably told all that tells all these guys. Now, look, hey, 86 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: many you know, many camps over with. They'll probably you know, 87 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: they'll be down at the south side of the U 88 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: p mc rooney Sports Complex tomorrow go over some things 89 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: that they saw this weekend. Okay, what what? What positions? 90 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: Might we want to look at here if we think 91 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: we're a little short, you know, those kind of things. 92 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: Meet with Kevin Colbert and his staff and then maybe 93 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: a day or two next week maybe, yeah, to kind 94 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: of finalize things and then hey, guys, take your kids 95 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: at this world. You want to go on vacation, get 96 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: your stuff done because the next six or seven months 97 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: are going to be pretty busy. Yeah. I love telling 98 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: the story because and I try to do it every 99 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: year about this time because my first year of PIT 100 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: and every the three years after, we sat down about 101 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: nine months before this date, and Walt Harris would say, a, 102 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: if you're playing on getting your wife pregnant, get busy 103 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: tonight because you better have that kid during that month 104 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: when you're off, because you're not gonna be changing a 105 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: whole lot of diapers past that point, because you're gonna 106 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: be living here. You know, I'm like, I never thought 107 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: of that. New guys sitting in the room. I'm like, 108 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: I don't know any plans on doing so, but wow, 109 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: that's really laying things out, you knows an excuse? Well, right, hon, 110 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: I gotta this is the time, right right right, I'm 111 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: doing my part here in September. I got nine months 112 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: from now, you know. But there is something to that. 113 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it's very NFL season's, NFL teams, 114 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: NFL schedules are very regimented. That's why last year was 115 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: so crazy. Yeah, that's what made last year so much 116 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: of of of of a trial, especially for the Steelers 117 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: when when we were talking about them being taken out 118 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,119 Speaker 1: of their comfort zone. That's a big deal for these guys. 119 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: It is and not you know, playing football at a 120 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: high level or being around teams. I mentioned that first 121 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: year a pit That was one of the most eye 122 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: opening things to me was these guys are such creatures 123 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: of habit. The coaches might be even worse than the players. 124 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: They do not adapt well. Again, I mean, they are 125 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 1: turning a battleship very slowly, and they resist every step 126 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: of the way. Well, you come up with a plan 127 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: and it's gonna be it's gonna be like a seventeen 128 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: week plan. Okay, really it's a three sixty five day 129 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: you're Tomlin or someone's been doing this every year, like 130 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 1: every this is what we're gonna do. Things we talked 131 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: about with with new coaching staffs, right, you know, how 132 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: do the how are they going to handle mini camp? 133 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: How are they going to handle the training camp? Those 134 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: kind of things anytime. And I've only been through a 135 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: couple of coaching changes, but one I've been through one 136 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: coaching change because I was I started covering the Steelers 137 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: and Kauer was already in place. That's more than most 138 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: people covering the Steelers. Yeah, they've never seen any um, 139 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: but you don't know, like I remember Mike Tomlin's first 140 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: training camp, what's this gonna look like? Is he gonna 141 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: he's gonna have chance camp like you know Bill Kaward did. 142 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: That was there was even question. I remember um Cower's 143 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: first Cower second camp, which was my first camp. Uh, 144 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: they were still doing that year was the last year 145 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: that they still opened with the Oklahoma drill, last vestiges 146 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: of Chuck Knowles, because here it is, you know, and 147 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: they got rid of it. After that, they had a 148 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: media day that year. It was something that they did 149 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: where all the players stood at the top of the hill, 150 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: a ring, you know, all ring around the hill and 151 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: everybody talked and and uh, maybe Tomlin doesn't want to 152 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: do that or Cower didn't want to do it. You know, 153 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: that was the year, as we joked with when we 154 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: had Merril Hodge on in camp a couple of years 155 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: ago out of Latrobe, um Barry Foster was holding out 156 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: and Merril went on a like a twenty minute diet 157 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: tribe about you know, just I can't believe this guy's 158 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: doing this. It's selfish. It's all that stuff that was 159 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: during was during media Day, and like everybody's there and 160 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: everybody's hearing this, and like there wasn't many holdouts and 161 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: there weren't many people talking about the end of media Day. 162 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: That was maybe the beginning of Meryl's media told me, 163 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: I told Meryl, yesaid, you killed Media Day, you killed 164 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: media that but it ignited his media career. But there 165 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: are things that coaches they want to do on their 166 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: own and yeah, I'm sure they look at the old 167 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: that's a waste of time. I'm not doing that or 168 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: right for like Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Hayward are one of 169 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: these guys that have been around for a long time. 170 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: They know what to expect every day when they when 171 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: they show up, whether it being Latrobe, whether it be 172 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: at at the facility. Like Okay, it's the same thing 173 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: all over again. You know, I know, I gotta go in, 174 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: I get treatment, that I gotta practice, that I have 175 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: a meeting that I go practice, especially Latrobe. You know, 176 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: like I walked from here over to the calf and 177 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: then I get taped and then you know, I'm in 178 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:35,959 Speaker 1: my room's here at the same room as last year, 179 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: and I'm not home. You know, I park up in 180 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: a lot. They have the same room at Latrobe every year, right, 181 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: I mean as long as you but it's the same routine. 182 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: Spent more time in that room than any co d it. 183 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: It's Saint Fencent College. Yeah yeah, And you know I'm 184 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: doing podcasts in my room and you know, I mean, 185 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: you get you get down pretty quick. The I'm gonna 186 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: do the same things pretty much every day. And you 187 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: and I happen to enjoy our days there, and I 188 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: hope we get to go back, of course, Um I 189 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: missed it a great deal last year. But I wonder, 190 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: you know, same with scouting and the draft being virtual, 191 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: you know, and some of these things might the Steelers 192 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 1: have said, Wow, there's some real value to do in 193 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: it at Heinz Field or no. I mean, I'm sure 194 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: they want to go to Latrobe, don't get me wrong, 195 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: But I mean I bet that there's one or two 196 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: things that every team changes this year that will be 197 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: a little less creature of habiting because they learned something. Yeah, 198 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I think you know, they Kevin Colbert talked 199 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: about that, you know, around draft time, like, hey do 200 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: we need to fly in all of our scouts from 201 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 1: all over the country for you know, for meetings and 202 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: everything when we could just do them virtually. But the 203 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: Steelers see the value of getting their players all in 204 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: one place, you know, and Okay, here you are and 205 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: you're thinking nothing but football for the next six weeks, 206 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: you know, five weeks or however long you're out there. 207 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: No distraction, there's no distraction. You're not going home at 208 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: night and you're wife saying, hey, we need to uh 209 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: garbage out taking somebody needs a mow the lawn. Any 210 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: of that kind of stuff. You're you're doing nothing but football, 211 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: and what you and I do is much much different 212 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: than an NFL football team. But you know, every step 213 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 1: of the way through COVID, you and I came and 214 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: had face to face you know shows. Yeah, and I 215 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: think they're better. I mean they've done a lot of 216 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: zoom stuff over that time. You've done a lot of 217 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: zoom stuff. You've seen all these player and coach interviews. 218 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: They're not close to being as good as being you know, 219 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: I hope people don't think, well stinks. Imagine what they'd 220 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: be if they weren't the same, Right, that's the best. 221 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean I just think that that there's 222 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: that personal interaction. I think that's why, you know, some 223 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: of the rules at the league put in place, um 224 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: regarding its new COVID rules, Yeah, like you can't you 225 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: have to still do meetings virtually, and you can't be 226 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: around your teammates. I'm not gonna say it's draconian, because 227 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 1: nobody's losing an arm or anything over this, right right, 228 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: but they're definitely pushing players. They're like, hey, you better 229 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,439 Speaker 1: get this done. The one thing I heard today and 230 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: people hopefully they listened yesterday, we laid out all the 231 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: new rules, which are extreme, to be honest with you, 232 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you can get fined for going to get 233 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: a big max sit there and without a mask on 234 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: what or if you're not vaccinated. But I'm not sure 235 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: if we touched on yesterday or I just missed it 236 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: because my my co host on the podcast brough up 237 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: today and said they can't even travel with the team, 238 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: And maybe that's off, but I don't think they could 239 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: be on the team flight. I think they're they maybe 240 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:29,599 Speaker 1: have to be segregated. I mean, I know they have 241 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 1: to wear a mask. They have to wear a mask, 242 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,719 Speaker 1: they're allowed to leave the team facility, they're allowed to 243 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: leave the team hotel and those times. Yeah, um, I 244 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: I hadn't heard that they have to separately themselves there, 245 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 1: you know. I mean that somebody I wouldn't think that 246 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: you would that the team would send to two separate 247 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: charters one for is that safer? I mean sitting next 248 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 1: to me and you on some commercials somehow? You know, 249 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: all these guys are are finding their way to the 250 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: to the team facilities. They're all gonna right now as 251 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: we sit here, guarantee you there are Steeler players out 252 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Oh yeah, right, getting ready 253 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: to fly out of town, going already on flights. Practices 254 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: was done at you know, twelve thirty. Today, the Nazis 255 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 1: of the world are going back to California or whatever 256 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: and probably preparing to move here, you know, and a 257 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: lot of those guys, and um, I'm sure a lot 258 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: of people even if you live here, if Ben or Cama, 259 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: these guys live here, still getting on a flight and 260 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: going somewhere. Hey, we had a trip to Disney World, 261 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: you know, planned as soon as camp was over, you 262 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: know where. You know, I gotta I get my summer house. 263 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,719 Speaker 1: And Ben has a house in Georgia. We're gonna go 264 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: down there for a few kids are dumb, they're not 265 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: in school, let's go um, you know. So yeah, there's 266 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,319 Speaker 1: a lot of that kind of stuff going on right now. 267 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: And um, the other thing that's gonna go on is 268 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: I had heard a little heard a little blurb about 269 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: this today. Think about all the kids, and I think 270 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: your son was one of them that turned twenty one 271 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: during the pandemic, Like and haven't got to go to 272 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: bars yet. I mean, I think most of the players 273 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: have already passed that, but there's gonna be a window 274 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: of I've never sat at a bar legally, I want 275 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: to go do that, you know. I mean I think 276 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: bars are gonna be nuts and players will be there. 277 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: I mean, there's a lot of young men going there, 278 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: you know. Yeah, I mean you're twenty two, twenty four 279 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: years old, you're fresh out of college. You're like, Okay, 280 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: I'm single. You know, I'm single, and I want to mingle, right, 281 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 1: I mean everyone listening, and I'm sure you know you 282 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: and I the day we turned twenty one, like I'm 283 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: going to a bar, you know, I mean, or you know, 284 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: and shortly we're there after and probably many times after yeah, 285 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: many times this week. But yeah, I mean, and it 286 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: depends on where you live. I mean even last year 287 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: during the season, Um, you know, we went to we 288 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: went to Florida for it, went through Jacksonville for a game, 289 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: went to Dallas for a game with the Nashville for 290 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: a game, and the rules there were much different than 291 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: they were depends completely different. Like you know, I went 292 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: out to get get food and I'm like, whoa, you 293 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: know this this is almost normal, almost normal? You know 294 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: what's going on? Very long ago in the world of 295 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: cod and I wonder how much does the NFL when 296 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 1: they make their decisions going back to house camp going 297 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: to be in all these type of things that they 298 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: have to correlate it with the state of p A. 299 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,719 Speaker 1: I mean, that's kind of the hold up right now 300 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: because you've got fifty different well I don't know how 301 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: many states, or have a team with half of them 302 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: or whatever, right, yeah, but you've got so many different 303 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: rules in place now. I think by the end of 304 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: June all states will be open. I thought that too, 305 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: but that's not because that was one of the hold ups, 306 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: you know, for like Indianapolis. I was supposed to go 307 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: to the Guns and Roses concert next month in Indianapolis 308 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: and the Colts. However, we're still one of the teams 309 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 1: that hadn't opened up there. They weren't hadn't been told 310 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: yet that they could have full stadiums in in September, 311 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: and I'm like, how's that going to work? And then 312 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: the concert got pushed back to September, so you're not going, 313 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: So I can't go now, No, thanks for you. Yeah 314 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: that's no good. No, that's no good. But yeah, so 315 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: I mean there's still I think I think it's Indianapolis 316 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: and Denver are the two. I think I haven't gotten 317 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: the clearance yet that they're going to be able to 318 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: have full stadiums, but there's the expectation that's going to happen. Yeah. 319 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: I didn't put two and two together until you just 320 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: mentioned it. Now you mentioned Dallas yesterday that they got 321 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: to go ahead. I'm like, oh, they're one of the 322 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: teams that go away. Oh, they're also the Hall of 323 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: Fame team, so the Steelers should be right behind them. 324 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: A teams that are going to go first. Yeah, they 325 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: have to be the priorities. Um, don't Teams that have 326 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: new coaches report a little earlier to so maybe their 327 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: next or whatever. But still, I muld think we would 328 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: start to get these, you know, the basic camp knowledge 329 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: for all these teams where they're all going to be. Yeah, 330 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: one would hope. So we'll see, you know, what the 331 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: NFL does here, what the hold up is, And you 332 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: mentioned you know, you guys asking Tomlin about it today. 333 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: It sounds like, and I'm speculating, he probably has like 334 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: three or four different calendars on his desk almost to 335 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: this should probably be one of these four. You know, 336 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: I think you know, this whole past year has been 337 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: building contingency plans, which are essentially a lot of wasted times. 338 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: It's a lot of throw in the three of those 339 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: calendars and somebody build up are just gonna go right 340 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: into the garbage. But at the same time, if you 341 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: don't do that, then you lose time on the back 342 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: end when something happens and you're not able to be 343 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: light enough on your feet to change and to say, 344 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: football teams don't adjust quickly. That's how we opened a segment, 345 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, so you better have them all 346 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: and hope that one of the four on your desk 347 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: is actually right. You might have you might be over four. 348 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: You're meshing them together, trying to make it work. You 349 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: take this idea from this one and this one from 350 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: this one, and you know, again it goes it goes 351 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: back to that you know, that week that you know, 352 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: the Steelers were supposed to play on Thanksgiving and ended 353 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: up playing the following Wednesday, Like yeah, that's nuts, you know, 354 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: like five o'clock and a couple of times there they're 355 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: at practice waiting to you know, get ready to practice 356 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: or wait now the Ravens still can't play, Like you know, 357 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: we talked about start stop, start stop, start stop. There 358 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: were teams hit harder in terms of playing time missed 359 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: than the Steelers, but nobody was hit harder than We've 360 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: gotta change your schedules around. Yeah, and again, these teams 361 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: don't adjust to it as easy as you and I 362 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: might think. You know, are people out there listening might 363 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: think they don't like it. No, they don't like it 364 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: one bit. But we're gonna take a break. He is 365 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 1: Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Drive 366 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,440 Speaker 1: here on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We're 367 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: live from Steelers Minicamp. Uh just wrapped up today, but 368 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna take that break and we'll be back with 369 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: more right after this. This is live coverage about one 370 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: Steelers minicamp by from haines Field on your seven home 371 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: for the Steelers SNR Steelers Nation Radio. We are back 372 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: with the Steelers coverage live from Steelers Mini Camp. I'm 373 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: Dale Lally here with Matt Williamson and UH. One of 374 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: the guys Matt, that we had an opportunity to speak 375 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: to today for the first time as a member of 376 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Steelers was a new quarterback. Dwayne Haskins obviously 377 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: had been released by the Washington football team last year. 378 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: It was the first round draft pick of the football team. 379 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 1: I just can't used that's stupid team. Soon, yeah, hopefully 380 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: that's an offseason care if they call themselves a jackal opes, 381 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 1: just something different, right, Yeah, they're all football teams. That's silly. 382 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: But we hadn't had a chance to talk to him 383 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: since he was released by Washington last year and then 384 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: signed by the Steelers next season. We've heard a lot 385 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,239 Speaker 1: of people talk about him. Yeah, I mean, it's one 386 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: of the bigger stories of the off season across the country. 387 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: You signed a former first round draft pick, a guy 388 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,919 Speaker 1: who was a first round draft pick just two years ago, right, 389 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: And you know, we'll talk about him after we hear 390 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 1: what he has to say. But I liked what I 391 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: saw at mini camp. I mean, I think some people 392 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,239 Speaker 1: the day it happened thought, wow, you don't think he's 393 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 1: gonna replace Ben. No, let me just look at the contract. Yeah, 394 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: it's it's a great addition at a at a low cost. 395 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: Why not? Yeah? Why not? Why not? Indeed, So here's 396 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 1: what Dwayne Haskins had to say earlier today to the media, Wayne, 397 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: good morning. UM, I'm curious that after what happened in 398 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: Washington when you came here, was just was there any 399 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: one thing that you kind of wanted to show the Steelers. 400 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: Did you feel that you need them, you know, did 401 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 1: you have to prove it something to them? Um? Just 402 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: coming here to Pittsburgh, I was wanted to prove to 403 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: the coaching staff of my teammates how much I love 404 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: football and the scriptful opportunity to be here and showing 405 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: in my minds in the right place. And then I'm 406 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: wanting the word to be able to show my talent 407 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 1: and be able to work in her the spot here. 408 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: They well, kid, yeah done. What are you surprised at 409 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: your release by Washington? I mean that they just used 410 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: the first round pick on you at your hometown team 411 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: and a little over a year later, Uh, they let 412 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: you go. I wouldn't necessary to say I was surprised. Um, 413 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: you know, this is part of the business. I wasn't 414 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: necessarily the people that you know, brought in by the 415 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: new coaching staff and understanding that this is a business 416 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: and realizing that as the season went on that they're 417 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: just things weren't going with that we both wanted it to. 418 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,439 Speaker 1: And being able to be here now in the spot 419 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: we can work harder and be able to figure things 420 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: out together. And you know, this great trough between Washington game, 421 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: but it wasn't completely surprising. But it's also definitely unfortunate 422 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: to be able to be released when I was Dwayne, Um, 423 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: was it too much too soon for you in Washington? 424 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: I mean you only had one full season at Ohio State. 425 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: Did you meet maybe needs more nurturing before you were 426 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: thrown into things? Um, you know, this is like the 427 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: nature of the business. So we need to play. You 428 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: gotta be played. And definitely, U situations are different, and 429 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: you know, environments that you get into and you get 430 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: drafted is and always something that you can plan for 431 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: or be necessarily to prepare for, especially come out of 432 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: the house state or come out in eight college. But 433 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: I tried the best of I could, and you know, 434 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: it just didn't work out the way that I wanted 435 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: it to. But it's great for to be here in 436 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh and thank for the opportunity just have another shot 437 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: side doing just what's it been like working in the 438 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: Steelers quarterbacks room up to this point, that's been great. 439 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: I had a high relationship with Josh. I've known him 440 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: since college and he's been really great with just being 441 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 1: able to help me with new wants of the offense. 442 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: And I worked out with Mason in the off season, 443 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: and I've gotten really empired to coming out here for 444 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 1: the mini campaign on T A S. And I've been 445 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: a big, big band, big big big fan for a while. 446 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: So just be able to be in the quarterback room 447 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: with these guys and you know, they played hollow football 448 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: and be able to learn from them, it's been a 449 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: great experience. UH coach Elevan is also a great coach, 450 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: Eli Manning and his Super Bowl runs, and just having 451 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: those guys who know a lot about football and doing 452 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: the best you can't help me out, It's been a 453 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: great experience. Brook priories you're doing. When we talked with 454 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,159 Speaker 1: Mike Tomlin yesterday, I mean after practice, we saw the 455 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: two of you have kind of an extended conversation on 456 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: the field. He said that he's been focused on getting 457 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: to know you the person. How much can a relationship 458 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: with Mike Tomlin kind of help you make this transition 459 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: or get your mind right and kind of get rebooted 460 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: in the NFL in relationships or everything. I mean, long field, 461 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: off the field, definitely environment in certain sense that you 462 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: are a lot to do with your success on the field. 463 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: And coach Thomlin has been a great guy as far 464 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: as you know, being able to get to know me 465 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: as far as what I need to do with a 466 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: quarterback and then I need to do off the field 467 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: and things of that nature, and has been very hands 468 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 1: on with me in our communication. And he's grateful for 469 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: you know, Hall of Fame coach and taking time and 470 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,959 Speaker 1: he's taking time as far as halving me up and 471 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: he's made that known to me. He's been great and 472 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: it's motivator just being able to talk to me. You know, 473 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: you know, you play defense and talk a little Mott 474 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: stuff to get on defense and stuff like that. He 475 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: tries to get me to the ball in the coverage 476 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,959 Speaker 1: and I'm learning not to do that. So you know, 477 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: he's been great. There's a lot of fun and everything 478 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: I heard about him, it's been true. And everybody leves 479 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: around here, so I see what true. Yeah, the way, 480 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you heard what Ben said about you, 481 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: but if you're ever throwing a ball, through with farm 482 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: wash and get wet. If you did, I might have 483 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: to try and I might have to try then to 484 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: see if you can be there. But um, I definitely 485 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: did see that. And I remember I was seven years old, 486 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: have been one of his first football and n tell 487 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: me all the time about how it is and this 488 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: is funny that he's still playing, how valone he plays, 489 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: and um comple and they gave me to something that 490 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: motivates me. And further, you know that he believed in 491 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: me and sees it sees my heart work coming through 492 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: and UM just thankfully said something like that. Terry do 493 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: black post. Is that Dwayne? What is your expectation here? 494 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: What have they told you? What did they expect of you? 495 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: My expectations here is that, you know, make everyone we 496 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: decided to take a chance to me look good, and um, 497 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 1: just work as hard as I possibly can, and you know, 498 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: letting them all works speak for itself. And of course 499 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to be able to take take off, take 500 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: after after big band and stuff like that, but that 501 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: comes from the due time and you know, just being 502 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,399 Speaker 1: able to do everything I need to do on a 503 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: day to day basis. And they expect a lot out 504 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: of me as far as escape prepared and being the 505 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: best version of myself that's pretty much wanted for me. 506 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: And allowing that to to speak for a s allowing 507 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,400 Speaker 1: his play to speak for itself. What a novel concept? Yeah, 508 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 1: how about that? I mean this is a guy you know, 509 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: was he good with the football team? No? I mean 510 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,960 Speaker 1: you can anyone to watch his tape that he put 511 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: out there and you'd say, yeah, that's not good enough. 512 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: That's not what you want to have a first round pick. However, 513 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: and I'm not just making excuses for the guy getting 514 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:35,159 Speaker 1: thrown into that environment. I mean he said he had 515 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: two coaches in a very short amount of time too. 516 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:42,400 Speaker 1: Offenses didn't have even a Fitzpatrick type role model there, 517 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: or off season or training camp last year right, no 518 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: off season right, exactly with the new coaching And that's 519 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: usually when they offered coaches off and tell you the 520 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: biggest jump of player makes this year one d year two, Well, 521 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: he didn't have the same resources to make that jump. Again, 522 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: I'm not saying he's been the successor. He's the next 523 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame order back here and he's gonna make 524 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 1: everyone forget to buy Ben and Bradshaw but there's talent there. 525 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: I mean I was focusing on him a fair amount 526 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,360 Speaker 1: the last couple of days. I can't wait to see 527 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: him in the preseason. Here's his college numbers at Ohio State. Now, 528 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: he played in eight games. That one of his knox 529 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: is he didn't have a lot of a lot. He 530 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: played in eight games as a truth as a freshman 531 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: in two thousand and seventeen UM forty completions on fifty 532 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: seven attempts for five and sixty five yards, four touchdowns, 533 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:35,120 Speaker 1: one interception. Okay. The next year he takes over as 534 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: the starter as a sophomore, and it's ridiculous as a 535 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: softmore fourteen games completed, uh, seventy of his five and 536 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: thirty three passes down field. I mean they have good 537 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: receivers obviously, but they throw it out field forty undred 538 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 1: and thirty one yards. That's nine point one yards per 539 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,120 Speaker 1: attempt UM. Actually, his area yards per tempt was ten 540 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 1: point three yards per attempt, which is slinging it down 541 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:04,640 Speaker 1: the field. Yeah, fifty touchdown pass, eight interceptions. I think 542 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: he was in the Heisman or something did win it, 543 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 1: but he was, you know, in that. I think he 544 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: was invited to New York or whatever. Just curious. You 545 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: have his rushing totals in the Ohio state. I know 546 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: they're low, but they're low, but they count sacks into 547 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 1: that too. So it's his his first year in two 548 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 1: thousand seventeen, it was twenty four carries for eighty six yards. Uh. 549 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: The next year was seventy nine hundred and eight. But 550 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: but he had four touchdowns. Yeah, so again you know 551 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: that's I'm sure there's some short yards QB. But yeah, 552 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: you're factoring his sacks into that as well, So you know, 553 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 1: it's kind of you can't really look necessarily at the 554 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 1: college rushing totals. Here are his numbers from his first 555 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 1: two years in Washington as as a twenty two year 556 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: old rookie in UH, He's appeared in nine games, started seven. 557 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: It was really they were mcclarin luckily, but other than that, 558 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: they were in five. In his starts, he completed fifty 559 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: eight point six percent of his two D three passes. 560 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 1: This is rookie year. This is rookie year. Seven touchdowns, 561 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: seven interceptions, UH, sixty five yards. That's about a hundred 562 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: and fifty. It was a hundred fifty one point seven 563 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: yards per game. But those aren't There were two non 564 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 1: starts in there. Um, he took twenty nine sacks. That's 565 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,159 Speaker 1: too many, it was. And he's not going to be 566 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: great at eluding tacklers. He's gonna have to you know, 567 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: win the pass rush battle with his mind in a 568 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: quicker you know, quickness and things like that. But they 569 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: also didn't have a great point Yeah, they had. They 570 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,120 Speaker 1: didn't have a great line. He had one receiver. Really 571 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 1: no running game. No, they have not a running game 572 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: for a couple of years. Right. Last year he appears 573 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: in seven games, he starts six, they win one of 574 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,639 Speaker 1: those six starts. But his completion percentage went up to 575 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: sixty one point four percent. He was a really low 576 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: a dot guy though. Yeah, and Alex Smith was historically low. 577 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: But everything was a checkdown to mckissic in that offense, 578 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,959 Speaker 1: especially when Alex Smith was there. Right. But so he 579 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: was doing with the coaches asked him to do. But 580 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 1: he's still there for four nine yards in those in 581 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: those games, which was an average of two five point 582 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: six and again one of those wasn't a start. So 583 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: he was over two hundred yards passing per game. Uh, 584 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 1: five touchdowns, seven interceptions, Uh, so his interception percentage actually 585 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: went down. The touchdown percent yeah, the touchdown percentage went 586 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: down as well, but again they weren't necessarily throwing the 587 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: football around the whole lot. They did have a little 588 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: bit better running game. Um. The sacks, however, were way down, 589 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: even though he threw He had two d forty one 590 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 1: attempts last year compared to two hundred and three his 591 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: rookie year. His sacks went down from yeah, yeah, so 592 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: there's some there's some signs there if you look at Okay, 593 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: maybe he gets it a little bit. We've done this 594 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: with Rudolph in his career too. I mean on the surface, 595 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: you just see their numbers like, oh they stink, they're 596 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: not any good. But if you see progress, that's the 597 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: first step, especially for guys that don't you know, they're 598 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: not Baker Mayfield. That's the starter from day one. Basically 599 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: replay sixteen games, you know, first picked overall time, up 600 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: a guy you know, Trevor Lawrence. You know, guys that 601 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: are just gonna inserted in there. They've they've had to 602 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: prove themselves and you know that they're not going to 603 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: be you know, walk onto campus and be the starter. 604 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: You know, right away. That's part of the you know, 605 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: part of the thing, like that was expected of him 606 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: in Washington, right and like you were, not only was 607 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 1: he pick in the draft, not only was he viewed 608 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: as the savior the team owner. If you believe the 609 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: reports from down they're pressed the coaching stead you gotta 610 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 1: take him. You hear from every angle that that was 611 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: because he's from the area, from the area. He's going back, 612 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 1: so he's he's a starting quarterback, a first round quarterback, 613 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: going back to his hometown on his quarterback star of 614 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: team that's looking for this, you know, the next guy. 615 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: So you get thrust into that role. You heard him 616 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: talk about it in the interview, Like you know, he 617 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: has no control over the situation he goes into. So 618 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: now he comes here, there's no pressure than him making 619 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: the roster. I mean, Mitch Robinsky didn't work out in 620 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: Chicago either, but it wasn't his fault. He only started 621 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: one season for North Carolina or Haskins or you know, 622 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: we heard about Haskins when he came out, like there 623 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: was some some rumblings out of Ohio State that well, 624 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: maybe he's not quite ready to to to be I mean, 625 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 1: but both those should have went probably went back to 626 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: the school. Would have been better for the NFL careers, 627 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: not better for their wallet. I mean, you've got a 628 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,959 Speaker 1: big check as a first round pick, um, and if 629 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: if someone's tell you'll be a first round pick, you 630 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: come out. If you're the Bears or the football team, 631 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: you should, you know, think accordingly, like this wasn't there. 632 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: The nest wasn't there at all. There was no nest 633 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: at all. I mean, so there's that. There's a lot 634 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: of reports that he could have been more professional and 635 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: worked harder. But you get released and all of a 636 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: sudden you're picked up for lead minimum or whatever the 637 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: Steelers are getting them. That near death career experience is 638 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: gonna wake up. You're gonna go where or the other 639 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: heck yeah, because if he fails here, it's probably get 640 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: another shout, but maybe not even get a good trip. 641 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: You know, lyn Paxton Lynch got a couple of shots 642 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: because he was a first round draft pick. Didn't work out. 643 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: Now he's not in the league and he's not much 644 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: older than Haskins, right when when you look at it, 645 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: so again, you can go one way or the other 646 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: with that. I think the talent is there enough to 647 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: be enough. Yeah, enough to be a quarterback in the NFL. 648 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: Does the rest of it all come together now? You know, 649 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: maybe he was too immature last year. Again, he was 650 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 1: three years old being thrust into this situation where, Hey, 651 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: you're the savior of the franchise, you're the face of 652 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: the franchise, You're the hometown guy. You mentioned the hometown thing. 653 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: I meant to say this earlier. Staying at home isn't good. No, 654 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, I it sounds great. He's gonnatt requests each week, 655 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: dozens you never heard of or coming out of the woodwork, 656 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: and everyone's got a hand out, and you know, you 657 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: can't go anywhere where people don't know you and your 658 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: high school buddies that you really weren't buddies with, or 659 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: you know, there's just a lot more distractions at home. 660 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: I mean there's even rumors. I don't know if it's 661 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: true or not, but like the Steelers looked at Danny 662 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,719 Speaker 1: Marino and thought he'd be better if he gets out 663 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: of town. You know, you know, things like that. You know, 664 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: it's just so Now he's in a new place, a 665 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: very stable organization that's about the least stable organization in 666 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: the league, by the way, but especially before the new 667 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 1: coach got there and with no expectations and a lot 668 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: to prove. So it's this, you know said, nothing invested. 669 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,719 Speaker 1: He could be the worst player in the league. Okay, 670 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: it doesn't hurt them one bit. No, No, it cost 671 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: him nothing. That's why I didn't understand some of the 672 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: vitriol surrounding them signing him, like they had nothing to 673 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: lose here. I understood that first day. Would I have 674 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: traded anything for him, No, because we talked about that dude. 675 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: We knew he was on the block, you know, and 676 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: I throughout there, Hey maybe I'd give a six or 677 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: seventh round pick for him, just to make sure you 678 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: get him. Um My Hunches coach Tomlin did a pretty 679 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:43,719 Speaker 1: good recruiting job because it probably was other teams in 680 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: that mix, and he's got some ties to that area 681 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: of the country as well. Um but again, you have 682 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: nothing invested in the guy. It's it's you can come 683 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,719 Speaker 1: him tomorrow and it costs nothing. He does something stupid 684 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: next six weeks, he won't even be at Latrobe if 685 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,719 Speaker 1: we go there, right, you know what I mean, nothing ventured, 686 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 1: nothing gained, But you have the possibility of getting it's 687 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: it's essentially a free first round a free first round 688 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: draft pick. Yeah exactly. I mean you've gotta at the 689 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: most important position on the field where you're looking for 690 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: a replacement or you're looking for answers or ideas at least. Yeah, 691 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: so interesting. We'll keep an eye on that, continue to 692 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: keep an eye on up. Today was the first day 693 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: that he spoke with the media. UM I wrote a 694 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: big piece on him on on DC Pritsburgh sports dot Com. 695 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: I think you can find a big piece on him 696 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: everywhere at this point, because, yeah, but if he has 697 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: a great preseason and some teams says, hey, we'll give 698 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: you a third round pick for him, Yeah, that could happen, 699 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Somebody gets a quarterback hurt 700 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: and they say, okay, hey, we we see you got 701 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: three here. Do you want to get you know, would 702 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: you like to trade one of them? Would you like 703 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: to trade Mason Rodolph or Dwayne Haskins or whoever they've 704 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: already traded Dobbs once or something for him? It's not 705 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: a bad idea to have another quarterback in camp that 706 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 1: has talent. Absolutely not. But we're gonna take another break. 707 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lally. You're listening to 708 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 1: the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio and that's i'm 709 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: ocastic today on ESPN nine seventy Live from Steelers at 710 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 1: Minicamp in hines Field. We'll be back with more right 711 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:16,320 Speaker 1: after this. This is live coverag about one Steelers minicampy 712 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: from hines Field on your seven home for the Steelers 713 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 1: s n R. Steelers Nation Radio. We are back on 714 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: Dale Lally with Matt Williamson. We are here at the 715 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: live at the Steelers training camp. MANI keeps it in 716 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: training camp, Manicamp, Manicamp, Many training camp, but we're not 717 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: there quite the training camp yet. A little ambitious, yeah. 718 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,959 Speaker 1: Jim Trotter wrote a piece on the NFL dot com 719 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:43,759 Speaker 1: at about quarterback translator oh pie, Okay. One of the 720 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: things he's translating here is what Matt Canada had to 721 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 1: say earlier this week when he spoke with the media 722 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:54,359 Speaker 1: about Ben Roethlisberger. Uh. I think I think a lot 723 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: of people and I think Jim is misconstruing this as well. 724 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: He said, I think in football, this is what Canada said. 725 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 1: I think in football is a levi men doing their job. 726 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,440 Speaker 1: But the quarterback is their focal point. We're going to 727 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: do what Ben wants to do and how Ben wants 728 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 1: to do it. Our job is putting every player in 729 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: position to make plays. That's the common sense way to 730 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 1: approach thing. Your quarterback handles the football every single play. 731 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: You're gonna do what your quarterback can do. You're not 732 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: gonna ask him to do things that he can't do. Now, 733 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: we had a good conversation about this earlier, the whole 734 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: square peg round hoole quarterbacks or baseball stadiums. You know, 735 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: I think the offense will be very, very different under Canada. 736 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: I think it'll be a lot less predictable. I think 737 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: they'll utilize some gifts that the NFL gives you with 738 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: pre snap motion and um deception and getting linebackers to 739 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,720 Speaker 1: take false steps and play action of course and run action. 740 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 1: But you're nuts if you ask Ben to be Lamar 741 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,359 Speaker 1: Jackson or Lamar to be Ben, you know what I mean, 742 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: like or even asked Ben to be Josh Allen, Like, 743 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:57,840 Speaker 1: they're not going to do that. They're not gonna do. 744 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: You're not gonna run Patrick Mahomes offensive into Kansas City 745 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 1: offense with Roethlisberger. It's okay, uh, you know, pat rollout 746 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: to the you know, all the way out to the 747 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: sideline and throw the ball back across the field. Right, 748 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: No cater to what he does well and getting the 749 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: ball out quick reading defenses is what he does best 750 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: at this stage of his career. Um, I would imagine 751 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,959 Speaker 1: that a lot of people are listening, going it's gonna 752 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 1: be more of the same. Ben just rules the ruse. 753 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 1: They just got a Patsy for Ben and he's just 754 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,919 Speaker 1: gonna do everything he says. I don't think that's the case. 755 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: I don't. I mean, Canada's history shows he's gonna install 756 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 1: some new stuff and a lot of people study what 757 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: Matt Canada does. And I do think the run percentage 758 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: will go up, and I think they'll run the ball differently. 759 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: I think they'll attack the field. They didn't attack enough 760 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: blades of grass through the air life here, and I 761 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: think they will. And they will also manipulate the defense 762 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: much much better. Here is Trotter's translation on what Canada 763 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: had to say. The translation, we know Ben is not 764 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,040 Speaker 1: the player he once was, and he's extremely sent that 765 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,800 Speaker 1: of the criticism that his game and arm strength have 766 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: slips into two thousand, nineteen elbow surgery. So we have 767 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: to keep him engaged by consistently stressing that he's the 768 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: fuel that makes the offense go, even though rookie running 769 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,440 Speaker 1: back naj Harris will be the focal point. I think 770 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: I think too many, too many people were falling into 771 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 1: this idea that the Steelers didn't the Steelers didn't throw 772 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: the football down the field last year, and that Raelthlisberger's 773 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: arm strength is somehow lacking. That's not the case. I 774 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:34,319 Speaker 1: think that you just assume he's old. They didn't throw 775 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: the ball deep or attack the intermediate levels, so they 776 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: can't throw the ball. They threw the ball deep, they did, 777 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,680 Speaker 1: they didn't connect on the deep ball. There's a difference. 778 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:46,560 Speaker 1: They didn't design a lot of arms strength throws. I 779 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: think that will change. I mean, he probably. I know 780 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 1: he doesn't throw the ball as well as he used to, 781 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 1: but he threw the ball better than basically won the 782 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 1: league at one point, and I'm very certain. I'm not 783 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: certain he could do it for six attempts a year, 784 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 1: but I'm certain right now he can throw the ball 785 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: well enough to succeed, if not better, I mean better 786 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 1: than that go back and watch. I would suggest to 787 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: anybody who thinks that his arm strength is lacking to 788 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 1: go back and watch the second half of the playoff 789 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:16,400 Speaker 1: game against Cleveland. Yeah, that's a good one, right, And 790 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 1: that's late in the years. He's throwing deep ends. He's 791 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: throwing you know, he's he's winging the ball down the 792 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: football field because they're trying to come back, and he 793 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: had to. Their lives are on the line, right, I 794 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: mean he's throwing you know, thirty thirty yard ends in 795 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: that game. That like, Okay, that's not an arm strength problem, folks. 796 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: And I'm totally speculating on this. No one in the 797 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: organization has told me this, of course, but I do 798 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 1: think that being undefeated and as being the successful as 799 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: they were might have worked against them. What's broken, right, 800 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:46,719 Speaker 1: Like it's harder to look in the mirror when you 801 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,279 Speaker 1: think you're beautiful and say, why would I change this? 802 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: You know what I mean? When people are adapting and 803 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 1: catching up to you, of course, and your tape became 804 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: a little bit predictable. And I also think, and again 805 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,759 Speaker 1: I don't know this, but when Ben sat down with 806 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: to Rooney and Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin about coming back, 807 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 1: and I think a lot of people thought it was 808 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,279 Speaker 1: all about money. I bet it was not. I bet 809 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: that there was a heart to heart about Ben. We 810 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: need you to change how you play, and we will 811 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 1: provide you the resources to do that, namely a big 812 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: time running back for one thing, you know, and a 813 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: system that many quarterbacks around the league have had more 814 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: success with. You know, we're gonna take less, We're trying 815 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 1: to make your job easier. We're all trying to do 816 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 1: the same thing, but you need to come to meet 817 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: its halfway. Yeah. Yeah, I think, and I think all 818 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: too often the last couple of years, and obviously he 819 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:43,360 Speaker 1: didn't play in much UM, but the last three years 820 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:47,799 Speaker 1: really UM, his last two years for sure, when they 821 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: didn't have Levy on Bell. Uh, he didn't trust the 822 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:53,280 Speaker 1: running backs. No, I don't think. So. There's a reason, 823 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: there's a reason why they're they're they're rushing attempts went 824 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,960 Speaker 1: from fifteenth in the league in seventeen, the last year 825 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 1: that they had Levy on Bell, to following the last 826 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:07,440 Speaker 1: three years thirty second. You know, it's just that that's 827 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,080 Speaker 1: that shows me that not only did he not trust 828 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: the running backs, they didn't trust the running backs. I 829 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:16,319 Speaker 1: think he did when Connor was right. When Connor was right, 830 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 1: he just wasn't right in It wasn't very often. And 831 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: he watched him in practice all week thinking I've seen 832 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: this show, you know what I mean, Like and he 833 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:26,880 Speaker 1: I'm sure he has a superman feeling to him and 834 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: as most quarterbacks do, but I don't think it. Maybe 835 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 1: I'll be proven wrong with this, but there was a 836 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:35,319 Speaker 1: lot of rumors, like late in Dan fouls and Dan 837 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 1: Marino's career, that they're throwing it, they're not hand the 838 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 1: ball off, you know, like and I'm bigger than the team. 839 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: I think that heart, the heart with the the organization 840 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: is going to be more elway late career than what 841 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: I just described. Otherwise you're gonna they're not talk He 842 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 1: and Bell openly talked about that when Bell was here, 843 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:57,480 Speaker 1: Like you know, Roethlisberger would go to Bell and say, Hey, 844 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,799 Speaker 1: I want you to be my Terrell Davis here. Yeah. Um, well, 845 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,279 Speaker 1: now he's got Terrell Davis. You know, he's got a 846 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: guy that's capable. He's got a young guy who's capable. Um, 847 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: we're not giving everything. We're not giving anything away here 848 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,120 Speaker 1: because the Steelers put out a photo of this yesterday 849 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: of the one handed catching the end zone. Pretty nice. 850 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:16,919 Speaker 1: I've been wanting to talk about on the airprol while. Yeah, 851 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:20,360 Speaker 1: you've seen it, that's the Yeah, we saw quite a 852 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: bit of that throughout the course of the offseason workouts. Here. 853 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 1: Steelers put the photo out there of it. Um, it's 854 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 1: just him. He's a big guy, he's long, he's got 855 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:35,280 Speaker 1: great hands, unbelievably long. Yeah, the cutching radius is crazy. 856 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:37,680 Speaker 1: And I think you had this conversation with him. I 857 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,319 Speaker 1: know it was one of the reporters that asked him 858 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: about another one handed catching back and he didn't even 859 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 1: like bat an eye like that's just what I do. 860 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:47,919 Speaker 1: You know, like that, that's not news. And the little 861 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 1: I've seen of him, even liking warm ups and things, 862 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:53,239 Speaker 1: expect some one handed catches in his Steelers expects all 863 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: I'm saying, well away from his body, Yeah, expect a 864 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,120 Speaker 1: lot of things from this. I think the expectations, like 865 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: I've been asked, are the expectable is too great on 866 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:05,640 Speaker 1: light exactly. I mean the fantasy community is not caught up. 867 00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:08,360 Speaker 1: I'll that right now, No, not at all. And you know, 868 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:11,239 Speaker 1: I think don't they know this team's history with you know, 869 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,960 Speaker 1: level and bell Cows and the first round pick runningbacks, 870 00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 1: Like you don't think they've ever heard that first round 871 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: running backs are a bad investment. Like they're gonna get 872 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:23,799 Speaker 1: every dollar out of this investment, every penny they're gonna 873 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: get out of this investment, and it's gonna be him 874 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 1: touching the ball a ton. I'm also a little excited 875 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:31,479 Speaker 1: about McFarland too, because I don't think he's going away 876 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 1: or his story is written, but he's gonna be a 877 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,319 Speaker 1: compliment at best. I mean, Nausea is going to be 878 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: a high touch player when it's all added up. Yeah, 879 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: he's gonna get volume, he's gonna get quality. I think 880 00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:45,720 Speaker 1: he's going to be there as well. He's a lineup 881 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 1: outside the numbers. He's gonna you know, he's gonna be 882 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 1: a he's he's a he's a finished I don't want 883 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:52,759 Speaker 1: to say he's a finished product, but he's a near 884 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:55,839 Speaker 1: finished product coming out of school. That that Steeler friends 885 00:42:55,840 --> 00:42:57,840 Speaker 1: are gonna be very happy with that jaft pick. I 886 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:01,239 Speaker 1: hope I'm not overstepping, but that that one handed catch 887 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 1: that he made is on a fadeball in the end, zone. 888 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: I mean, that's a wide receiver catch, all right. That's 889 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: what we threw the Larry when I was you know 890 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: what I mean. Like, there's not many running backs they 891 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:12,279 Speaker 1: asked to do that too, because they don't do it 892 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:14,600 Speaker 1: well and they're short, stumpy guys. Yeah, for sure, but 893 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:16,960 Speaker 1: we've gotta take another break. He is Matt Williamson. I'm 894 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,520 Speaker 1: dale all. You're listening to our live coverage here of 895 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:23,440 Speaker 1: Steelers Mini Camp on ESPN nine seventy and s n R. 896 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:25,399 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more right after this