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

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Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Our number two on day number six of OTA's it's

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Speaker 2: a special edition of the Drive here West Ruler in

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Speaker 2: for Dale Lolly with the unjust you know Encyclopedia of

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Speaker 2: knowledge that is Matt Williamson that you all of course know.

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Speaker 2: Here you loyal Drive listeners on Steelers Nation Radio on

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Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network. We are rocking and rolling here

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Speaker 2: on the final day of OTA practice from the upmc

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Speaker 2: rooney Sports Complex. A little over an hour from now,

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Speaker 2: we will have a player join us.

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Speaker 3: I do not see the King in the Castle down

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Speaker 3: here soon?

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Speaker 2: Is uh maybe you know what now that I think

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Speaker 2: about it, I do think they have a day game

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Speaker 2: today against the Astros.

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Speaker 4: Home Wondering if in the week that he was not

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Speaker 4: going to I think he did.

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Speaker 3: I think he did, so that makes sense.

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Speaker 4: Here by now the chances are well.

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Speaker 2: That's a night game tonight. But that still doesn't mean

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Speaker 2: that he doesn't have potential potential buckos things going going

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Speaker 2: on here.

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Speaker 3: But we were.

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Speaker 2: Talking some divisional worst of first candidates there at the

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Speaker 2: end of the first hour ending with the Cleveland Browns.

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Speaker 4: I don't like their chances.

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Speaker 3: I don't like their chances either.

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Speaker 2: And you know what, Okay, so you asked You asked

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Speaker 2: me this question about how many quarterbacks get the start

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Speaker 2: for the Browns or how many throw passes in a

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Speaker 2: regular season game? Three and a half fired Ohio football

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Speaker 2: head coaches this season over over under.

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Speaker 3: One and a half.

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Speaker 4: I think since he sticks with their guy, you know.

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Speaker 3: Exact, Taylor safe yea if they missed the playoffs.

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Speaker 4: Again, it's just the nature of the organization.

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Speaker 3: Marvin Lewis was there forever.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, they stick with guys. They don't want to pay

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Speaker 5: two coaches at the same time. I'm not saying this

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Speaker 5: just because we're Steeler people, but I've kind of thought

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Speaker 5: that's an a rated coaching staff really from the start.

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Speaker 5: And I like their defensive coordinator who they blamed for

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Speaker 5: all their troubles and he's gone too. It's an odd

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Speaker 5: organization because I Burrow is such the driving force, and

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Speaker 5: that's a great thing to have.

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Speaker 4: But I wonder how long he's.

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Speaker 5: Going to be happy with that situation, you know, like

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Speaker 5: if their defense is always going to be bottom five

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Speaker 5: and he has to score thirty five points a game

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Speaker 5: just to be in the game. I mean, I think

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Speaker 5: they lost three games where they scored thirty five or yeah,

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Speaker 5: a lot of that kind of stuff, which is bonkers.

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Speaker 5: But they did give give him Higgins back, and he's

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Speaker 5: got Chase long term now too, So that's a great

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Speaker 5: thing to start with. But I can't talk about the

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Speaker 5: Bengals big picture without this. You know, like when they

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Speaker 5: were doing real well, they built their defense a lot

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Speaker 5: through free agency, the Mike Hilton's of the world. You know,

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Speaker 5: they didn't draft a lot of their defensive players when they.

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Speaker 3: Were Hendrickson right exactly.

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Speaker 5: You know, he was a free agent, a great deal

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Speaker 5: they got from the Saints, and they drafted on offense,

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Speaker 5: you know, Burrough Chase, you know, we know the names,

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Speaker 5: and that were great. So you're cheap on offense, you

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Speaker 5: were kind of expensive on defense. And I give the

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Speaker 5: team credit that is considered to be one more frugal

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Speaker 5: out there. They spent in free agency and they build

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Speaker 5: a defense, but they wisely realized, well, we're gonna have

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Speaker 5: to start playing Burrough Chase. All those guys contracts are up,

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Speaker 5: so we can't be expensive on defense. So they've been

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Speaker 5: drafting defense like crazy for the last three years or so.

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Speaker 4: And none of them are hitting. No, not that problem,

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Speaker 4: that's the killer.

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Speaker 5: So they blame the defensive coordinator for it, not the

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Speaker 5: front office. Maybe they're true, Maybe that's true. You know,

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Speaker 5: like we're giving you good players, you're not doing anything

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Speaker 5: with them. But if you bring up their draft history,

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Speaker 5: it's defense player, defense player, defensive player. It's not great,

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Speaker 5: it's and none of them are getting They're not even

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Speaker 5: quality starters at this point. And there's been injuries, and

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Speaker 5: there's been some extenuating factors, but it's Hendricks ten other

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Speaker 5: guys out there because none of these young guys are

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Speaker 5: stepping up. So I mentioned I like their defensive coordinator,

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Speaker 5: but they did sign a college defensive coordinator from Notre

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Speaker 5: Dame that maybe he's better with young people.

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Speaker 4: I don't know.

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Speaker 5: I mean, everyone has a different personality, you know. Maybe

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Speaker 5: he's just going to be a better bring along young player,

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Speaker 5: you know leader. I can buy that, But the fact

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Speaker 5: is none of their defensive investments are hitting at all.

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Speaker 5: And then they kind of doubled down that philosophy and

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Speaker 5: took maybe the highest upside but rawest player in the

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Speaker 5: draft in the first round Stewart from Texas A and

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Speaker 5: M who's a ridiculous tester but has no production. They're

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Speaker 5: just betting on themselves to develop him. But they haven't

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Speaker 5: developed any right, so are they learning from their mistakes?

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Speaker 5: You know what's going to be happening with Hendrickson.

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Speaker 4: He's not happy at all, But.

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Speaker 5: Boy they have Burrow, you know, and that's as good

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Speaker 5: as hard as he can out.

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Speaker 3: Want to have to battle.

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Speaker 4: They'll be competitive.

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Speaker 2: Because I mean they don't only have a franchise quarterback.

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Speaker 2: They have one of the unicorn franchise quarterbacks.

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Speaker 5: As long as he stays healthy, they're going to be

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Speaker 5: hard to play against for sure. And health has been

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Speaker 5: a problem with them too, it has.

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Speaker 4: He actually has a.

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Speaker 5: Real off season this year, and there's been a lot

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Speaker 5: of these off seasons where he's had an organ transplant

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Speaker 5: or an injury or everything, like a lot.

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Speaker 4: Of different.

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Speaker 5: Transplant but he had an injury, yeah, you know, so

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Speaker 5: you know, legit stuff. So I think they'll be hard

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Speaker 5: to play against. They're always going to score points, but

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Speaker 5: their ow line still is a little suspect. Even their draft,

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Speaker 5: they only drafted I think three positions. I mean they

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Speaker 5: drafted two linebackers, two guards, a defensive end, and a

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Speaker 5: running back. You know, like you're not addressing a lot

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Speaker 5: of different stuff, And I don't know that you're gonna

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Speaker 5: be a lot better at garterer linebacker even using four

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Speaker 5: picks on those two spots.

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Speaker 2: You know, it's not like you felt like you got

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Speaker 2: a lot of instant impact guys in this draft too.

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Speaker 2: Like even if a Shimer Stewart ends up working out,

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Speaker 2: it might take a year or two before he really

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Speaker 2: takes off.

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Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I mean I doubt he's gonna come.

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Speaker 3: Have a rookie type thing.

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Speaker 4: I mean, he didn't look that way at all at

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Speaker 4: eight a m.

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Speaker 5: And they're really set in their ways in that it's

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Speaker 5: widely known that they're like the hardest team to league

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Speaker 5: the trade with. So how's the Hendrickson thing going to

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Speaker 5: work out?

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Speaker 4: Right? And even like if you.

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Speaker 5: Look at their draft every year, if they have the

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Speaker 5: eighteenth pick in the draft, they picked eighteenth in round

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Speaker 5: one two.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, they they're very static.

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Speaker 4: They don't manipulate the compick game.

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Speaker 5: You know, they just kind of this is our pick,

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Speaker 5: We're gonna pick a guy here, you know, like that's

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Speaker 5: kind of an antiquated way.

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Speaker 4: I look at that.

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Speaker 2: I was just gonna say, they strike me as you know,

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Speaker 2: you hear this a lot, and I might butcher it

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Speaker 2: a little bit, but like, the seven most dangerous words

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Speaker 2: in business are, that's the way we've always done things.

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Speaker 3: Whatever that might be.

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Speaker 2: I might have missed a word, or it might be

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Speaker 2: eight words or whatever, but that's a dress like the

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Speaker 2: seven the seven most dangerous words in business are, that's

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Speaker 2: the way we've always done things.

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Speaker 3: And they kind of personify that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Like you reference some of these newer, younger ownership

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Speaker 2: groups in the NFL and in all of professional sports

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Speaker 2: in this country, that can be a little more nee jerk,

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Speaker 2: can be a little shy object as opposed to an

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Speaker 2: ownership group like the Bengals that feels like that, this

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Speaker 2: is the way we've always done things.

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Speaker 5: And to be fair, many people criticize the Steelers for

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Speaker 5: being on that side of things in a big way too.

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Speaker 3: But they've had the success that the Bengals haven't had.

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Speaker 4: Yes, and I mean Youers have a new GM. I

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Speaker 4: mean like that they've had.

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Speaker 5: They've had more changes than people give them credit for too,

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Speaker 5: and have not had Joe Burrow, you know, like, and

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Speaker 5: we could talk about the last five years have not

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Speaker 5: ended how you want in Pittsburgh. I bet they've been

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Speaker 5: a lot better with Burrow. Oh yeah, I mean post Ben,

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Speaker 5: you know what I mean?

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Speaker 3: Like, I bet you won a playoff game in the

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Speaker 3: last post Ben era.

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Speaker 5: I mean, the Bengals were very fortunate to have the

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Speaker 5: first pick in the draft, a year that worked out

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Speaker 5: really well for them. It's not the Bryce Young year,

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Speaker 5: you know, Like if they were developing Bryce Young right now,

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Speaker 5: would it be as pretty as the way Burrow walked

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Speaker 5: in as a total face on the billboard most of

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Speaker 5: port guy in the organization stud quarterback.

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Speaker 4: I don't know, you know.

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Speaker 5: So they're dangerous And I saw the Super Bowl odds

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Speaker 5: acrown the league, and I think they're like fifth from

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Speaker 5: the top. Really and I would not make that bet

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Speaker 5: in a thousand years Like that one did not add

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Speaker 5: up to me at all. They're They're higher than I

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Speaker 5: would have ever put them. I give them maybe a

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Speaker 5: fifty to fifty chance of making the playoffs.

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Speaker 2: Probably under that looks like they have the seventh best

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Speaker 2: sentence right now.

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Speaker 5: Still, I mean, I mean the Lions and Eagles and Bills.

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Speaker 5: I mean there's so many quality.

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Speaker 2: Eagles and Chiefs. Eagles and Chiefs are tied for first.

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Speaker 2: I don't think surprises anybody. Now, Ravens and Bills just

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Speaker 2: below them, I mean a very very small gap.

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Speaker 4: Who are noticeably better teams than the Bengals.

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Speaker 3: Correct. Then there's a tiny little gap than the Lions. Okay, okay,

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Speaker 3: and then that's really kind of the less than ten

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Speaker 3: to one.

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Speaker 4: Okay, Oh, they're kind of a distance set.

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Speaker 3: Like Eagles and Chiefs are six to one, Lions are

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Speaker 3: nine to one type.

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Speaker 4: You're not making a ton of money on those guys.

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Speaker 3: But then San Francis, is that to win it or

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Speaker 3: that's to win the Super Bowl?

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Speaker 2: Okay, yep, yep, and then San Francisco would be number six.

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Speaker 3: Bengals tied with the Commanders for number seven. That seems

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Speaker 3: too hot.

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Speaker 4: It does seem too high, but.

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Speaker 2: Way above the Vikings and I get there starting a

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Speaker 2: rookie quarterback, A way above the Texans, way above the

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Speaker 2: Bucks the Packers. Like these are teams that have been

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Speaker 2: in the postseason in one postseason games in the last years, Bucks.

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Speaker 4: Whereas you should be higher.

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Speaker 2: Since the Bengals have been in the postseason, even with

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Speaker 2: back to back years of nine and eight records. What

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Speaker 2: do you think they're about that same type of win

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Speaker 2: total this season?

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Speaker 5: Do you see a dr I don't see a defensive improvement,

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Speaker 5: especially if Henderson's not.

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Speaker 3: Their offense is gonna still be good.

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Speaker 5: It's still gonna be really good. But it's a fragile

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Speaker 5: build too. I mean, you're you're too dependent on one thing,

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Speaker 5: the passing game.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you can score thirty five, thirty eight

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Speaker 2: points and still lose multiple times, which that might happen

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Speaker 2: a lot in collegiate football, but not at a not

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Speaker 2: at this level. And uh and certainly I don't think

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Speaker 2: in the AFC North in particular.

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Speaker 5: One other note on them, and they got They did

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Speaker 5: get better as the season went on. I mean Steelers

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Speaker 5: played in the last year week of the season. They

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Speaker 5: were harder to play against them than early. But back

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Speaker 5: to their coaching staff, I hope for their sake they

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Speaker 5: changed their tune a little. But they never play anyone

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Speaker 5: in the preseason, and the first month always goes poorly

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Speaker 5: for the Bengals, you know.

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Speaker 3: They always start poorly.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and you're just repeating the same stuff over and over.

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Speaker 2: And it's like, I feel like the Patriots used to

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Speaker 2: do that in the Brady Belichick era.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but they had Brady and Belichick. They're better prepared

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Speaker 3: the Steelers. In the Ravens winning double digit games in

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Speaker 3: their division.

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Speaker 5: They probably looked at it like, Okay, if we stumble

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Speaker 5: a little bit and still go six and oer the divisions.

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Speaker 3: It feels it feels like every year.

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Speaker 2: It feels like every year the Patriots would start like

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Speaker 2: one and two or two and three, and everyone would be.

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Speaker 3: Like, is this it is? This?

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Speaker 4: It right?

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Speaker 3: And then they'd rattle off nine wins in their next

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Speaker 3: ten games.

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Speaker 5: And then they're the most physical team in the league

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Speaker 5: in December and the playoffs and right right.

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Speaker 2: I think the Bengals have tried but failed to the

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Speaker 2: same as the Belichick No, it's certainly so there.

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Speaker 5: The Patriots were a really deep team too, you know,

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Speaker 5: they weren't dependent on one thing to win, where the

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Speaker 5: Bengals really have one super strength.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they got one.

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Speaker 4: It's a super strength.

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Speaker 2: It is absolutely It's it's a position that in a

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Speaker 2: way you would like to be in.

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Speaker 5: Oh yeah, just mean, if the Steelers shrewed the ball

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Speaker 5: as well as Bengals, they'd be the best team in

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Speaker 5: the league. I mean like that, that's not I'm not

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Speaker 5: reaching it all there in my opinion. I mean, that's phenomenal.

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Speaker 5: It's one of the best passing games in the league.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, And I remember last year, like the quarterback wide

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Speaker 2: receiver tandems that put up the numbers at Burrow and

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Speaker 2: Chase did last year.

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Speaker 3: In the history of the league, it was like Peyton

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Speaker 3: Manning and Marvin Harrison.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know the fifteen to one Colts, Brady

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Speaker 2: and Moss on the the.

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Speaker 3: On the undefeated Patriots. Yeah, a lot of these like

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Speaker 3: that level of teams.

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Speaker 2: Yes, right right, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers and Devonte Adams

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Speaker 2: in twenty and eighteen and the Packers went fourteen.

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Speaker 3: And two, you know, and then the Bengals who went eight.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, had to win their last game of the season

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Speaker 2: just to just to get above five hundred over.

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Speaker 3: Across the way. Something changes that much, I don't. I

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Speaker 3: think they're about the same.

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Speaker 2: They're dangerous enough to beat anybody on again Sunday, but

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Speaker 2: there they've got enough issues that they could lose to anybody.

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Speaker 5: They need Burrow to be an MVP, and that's he's capable.

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Speaker 4: But that's a hard thing to bank off.

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Speaker 3: He had an MVP caliber season last.

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Speaker 4: Year, yeah right, right, right, and he was as good

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Speaker 4: as anyone they were.

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Speaker 3: They were nine to eight, you know.

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Speaker 5: And and yeah, and we say this a lot in

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Speaker 5: the drive too, like the Deshaun Watson trade, just to

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Speaker 5: go backwards a second on the Browns for that trade

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Speaker 5: to pay off for what they not even including the

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Speaker 5: off the field stuff, but just draft picks and salary

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Speaker 5: cap compensation for him. If he wasn't a top three

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Speaker 5: or four quarterback, if he wasn't a Burrow level quarterback,

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Speaker 5: it was a bad trade. Not like he's the tenth

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Speaker 5: best quarter like Aield right right, Yeah, he's got there's

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Speaker 5: the Pro Bowl here and there. He's good player. You'd

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Speaker 5: love to have him. He's better than what Steelers played

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Speaker 5: with lately. Okay, but you gave up too much.

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Speaker 2: Right, You don't give up that for a you know,

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Speaker 2: the the tenth or twelfth best quarterback.

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Speaker 3: In the league.

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Speaker 5: I mean, and years about draft picks and all the

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Speaker 5: cap stuff they still have ahead of them.

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Speaker 4: You know, he had to be an elite.

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Speaker 3: Better if you get Matthew Stafford like the Rams.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I mean, and they give up much less

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Speaker 5: than you know. He was an older player.

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Speaker 2: But those Ohio teams, I tell you, let's get to

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Speaker 2: a Let's get to another break here. Maybe we'll discuss

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Speaker 2: those Baltimore Ravens continue around the AFC North when we

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Speaker 2: return on the other side. Another reminder, we will get

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Speaker 2: to some tweets today. A little Twitter Thursday edition of

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Speaker 2: the Drive here still so you could twet us at

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Speaker 2: Wesley Yuler at Williamson NFL if you want to get

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Speaker 2: involved with the program. It is a special edition of

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Speaker 2: the Drive here at day number six of the OTA's

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Speaker 2: We're at the upmc rooney Sports Complex with you for

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Speaker 2: about another hour and a half.

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Speaker 3: Here we will have a Steelers player.

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Speaker 2: In the next hour plenty more moving and shaking in

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Speaker 2: conversation to bring you on Steelers Nation Radio on the

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Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network.

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

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Speaker 1: show on your twenty four seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 3: Rolling along here on the Drive, Cruising.

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Speaker 2: Along here on the Drive on the final day of

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Speaker 2: OTAs for your Pittsburgh Steelers. It's another hot June day

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Speaker 2: down here. We are in the low eighty degrees and

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Speaker 2: it's not even noon yet.

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Speaker 5: He didn't bother me at all yesterday and today I

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Speaker 5: was hot as soon as I walked out here.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know why. It's just like, man, it's

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Speaker 4: like a just a heavier humid heat.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it got me.

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Speaker 2: I was struggling a little bit yesterday, but to little transparency.

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Speaker 2: The night before, neither of my girls slept and I

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Speaker 2: was up doing the DV morning show for Mike Persuda

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Speaker 2: from six to at six afore this, so I was

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Speaker 2: on like two or three hours of sleep and I

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Speaker 2: was up super early, and I think, you know, I

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Speaker 2: was just kind of a little tired and drained, and

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Speaker 2: that's why the heat was getting to me.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, today it is thick out here.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: I just went in to use the restroom at the

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Speaker 5: break here and I happened to be walking in with

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Speaker 5: like twenty five pit players that have been working out

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Speaker 5: on the far ones. They were a sweaty drip.

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Speaker 2: Drink any any cool type of beverage, certainly, And it

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Speaker 2: is the one nice thing, like, you know, we look

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Speaker 2: out there and we see a lot of our buddies

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Speaker 2: who cover the team, right you know, Yeah, the Jim

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Speaker 2: Wexels of the world's the bows of the world, and

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Speaker 2: they are like out there in the heat, whereas out.

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Speaker 4: There, got a little shade here, shade just sitting here

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Speaker 4: too bad.

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Speaker 2: Although to be fair, if we were out there with

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Speaker 2: our equipment, I think these broadcast boxes would probably blow

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Speaker 2: up in about twenty minutes. So it is good we've

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Speaker 2: got some shade for our equipment here.

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Speaker 5: But as everyone knows, like if this carbon Coffee Day

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Speaker 5: was the eighth practice.

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Speaker 4: Of training camp, you're like, that's kind of cool out today.

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Speaker 3: It's a relative absolutely.

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Speaker 4: First you hard, Oh.

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Speaker 3: It's that acclamation thing.

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Speaker 2: It's the same thing in November around here, like those

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Speaker 2: first week of winter cold you're like.

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Speaker 3: All bundled up. Yeah, like old man, winter is just

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Speaker 3: cutting right through your bar.

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Speaker 4: Especially at the radio station with the walk through the

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Speaker 4: wind up on the.

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Speaker 3: Hill of our radio station, the wind gets holing. It's

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Speaker 3: those first week or two it's brutal.

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Speaker 2: But then by February you're like walking in in like

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Speaker 2: a long sleeve T shirt and you're like, yeah, I

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Speaker 2: sain it's so bad.

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Speaker 4: Right, right, right, it's fifty and I'm wearing short.

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Speaker 2: Yes, exactly right, Because just that that's why they have

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Speaker 2: the acclamation periods and yeah, another hot one here today

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Speaker 2: as there's some drills going on on the far side.

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Speaker 4: We're as bad for us because anything on field two,

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Speaker 4: I can't.

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Speaker 2: Any field on field two. Anything on field two or

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Speaker 2: three is tough for us to see. But we will

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Speaker 2: still try and do our best to give you some

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Speaker 2: observations as we roll along. Been a lot of work

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Speaker 2: on catching punts here. It feels like uh Matt throughout

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Speaker 2: throughout this week as well too, so a lot of

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Speaker 2: special teams work in the year special those teachable moments

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Speaker 2: that we've talked about through the course of these two

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Speaker 2: weeks so far. H AFC North conversation that we are

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Speaker 2: continuing here.

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Speaker 5: Touch on one thing you said, yeah too, is I

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Speaker 5: very much believe in it. It's more apparent to training

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Speaker 5: camp and you can really see period after Peero from

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Speaker 5: where we're sitting, the Steelers do dedicate more practice time

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Speaker 5: to special teams than most teams. I'm not at every camp,

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Speaker 5: trust me, but I do know that that is a

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Speaker 5: Tomlin thing that we're going to dedicate X amount of

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Speaker 5: periods and that's when you leave the league in block

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Speaker 5: kicks and things like that. I mean that kind of

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Speaker 5: stuff pays off. You know, now you have to detract

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Speaker 5: from something else. You know, it doesn't mean you get

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Speaker 5: more minutes than everybody else out there, but you know

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Speaker 5: they do put a lot of time into special teams

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Speaker 5: and not to reveal any secrets.

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Speaker 4: You kind of touch on this too.

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Speaker 5: A lot of different Steeler players have fielded punts from

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Speaker 5: the drug machine here, and I think it's just an

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Speaker 5: opportunity to say, hey, Danny, look I've done it or

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Speaker 5: I'm gonna try it.

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Speaker 4: You know that doesn't mean he's your top punt returner, right.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, because by the time you get to camp in July,

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Speaker 2: you better not think, well, we've got six different guys

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Speaker 2: who could return punts.

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Speaker 3: It better be two or three.

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Speaker 5: Like even Minka was out there. And I've seen them

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Speaker 5: do that in camp and stuff too, like in an

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Speaker 5: emergency in week twelve, two guys get hurt, who's going

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Speaker 5: to return of punt?

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Speaker 3: Chris Boswa had a punt last year in Atlanta.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, was that Atlanta should do whatever?

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Speaker 3: It was early it was early on in the season.

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Speaker 4: Last year, James Harrison had a long snap.

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Speaker 3: Had a long snap at one point the.

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Speaker 4: Way, that's right, which backup party.

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Speaker 2: Cool, we have a backup long snapper now. I do

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Speaker 2: think it was that Atlanta game because that was the

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Speaker 2: first game of the year and Chris Boswell hit like

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Speaker 2: the five field goals that were the Steelers' only points

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Speaker 2: and then had that very crucial punt at the end

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Speaker 2: of the game as well too. It should have been

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Speaker 2: AFC Player of the Week.

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Speaker 3: Just Peero in Special Teams.

447
00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,199
Speaker 2: Matthew rolling along here in our AFC North conversation, and

448
00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,159
Speaker 2: some breaking ish news here too as it relates to

449
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,199
Speaker 2: the team we're about to talk about. The Baltimore Ravens

450
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,720
Speaker 2: just about an hour or two ago announcing they have

451
00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,240
Speaker 2: signed with Sean Bateman to a three year, thirty six

452
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,000
Speaker 2: point seventy five million dollar contract extension that includes twenty

453
00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:53,520
Speaker 2: million dollars guaranteed.

454
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:54,880
Speaker 4: Okay, I'm a fan.

455
00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,080
Speaker 5: It was an interesting move because they were kind of

456
00:18:58,119 --> 00:18:59,919
Speaker 5: at a the dilemma we're talking about fifth year off

457
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,520
Speaker 5: his was they make that decision this past year and

458
00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,879
Speaker 5: picking up fifth year options now is way harder than

459
00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:09,359
Speaker 5: it used to be. It used to be kind of

460
00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,640
Speaker 5: just rubber stamp it. It's not that big a deal.

461
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,240
Speaker 5: But with this new CBA, especially if you've been to

462
00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,399
Speaker 5: Pro Bowl or multiple Pro Bowls.

463
00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:17,480
Speaker 4: Which Bateman wasn't that case.

464
00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,639
Speaker 5: Price goes up real fast, and I think they were

465
00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:22,359
Speaker 5: on the fence should we do it or not? And

466
00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,320
Speaker 5: so they kind of split the difference and put a

467
00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:28,800
Speaker 5: half a year or they put They altered the very

468
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:30,840
Speaker 5: end of his contract, gave him a little more money.

469
00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:31,719
Speaker 4: He kept him happy.

470
00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,680
Speaker 5: So this makes sense because we still want to keep

471
00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:38,000
Speaker 5: you and we didn't want to fifth year option you

472
00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,199
Speaker 5: or give you this massive deal, but definitely don't want

473
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:41,120
Speaker 5: you to hit free agency.

474
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,040
Speaker 4: Quality number two guy.

475
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,760
Speaker 5: And like again, he'd be a perfect guy to line

476
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,639
Speaker 5: up opposite Metcals so they could find a receiver of

477
00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,840
Speaker 5: that ilk, you'd be in pretty good shape.

478
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:51,560
Speaker 4: He's a good player.

479
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:52,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, he is a good player.

480
00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:53,840
Speaker 4: About so young.

481
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:55,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, averages.

482
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,240
Speaker 2: Out to about twelve million a year, not a you

483
00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,920
Speaker 2: know that's bad, not to break the bank type numb

484
00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,200
Speaker 2: or yeah, and you know what to start our Ravens conversation,

485
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,560
Speaker 2: they've got some tough decisions to make in that fifth

486
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:11,080
Speaker 2: round pick tag option realm coming up here. There's a

487
00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,720
Speaker 2: really center Tyler Lindabaum and Kyle Hamilton, who would both

488
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,159
Speaker 2: like with the Pro Bowls that they've made and the

489
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:20,440
Speaker 2: things that they have done that escalate that number very quickly.

490
00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,760
Speaker 3: That they both of them have hit like all of those.

491
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:23,400
Speaker 4: All the escalators.

492
00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:24,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, they would.

493
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,399
Speaker 2: They would quickly go from their rookie contract to a

494
00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,440
Speaker 2: fifth year tag that would make them, if not the

495
00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,080
Speaker 2: highest paid player at their position, very very close.

496
00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:33,600
Speaker 4: Yeah.

497
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,280
Speaker 5: And again, the economics of football interests me more and

498
00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:39,800
Speaker 5: more the older I get. And it's one of the

499
00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,080
Speaker 5: arguments for not taking a safety or interior offensive lineman

500
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,280
Speaker 5: in the first round because the fifth year option is

501
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,480
Speaker 5: really rough on those guys, especially the interior O lineman.

502
00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,160
Speaker 2: So you went Tyler Linnabaums for example, Yeah, sure, his tag.

503
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,520
Speaker 3: Number would be twenty three point four million dollars.

504
00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,240
Speaker 4: See, the CBA screwed up because the.

505
00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,879
Speaker 3: Way they think is a great player.

506
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,359
Speaker 2: But like we talk about the value of a left

507
00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,440
Speaker 2: tackle exactly, you'd be paying your center more than that exactly.

508
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:12,119
Speaker 5: And that's why this CBA screwed up. Is they for

509
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,720
Speaker 5: the fifty year option and the franchise tag. It's for

510
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,879
Speaker 5: all olignment. It should be tackles and interior line. There

511
00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:24,280
Speaker 5: should be two different categories. So the Ravens did a

512
00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,200
Speaker 5: wonderful thing and drafted Linderbaum and Hamilton, both who hit.

513
00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:29,360
Speaker 5: But now they're going to have to kind of pay

514
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:35,920
Speaker 5: a tax for drafting good players. And you can't pick

515
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,160
Speaker 5: up Linderbombs. I mean you can't.

516
00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:40,400
Speaker 4: Yeah, but you can't let him hit the free agent market.

517
00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:40,879
Speaker 3: Right.

518
00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,280
Speaker 5: So now Linderbaum, depending how much he wants to keep

519
00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,840
Speaker 5: like their foot feet to the fire, can say, well,

520
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 5: let's start a twenty three a year.

521
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,360
Speaker 4: And they're like, well, you're no centers make twenty three years.

522
00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:53,720
Speaker 4: We'll do that, right.

523
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 5: Like, here's a great example of the franchise tag. Like

524
00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,560
Speaker 5: when Aaron Donald was at the absolute peak of his powers,

525
00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:05,120
Speaker 5: the franchise tag was structured as it still is. If

526
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,960
Speaker 5: you franchise a defensive tackle or any position for that matter,

527
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:12,040
Speaker 5: the top five players at that position, you take the

528
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,000
Speaker 5: average of their salary and that's your franchise tag number. Yes, okay,

529
00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,199
Speaker 5: but if Aaron Donald is thirty percent better than the

530
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,879
Speaker 5: second best defensive tackle, the average of the top five

531
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,280
Speaker 5: is a vast underpay for him, you know, Like if

532
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,000
Speaker 5: he hits the open market, it would be.

533
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,240
Speaker 4: A thousand times more.

534
00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,280
Speaker 5: So It's not Apple's apples, but it's kind of the

535
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,359
Speaker 5: same deal is, how do you negotiate this deal with

536
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,119
Speaker 5: Linderbaum when he's kind of holding the cards but you

537
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,760
Speaker 5: can't fit your option and you definitely.

538
00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:42,160
Speaker 4: Don't want to leave.

539
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,680
Speaker 5: And Hamilton's sort of the same too. I mean, He's

540
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,080
Speaker 5: gonna be no matter what happens with him.

541
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,760
Speaker 2: He's his number is eighteen point six, which is high

542
00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,879
Speaker 2: for a safety, it is, but he's.

543
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,560
Speaker 3: Worth it numbers.

544
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,960
Speaker 5: It's he probably should be the highest paid safety considering

545
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 5: his age and accomplishments and importance to their team. He's

546
00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:09,199
Speaker 5: a superstar. So that one hurts, but it's not as prohibitive.

547
00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,600
Speaker 2: So here's a great example for you in talking about

548
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,159
Speaker 2: how the like for drafting a good center in the

549
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:16,679
Speaker 2: first round with the way it is now with the

550
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,919
Speaker 2: CBA and the tag options, how that is you know,

551
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,600
Speaker 2: all lumped in together, which is, as we said, as like.

552
00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:24,800
Speaker 4: Frazier as a first round picked on a second round

553
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 4: it a lot different.

554
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:26,040
Speaker 3: It'd be a lot different.

555
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,720
Speaker 2: So Tyler Linderbaum, I told you that number because the

556
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,040
Speaker 2: way they lump offensive lineman together is twenty three point

557
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:36,239
Speaker 2: four million dollars per year. Sauce Gardner at cornerback a

558
00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,160
Speaker 2: premier position in the NFL.

559
00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,600
Speaker 4: Premier position a premier player.

560
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,840
Speaker 3: Twenty point one million.

561
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:43,640
Speaker 4: He's also done gunder Pro Bowl.

562
00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,399
Speaker 2: Yes, no, that's the highest level that he can get to.

563
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,840
Speaker 2: A well too, has maxed out his his fifty year

564
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:53,120
Speaker 2: option value like Linderbaum, Like Kyle Hamilton, Linderbaum's number is.

565
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,080
Speaker 3: Three point three million dollars than a corner.

566
00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:57,159
Speaker 4: Wow.

567
00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:58,760
Speaker 3: A centers center's tag.

568
00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,720
Speaker 2: Number is three point three million dollars more than corner,

569
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 2: which is crazy when you think.

570
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,800
Speaker 4: Of which have been really crazy just a couple of

571
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:05,280
Speaker 4: years ago.

572
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 5: But now you're seeing guards and centers hit the market

573
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,960
Speaker 5: two and they're getting big money. Goes back to our

574
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,720
Speaker 5: conversation yesterday. There's just an O line shortage in the

575
00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:17,120
Speaker 5: league period, but nobody would have thought centers and corners

576
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:21,639
Speaker 5: are worth relatively the same amount and times are changing.

577
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 5: You mentioned the Jets, and this is this kind of

578
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:25,879
Speaker 5: side note, but it reflects on the Ravens from that

579
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,080
Speaker 5: class too, because they had two first round picks.

580
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:29,400
Speaker 4: The Jets had three.

581
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,439
Speaker 5: They Garret Wilson, and they had Johnson, the defensive end

582
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,480
Speaker 5: from Florida State. He missed all last year with injury,

583
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 5: but he's a good young player too. But it's really

584
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,960
Speaker 5: hard to pick up five three to fifty year options

585
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,360
Speaker 5: the same year or two, you know. I mean they're

586
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,280
Speaker 5: big numbers because if you're picking them up, they're good players.

587
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,600
Speaker 5: They're not going to be the cheapies, you know. So

588
00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,600
Speaker 5: the whole fifth year option things goofy to me too, Like,

589
00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,080
Speaker 5: I know, the Steelers got a lot of heat, like

590
00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,080
Speaker 5: they didn't pick up Nause's fifth year option.

591
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:02,560
Speaker 4: I'm like, the timing is, the timing is going into

592
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,320
Speaker 4: last year, you had to pick it up. So if

593
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,760
Speaker 4: he blows out his knee in week one two.

594
00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,080
Speaker 3: Four years of guaranteed money.

595
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:09,639
Speaker 4: More years of guaranteed money.

596
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,920
Speaker 5: I mean, if he's Jim Brown, yeah, but if he's

597
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,560
Speaker 5: a good not great player at the most injury prone

598
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,920
Speaker 5: position in the sport, I can't be guaranteeing that kind

599
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,959
Speaker 5: of money, you know, Like it makes no sense. Like

600
00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,400
Speaker 5: I think they need to re examine the fifth year

601
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:25,720
Speaker 5: option parameters.

602
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:27,840
Speaker 3: I'm with you on that one, certainly.

603
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:28,560
Speaker 6: Uh.

604
00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,240
Speaker 3: Staying with the Ravens here, you know, you and I, Yeah,

605
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:31,600
Speaker 3: they're good.

606
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,679
Speaker 2: You and I discussed they when we went through the

607
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,000
Speaker 2: Super Bowl. Odds have the third best odds in the league.

608
00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, that about right to you, Like, yeah.

609
00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,159
Speaker 2: You think they are one of those legit not just

610
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,200
Speaker 2: a super Bowl contender, but a super Bowl favorite.

611
00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:44,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, at the top of the list.

612
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:45,960
Speaker 2: And I know that's hard in the AFC because it

613
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 2: feels like there's three Super Bowl favorites if you include

614
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,280
Speaker 2: the Chiefs and the Bills as well too.

615
00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:52,600
Speaker 5: But you think the Dale and I've been talking a

616
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 5: lot about the Bills real quick, because they would be

617
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,400
Speaker 5: my bet of the ones Buffalo because I think they're

618
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,520
Speaker 5: easiest path to winning their division, their schedules easier than

619
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,000
Speaker 5: Baltimore and Kansas City's that if I were to bet

620
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,359
Speaker 5: who the number one seed in the AFC is, I

621
00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,280
Speaker 5: would bet on Buffalo. So I think when if I'm right,

622
00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,160
Speaker 5: which is a slim chance because so much will happens

623
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,240
Speaker 5: to me now, and then that their path might be

624
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,720
Speaker 5: a little easier because they're hosting games and that type

625
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:19,119
Speaker 5: of thing.

626
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:19,879
Speaker 4: Maybe they get a bye.

627
00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,520
Speaker 5: But I think Baltimore's maybe the better team of the

628
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,840
Speaker 5: two if the quarterbacks cancel each other out, which I

629
00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,280
Speaker 5: think they do, and which is an amazing statement for

630
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,959
Speaker 5: both of them, because they're incredible. I am by no

631
00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,080
Speaker 5: means in the camp of Lamar can't win the big one.

632
00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:35,840
Speaker 5: He doesn't have a playoff you know, come on.

633
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:38,200
Speaker 4: Man, I mean, you gotta watch this guy.

634
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,040
Speaker 5: I mean, he's one of the best passers in the

635
00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,000
Speaker 5: league now and wet Mitchett mix out with his running.

636
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:48,520
Speaker 5: Like even rudimentary back of football card stats, he had.

637
00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,200
Speaker 5: His touchdown interception ratio was.

638
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,480
Speaker 3: Insane fast to one or something like that.

639
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,720
Speaker 5: It was insane. It was like forty one to four

640
00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,240
Speaker 5: or something crazy like that. I mean, it's even better

641
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:00,679
Speaker 5: than that, to be honest with. And that doesn't even

642
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 5: mix in the rushing. I I just pull back, I mean,

643
00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,320
Speaker 5: just to be frank, if we were to rank the

644
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,560
Speaker 5: thirty two organizations in the league, you know, who do

645
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,840
Speaker 5: you have the most faith in? Who would you most

646
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:14,680
Speaker 5: want to work for? Who do you you know, who

647
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,080
Speaker 5: do you have the best faith? Is the best organizations

648
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 5: out there? Those two Ohio ones would be pretty low. Yes,

649
00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:22,960
Speaker 5: The Ravens would be pretty high, really really high.

650
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:23,600
Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah.

651
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,720
Speaker 5: I have the ultimate respect for how they do their

652
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,080
Speaker 5: football stuff, you know, and they do take a character

653
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 5: risk here and there, you know, but the the Ray

654
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,080
Speaker 5: Rice stuff, the Justin Tucker stuff they draft, they get

655
00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,800
Speaker 5: in the second round Mirk Green right right, right, that aside.

656
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,280
Speaker 5: I mean they know how to win football games. They

657
00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,960
Speaker 5: understand the modern day NFL really really well. They're super

658
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,359
Speaker 5: analytically inclined. They always lead the league in comp picks.

659
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,760
Speaker 5: You know, they play the game really really well. I

660
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:52,960
Speaker 5: always like their drafts.

661
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 4: And they got a superstar quarterback and a Hall of

662
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,680
Speaker 4: Fame head coach. They're not going away.

663
00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,720
Speaker 5: Anytime soon for us, right, And they extended Henry like

664
00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,080
Speaker 5: he's not going in y anytime soon, although you think

665
00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:03,720
Speaker 5: he would.

666
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,720
Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, he seems like the type that could

667
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,199
Speaker 2: hang on a little bit longer, certainly than the average

668
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:08,760
Speaker 2: running back.

669
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,919
Speaker 5: So another layer of the Ravens that the average fan

670
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,400
Speaker 5: probably wouldn't recognize. But this time last year McDonald, their

671
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,320
Speaker 5: former defense coordinator, became the head coaches of Seattle, which hurt.

672
00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,920
Speaker 5: But worse than that, or as bad as that was,

673
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:29,000
Speaker 5: their next two or three two best off at defensive

674
00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,560
Speaker 5: assistants took defensive coordinator jobs, like Anthony Weaver became a

675
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,919
Speaker 5: defensive coordinator in Miami. Another guy became Tennessee's defensive coordinator.

676
00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:39,160
Speaker 5: So their defensive mind.

677
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,800
Speaker 4: Trust got wrecked last year.

678
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:43,080
Speaker 3: A big deal.

679
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,640
Speaker 5: It's a big deal, and the Steelers saw the two

680
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,040
Speaker 5: different versions of their defense.

681
00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:48,880
Speaker 4: It was right around like.

682
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,920
Speaker 5: Week twelve or so, where those first twelve weeks they're

683
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:57,280
Speaker 5: blowing coverages left and right. They're not living up to expectations.

684
00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,720
Speaker 5: They have all kinds of defensive breakdowns and problems. Communication

685
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,640
Speaker 5: was bad, and then they I think they went into

686
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,240
Speaker 5: a buy and they fixed a lot of stuff. You know,

687
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,920
Speaker 5: like Kyle Hamilton, you're just gonna play deep middle. I know,

688
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 5: we want to do a lot of stuff with you,

689
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:12,280
Speaker 5: you know, but we don't.

690
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:13,520
Speaker 3: We don't have the personnel to do it.

691
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,000
Speaker 5: Yeah, we just need to figure out a remedy to

692
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,560
Speaker 5: not screwing things up, let alone winning execution battles. And

693
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 5: one of the things they did actually was put Malie

694
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,760
Speaker 5: Harrison in more of a regular role instead of the

695
00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,800
Speaker 5: young linebacker Simpson who's way more talented but doesn't see

696
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,240
Speaker 5: it and doesn't Yeah, yeah, I mean, so they stabilize

697
00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,480
Speaker 5: things and their coaching staff got it right. And that's

698
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,080
Speaker 5: why I was bringing up with the coaching staff was

699
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,520
Speaker 5: I think the defensive coaching staff was in over their

700
00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,640
Speaker 5: head and then they realized either Harbaugh put his foot

701
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 5: down or I forget they have some kind of senior

702
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:47,880
Speaker 5: defensive assistance like Dnp's or somebody's been around.

703
00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:49,560
Speaker 4: It's a block for the lifer.

704
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,640
Speaker 5: And they figured out the defense, and that's when they

705
00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:53,560
Speaker 5: got real scary.

706
00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, you knew they're gonna run the ball,

707
00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 4: and you know Lamars would be awesome, you know, yep.

708
00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:00,400
Speaker 2: And they figure out the defense, that's when they're problem

709
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:02,760
Speaker 2: and they certainly were last year and expect that to

710
00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:04,680
Speaker 2: continue yeah again this year.

711
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 5: And even like their first round pick Wiggins from a

712
00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,560
Speaker 5: year ago, got really good as the season went on.

713
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,560
Speaker 4: He's gonna be a really good corner. You know. It's

714
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 4: like they get it right.

715
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,840
Speaker 3: They do. There's a reason why there's.

716
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:19,320
Speaker 2: Such a rivalry between these two organizations. Certainly some animosity

717
00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:20,560
Speaker 2: in there, without a doubt, but I think a lot

718
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:21,640
Speaker 2: of respect as well too.

719
00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:22,840
Speaker 4: Absolutely, let's get.

720
00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 3: To a break.

721
00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,200
Speaker 2: We got Rob King hanging out here. Maybe we'll rope

722
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,200
Speaker 2: him in for a segment or two. We will also

723
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,760
Speaker 2: about a half an hour or so from now, have

724
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,360
Speaker 2: a Steelers player when practice concludes. It is Day six,

725
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 2: final day of Otacre at the upmc rooney Sports Complex.

726
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,560
Speaker 2: On the SAD Special edition of the drive Wes Shuoler

727
00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,520
Speaker 2: Matt Williamson right here on Steelers Nation Radio and the

728
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:42,760
Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network.

729
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,960
Speaker 1: At least he's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt

730
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,880
Speaker 1: Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the

731
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,680
Speaker 1: Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

732
00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,360
Speaker 2: Driving along here on day six of OTA's at the

733
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:09,880
Speaker 2: up mc rooney Sports Complex, West Ruler, Matt Williamson, and

734
00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:11,960
Speaker 2: we have got the King in the Castle, Rob King

735
00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,040
Speaker 2: with us here now on location.

736
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,840
Speaker 3: What's up, Kinger? How we doing? How we feel in

737
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,760
Speaker 3: final day of OTAs? Yeah, uh, good, good, you know,

738
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:21,440
Speaker 3: it's good to see that.

739
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,720
Speaker 6: It's good. The weather is just incredible, and all of

740
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,520
Speaker 6: a sudden we just went to hot heat, you know,

741
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,160
Speaker 6: a quick Yeah, it's not probably not quite so awesome

742
00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,880
Speaker 6: to be running around it, but uh, but it's good

743
00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:35,960
Speaker 6: for us. You know, these guys are such great shape.

744
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,560
Speaker 6: They immediately leave here and go into the weight room.

745
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:40,360
Speaker 6: It's start working out right.

746
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 5: You're right, all right, King, Let's put sure Coach Salmon's

747
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:44,160
Speaker 5: happy about the heat.

748
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, for sure, absolutely. Uh.

749
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:48,400
Speaker 2: King, Let's put you on the spot here a little

750
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,479
Speaker 2: bit with some of the things that we've kicked around.

751
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,280
Speaker 3: Okay, we're having some division conversation.

752
00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:57,800
Speaker 2: Okay, a couple over unders for you over under three

753
00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:02,280
Speaker 2: and a half. Brown's quarterback that that throw passes in

754
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:03,160
Speaker 2: the regular season.

755
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:08,320
Speaker 5: Wow, I can't think there'll be any stability between Flacco

756
00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:10,040
Speaker 5: two draft picks and Kenny Pickett.

757
00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:17,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's interesting. I would probably go under and state

758
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 3: it's gonna be three. It's gonna be three. But it's

759
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:21,960
Speaker 3: a it's a you know.

760
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:23,960
Speaker 4: I don't know how they I don't want to be.

761
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,280
Speaker 6: Too critical of a team in the division, but I

762
00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,720
Speaker 6: just don't. That's one of those where I'm like, I

763
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,520
Speaker 6: don't quite can't quite figure out what they're trying to accomplish.

764
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:33,960
Speaker 4: Right, And and Watson's still on the roster.

765
00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,720
Speaker 3: All of a sudden, he's like, hey, I'm back right now.

766
00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:38,520
Speaker 3: You got five.

767
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,479
Speaker 5: Quarterbacks and everyone on the planet thinks are gonna take

768
00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 5: one the first round next year.

769
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,120
Speaker 4: Right, two first round picks, and it's.

770
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,560
Speaker 6: Five five quarterbacks that you feel fit into the NFL

771
00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 6: somewhere right right the team it's not like, well, they'll

772
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,040
Speaker 6: just cut three of those guys, right, It's uh, they.

773
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,200
Speaker 5: Traded something substantial for Picket, right. Both those picks are

774
00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,720
Speaker 5: pedigree guys and flat goes by the open day starter.

775
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,360
Speaker 4: Yep, it's it's a situation. To me, I don't get

776
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:01,800
Speaker 4: it at all.

777
00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:04,400
Speaker 3: It is a very weird situation.

778
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,640
Speaker 2: We were we were kind of talking about teams in

779
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,400
Speaker 2: their history, the history of you know about one team

780
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,120
Speaker 2: on average per year going from worse to first in

781
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,680
Speaker 2: their division and a team or two that we thought

782
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 2: had a little bit of a shot as opposed to

783
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,920
Speaker 2: you know, somebody like the Browns who might be at

784
00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:23,360
Speaker 2: the bottom of the barrel. And then you know Kinger.

785
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:26,600
Speaker 2: I wonder too, like what's your what's your temperature gauge,

786
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,800
Speaker 2: what's your heat check on the Bengals current situation, because

787
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:33,280
Speaker 2: like it feels like the floor is so high with

788
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,400
Speaker 2: what they have on offense, but the ceiling might not

789
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 2: be much higher with what they don't have and what

790
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,920
Speaker 2: they are on defense. Like they are a curious case

791
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,440
Speaker 2: of what feels like a team that isn't really going

792
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,719
Speaker 2: to get over the hump, but has enough to not

793
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,920
Speaker 2: be terrible, like maybe you know a perpetual eight to

794
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:51,160
Speaker 2: nine win type season.

795
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:52,880
Speaker 4: And well, I said something good about when we were

796
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:53,760
Speaker 4: talking about too, like.

797
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,600
Speaker 5: They could think burrows amazing and they could beat anybody

798
00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 5: right now, but it's gonna have to be forty to

799
00:33:59,400 --> 00:33:59,880
Speaker 5: thirty eight.

800
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:00,520
Speaker 3: Right.

801
00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:01,760
Speaker 4: That's a tough way to live.

802
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:02,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is.

803
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:06,000
Speaker 6: It's like the old puncher's chance in boxing. Right, I

804
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,759
Speaker 6: might knock you in the next week, but you.

805
00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:11,200
Speaker 3: Know I might not, might not.

806
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:17,200
Speaker 6: So I think that, you know, I was scared to

807
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,480
Speaker 6: death as a draft as all of a sudden the

808
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:20,920
Speaker 6: defensive tackles came off to.

809
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:23,480
Speaker 3: Right.

810
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:27,799
Speaker 6: Yeah, I thought, Okay, the Steelers might be shut out

811
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,440
Speaker 6: of the sort of perceived top four defensive tackles, right,

812
00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,920
Speaker 6: they might not get one. And if I were Cincinnati,

813
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,120
Speaker 6: and I'm not, of course, that's why I would have

814
00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,480
Speaker 6: taken I would have taken Derek Harmon because they had

815
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,440
Speaker 6: a need for defensive tackle and.

816
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:44,760
Speaker 3: They had a need for edge.

817
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 6: And it feels like, and look, we could be absolutely

818
00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:52,320
Speaker 6: wrong on this, and maybe Miles Murphy just needs a

819
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,680
Speaker 6: you know, a big, bigger opportunity than he's had. But

820
00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:56,880
Speaker 6: it just feels like this is Miles Murphy all over again,

821
00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:58,840
Speaker 6: a guy that tested really well, didn't put up a

822
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,200
Speaker 6: lot of productivity in college. It's it's a it's an

823
00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:04,759
Speaker 6: area of need, and it felt a little like a

824
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:09,200
Speaker 6: reach to me. Now, we'll see, But I just thought

825
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:10,879
Speaker 6: they could have been that could have been a more

826
00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,480
Speaker 6: productive pick if they'd taken Harmon.

827
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:14,560
Speaker 3: And I'm glad they didn't. Yeah, me too, glad.

828
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:16,040
Speaker 4: I would have put the Steelers in the buying too.

829
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:17,400
Speaker 3: It would have put the Steelers in the buying And

830
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:17,920
Speaker 3: I think if they.

831
00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,080
Speaker 5: Put the Bengals in a better situation than they are now,

832
00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,239
Speaker 5: I think, so they need instant help. They don't need

833
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 5: a project that's a super talented, non sack guy.

834
00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:28,120
Speaker 3: Yep. And I do think that. You know they've got.

835
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:35,959
Speaker 5: Especially right, Yeah, yeah, so they've got unbelievable offensive talent.

836
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:37,960
Speaker 3: And it's funny didn't they change the coordinator? Was it

837
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:38,480
Speaker 3: last year?

838
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,200
Speaker 4: Defensive coordinator? This year? They blamed him basically right exactly.

839
00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:42,839
Speaker 4: We went into this.

840
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,320
Speaker 5: Pretty heavy as they've really really drafted defense and miss

841
00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,160
Speaker 5: after miss after miss three years in a row now,

842
00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,520
Speaker 5: and I think they're taking it out on him. Hey,

843
00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,879
Speaker 5: we're giving you good players, you're not developing them, right,

844
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:56,480
Speaker 5: Maybe it's true. I mean, I don't know. I mean

845
00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,920
Speaker 5: I'm not in the building, but none of them are

846
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,680
Speaker 5: playing well. And I always thought he was a really

847
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:03,640
Speaker 5: good defensive mind. He gets scooped up by the Colts

848
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,279
Speaker 5: in a minute. So I think it's kind of subtraction

849
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,360
Speaker 5: by subtraction, you know, like a yeah, worse at defensive coordinator.

850
00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:09,719
Speaker 4: Right.

851
00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,359
Speaker 6: I think it's interesting too when you look at like

852
00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:17,160
Speaker 6: another team, like the Packers. Right, So the Packers had

853
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,960
Speaker 6: but seven first round picks on defense and towards the

854
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,680
Speaker 6: end of the Aaron Rodgers era and it wasn't being

855
00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,520
Speaker 6: very productive for him and they change coordinators. Did you feel,

856
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,160
Speaker 6: like Matt, that debt paid off for them a little

857
00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:32,359
Speaker 6: bit more or only just sort of really?

858
00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:32,640
Speaker 3: Right?

859
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, They're a really interesting team to me from that

860
00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:40,399
Speaker 5: regard to because this year and last year they used

861
00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:43,520
Speaker 5: first round picks on offensive players and they use one

862
00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,600
Speaker 5: on Jordan Love. But before the two years before that,

863
00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,239
Speaker 5: I think it was eleven out of twelve years where

864
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,160
Speaker 5: was a defensive player in the round. One defense player,

865
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:53,759
Speaker 5: defensive play, unless it's Love, you know, we took Love.

866
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:55,399
Speaker 5: But other than that, it was defense player, defense player,

867
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:59,120
Speaker 5: defensive player. But none of them really turned into stars either,

868
00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:01,839
Speaker 5: like a pack another team. We were just talking about,

869
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,040
Speaker 5: the Ravens like high on my list of organizations that

870
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:06,200
Speaker 5: I have the most respect for.

871
00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,239
Speaker 4: Of the thirty two. Green Bay is real high on

872
00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:09,919
Speaker 4: that list, and they.

873
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:13,800
Speaker 5: Have a really good roster, but they don't have any superstars,

874
00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,120
Speaker 5: you know, like who's their closer on defense? Their Miles Garrett,

875
00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,399
Speaker 5: their Watt? You know, like the guy you just claim

876
00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,520
Speaker 5: Matthews isn't there right right? And even on offense, like

877
00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,600
Speaker 5: Josh Jacobs is fine. Their receivers are all fine, but

878
00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:30,879
Speaker 5: who's the guy that defensive coordinators can't sleep at night?

879
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:31,279
Speaker 4: You know?

880
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,120
Speaker 5: Like and frankly, I think the Bills are the same way.

881
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,400
Speaker 5: But they have Josh Allen, right, you know what I mean? Like,

882
00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:40,840
Speaker 5: who's this superstar that is a game changer? Good rosters,

883
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,000
Speaker 5: but is that enough in Kansas City or the super

884
00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,080
Speaker 5: Bowl or in Detroit to put a team away that's

885
00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:49,600
Speaker 5: a high quality playoff team.

886
00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,680
Speaker 6: Well, I think that if you draft seven guys or

887
00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:54,960
Speaker 6: whatever it was in the first round, Yeah, that robin

888
00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,000
Speaker 6: rosters of a year.

889
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:58,480
Speaker 3: Or two ago. They may have made some moves in cent.

890
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,360
Speaker 6: Expect a couple of those guys to hit and be

891
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,040
Speaker 6: those guys I mean must but TJ.

892
00:38:06,120 --> 00:38:08,759
Speaker 3: Watt and Camp Hayward went like drafts and they're they're

893
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,239
Speaker 3: definitely your closers. Right, if you're starting.

894
00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:12,880
Speaker 4: Eight first round picks on defense, you should have a

895
00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:13,520
Speaker 4: top ten team.

896
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:17,040
Speaker 6: I think I think you want more than what you've got,

897
00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,920
Speaker 6: you know. To to circle back to the Bengals, the

898
00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,359
Speaker 6: other guy that I really liked who came on for

899
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:24,680
Speaker 6: them last year I thought made a big difference on

900
00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,919
Speaker 6: their offense was Chase Brown. You know, he's uh, he's

901
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,680
Speaker 6: a fine and to go along with those receivers. Uh,

902
00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:36,320
Speaker 6: And listen, you know, you never know when a guy's

903
00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,719
Speaker 6: ready to develop. It doesn't look like Miles Murphy didn't

904
00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:40,919
Speaker 6: look like that kind of player to me. But hey,

905
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,319
Speaker 6: you know, maybe they're right on this, on this edge pick,

906
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,839
Speaker 6: and maybe Miles Murphy just needed.

907
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 3: You know, one more year development or whatever. Maybe these

908
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,080
Speaker 3: guys are ready to hit.

909
00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,600
Speaker 6: But it just feels like there were there were too

910
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 6: many holes on defense for them to be able to

911
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:56,280
Speaker 6: plug right away.

912
00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:57,960
Speaker 3: And I don't and I don't.

913
00:38:57,760 --> 00:38:59,960
Speaker 5: Even I don't think the defense is much better, right.

914
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:01,520
Speaker 5: You know, it's a lot of running and a lot

915
00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:02,479
Speaker 5: of the same guys back.

916
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,480
Speaker 2: Oh you know what they say, the definition of insanity

917
00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:08,800
Speaker 2: doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

918
00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's an it's a very that's always.

919
00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,040
Speaker 6: Seen the part of me for it seems like a

920
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:16,160
Speaker 6: rather narrow definition of insanity to me.

921
00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:17,200
Speaker 4: There's a lot of ways.

922
00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:22,000
Speaker 3: Maybe it's one branch, Yeah, yeah, yeah, anyway, it's a

923
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:22,359
Speaker 3: fair point.

924
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,480
Speaker 2: Like if you actually look up insanity in the dictionary,

925
00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,160
Speaker 2: there's probably a couple of different things, right.

926
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:27,680
Speaker 6: I don't know if that's the first. I don't know

927
00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:29,759
Speaker 6: if that's the first. Uh, I don't know. We'd have

928
00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:30,319
Speaker 6: to look that up.

929
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,600
Speaker 5: Like, I'm not sure Hannibal Lecter or the Joker does

930
00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:35,120
Speaker 5: the same thing over and over, but they're probably still insane.

931
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,280
Speaker 2: The definition of insanity is the state of being seriously

932
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:44,920
Speaker 2: mentally ill with madness, extreme foolishness, or irrationality.

933
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,040
Speaker 4: Yeah, so that really is not the definition ofity.

934
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:49,880
Speaker 6: So it's it's a it's a it's sort of a

935
00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,480
Speaker 6: splinter off that anyway.

936
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,319
Speaker 3: Not to call you out a cliche, right, I mean,

937
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,439
Speaker 3: that's kind of what it is. It is. It's a cliche.

938
00:39:58,480 --> 00:39:59,960
Speaker 4: Don't do the same thing over and over again. It's

939
00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:00,680
Speaker 4: different results.

940
00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:02,400
Speaker 2: Don't do the same thing over and over again and

941
00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:06,320
Speaker 2: expect different results. Feels like the teams in Ohio have

942
00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:09,480
Speaker 2: been doing some of that, but we'll, we'll, we'll certainly

943
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,239
Speaker 2: let them continue. The Ravens we discussed a little bit

944
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,560
Speaker 2: about the Ravens is as well too. Kinger fantastic roster,

945
00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:21,960
Speaker 2: fantastic quarterback. But you know, the Chiefs juggernaut in the

946
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,000
Speaker 2: AFC obviously still looming and not going anywhere. I think

947
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:26,320
Speaker 2: we're saying a lot of these same things about the

948
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,200
Speaker 2: Buffalo Bills, who are still trying to get over the

949
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 2: top and you know, win the AFC for the first

950
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,680
Speaker 2: time since young Wesley was in diapers.

951
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,279
Speaker 3: Do you view Baltimore.

952
00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,719
Speaker 2: Obviously they are a Super Bowl contender, but do they

953
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:42,520
Speaker 2: belong in the same Super Bowl favorite breath as teams

954
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,440
Speaker 2: like the Eagles and the Chiefs.

955
00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:48,160
Speaker 6: So I have to say that I was. I was

956
00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:51,839
Speaker 6: mightily oppressed by the Bills and what they did last year.

957
00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:55,759
Speaker 3: They they have everyone thought they were a big step. Oh.

958
00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:58,960
Speaker 6: I was among that group that thought they were gonna,

959
00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:01,040
Speaker 6: you know, get into the player, but not be a

960
00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:02,080
Speaker 6: legitimate contender.

961
00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,480
Speaker 4: Perhaps it seems like that was a reset year.

962
00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:08,840
Speaker 6: They have been hemorrhaging Pro bowlers. Yeah right, you know

963
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:11,719
Speaker 6: every year they're losing two or three Pro bowlers. Uh.

964
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,600
Speaker 6: It speaks to the greatness of Josh Allen. I think

965
00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:18,600
Speaker 6: the excellence of Sean McDermott and the excellence of that

966
00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:21,760
Speaker 6: staff to keep putting together, you know, really good teams.

967
00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,360
Speaker 6: It's been a while, I think McDermott and you know,

968
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:26,839
Speaker 6: the front office has.

969
00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:28,000
Speaker 3: Been a game changer for them.

970
00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:30,719
Speaker 6: They look like they're gonna be one of those teams

971
00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:33,279
Speaker 6: is gonna perpetually figure it out, you know. Yeah, so

972
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,480
Speaker 6: I think you have to put Kansas City and Buffalo

973
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:37,680
Speaker 6: kind of in that category.

974
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:39,880
Speaker 4: Ravens aren't quite there for you.

975
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:44,839
Speaker 3: I don't know, man, They're They're awfully close. They're really good.

976
00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,319
Speaker 6: I think the biggest thing for them is going to

977
00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:51,400
Speaker 6: constantly be whether it's a mental hurdle or the pressure

978
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:53,680
Speaker 6: of just well, you haven't gotten there yet. You know,

979
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,800
Speaker 6: who cares about the regular season? That's gonna be the

980
00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 6: next conversation.

981
00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:00,359
Speaker 2: You might win thirteen games in the regular season, cool,

982
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:01,160
Speaker 2: but are you gonna be able to.

983
00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,040
Speaker 4: Get no trophies in the building?

984
00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 3: I think that I.

985
00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:09,080
Speaker 6: Think that I would put you know, if you know,

986
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:11,319
Speaker 6: if if there's a if you've got a bullseye like

987
00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:13,600
Speaker 6: a target, right, you know, they're they're they're in there,

988
00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:15,880
Speaker 6: They're in the circle somewhere right, they're they're part of it.

989
00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:18,280
Speaker 6: I don't know how close they are to the center.

990
00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:22,120
Speaker 6: I think that personnel wise they're right there. I think

991
00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,000
Speaker 6: personnel wise they're as good as anybody. It's a deep,

992
00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:31,120
Speaker 6: really good roster in all phases. It's just they're just

993
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:35,480
Speaker 6: a strong team. What's fascinating to me as well, is

994
00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:38,759
Speaker 6: who's the next team that's going to be able to

995
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,239
Speaker 6: join them? Is it going to be the Steelers? Is

996
00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:43,560
Speaker 6: it going to be the Chargers? Are the Broncos a

997
00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:49,640
Speaker 6: team on the rise. Tamiko Ryans I thought, you know, no,

998
00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:51,640
Speaker 6: no offense to Kevin Stefans. Get thought a couple of

999
00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:55,840
Speaker 6: years ago. I was actually kind of shocked when the

1000
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,120
Speaker 6: Coach of the Year thing came out. I was like, oh, Demiko,

1001
00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,680
Speaker 6: Ryan's gonna win that. I'm like, wait, he didn't.

1002
00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:01,040
Speaker 4: It, do you?

1003
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,200
Speaker 6: How do you go from last to what he did

1004
00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:05,640
Speaker 6: and not and not win Coach of the year.

1005
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:07,800
Speaker 3: Stavancy's won it twice, I think, right, he has a

1006
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:09,160
Speaker 3: coach for sure, I get it.

1007
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:11,279
Speaker 4: And he's on the hot seats right.

1008
00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,719
Speaker 6: Yeah, it is a tough I think that I think

1009
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,400
Speaker 6: that those are the you know, we're we're trying to

1010
00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:20,560
Speaker 6: figure out. Now, you know, how do you manage those things?

1011
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:22,319
Speaker 6: And and you know, some of it is do you

1012
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:24,799
Speaker 6: have the quarterback? Some of it is, you know, I

1013
00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:28,360
Speaker 6: think there's when you're building a team and you know

1014
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,160
Speaker 6: you're you're bad and you're trying to rise up. There's

1015
00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,759
Speaker 6: sort of an accumulation of talent that happens, right, Like,

1016
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,600
Speaker 6: we have a lot of talent, and then you know,

1017
00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,560
Speaker 6: how do you how do you take the talent and

1018
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,280
Speaker 6: find the last pieces or whatever to turn you into

1019
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,799
Speaker 6: a championship team? You know, So I see that all

1020
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:47,879
Speaker 6: the time in baseball too, right, Okay, so you get

1021
00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:50,200
Speaker 6: high draft picks. You know, let's say you're on you're

1022
00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:52,400
Speaker 6: a rebuilding team. I think it's more prevalent in baseball.

1023
00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:54,120
Speaker 6: You're a building teams. What are you gonna do. You're

1024
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,799
Speaker 6: gonna trade your superstar players, right, Uh, You're gonna stink

1025
00:43:56,840 --> 00:43:59,320
Speaker 6: for a while. That's why your rebuildings, you're gonna have

1026
00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:01,399
Speaker 6: high draft picks. When you trade your players are gonna

1027
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,240
Speaker 6: get even worse. You're gonna get more high draft picks.

1028
00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:05,640
Speaker 6: And now you're gonna try to build all that together. Well,

1029
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,439
Speaker 6: it's not just about accumulating talent. It's about building a team.

1030
00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:12,200
Speaker 6: And and so I think that the best teams accumulate

1031
00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:14,600
Speaker 6: talent and build a team. And it'll be interesting to

1032
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,680
Speaker 6: see again which of those teams that are kind of

1033
00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,799
Speaker 6: maybe outside that target area are gonna are gonna creep

1034
00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:24,680
Speaker 6: into it. I felt like the Steelers made a significant

1035
00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:27,840
Speaker 6: stride toward that last year. And this is my explanation

1036
00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:30,239
Speaker 6: that I tell people, guys, is that two years ago

1037
00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:32,480
Speaker 6: when they went up to Buffalo, I felt like they

1038
00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:34,759
Speaker 6: really didn't have any chance of winning that game, first

1039
00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,520
Speaker 6: round playoff game, yea, and they got They they got

1040
00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:40,600
Speaker 6: to beat pretty bad last year. When you think about

1041
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:44,560
Speaker 6: that five game stretch, even Kansas City, which was a

1042
00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:47,120
Speaker 6: team that beat him worst. Even that you know, Jalen

1043
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:49,000
Speaker 6: Warren has a touchdown run that's called back on a

1044
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:51,759
Speaker 6: bad holding penalty, or the Steelers might have the league

1045
00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:53,719
Speaker 6: going into halftime at that night, you know what I mean.

1046
00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:57,319
Speaker 6: So it wasn't like they didn't win those games. But

1047
00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:00,279
Speaker 6: they weren't. They weren't.

1048
00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:01,000
Speaker 3: They weren't.

1049
00:45:01,360 --> 00:45:03,520
Speaker 6: What you saw was we still have some more work

1050
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,160
Speaker 6: to do, but we've maybe gotten halfway there. We've gotten

1051
00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:08,560
Speaker 6: We've gotten some of that deficit a race. And I

1052
00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:11,120
Speaker 6: think they've had another good offseason. And I think you

1053
00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:14,200
Speaker 6: know you have four their of their draft picks last year,

1054
00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:16,759
Speaker 6: well we again we have to excuse Ryan Wats, so

1055
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:21,239
Speaker 6: three of them essentially didn't play. So you're adding that

1056
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,719
Speaker 6: into your depth as well. This is gonna be a

1057
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:25,959
Speaker 6: fascinating year for the Steelers. Of course, we're still waiting

1058
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:28,279
Speaker 6: around to see if there's gonna be an additions to

1059
00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:30,960
Speaker 6: the quarterback position. That's going to be the telltale maybe

1060
00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:33,400
Speaker 6: as to whether they can take another step forward. But

1061
00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:35,480
Speaker 6: and then I think every other team is thinking the

1062
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:37,880
Speaker 6: same thing. Can we get up there and be able

1063
00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:40,360
Speaker 6: to knock off, you know, some of the big boys,

1064
00:45:40,719 --> 00:45:43,680
Speaker 6: And it makes it it makes it fascinating to me.

1065
00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:46,520
Speaker 6: I think Baltimore to circle back to your question, I

1066
00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:50,280
Speaker 6: think Baltimore is. I think they are in that group.

1067
00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:53,680
Speaker 6: They are, you know, maybe the group of three in

1068
00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:56,960
Speaker 6: the AFC. I think they're there with those teams quarterbacks.

1069
00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:02,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly, Hell Rob King here with us, and that

1070
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,840
Speaker 2: makes a trio that is two hours in the books,

1071
00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:07,520
Speaker 2: one more hour to go, as we will have the

1072
00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:11,840
Speaker 2: conclusion of practice and the conclusion of OTAs here this

1073
00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:15,279
Speaker 2: week in practice number six West Yeuler, Matt Williams and

1074
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:17,200
Speaker 2: Rob King. It's a special edition of The Drive Here

1075
00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:20,400
Speaker 2: at the upmc roney Sports Complex on Steelers Nation Radio

1076
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:21,760
Speaker 2: on the Steelers Audio Network.