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Speaker 1: Welcome back. I am Dale Allie. He is Matt Williamson,

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Speaker 1: and this is a special edition of the Drive here

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Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy and

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Speaker 1: the Steelers just wrapping up OTA session number seven. Another

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Speaker 1: in the books. Now they're in the books. We'll see

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Speaker 1: they're efforting. I think that's the word that people use

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Speaker 1: in radio. Now, it's efforting to see if we're gonna

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Speaker 1: get a player here. They're gonna try to grab somebody coming

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Speaker 1: off the field here, So we'll see how that goes

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Speaker 1: or what we get here. But we are trying. We

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Speaker 1: don't you're tagging out right. I am going to head

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Speaker 1: into the locker remote myself and the line change. Tom Off.

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Speaker 1: He is going to jump in here for me. So

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Speaker 1: if you hear that line change, that's what's going on here.

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Speaker 2: I gots of balls in the air right now. You

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Speaker 2: know your job lay myself. Yeah, goofing off with me.

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Speaker 1: But seven of these things in the books, like yeah,

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Speaker 1: OTAs are almost over.

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Speaker 2: I think there's a lot to glean for me, to

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Speaker 2: be very honest with you. I mean, not like, boy,

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Speaker 2: this guy looks good, he's gonna be a star. Are

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Speaker 2: or this guy's lost, he has no chance. It's just

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of good work being done, you know,

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Speaker 2: I mean team activities, individual drills, these guys learning each

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Speaker 2: other as well as you know, what it's like to

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Speaker 2: be a pro. For the young dudes. I mean, I

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Speaker 2: think these are quality sessions.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. I think in some cases, you know,

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Speaker 1: for some of the again, you had a bunch of

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Speaker 1: new veterans coming in, what it's like to be a Steeler.

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Speaker 1: H right, right, you know it's different here. We say that,

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Speaker 1: but I've I've talked to too many other people who

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Speaker 1: you know, players who say it's different here. Yeah, not

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Speaker 1: for that not to be the case.

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Speaker 2: I mean, it starts with ownership. It's been the same

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Speaker 2: owners that have the same outstay head coach, same head coaches.

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Speaker 2: I mean, there's less change here than any team in

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Speaker 2: the league except maybe New England, you know. I mean

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Speaker 2: it's rare and practices are run basically the same way,

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Speaker 2: the same expectations, you know, So yeah, it is different.

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Speaker 2: I mean I'm sure everyone that goes to Arizona and

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Speaker 2: Chicago and et cetera, et cetera, So yeah, this is

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Speaker 2: different than I'm used to and it is I mean,

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Speaker 2: none of them are carbon copies of themselves. But I

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Speaker 2: do think the Steelers, as much as any is an

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Speaker 2: eye opening experience for a new guy.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I mean that's spending the league any rookies,

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Speaker 1: Hilarry Ogan Jobi walks off here. I remember talking to

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Speaker 1: him about that late last year. You know, it's how

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Speaker 1: the different feel here. Yeah, and he played in Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: where they didn't even have a you know, there's no practice,

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Speaker 1: there's no indoor practice for some things of that nature.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, it's just different. Yeah, and there's some teams

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Speaker 2: that spend more, there's something to spend less. It's I

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Speaker 2: don't think it's all about facilities and that type of

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Speaker 2: thing either, but I think there is a there's a culture.

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Speaker 2: I mean, there's that goes without saying.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think the head coaching stability has a

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Speaker 1: big part of that as huge. I mean, you know

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Speaker 1: what you know exactly what to expect day to day.

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Speaker 2: I mean, in the last five years, how many new

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Speaker 2: guys have you talked to? And what it happened last

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Speaker 2: week with Patrick Peterson that one of their first things

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Speaker 2: they mentioned is why I was really interested to play

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Speaker 2: for coach Tomlin yeah. I mean he's a great recruiting tool. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I mean he has a phenomenal reputation that's well earned,

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Speaker 2: and players respect him. I mean they don't even have

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Speaker 2: to be their buddies, but they respect them.

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Speaker 1: You know, right, there's just that, you know, I can

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Speaker 1: remember watching him on the sidelines and seeing how into

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Speaker 1: the game he wasn't.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, he's gonna shoot me straight. You know,

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Speaker 2: he's not gonna be underhanded in any way. He communicates

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Speaker 2: extremely well with players, media, everybody. I mean, I think

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Speaker 2: that might even be his great as strength.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, I agree, I think, you know, I

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Speaker 1: think some of that. The interesting thing is that, you know,

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Speaker 1: in previous years, again this, the Steelers weren't super active

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Speaker 1: on the free agent market, right right, But they've been

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Speaker 1: able to do that the last two years, and so

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Speaker 1: you get to see a little bit more of that

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Speaker 1: recruiting part of this.

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Speaker 2: I'm interested too. I mean, let's say Pickett has a

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Speaker 2: good year. I mean, it takes a step forward, clear

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Speaker 2: step forward that no one could deny. I would think

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Speaker 2: this would be a really attractive landing spot next offseason,

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Speaker 2: next free agency period too. You know, if you maybe

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Speaker 2: you only want two or three skies, but there's three

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Speaker 2: or four people interested for each spot. Yeah, I'm not

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Speaker 2: going to team on the rid.

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Speaker 1: They take a little less money, but you're you're a

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Speaker 1: more attractive landing spot if the money's close.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.

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Speaker 1: If teams, if players think you have a chance to win,

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Speaker 1: and when you've got the ownership, the head coach in

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Speaker 1: the quarterback in place.

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Speaker 2: Right, pretty good start, Yeah, no question about it. And

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Speaker 2: you have money to spend.

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Speaker 1: And money to spend.

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Speaker 2: I mean that they've had they've had ownership, coach quarterback

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Speaker 2: for twenty years, but didn't always have the money to spend.

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Speaker 1: I mean a lot of those years you were right

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Speaker 1: up against it. Yeah, you know, somebody talking about that

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Speaker 1: on the social media. Oh, Markaun just killing this offseason.

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Speaker 1: It's so much, so much different than what Kevin Colbert,

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Speaker 1: you know, did. I'm like Kevin Colbert spent eighteen of

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Speaker 1: his years about well about fifteen of those years.

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Speaker 2: With a court with a uh loss, a.

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Speaker 1: Very high priced quarterback and oh, by the way, went

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Speaker 1: through a couple of different seasons there where the salar

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Speaker 1: cap actually went.

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Speaker 2: Down by that too. And it wouldn't matter who your

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Speaker 2: gm is. But I guarantee most of Kevin's years here

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Speaker 2: and most of Ben's years here. More importantly, they lost

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Speaker 2: more in free agency than they gained. I mean almost every.

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Speaker 1: Year, almost.

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Speaker 2: How could you not. It's just that's just you're developing

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Speaker 2: talent well and people are gonna pay for it, and

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Speaker 2: you can't keep everything. And and I'm not giving Omar

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Speaker 2: a hard time. I mean, I think he's had a

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Speaker 2: phenomenal offseason. And it's not a single man's job either,

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Speaker 2: I mean several people are, you know, responsible for that.

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Speaker 2: But when you're picking twenty seven, twenty eight every year

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Speaker 2: because you're deep into the playoffs like Kevin's teams were,

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Speaker 2: it's hard to grab the Roderick Joneses. There's a reason

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Speaker 2: they had drafted the tackle in the first rounds that

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Speaker 2: Jamaine Stevens.

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Speaker 1: Right, yeah, late. When your average draft pick is twenty four, right,

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Speaker 1: you're getting you know, at best, the number five offensive

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Speaker 1: tackle right right, right. It's hard to trade up the

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Speaker 1: same thing cornerback position. When people talk about the cornerback position,

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Speaker 1: right right.

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Speaker 2: You know, get the number one guard, but you get

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Speaker 2: the number five tackle, right.

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Speaker 1: The difference in what you can get there.

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Speaker 2: Sure, sure. I mean, or Pounce a year or the

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Speaker 2: guy like that, the top center.

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Speaker 1: So you take, you take what you can get, you know,

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Speaker 1: and you live with what you have tackle and you

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Speaker 1: try to help them best you can. You know, you

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Speaker 1: get fortunate. Did you get Cam Hayward or TJ.

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Speaker 2: Watt?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean they were the you know, late first

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Speaker 1: they first round guys who you know, were together.

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Speaker 2: Hall of fame, career, hall of fame resumes.

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Speaker 1: That's that speaks volumes to me.

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Speaker 2: I mean, and everybody's gonna have their misses. I mean,

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Speaker 2: it just drafts it in perfect science. But but when

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Speaker 2: you hit like that, I mean that's a big hit. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I mean you're happy to hit a double, but when

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Speaker 2: you can hit a lead off homer, like wow.

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Speaker 1: You know, picking where you're picking at that, it's very

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Speaker 1: difficult to do.

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Speaker 2: It is It is not looking promising for a guest,

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Speaker 2: but who knows.

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Speaker 1: It is not. We'll see what happens here.

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Speaker 2: So a lot of people on the field though, yeah, there.

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Speaker 1: Are well again, it is alumni day today, so there's

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Speaker 1: a lot of former players out here. Guys.

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Speaker 2: It's cool. They do that too, talking about culture and

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Speaker 2: tradition and things like that. It's cool they do that,

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Speaker 2: and you know, camp is even more of a reflection

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Speaker 2: of that. They always bring it, always at least one around,

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Speaker 2: you know, every day.

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Speaker 1: I don't know about you, Map, but I'm I was

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Speaker 1: looking forward to camp last year because we're going back

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Speaker 1: to Saint Vinci College, We're looking forward to it more

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Speaker 1: this year.

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Speaker 2: I think I'm looking forward more to the football this year.

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Speaker 2: I mean, are off the field, jebbs are going to

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Speaker 2: be just as good any year. I have a feeling.

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Speaker 2: But I think the camp battles, you know, last year

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Speaker 2: was all about the quarterback, which isn't It is fine,

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Speaker 2: but I mean we now I'd rather know who the

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Speaker 2: quarterback is than talk about who the quarterback is going

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Speaker 2: to be. It got a little redundant different field. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 2: and there'll be I'm interested who this year's Jalen Warren

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Speaker 2: is too, Like, who's the guy we're not talking about

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Speaker 2: that we're not projecting to make the roster that a

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Speaker 2: weekend goes wow, I like that guy. I mean, and

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Speaker 2: there's gonna be two or three of them too, and

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Speaker 2: this roster is gonna be harder to make, I think

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Speaker 2: than Jalen Warrens was there is.

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Speaker 1: No doubt about that. I mean, I look at this, uh,

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Speaker 1: this roster.

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Speaker 2: They're gonna cut good players.

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Speaker 1: It is as deep as I can recall in quite

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Speaker 1: some time.

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Speaker 2: It really is. I mean, I think that's inarguable. I mean, yeah,

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Speaker 2: there's a little doubt about that.

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Speaker 1: One of the players we were trying to get here

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Speaker 1: is Bradon Fajoco in the new nose tackle, and he

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Speaker 1: is still over there running.

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Speaker 2: So I don't know, maybe we've got a chance.

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Speaker 1: We got a shot at getting him here. We'll see,

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Speaker 1: looking to see if Michael Birch, the PR he's still.

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Speaker 2: Over there, so you can check out either way if

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Speaker 2: you want.

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Speaker 1: There's a chance. So yeah, we'll see he's he's over there.

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Speaker 1: A lot of guys out here doing conditions, I.

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Speaker 2: Say, more than I think any of the OTA practices

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Speaker 2: so far of when the final buzzer rings and they

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Speaker 2: huddle up, more guys have stuck around I think than

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Speaker 2: any other day that I can remember.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, quarterbacks out there still throwing with the receivers and

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Speaker 1: running backs.

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Speaker 2: And thirty players there as usual.

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Speaker 1: The offensive line is still over there working.

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Speaker 2: That's been a unit that does puts in the extra

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Speaker 2: work time and time again, you know, just technique stuff,

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Speaker 2: you know, work on your past sets, you know, little

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Speaker 2: things like that hand placement. I've certainly seen sell them all.

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Speaker 2: Who coaching guys up on the side too, you know,

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Speaker 2: I mean, obviously the line coaches are out there too,

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Speaker 2: but you know, I think people do ask his opinions. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: that's a group that, you know, including the first round pick,

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Speaker 2: by the way, he's been putting the time in after practice,

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Speaker 2: the step.

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Speaker 1: At the time in and not that the other guys

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Speaker 1: who have gone off the field aren't putting. Doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: that they're they're lazy, but that that unit as a

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Speaker 1: whole just stays out there as a group and just.

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Speaker 2: More more than the other. Yeah, I think so. And

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Speaker 2: there's some competition there too. I mean there's again there's

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Speaker 2: players that easily would have made this team last year

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Speaker 2: aren't as safe.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt about that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt in that position. I mean the depth

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Speaker 2: was really questionable last year, and now the depth is enviable.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there's how.

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Speaker 2: Much there's many leagues in many lines in the league

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Speaker 2: that have as many NFL players at their OTAs on

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Speaker 2: the offensive line.

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Speaker 1: If you remember a few years ago, the Bills did that.

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, when they went on they got like six

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Speaker 1: or seven. They went out and signed a bunch of

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Speaker 1: guys and then at the end of their camp traded

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Speaker 1: a couple of those, including the guy who ended up

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Speaker 1: in the.

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Speaker 2: Hye keeping the wrong guys. Yeah, and that kind of worked.

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Speaker 2: I mean, their line needed a lot of work that

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Speaker 2: none of those guys were high priced free agents. Mitch

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Speaker 2: Morpse was the biggest guy. We talked about him in

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Speaker 2: the first segment as a center. They threw a bunch

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Speaker 2: of stuff at the wall with NFL players but not stars,

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Speaker 2: to at least have something to build on, and I

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Speaker 2: guess it worked. But the logical progression for them would

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Speaker 2: have been and then you draft over those dudes. They

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Speaker 2: really kind of have to do that. Yeah, yeah, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: the line's been kind of stagnant, and I know they're

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Speaker 2: unhappy with it up there right now. You know how

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Speaker 2: the line played last year.

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Speaker 1: But that is a way that they I mean, they

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Speaker 1: threw a bunch of guys at the wall, and you know,

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Speaker 1: see just looked at what stuck. Now again, they did

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Speaker 1: make a mistake with Teller, right, but he was young

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Speaker 1: and we don't know that he would have developed that

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Speaker 1: way in Buffalo. They different offense, different styles.

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Speaker 2: And I think he was like a fifth round pick

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Speaker 2: that they just didn't have room for, you know.

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Speaker 1: So I mean that that kind of stuff happens.

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Speaker 2: But but it was an interesting strategy. I mean, it

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Speaker 2: was like, we got a young quarterback, our line's pretty rough,

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Speaker 2: let's just buy a bunch of free agents and see

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Speaker 2: who you know, see how it shakes out and worked fine, and.

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Speaker 1: We see some similarities there with what the Steelers have

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Speaker 1: done here. Then some of the guys they signed weren't

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Speaker 1: I mean the Raven Clark was signed as a depth

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Speaker 1: piece right right, you know, he wasn't signed to start.

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Speaker 1: Her Big was signed as a depth piece. He wasn't signed.

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Speaker 2: They signed a lot of her bigs. Yeah, the Bills

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Speaker 2: did that.

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Speaker 1: Bill signed a bunch of them.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, they did, they did, they did. And again it

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Speaker 2: was mixed results. But I'd never seen that strategy before

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Speaker 2: at that position.

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Speaker 1: So bold strategy caught and see if it works.

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Speaker 2: Good stuff.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, I'm.

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Speaker 2: Excited about this out line.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm still waiting to see here we're gonna take

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Speaker 1: a break.

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Speaker 2: We might as well because down with him, let just

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Speaker 2: do that.

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Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Alie. You're listening

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Speaker 1: to a special edition of The Drive here on Steelers

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Speaker 1: Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live from

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Speaker 1: the Steelers Ota sessions here on the South Side, and

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Speaker 1: they just wrapped up a practice session number seven. We

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Speaker 1: are here again Wednesday and Thursday of the week and

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Speaker 1: then it'll be time for minikim. Yeah, we got under

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Speaker 1: that and three days of that and then it's off

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Speaker 1: to uh off to Saint Vincent College in a month

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Speaker 1: or so.

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Speaker 2: So going quick, what's happening.

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Speaker 1: Very fast, It's happening fast. It's all happening right here

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Speaker 1: on ESPN nine to seventy and Steelers Nation Radio. We'll

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Speaker 1: be back with more right after this.

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Speaker 3: Welcome back to a special audition of The Drive live

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Speaker 3: from Steelers OTAs on the South Side. Got a little

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Speaker 3: bit more special too. Oh we just stepped it up

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Speaker 3: and jumping in for Dale, Lawlie, Dale scram back into

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Speaker 3: the locker room to you know, do the important stuff. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: Jack talked to the people that matter exactly what he

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Speaker 3: actually gets paid for. So I'll sit out here and

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Speaker 3: goof off with you for the next half hour. And

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Speaker 3: Matt Ota Day seven, wrapping up, Like you and Dale

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Speaker 3: were just talking about the off season schedules moving along

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Speaker 3: pretty quickly, I want to skip ahead towards the season

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Speaker 3: a little bit. Yes, I'm sure you've picked up on this,

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Speaker 3: but the AFC is pretty loaded.

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Speaker 2: This oh man. I mean that's my biggest concern with

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Speaker 2: the season. It's just who you're fighting with for playoff

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Speaker 2: spots and AFC championship and stuff like that.

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Speaker 3: To get to okay, well, let me give you a

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Speaker 3: little silver lining, then a little bit glass half fool.

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Speaker 3: Although it's brutal, the Steelers' schedule really broke favorably for them,

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Speaker 3: and a lot of those other AFC teams are going

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Speaker 3: to have to be in those dog fights like you

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Speaker 3: were kind of alluding to, where they're just going to

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Speaker 3: beat the hell out of each other. A team like

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Speaker 3: the Steelers that you know, finished third last year in

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Speaker 3: their division plays. I don't want to say an easy schedule,

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Speaker 3: but compared to last year, it is easy.

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Speaker 2: As it looks today on you know the beginning of June,

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Speaker 2: it's an easy like.

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Speaker 3: Outside of the division, who's the best quarterback? Lawrence?

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Speaker 2: Right?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's it right, and he's I don't. I'm not

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Speaker 3: necessarily ready to anoint him as a finished product yet either.

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Speaker 2: No, but I mean I think he's a top ten guy.

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Speaker 2: I try to do the right direction. But if you

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Speaker 2: only have one of those outside of the division.

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Speaker 3: That's your biggest problem outside of the division. Yeah, you've

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Speaker 3: got something going for you. So what I think about

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Speaker 3: with there is that the Steelers are better as a

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Speaker 3: team than their schedule would tape. They are, like they're

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Speaker 3: playing teams that they're much better than I think, because

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Speaker 3: they've improved so much from last year and they're such

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Speaker 3: a young and upcoming team. Yeah, they can really take

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Speaker 3: advantag I'm not saying they're gonna win the division, get

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Speaker 3: out the Bengals, but they could sneak a six or

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Speaker 3: a seven seed out of this with other teams beating

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Speaker 3: themselves up and them taking advantage of kind of the

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Speaker 3: weaker slight that they have.

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Speaker 2: So this time the last couple of years, just for

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Speaker 2: you know, you never know what's gonna happen. I mean,

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Speaker 2: Lawrence may not even play in that game. I mean,

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Speaker 2: we know that the season's gonna change. I mean, predicting

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Speaker 2: what's gonna happen, and we don't have crystal balls. But

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Speaker 2: sitting here in June of twenty twenty two, twenty one

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Speaker 2: twenty they were projected to have like the hardest schedule

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Speaker 2: in the league, and now it's one of the easier.

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Speaker 2: As is. Again, things are going to change, But what's

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Speaker 2: remarkable is kind of what you were getting at is

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Speaker 2: you know, six of those games every year are the same,

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Speaker 2: and they're hard. I mean, that's a difficult division any

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Speaker 2: way you cut it. There's no weak links and there

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Speaker 2: may be a Super Bowl champion there, who knows, and

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Speaker 2: any of those four I think could compete for you know,

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Speaker 2: the best of titles. But you also are going to

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Speaker 2: play an AFC division every year too, and considering the

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Speaker 2: division and conference you're in, their schedule of opponents isn't bad.

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Speaker 2: I mean, like the AFC East. I mean, you didn't

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Speaker 2: single out the East, but you talked about teams beating

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Speaker 2: each other up. The AFC East not only has every

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Speaker 2: one of those has six difficult division games, but they

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Speaker 2: play the NFC East, which Washington and Giants aren't powerhouses,

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Speaker 2: but they're probably dogs against the Browns or against the

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Speaker 2: Cowboys and Eagles, or at least close to it.

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Speaker 3: And they go to New York.

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Speaker 1: Giants.

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Speaker 2: And I don't think Washington's a throwaway. I I mean

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Speaker 2: there's some teams of the Steelers schedule that could be

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Speaker 2: fighting for the first overall pick, you know, like Washington.

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Speaker 2: I don't think Washington the Giants is one of them.

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Speaker 2: And then the other division the AFC East plays is

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Speaker 2: the or the AFC West. So the Raiders don't look strong,

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Speaker 2: but you get they all get the Chiefs, they all

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Speaker 2: get the uh, you know, the Chargers. I mean, there's

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Speaker 2: no throwaway games there either. And you mentioned the Jags.

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Speaker 2: I think what's interesting too is the four first place

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Speaker 2: teams in the AFC, maybe the Jags aside, but the

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Speaker 2: Chiefs play the Bills, who play the Bengals. There's a

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Speaker 2: round robin Tormou the Gids there. I mean, what if

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Speaker 2: they all go one and one against each other, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs.

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Speaker 2: You know. So there's a lot of losses for the

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Speaker 2: other AFC teams that are you know, pretty foreseeable.

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Speaker 3: You get Burrow and Lamar if health permits twice, like

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Speaker 3: we said, But you're missing Allen, You're missing Mahomes right,

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Speaker 3: you're missing on Herbert, you're missing on Rogers, right. I mean,

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Speaker 3: if two is healthy, you're missing on two. Uh. I

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Speaker 3: mean you're really starting to work your way down the

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Speaker 3: list when it comes to the AFC and quarterbacks that

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Speaker 3: you're going to have to face this year, and.

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Speaker 2: Some of the ones you do face, or I mean

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Speaker 2: rookies unproven you know, love guys like that too, that

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Speaker 2: you just don't know what you're going to get. And

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Speaker 2: maybe one of those is better than expected, but most

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Speaker 2: will probably be worse than expected because they saw not

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Speaker 2: how much experience.

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Speaker 3: And you don't expect party to be ready week one.

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Speaker 2: Most is I don't care to be honest, but that

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Speaker 2: is a That's the other thing I want to mention

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Speaker 2: when you mentioned the schedule, is we knew a month

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Speaker 2: ago or whatever what teams they were going to play

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Speaker 2: and where we didn't know when. Yeah, but Dale and

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Speaker 2: I were talking about this, like, boy, I want to

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Speaker 2: play the Niners as soon as possible. Get him in

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Speaker 2: week one's best? Yeah. I mean, if Perdy does play,

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Speaker 2: will he have any preseason snaps at that point?

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Speaker 3: And you know what I mean. Not to get on

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Speaker 3: a tangent here, but I'm sure you're right with me.

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Speaker 3: I'm getting a little bit of sick of that party

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Speaker 3: talk and how he seems to just be a little

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Speaker 3: He's annointed already as the niners starting quarterback, and I

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Speaker 3: know Trey Lance has not done anything to warrant him

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Speaker 3: being even in the conversation, But I would still put

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Speaker 3: him in that conversation if I was the forty nine ers,

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Speaker 3: like there's nothing and it's not, you know, because I

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Speaker 3: think Trey Lance can still be something. I just don't

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Speaker 3: think Rock Purdy is, you know, blowing your doors off

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Speaker 3: right now. It's bizarre to me to see some people nationally,

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Speaker 3: you know, put him up in like top fifteen sometimes

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Speaker 3: becomes of the quarterbacks, and for the Niners to kind of,

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Speaker 3: at least on the surface, seem pretty comfortable with him

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Speaker 3: moving forward, I think that could be prett big mistake.

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Speaker 3: I mean, that team has had such a super Bowl

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Speaker 3: ready roster for four or five years now, and that

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Speaker 3: most important position has just eluded them. If they hitch

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Speaker 3: their wagon to this guy, it might be their biggest mistake.

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Speaker 2: I know. I think it's interesting, and I don't love

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Speaker 2: how Shanahan's handled quarterback since he's been there. I think

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Speaker 2: a phenomenal offensive mine, but the quarterback things are weird.

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Speaker 2: I do believe that there was truth to the rumors

436
00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:24,880
Speaker 2: that he wanted Mac Jones and they talked him into

437
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,919
Speaker 2: trade lance because I do think what he wants is

438
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,480
Speaker 2: he wants a joystick. You know, he wants to be

439
00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,760
Speaker 2: the game and he just wants someone that'll run it

440
00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,760
Speaker 2: exactly the way he sees the game. And Party does

441
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,680
Speaker 2: that well. You know that he runs the offense as

442
00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:45,600
Speaker 2: drawn up exactly. He's a quick processor. And I'm with you.

443
00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,520
Speaker 2: I think he's maybe the most overrated quarterback in the

444
00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,440
Speaker 2: league already, but you can't argue with the results and

445
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,560
Speaker 2: what he did when he was inserted in there. And

446
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,480
Speaker 2: it's a weird quarterback dilemma. But I think he has

447
00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,240
Speaker 2: such limited upside. And he had a bad on arm

448
00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,639
Speaker 2: to start and now he's coming off her arms surgery,

449
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,440
Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So I don't know. I mean,

450
00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:07,639
Speaker 2: it's two different worlds. But I've been asked this a

451
00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,360
Speaker 2: thousand times since the end of the season. What if

452
00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,960
Speaker 2: you swapped Party in Picket, who's better. I'm like, I

453
00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 2: don't think it's close. I mean, Picket in that system

454
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,320
Speaker 2: as a rookie would have been better than Perty I mean,

455
00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,600
Speaker 2: in no doubt in my mind and party here would

456
00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,639
Speaker 2: have struggled more than Pickett. I mean, I just believe

457
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:24,320
Speaker 2: that to be true.

458
00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:26,880
Speaker 1: No, I tend to agree with you on that as well,

459
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:28,600
Speaker 1: and what they were asked to do as rookies.

460
00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:30,639
Speaker 3: If shannonhan could choose, he would pick Picket. You know,

461
00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:32,360
Speaker 3: I haven't a feeling he would.

462
00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:33,960
Speaker 2: I think every GM in the league would.

463
00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,520
Speaker 3: There's just no there's nothing. There's a reason why he

464
00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,480
Speaker 3: was mister irrelevant. There's just nothing there that really pops.

465
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,040
Speaker 3: And maybe he can, you know, overcome all of the

466
00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,960
Speaker 3: odds and be the hardest worker that you've ever seen

467
00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,160
Speaker 3: and despite not having all the physical gifts, work himself

468
00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,000
Speaker 3: into a great NFL quarterback. I don't think that's gonna happen.

469
00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:53,359
Speaker 3: I don't see him as that kind of player.

470
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:54,520
Speaker 2: So with the.

471
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,760
Speaker 3: Niners, you know, not only is the quarterback thing going

472
00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,520
Speaker 3: for you. In Week one, one o'clock for a West

473
00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:05,399
Speaker 3: Coast team, Yeah, the Country start their season off against

474
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:05,920
Speaker 3: the Steelers.

475
00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,080
Speaker 2: So and I'm sure the Steelers stadium will be will

476
00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:08,840
Speaker 2: be hopping.

477
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,600
Speaker 3: No question about the first time game in like what

478
00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,040
Speaker 3: eight years that they've had at Heinz Field. Or at

479
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:14,359
Speaker 3: acro Sure Stadium. Excuse me.

480
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,040
Speaker 2: So I do think playing them early is an advantage.

481
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,680
Speaker 3: So AFC daunting for sure, but I think the Steelers

482
00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,680
Speaker 3: can kind of, you know, lurk in the shadows a

483
00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,440
Speaker 3: little bit and then you might look up at the

484
00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,280
Speaker 3: end of the year and say, oh wow, they're ten

485
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:28,480
Speaker 3: and seven and they're the six seed.

486
00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,159
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean as opposed to other AFC contenders, I

487
00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,119
Speaker 2: think there's less white water to navigate for the Steelers.

488
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,800
Speaker 2: Just as the schedule stands now, then the Bills are

489
00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,639
Speaker 2: gonna deal with the Jets. I mean, like, look at

490
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,159
Speaker 2: the Jets in Miami schedule. It's poor Patriots schedules awful.

491
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:44,840
Speaker 2: Like you said, though, you don't really know what's gonna happen.

492
00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,119
Speaker 2: Of course, Lawrence could get hurt, Murray could turn it around.

493
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,800
Speaker 3: Is there a guy outside of the division that maybe,

494
00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,880
Speaker 3: like a I don't know, Green Bay Jordan Love ends

495
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,920
Speaker 3: up being somebody that would make that game? And I'm

496
00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:58,000
Speaker 3: asking you to put on your no Shradama's hat here

497
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,440
Speaker 3: and stick something. Did you see anybody that could maybe

498
00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:01,760
Speaker 3: take that step and all of a sudden, you know

499
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,600
Speaker 3: what I mean, gets October, We're like, oh, that's actually

500
00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,280
Speaker 3: a tougher game than we thought in the Colts. Yeah,

501
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,440
Speaker 3: I mean, rig Richardson guy, you think.

502
00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 2: I just think he's would be hard to play against

503
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:11,720
Speaker 2: as a rookie, you know. I mean, especially when you

504
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,080
Speaker 2: when you have, you know, a week to prepare for him.

505
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,920
Speaker 2: They're gonna play differently. I'm not predicting that he's gonna

506
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:18,840
Speaker 2: be a superstar. I just think that, you know, justin

507
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,800
Speaker 2: fields is hard to play against right now, you know,

508
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:22,840
Speaker 2: I mean in that fashion.

509
00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,280
Speaker 3: I see what you mean. And that's not a terrible roster.

510
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,040
Speaker 2: And it's not a terrible roster either. I mean, dealing

511
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,800
Speaker 2: with Jonathan Taylor and Richardson could be a tough, tougher

512
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:29,280
Speaker 2: game than.

513
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,920
Speaker 3: It looks of andreies last year for them.

514
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, detive. I mean I think they could win eight

515
00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,440
Speaker 2: games this year and be hard to play against, and

516
00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,240
Speaker 2: Richardson might be in offensive rookie of the year conversations,

517
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,040
Speaker 2: you know what I mean. Like, I don't see that

518
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,000
Speaker 2: for Stroud or Bryce Young. I mean, I think those

519
00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,639
Speaker 2: guys are going to take their lumps and not have

520
00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 2: instant success, whether it's normal quarterback stuff or not.

521
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,360
Speaker 3: The other one and this is so down the road

522
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,119
Speaker 3: New Year's Eve game against the Seahawks in Seattle. And

523
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,320
Speaker 3: this is more just you know, curiosity from a fans

524
00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,160
Speaker 3: perspective of the National Football League. But is Gino Smith

525
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,120
Speaker 3: going to be able to duplicate what he did last year?

526
00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:05,840
Speaker 3: Because if he does, I talk about that a lot.

527
00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,000
Speaker 3: You could make the argument that he's there with Trevor

528
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,119
Speaker 3: Lawrence as far as the best quarterback outside of the

529
00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:10,879
Speaker 3: division that they.

530
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:12,640
Speaker 2: Have to point and they have weapons.

531
00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,359
Speaker 3: But I trust Trevor Lawrence to continue on his path

532
00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,639
Speaker 3: more than I trust you know, Smith to continue on

533
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:18,000
Speaker 3: his right.

534
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,919
Speaker 2: Now agree, And hey, he's an easy guy to root for.

535
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:21,600
Speaker 2: I like this guy.

536
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:21,960
Speaker 3: I love it.

537
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, reinvented his career, you know, came out

538
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,040
Speaker 2: of nowhere after being a kind of a high pedigree

539
00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,240
Speaker 2: guy and re established himself. But day and I bring

540
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,480
Speaker 2: that up a lot. I mean, his second half of

541
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:34,480
Speaker 2: the season wasn't nearly as good as the first half

542
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,760
Speaker 2: of the season. And he's an aggressive passer. He's not

543
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,200
Speaker 2: just a game manager type. I mean, but they're gonna

544
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 2: be yeah yeah.

545
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,520
Speaker 3: Yea beautiful deep accuracy and.

546
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,480
Speaker 2: They love him and he's a great locker room guy.

547
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,920
Speaker 2: And you know, they didn't do anything else to quarterback

548
00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,679
Speaker 2: position when they could have. You know, they could have

549
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,000
Speaker 2: drafted somebody or grabbed the Levis or somebody.

550
00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,560
Speaker 3: I thought they might kick the tires on a Hendon Hooker,

551
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,160
Speaker 3: you know, just a year off. Yeah, Gino Smith, that's

552
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,199
Speaker 3: pretty much the same thing. But in Detroit behind Dereck Go.

553
00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:05,480
Speaker 2: Exactly and they both had extra first round picks. So

554
00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:10,280
Speaker 2: those two teams. But overall, I mean, he could be

555
00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,240
Speaker 2: a very average player, and I kind of am predicting

556
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:14,920
Speaker 2: that with Gino. I don't think he's could be a

557
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,080
Speaker 2: top ten quarterback this year.

558
00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:16,320
Speaker 1: Yeah.

559
00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:18,240
Speaker 3: I tend to agree that, you know, might be coming

560
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,479
Speaker 3: back to turning back to a pumpkin again this year

561
00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:21,240
Speaker 3: for Gino Smith.

562
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, or just fine, you know what I mean.

563
00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,320
Speaker 3: Do you think that then Seattle might regret not moving a.

564
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,960
Speaker 2: Little bit, because I think they'll I mean the NFC.

565
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,280
Speaker 2: I bet they go to the playoffs, they can have

566
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,720
Speaker 2: another opportunity to go grab a Hooker or a Levis

567
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:35,560
Speaker 2: or a guy like that.

568
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,439
Speaker 3: Right, They're they're gonna be stuck in that kind of

569
00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,359
Speaker 3: purgatory where they're gonna go nine and eight ten, Mavis,

570
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:43,720
Speaker 3: their chance to get into the playoffs. Eight and nine

571
00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 3: just miss the playoffs, be picking like fifteen to sixteen

572
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,239
Speaker 3: in the draft. So yeah, maybe they did miss their

573
00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,320
Speaker 3: big opportunity there to get their guy moving forward. But

574
00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,639
Speaker 3: I feel like, you know, that happens to a lot

575
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,760
Speaker 3: of franchise whe quarterbacks just kind of get you stuck.

576
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,760
Speaker 3: You know, they played just good enough. Where Yeah, do

577
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,480
Speaker 3: I take that risk and with the young, unproven rookie

578
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,239
Speaker 3: or do I try to sign this guy who's a

579
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,240
Speaker 3: little bit better than mediocre and hope he gets a

580
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 3: little bit better than that even.

581
00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:08,800
Speaker 2: I mean, the Steelers are gonna have to deal with

582
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,320
Speaker 2: this every team deal in four years.

583
00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,400
Speaker 3: I mean, you know what the Seahawks just now, Yeah,

584
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 3: they her Cousins is like the poster child for that.

585
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:19,320
Speaker 2: It's like, I mean.

586
00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,080
Speaker 3: Good enough, I think, so I don't want to risk moving.

587
00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 2: On though, right, I mean, the Giants didn't pick up

588
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,000
Speaker 2: Daniel Jones fifth your option a year ago than they

589
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,160
Speaker 2: sign I mean.

590
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,920
Speaker 3: He's I think he's not worth that money. I don't

591
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 3: glad to get it.

592
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 2: Right, right, I mean, I don't know what they'll say

593
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,560
Speaker 2: would have done there. They kind of hamstrung themselves. I

594
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,560
Speaker 2: think he's better than people think. But he's not the

595
00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,520
Speaker 2: I mean, he's not a star. I mean, and that's

596
00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:46,200
Speaker 2: why I brought a picket. Is you hope by that time? Boy,

597
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,680
Speaker 2: he's a no brainer Joe Burrow, Herbert extended guy. You know,

598
00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,879
Speaker 2: but there's a better chance than not. And I'm not

599
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,280
Speaker 2: even picking on picket. It's just the same true as

600
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,840
Speaker 2: all the first rounds. Bryce Young, you know Stroud. Chances

601
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,200
Speaker 2: are when contract time comes around, it's gonna be like, yeah,

602
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,280
Speaker 2: we like him. Is he the next ben? You see

603
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,840
Speaker 2: an elked guy, because there's only five of them on

604
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,120
Speaker 2: the planet, you know, well, then what's that worth?

605
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,160
Speaker 3: The host of the show that I usually produced, Mark Madden,

606
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:14,879
Speaker 3: Sure you've heard of him. People listening you have probably

607
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:16,760
Speaker 3: heard it once or twice. He might have even brought

608
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,240
Speaker 3: this up to you when you were on the show

609
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,240
Speaker 3: during one of your hits, Matt. But one of the

610
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,280
Speaker 3: more radical things that I think he or takes that

611
00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,760
Speaker 3: he has is his quarterbacks take, where he would draft

612
00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,280
Speaker 3: a quarterback every four or five years early.

613
00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:30,640
Speaker 2: I don't disagree.

614
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,120
Speaker 3: And then if you hit on one of the five,

615
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,640
Speaker 3: you just have to Allen's right, right, then you sign

616
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,480
Speaker 3: him for the big time, he's here for the next

617
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,680
Speaker 3: twenty years kind of contract. If they're not that, if

618
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,840
Speaker 3: they get to just say, a Kirk Cousin's a Derek

619
00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,440
Speaker 3: Carr as tough as it might be, you rip the

620
00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,400
Speaker 3: band aid off, you let him walk. You draft another

621
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:48,520
Speaker 3: quarterback with your first pick.

622
00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:50,479
Speaker 2: Yep, No, I think there's a lot of logic to that.

623
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 2: I mean, frankly, if the Steelers use a second round

624
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,719
Speaker 2: pick on a quarterback next year, even if Kenny has

625
00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,200
Speaker 2: a good year, I can defend it. I mean, it's

626
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,960
Speaker 2: the Jalen hurts Wentz conversation when they drafted. When they drafted,

627
00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,119
Speaker 2: hurts Wentz looked like the answer. He looked like a

628
00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:09,359
Speaker 2: Burrow right. He was, you know, on the pace to

629
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,280
Speaker 2: being one of the best. I mean, there's a theory

630
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,240
Speaker 2: out there. The Packers did this with Farv in Rogers years,

631
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,120
Speaker 2: even the Patriots and the Brady years. Draft one every year,

632
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,520
Speaker 2: not like Mark's talking about in the top two, three

633
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,719
Speaker 2: rounds and the first round. But you might end up

634
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:29,000
Speaker 2: with the next Dak Prescott. You know, like you keep churning.

635
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:30,400
Speaker 2: That position is a good idea.

636
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:32,600
Speaker 3: If you're comfortable where you're at in the fifth round,

637
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:34,879
Speaker 3: you feel like you filled a lot of pressing needs

638
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,320
Speaker 3: and you can do the luxury pick. Maybe take the

639
00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:38,760
Speaker 3: luxury pick on the best quarterback of it.

640
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:40,399
Speaker 2: Yeah, someone that has a lot of upside, but it

641
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:41,720
Speaker 2: has a lot of work to do. I mean I

642
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,359
Speaker 2: would never condemn a team for doing that.

643
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,719
Speaker 3: No, see, I tend to agree with him and you

644
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,160
Speaker 3: as well. Where it would definitely be bold. People would

645
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,359
Speaker 3: not like it for No, you'd be bucking trends like crazy.

646
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,640
Speaker 3: But I think that you could definitely.

647
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 2: Also makes financial sense, right, you.

648
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,000
Speaker 3: Can get around those checkmate scenarios that the Cousins and

649
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:03,720
Speaker 3: the cars get you in and where they're just good

650
00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 3: enough that it gives you cold feet trying to move

651
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,840
Speaker 3: on because you know, the devil you know is better

652
00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:09,760
Speaker 3: than the devil you know know.

653
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,359
Speaker 2: And if you have two good ones, maybe you trade

654
00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:13,359
Speaker 2: one for a future pick or whatever too, you know,

655
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,320
Speaker 2: like throwing the Farve era. They drafted Mark Brunel hassleback.

656
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:18,560
Speaker 2: I mean a lot of dudes that went on to

657
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,000
Speaker 2: have really good careers. You know.

658
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,280
Speaker 3: Look at the Washington football team. I mean they draft

659
00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:25,760
Speaker 3: RG three with their big pick. They take Kirk Cousins

660
00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,040
Speaker 3: in like the third round, that's same, exactly same. He

661
00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:32,040
Speaker 3: ends up becoming the guy. So it's the most important

662
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:32,919
Speaker 3: position on the field.

663
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,440
Speaker 2: The only wrench in it is it's hard. It's easy

664
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,280
Speaker 2: for us to sit here and say it, but when

665
00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,800
Speaker 2: you get to a situation like this or training camp,

666
00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:42,520
Speaker 2: how do I get everyone in the reps? You know,

667
00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,240
Speaker 2: like Kenny needs to You got to get him. You

668
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:46,680
Speaker 2: know that was a problem last year. How did I

669
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,439
Speaker 2: think Tomlin did a great job, But how do you

670
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,040
Speaker 2: balance getting Trubisky ready for week one while your first

671
00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,720
Speaker 2: round pick gets as many reps as possible? And so,

672
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,879
Speaker 2: by the way, Mason Rudolph pretty decent, you know, you

673
00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:00,600
Speaker 2: like So it's a wonderful theory, and I you I'm

674
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,800
Speaker 2: in that camp more often than not unless you have

675
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,480
Speaker 2: them homes or somebody like that. But it's not always

676
00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,320
Speaker 2: easy to balance it all within the quarterback room. And

677
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,800
Speaker 2: if you're only gonna keep three as well.

678
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:11,280
Speaker 1: He's Matt Williamson.

679
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,760
Speaker 3: I'm Tom Off froman jumped in for Dale Lawllie here

680
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,120
Speaker 3: on a special edition of The Drive from OT. As

681
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,359
Speaker 3: we back, we'll wrap things up. I think Dale is

682
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:22,280
Speaker 3: back in the saddle again after a quick in the

683
00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,880
Speaker 3: locker room, so we'll wrap things up, have our final

684
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:26,720
Speaker 3: segment of the day coming up next. You're listening to

685
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:36,600
Speaker 3: Steelers Nation Radio in ESPN Pittsburgh.

686
00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,280
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Drive. I am Dale, he is

687
00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,040
Speaker 1: Mattiam stand Well. We are live here at these up

688
00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,280
Speaker 1: mc raeys Coors Complex here in the South Side. The

689
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,200
Speaker 1: Steelers just wrapped up OTA session number seven. I jumped

690
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,800
Speaker 1: into the locker room there real quick to have a

691
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:53,520
Speaker 1: chat with somebody.

692
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:54,880
Speaker 2: Thanks for Tom for filling in.

693
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you to Tom off from him for that,

694
00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,160
Speaker 1: and I ended up chatting with Anthony McFarlane.

695
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,120
Speaker 2: Matt interesting stage of his career, very.

696
00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:07,240
Speaker 1: Interesting coming going into year three. Hasn't been active a

697
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,520
Speaker 1: whole bunch. And I asked him, I mean, I said,

698
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,520
Speaker 1: you know, actually entering year four.

699
00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:13,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's put up shut up time.

700
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:15,880
Speaker 1: It's really put up her shut up time. So if

701
00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,640
Speaker 1: you look at what he's done over the course of

702
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:23,080
Speaker 1: his career, he's appeared in fourteen games, forty two carries

703
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:24,840
Speaker 1: for one hundred and forty six yards. That's a three

704
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:29,720
Speaker 1: point five yard per carry average. Twelve targets, nine catches

705
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,080
Speaker 1: for seventy six yards, that's an eight point four yards

706
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,960
Speaker 1: per catch. Average. But what I asked him about was

707
00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,520
Speaker 1: that one game that he appeared in last year, because

708
00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,040
Speaker 1: he was on the practice squad for most of last year,

709
00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,000
Speaker 1: but he came I think it was Benny Snell. No,

710
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,200
Speaker 1: Jayalen Morerim was hurt that game, if I remember correctly

711
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,360
Speaker 1: right now, and he got the he was brought up.

712
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,400
Speaker 1: And when they brought him up, they didn't just bring

713
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,880
Speaker 1: him up and use him as a you know, you

714
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,160
Speaker 1: just stay go stand the sideline. These other guys are

715
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,920
Speaker 1: gonna havenle No. He played nine touches that game. Yeah, yeah,

716
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,600
Speaker 1: I think nine touches. I'm sorry, eight touches and produced

717
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,880
Speaker 1: ad six carries for thirty yards and two catches for

718
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,960
Speaker 1: another eleven yards. And I asked him about that, and

719
00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,080
Speaker 1: he said it really gave him. He said, I don't

720
00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:18,680
Speaker 1: want to say that my confidence was wavering at all,

721
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,160
Speaker 1: but it was a big boost for my confidence.

722
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:22,800
Speaker 2: That being an actor's gotta be tough.

723
00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,800
Speaker 1: Being being an active is very difficult when you're you know,

724
00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,640
Speaker 1: a guy that used to playing a lot and but

725
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,360
Speaker 1: going out there and producing and producing well in a

726
00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:34,800
Speaker 1: situation like that, and I mean, it's like being a

727
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,040
Speaker 1: spot starter in the Major League baseball. Yeah, you better

728
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,640
Speaker 1: take advantage of calling you up to you're gonna start

729
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 1: this game and then we're gonna send you back. We

730
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,840
Speaker 1: know that's but we need a good start. We need

731
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:44,400
Speaker 1: five good innings out of a year.

732
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, and guys like you and I are sitting here

733
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,600
Speaker 2: talking about that. It was a quality performance, not like

734
00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,680
Speaker 2: I forgot all body and do anything. They didn't give

735
00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 2: them the ball. So a couple of things with him

736
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:57,000
Speaker 2: is it really hurts his case that, first of all,

737
00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:59,760
Speaker 2: kickoff returners hardly matter in the league anymore. And he's

738
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,720
Speaker 2: good that, but that's not enough to keep you active

739
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,160
Speaker 2: on game day. From a special team's perspective, from where

740
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,959
Speaker 2: he sits, you know, Benny Snell is a quality special

741
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,720
Speaker 2: team you know that is out there for getting his

742
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,360
Speaker 2: jersey dirty time and time again. And I do think

743
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,080
Speaker 2: it speaks to I think the Steelers are really happy

744
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:21,080
Speaker 2: with their top two backs, and the more homework I've

745
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:25,600
Speaker 2: done on war and studying them postseason, I think he's

746
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,600
Speaker 2: an unbelievable find, you know, So they're really set with

747
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,440
Speaker 2: the top two. So your third guy almost has to

748
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,760
Speaker 2: contribute on special teams and be a quality one. So

749
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:39,000
Speaker 2: I think that hurts McFarlane's cause. And I also think

750
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,840
Speaker 2: early in his career, which is often the case with

751
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,160
Speaker 2: highly talented backs, and he's one of them. I mean

752
00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,520
Speaker 2: he was. I think he was right there with JK.

753
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,840
Speaker 2: Dobbins as the most highly recruited running back in the

754
00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,000
Speaker 2: country when he came out of high school. Is you

755
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,600
Speaker 2: can kind of get away with some bad habits. I mean,

756
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 2: Saquon Barkley is really bad habits. Just trying to break

757
00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,480
Speaker 2: the big one and be the best athlete on field.

758
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,600
Speaker 2: And I can dance a little bit and make this

759
00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,520
Speaker 2: linebacker miss, well, you can't do that here, you know.

760
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:10,640
Speaker 2: And I think he's certainly in camp and preseason last

761
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,280
Speaker 2: year started to show that he was really starting to

762
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,720
Speaker 2: get it from an NFL perspective of this is what

763
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:18,680
Speaker 2: I can do. If it's a four yard run, If

764
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,280
Speaker 2: I get five out of it, good, you know.

765
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think he has a much better understanding. Yeah,

766
00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,880
Speaker 1: he's not even twenty four years old yet, I know,

767
00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,440
Speaker 1: and running basket washed away quick though. If you don't

768
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,640
Speaker 1: get that opportunity, I mean, so I worry about him,

769
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:36,080
Speaker 1: you know. Is that an asset that the Steelers could use.

770
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,480
Speaker 1: That's hard to employ? You know what I mean, yeah,

771
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,600
Speaker 1: or maybe he's that guy in camp where it's like

772
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:43,440
Speaker 1: we got to get him.

773
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,080
Speaker 2: On the field. You know, he's that ability.

774
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,120
Speaker 1: To your point about the special team stuff, I asked

775
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,840
Speaker 1: him if he's been lobbying Danny Smith to get out

776
00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:53,840
Speaker 1: there and do more special team stuff, because absolutely I

777
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:54,520
Speaker 1: understand that.

778
00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:55,760
Speaker 2: You know, he knows that.

779
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,800
Speaker 1: You know, he's replacing Benny Snell. Basically, if he's going

780
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:00,719
Speaker 1: to make this roster, he if I want to if

781
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,000
Speaker 1: I want to be here, you know, I got to

782
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:04,520
Speaker 1: understand my role and I got to be out there

783
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,920
Speaker 1: on special team. Like even if you're not the number

784
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,640
Speaker 1: one guy, you better at least be number two.

785
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,120
Speaker 2: Talking about a special team.

786
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,000
Speaker 1: And it's certain you know different Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're

787
00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:14,960
Speaker 1: gonna use him as a gunner.

788
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,120
Speaker 2: Well maybe not. But he's kind of an odd fit

789
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,240
Speaker 2: on special teams too. I mean, he's not a corner

790
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,640
Speaker 2: like gunner type guy. You know, he's not as big

791
00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,840
Speaker 2: and thick as Snell, you know for some things as

792
00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,440
Speaker 2: a blocker and stuff like that. In a way for

793
00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,320
Speaker 2: him to really be to showcase his talents, he might

794
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:32,960
Speaker 2: need an injury of one of the two guys ahead

795
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,280
Speaker 2: of him, And I mean I don't think I'm I'm

796
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,120
Speaker 2: not rooting for that, of course, but backs get hurt

797
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,840
Speaker 2: all the time. That's not a position that their ability

798
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,160
Speaker 2: is staple for.

799
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:44,480
Speaker 1: No, absolutely not.

800
00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,640
Speaker 2: But you know, I don't know about you, but I

801
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 2: would be more comfortable even last year if you didn't

802
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,680
Speaker 2: have Harris or Warren giving the ball to MacFarland and Snell. Yes,

803
00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:55,360
Speaker 2: you know what I mean.

804
00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,880
Speaker 1: He's he's more scary. Yeah, and he's he's a better

805
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:01,320
Speaker 1: That's the problem, you know, when when you're a great,

806
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:03,719
Speaker 1: when you have that kind of speed and you were

807
00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,760
Speaker 1: an outstanding ball carrier as he wasn't Maryland, you never

808
00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:09,000
Speaker 1: asked to play special teams.

809
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:09,640
Speaker 2: No, of course not.

810
00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:11,560
Speaker 1: They're not putting him out there on that stuff like

811
00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:14,839
Speaker 1: he's the premier ball carry now. In Benny Snell's case,

812
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,880
Speaker 1: it was the same thing. He was a different style

813
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:19,879
Speaker 1: of running back.

814
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,239
Speaker 2: He's a more physical guy than McFarland's. Yeah, you know,

815
00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,480
Speaker 2: if i'm if i'm blocking on punt team or kickoff

816
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,279
Speaker 2: return team, I want Snell doing it more than McFarland.

817
00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,640
Speaker 2: But I don't think McFarland's a tree archer either. I mean, no,

818
00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,840
Speaker 2: he's not that he's way bigger than three. I mean,

819
00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 2: I think he could handle ten carries a game for

820
00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:36,320
Speaker 2: seventeen games.

821
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, there are certain I mean teams out

822
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,800
Speaker 1: there that would use him like crazy.

823
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,919
Speaker 2: I would think, I would think, you know, but they're

824
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,759
Speaker 2: they're also not a shortage of those of players at

825
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,400
Speaker 2: his position who were that size.

826
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:50,600
Speaker 1: I mean we saw he's in a bit of a

827
00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,360
Speaker 1: twenty of them in this year's draft.

828
00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:54,239
Speaker 2: Yeah, that are similar, you know, I mean the.

829
00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:56,359
Speaker 1: Difference is I mean when you start looking at at

830
00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:01,319
Speaker 1: Anthony McFarland's, you know, his the thing that he had,

831
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:06,319
Speaker 1: the thing that he brings, uh is speed. Just looking

832
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:07,120
Speaker 1: up his combine.

833
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,640
Speaker 2: But this this offense does need more explosives. They need

834
00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:13,760
Speaker 2: more big playability. But you gotta sit Warren or nausea

835
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,160
Speaker 2: to get him out there too. That's a proba situation.

836
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:19,280
Speaker 2: Is that gonna work? You know what situation is that advantageous?

837
00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,120
Speaker 2: I mean it's he's in a tough spot. He's gonna

838
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:24,360
Speaker 2: have to do something exceptional. He can't just be the

839
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:25,160
Speaker 2: same at this point.

840
00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,239
Speaker 1: He was a four four four guy at the at

841
00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:28,520
Speaker 1: the combine when he came out.

842
00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,080
Speaker 2: But what did he weigh if you're still looking at it.

843
00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:34,759
Speaker 2: I think he's noticeability at.

844
00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:36,640
Speaker 1: The combine at two hundred and eight pounds a guest

845
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,000
Speaker 1: two five. Okay, so he's I mean he's and he said,

846
00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,240
Speaker 1: he's actually leaned down a little bit, but he's gotten

847
00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:46,200
Speaker 1: it's more he's replaced. He's kind of changed his body

848
00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,680
Speaker 1: a little bit in terms of you know, the muscle mass.

849
00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:50,640
Speaker 2: I'm sure, I'm sure.

850
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:52,440
Speaker 1: And he said he's you know, he's just trying to

851
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,080
Speaker 1: continue to change that because you know, what's what's happened

852
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:57,560
Speaker 1: the first three years. It hasn't worked.

853
00:35:57,840 --> 00:35:59,840
Speaker 2: So it's funny about an hour or so ago you

854
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:02,200
Speaker 2: mention how you're looking forward to camp, and we always

855
00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:03,600
Speaker 2: have a good time in camp. I always afford to

856
00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,440
Speaker 2: camp anyway. But I do think there's a handful of

857
00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,960
Speaker 2: Steelers that are a little bit out of sight, out

858
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:13,000
Speaker 2: of mind, and if one of them can be the

859
00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,359
Speaker 2: topic of conversation at the bars that night or over

860
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,560
Speaker 2: the month that were there guys like Kendrick Green, maybe

861
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,720
Speaker 2: louder Milks even in that mode. Now McFarland for sure.

862
00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:26,680
Speaker 1: Norwood.

863
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,040
Speaker 2: Norwood's the other one was on the tip of my tongue.

864
00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:30,719
Speaker 2: I mean, there's about four or five of them that

865
00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:34,279
Speaker 2: we've seen stuff from. I don't think for the most part,

866
00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,040
Speaker 2: you'd say those guys are terrible players. I know Green

867
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,000
Speaker 2: stint is. It's not even this spot on this team,

868
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:41,960
Speaker 2: not even a little bit. It's harder to make this

869
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,600
Speaker 2: team than last year's team by the looks of things.

870
00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,160
Speaker 2: But if one of those four, you know, I'm sure

871
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,800
Speaker 2: there's three or four other names that are similar, go

872
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,360
Speaker 2: really grab our attention. Nice you know, yeah, right, because

873
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:55,960
Speaker 2: those guys are teetering right now.

874
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I hate to say it, but you know, you

875
00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,960
Speaker 1: still go back to that twenty eighteen game for a

876
00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,040
Speaker 1: guy like Anthony McFarlane when he had runs of seventy five,

877
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,240
Speaker 1: eighty one and fifty two yards against Ohio.

878
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:09,680
Speaker 2: So I said, yeah, no, it's in him. I mean

879
00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,359
Speaker 2: he's capable. I think it's in Kendrick Green as well.

880
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,040
Speaker 1: There's an audibility. The one thing that we did see

881
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:16,880
Speaker 1: and I can remember we talked about this last year

882
00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,759
Speaker 1: at training camp from Anthony McFarlane and then we saw

883
00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,040
Speaker 1: it in the preseason. It's not dancing like you like

884
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,319
Speaker 1: a first two years. He was a little again looking

885
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 1: for that home run.

886
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:26,439
Speaker 2: All the time.

887
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, to your point he hitting it. I think he

888
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:30,120
Speaker 1: understands now, I hate get the ball and go.

889
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:32,560
Speaker 2: And I'm sure you remember this too, but I remember

890
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,400
Speaker 2: we broadcast from any new listeners, We broadcast from training

891
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,920
Speaker 2: camp much differently than we broadcast from here. We talk

892
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:42,279
Speaker 2: about everything that's happening, and we even do some play

893
00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:44,719
Speaker 2: by play things is over our head, but fun, you know.

894
00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 2: And there was a lot of McFarlane instances of him

895
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:51,840
Speaker 2: running wheel routes down the sideline, catching thirty yard passes

896
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,640
Speaker 2: against linebackers, things like that, getting downfields a receiver, not

897
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:59,560
Speaker 2: just screens and dump off. So that's some untapped potential

898
00:37:59,600 --> 00:37:59,880
Speaker 2: there too.

899
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:01,640
Speaker 1: If you can do that two or three times a game,

900
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:05,840
Speaker 1: if if they can utilize him and Calvin Austin in

901
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:06,919
Speaker 1: similar type of roles.

902
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:08,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, where okay?

903
00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:10,040
Speaker 1: You know if i'm you know, you're both good jet

904
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:12,160
Speaker 1: motion guys. You're going a jet motion that you know

905
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,120
Speaker 1: the fifth time in a row, and you've run jet

906
00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:16,440
Speaker 1: motion at full speed across the formation, you might need

907
00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:16,799
Speaker 1: a blow.

908
00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:19,560
Speaker 2: I mean, I talked about it at no end, but

909
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,160
Speaker 2: there are five skill guys on offense that those puzzles

910
00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,920
Speaker 2: are really fun to build, and I never build one

911
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,840
Speaker 2: with McFarland, but he's a lot different than Nausey and Warren,

912
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:30,319
Speaker 2: you know what I mean. I mean you could add,

913
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:31,839
Speaker 2: you could put a lot of speed on the field.

914
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:33,680
Speaker 1: There was times last year I can remember, you know,

915
00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 1: early in camp where they were putting McFarland out there

916
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,600
Speaker 1: in the slot, Harris in the backfield.

917
00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:40,879
Speaker 2: Yeah.

918
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, and then they discovered Jalen Warren.

919
00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:46,000
Speaker 2: That's the thing. Nobody this time last year, no one's

920
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,520
Speaker 2: talking about Jaalen Warren. No, absolutely not, right, right, So

921
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:49,799
Speaker 2: it's a fine.

922
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how that

923
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,000
Speaker 1: running back room plays out.

924
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,640
Speaker 2: I mean, there's gonna be running back injuries, yeah, you know,

925
00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:57,200
Speaker 2: it's just over the course of the year.

926
00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,320
Speaker 1: That's the one thing though, I think it gets overlooked

927
00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:04,600
Speaker 1: with Naujia hair dependability, availability, you know, that's the one

928
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,200
Speaker 1: thing that you could talk about how you can go

929
00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,360
Speaker 1: get running backs in any round and all that stuff

930
00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:12,000
Speaker 1: and point to the forty nine ers or point to

931
00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,200
Speaker 1: this team or that team. The Dolphins. There's a reason

932
00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:18,040
Speaker 1: why they have like six of them, Oh yeah, because

933
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:19,040
Speaker 1: they can't keep them healthy.

934
00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:20,440
Speaker 2: They try to get three or four games out of

935
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:21,880
Speaker 2: him and then bring the next guy in. Yeah, and

936
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 2: that's hard to build around. And I mean I think

937
00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:26,799
Speaker 2: it's pretty clear, and I think I don't think we're

938
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,239
Speaker 2: out of the line saying it. Nause did not start

939
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,840
Speaker 2: last season close to being healthy. Yeah, I mean he

940
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:33,440
Speaker 2: had a steel plate and.

941
00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:36,040
Speaker 1: The line changed, you know as well. I mean I

942
00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:38,600
Speaker 1: think they got better as the season went on, and

943
00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,960
Speaker 1: so everything kind of progressed.

944
00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:43,920
Speaker 2: I mean the end of camp, nausea was not working

945
00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,920
Speaker 2: much right, right, he was gutting through it. And just

946
00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:50,680
Speaker 2: look at any touches he's had in his two years.

947
00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:52,200
Speaker 2: I mean there's something to be said for that. Just

948
00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:53,840
Speaker 2: the workhorse mentality.

949
00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:57,320
Speaker 1: Too, Yeah, and the ability to I mean again, I

950
00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,160
Speaker 1: don't want to compare him to Levy on Bell, but

951
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,520
Speaker 1: he's he's a good third down back, if you know,

952
00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:06,640
Speaker 1: I think they could use him more. I do the situation.

953
00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:09,000
Speaker 2: But Warren is a really good receiver too.

954
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:13,120
Speaker 1: Harris is really good in past protection. You know, he

955
00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:15,239
Speaker 1: does a lot of things. He's a good short yardage back.

956
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,279
Speaker 1: I mean, there's a lot of things there that you

957
00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,279
Speaker 1: look at it go yeah, but he's our best guy

958
00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:20,960
Speaker 1: at that He's our yet, you.

959
00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:25,080
Speaker 2: Know, so you know, and one that's a position we've

960
00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:27,040
Speaker 2: seen the most of, just because running back drills are

961
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,479
Speaker 2: right here, so that's a position I've seen the most

962
00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:33,000
Speaker 2: reps of in practice. I love Warren, I'm really really

963
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,840
Speaker 2: impressed with him, But when Nausey hits the sled or

964
00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,840
Speaker 2: goes through the gauntlet, it's different than everybody else. And

965
00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:41,680
Speaker 2: my sister could walk out and be like, I'll take him,

966
00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,279
Speaker 2: you know, like he looks the part, and he is

967
00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,839
Speaker 2: a really put together guy, and he looks a little leaner,

968
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:49,680
Speaker 2: he looks a little quicker to me, but he's I mean,

969
00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:52,840
Speaker 2: he still hits that sled and the blocking drills and

970
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,160
Speaker 2: things like that harder than anybody else. He plays with

971
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:55,760
Speaker 2: more force.

972
00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,600
Speaker 1: There's definitely force there, and the Steelers obviously value that

973
00:40:59,680 --> 00:40:59,920
Speaker 1: kind of.

974
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:02,560
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean going back to Bettie and Franco,

975
00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:05,680
Speaker 2: and I mean there's a history there too, and this

976
00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:09,000
Speaker 2: isn't Nausey's fault. But how many he's been in the

977
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:13,560
Speaker 2: league two years, how many fourth quarter leads of seven

978
00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,520
Speaker 2: or more has he been a part of. I bet

979
00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,200
Speaker 2: it's pretty few, not many, Yeah, And that's where he's

980
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:20,560
Speaker 2: really gonna be. He hasn't been a chance to be

981
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,839
Speaker 2: the closer which is really his best role.

982
00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:24,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, he get to do it a little bit at

983
00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:26,800
Speaker 1: times last year when they were up in some games

984
00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:29,040
Speaker 1: and yeah, you know, but it wasn't like, oh, you're

985
00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,560
Speaker 1: up fourteen, just go run the football here. Yeah, there

986
00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:35,000
Speaker 1: aren't many of those situations. It's you're up us a score,

987
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:36,840
Speaker 1: or you're up six points or three points.

988
00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,400
Speaker 2: It's not three years ago when Bama is at LSU

989
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:41,920
Speaker 2: at a night game and you're up seven points and

990
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,600
Speaker 2: you're just dealing with him time and time again. That's

991
00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:45,239
Speaker 2: not much fun.

992
00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:49,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I can't imagine it would be. But yeah,

993
00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,719
Speaker 1: just an interesting running back room this year that all

994
00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:56,480
Speaker 1: three guys like you could look at Najee Harris and

995
00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,680
Speaker 1: Jalen or Benny Snell and say similar style of runners.

996
00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:05,520
Speaker 1: In terms of the power runners, they're not okay, they're

997
00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:07,560
Speaker 1: not going to break off long runs, you know consistently,

998
00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:09,680
Speaker 1: They're gonna they're gonna punish you at the end of it.

999
00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:10,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, agreed.

1000
00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,040
Speaker 1: Whereas now you look at it and it's you got

1001
00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:17,960
Speaker 1: Harris and then the other two guys are really different

1002
00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:18,359
Speaker 1: than him.

1003
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,960
Speaker 2: They are. I think Warren's more explosive, more long speed

1004
00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:25,359
Speaker 2: than I originally gave him credit for and even as

1005
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:29,920
Speaker 2: a receiver, as a downfield guy, and McFarlane clearly is.

1006
00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:31,640
Speaker 2: I mean, he's gonna win a race between those three

1007
00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,640
Speaker 2: without a doubt. I mean, he's fast and he's explosive too.

1008
00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,840
Speaker 2: Do you think there's any chance injuries aside, they go

1009
00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:41,400
Speaker 2: get another.

1010
00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:43,320
Speaker 1: I mean they're still looking.

1011
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,359
Speaker 2: I mean they're threes A little light, yeah, I mean

1012
00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:49,279
Speaker 2: and if they two's really like, yeah, the other guy.

1013
00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:53,680
Speaker 1: I mean, they do keep churning and bringing in running backs,

1014
00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:55,680
Speaker 1: you know, undrafted guys or what have you.

1015
00:42:56,239 --> 00:42:57,280
Speaker 2: He's unemployed.

1016
00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,640
Speaker 1: You're always looking for those kind of guys.

1017
00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:04,000
Speaker 2: And I wonder if that position too, Like three preseason games,

1018
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:06,680
Speaker 2: does not he get any carries? I mean less than five,

1019
00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:09,040
Speaker 2: I mean maybe none. I don't know you need to

1020
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,239
Speaker 2: give any to Warren. I mean he will get some,

1021
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:11,799
Speaker 2: but I don't.

1022
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:13,600
Speaker 1: But I don't think you wouldn't. You wouldn't wan to

1023
00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 1: give him a lot.

1024
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:15,480
Speaker 2: So I mean, I don't want anywhere and tear on

1025
00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:15,920
Speaker 2: those two.

1026
00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:17,880
Speaker 1: I think I think this is a big I.

1027
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:22,040
Speaker 2: Think it's McFarland and question question, question, who's to get

1028
00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:22,760
Speaker 2: those other carries?

1029
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:24,279
Speaker 1: I don't know who that guy is, and those guys

1030
00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:26,320
Speaker 1: are typically then the ones that all the fans like.

1031
00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:28,440
Speaker 1: You know, Warren was lighting it up last year, and

1032
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:31,920
Speaker 1: sure we were talking about him, I don't know, three

1033
00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:33,080
Speaker 1: four days into training camp.

1034
00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:34,759
Speaker 2: Oh he stood out from the start. Yeah, I mean

1035
00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:35,040
Speaker 2: he was.

1036
00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:36,600
Speaker 1: Once they put the pads on, it was like, oh,

1037
00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:38,840
Speaker 1: that guy's he's better than the other He looks drafted

1038
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:39,960
Speaker 1: rooks looking at you.

1039
00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:41,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, which didn't help him.

1040
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:43,600
Speaker 1: Then when the fans got a chance to see him,

1041
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,400
Speaker 1: they're like, you know, because you're ripping off runs in

1042
00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,399
Speaker 1: the preseason, Yeah, that guy's pretty good.

1043
00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,120
Speaker 2: Now we know what you're talking about. But that's gonna

1044
00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:50,600
Speaker 2: be a player to be named later. I mean, there's

1045
00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:52,759
Speaker 2: going to be somebody that we're not talking about, either

1046
00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:54,759
Speaker 2: that's on the team now or not, that's going to

1047
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:56,000
Speaker 2: get a lot of touch a lot of run in

1048
00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,400
Speaker 2: the preseason. Absolutely, I mean I'm not I don't know

1049
00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:00,200
Speaker 2: if nause he's even acted. A lot of times.

1050
00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:01,440
Speaker 1: You just running and can try to get out of

1051
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,799
Speaker 1: those games. Oh yeah, and you do want to take

1052
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,400
Speaker 1: a look at your offensive line, But that's the other

1053
00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:07,279
Speaker 1: he's run behind good line. You're gonna be running behind

1054
00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:09,200
Speaker 1: good lines, right with a good quarterback right, and with.

1055
00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:10,759
Speaker 2: The guy that knows how to get in and out

1056
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:12,920
Speaker 2: of the huddle, and you know, Boykin's lined up out

1057
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:16,080
Speaker 2: there and Miller and got the NFL dudes. Yeah, they're

1058
00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:19,000
Speaker 2: in a really good spot. If we play preseason dfs,

1059
00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:21,879
Speaker 2: grab the Steeler running back to name later whoever that is. Yeah,

1060
00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:23,920
Speaker 2: well you might want to grab Anthony mccarth Farland.

1061
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's gonna get some you know, he probably gonna

1062
00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:28,480
Speaker 1: be twenty five carries in the preseason.

1063
00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,000
Speaker 2: Right, that could be for one hundred and fifty yards. Yeah,

1064
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:34,000
Speaker 2: and no circumstances and some backup defense, isn't, Absolutely, Matt,

1065
00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:35,680
Speaker 2: that's going to do it for the show in the books.

1066
00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:37,800
Speaker 2: One is another beautiful day in the burg too, But

1067
00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:41,680
Speaker 2: absolutely this weather has been unbelievable. We got lucky on that. Yeah,

1068
00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:43,160
Speaker 2: so far. Yeah, we have knocked.

1069
00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,160
Speaker 1: Rosing out here yet. I don't now that we're in June,

1070
00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:46,800
Speaker 1: I don't think I don't think freezing is gonna I

1071
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,600
Speaker 1: don't think that's going to happen to us. But that's

1072
00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:51,320
Speaker 1: going to do it, all right, Yeah for our Ota

1073
00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,640
Speaker 1: Session number seven is in the books. Uh so for

1074
00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:58,360
Speaker 1: my birthday boy partner here, Matt Williamson. That's why we

1075
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:00,200
Speaker 1: brought Tom Offerman on just to give me had a

1076
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:01,759
Speaker 1: birthday present that he didn't have to do a full

1077
00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:05,680
Speaker 1: two hours with me. He could do sometime with tom

1078
00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:08,680
Speaker 1: Opferman for CJ here insite keeping us on the air

1079
00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:11,560
Speaker 1: as well. I am Dale Lally. We want to thank

1080
00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,000
Speaker 1: you for listening to the special edition of the Drive

1081
00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:16,480
Speaker 1: here from the upmc roney Sports Complex. We'll be back

1082
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,719
Speaker 1: again tomorrow, same bad time, same bat station. Talk to

1083
00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:21,000
Speaker 1: you then,