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Speaker 1: Is The Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

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

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

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Speaker 1: The Steelers will practice today over at Heinz Field, then

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Speaker 1: they will be off tomorrow and it's time for the

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Speaker 1: first game. Yeah, how about that? And finally there, finally there.

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Speaker 1: And I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but there's

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Speaker 1: nothing to do with the Steelers. But the Hall of

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Speaker 1: Fame game is always very anti climatic for me, as

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Speaker 1: is the start of training camp, Like there are these

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Speaker 1: milestones you get to like camps here and then you'd

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Speaker 1: watch practice like they're not doing a whole lot. Or

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Speaker 1: you get to the Hall of Fame game and it

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Speaker 1: is live football, and it's certainly better because it's the Steelers.

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Speaker 1: But don't get your hopes up too much. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you're not gonna see a ton But it's been a

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Speaker 1: while since I've been able to react to a preseason game.

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Speaker 1: I'm pretty psyched about that. Yeah, and I want to see, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know a lot of these young guys. Uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: we we've seen the Steelers aren't gonna Mike Tomlin. We'll

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Speaker 1: talk later today, and he's not gonna play any any

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Speaker 1: maybe very few of the starters. And I know, you know,

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Speaker 1: Kendrick Green will be out there, and I assume at

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Speaker 1: this point that Kendrick Green is going to be I

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Speaker 1: think they're not gonna say it, yeah, but I think

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Speaker 1: that's you know, where where this whole thing is headed.

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Speaker 1: I don't know that we're gonna see many other front

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Speaker 1: line guys, maybe some Alex high Smith or maybe you know, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean that we might expect, like I don't think

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Speaker 1: we see Naugy. No, you're not gonna right right right, uh,

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Speaker 1: And you wouldn't meant James Washington the best receiver or

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Speaker 1: like that, that that kind of things and things of that nature. Um,

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Speaker 1: And it'll be the same for the Cowboys. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you're not gonna see any of their frontline guys. But

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Speaker 1: it's an opportunity for Steeler fans. I mean, we've been

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Speaker 1: writing about a lot of these guys throughout the course

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Speaker 1: of the off season. You know, the Dan Moore's, the

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Speaker 1: Ulysses Gilbert's, the Anthony McFarland's, you know guys that we're

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Speaker 1: gonna play a lot. Yeah, I would think Layton plays

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Speaker 1: a lot Um Pierre Pierre, safeties, Gilbert Um, those defensive linemen.

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Speaker 1: We talked about the Davis and Bug. They're fighting for

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Speaker 1: roster spots. So I mean, if you're them, it's a

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Speaker 1: great opportunity to play a lot of snaps and show, hey,

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna wear down after you know, two series

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Speaker 1: or some of these guys mad flash in the pan.

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Speaker 1: They haven't played many snaps in two years. For for

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Speaker 1: these second year guys, For a guy like Pierre, for

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Speaker 1: a guy like you know, a Henry Mondu or here

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Speaker 1: in the league, he's never strung a lot of snaps together.

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Speaker 1: You're out there for a couple of snaps and they

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Speaker 1: pull you back out. And you're out there for a

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Speaker 1: couple of snaps and they pull you you know, you're

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Speaker 1: back off the field. So this is an opportunity for

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Speaker 1: them to kind of show the coaching. You know, I

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Speaker 1: can be out there for fifteen or twenty consecutive plays

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Speaker 1: and here's here's here it is. This is what you know.

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Speaker 1: Give me three series or play in a row is

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Speaker 1: gonna look the same as play you know one in

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Speaker 1: terms of consistency. That's huge. And that's why I mentioned

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Speaker 1: it actually because you see these guys in spot detail.

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Speaker 1: It's like, okay, they come off the bench, you know,

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Speaker 1: just put yourself in their shoes. You're jumping around, you're

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Speaker 1: excited to get in there. You finally get in, you

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Speaker 1: have your best play or you know, maybe you're even

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Speaker 1: too energetic and as opposed to okay, let's settle in

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Speaker 1: play snap after snap, show that I can. You know,

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Speaker 1: coaches want consistently, they want that consistency. The highlight players

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Speaker 1: are wonderful, but if you have three bus over a

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Speaker 1: course of a thirty play series and one superstars, you know,

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Speaker 1: sports Center play your minus too, you know what I mean,

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Speaker 1: unless you do it, unless that that Superstar play was

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Speaker 1: a touchdown, and you're gonna do that every game, you know.

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Speaker 1: That's that's the that's why they want the consistency. Like

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Speaker 1: you know, okay, so you had that, you had that interception,

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Speaker 1: you returned for a touchdown, but you gave up three

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Speaker 1: touchdowns on you right, you're jumping every ball and trying

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Speaker 1: to get you know, on Sports Center. Basically it's the

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Speaker 1: Marcus Peters thing. Yeah, exactly, good point, um, And that's

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Speaker 1: you know, the coaches. The word trust to me is

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Speaker 1: gigantic in the coach player relationship, and trust has only

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Speaker 1: really earned in these situations by seeing it play after

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Speaker 1: play after play. I trust that you won't hurt us

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Speaker 1: out there. That can be good enough. You know, just

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Speaker 1: do your you know, not even do your job. Do

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Speaker 1: your job, don't you know, freelance you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: don't don't take it upon yourself. You mean, you're here

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Speaker 1: to hold down the ford. So we'll see. But I

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Speaker 1: think that's kind of stuff you want to look for. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think so as well. Um, you know, so there's

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Speaker 1: there's some guys there, as I mentioned that I'm in

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Speaker 1: to see. Uh, you want to see what they look

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Speaker 1: like against another team. You know, the quarterbacks, you're gonna

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Speaker 1: see probably a lot of Dwayne Haskins. You'll probably see

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Speaker 1: a good amount of of Mason Rudolph. I would think

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Speaker 1: for at least a quarter and maybe two quarters of Haskins,

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Speaker 1: and you know, a quarter of Josh Dobbs. Um, that's

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Speaker 1: not bad for you know, I think you know when

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Speaker 1: you're when you're looking at quarterback depth charts, and it's

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Speaker 1: a big thing around the league right now. It's but

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Speaker 1: you know, you're hearing a lot of Carson Wentz stuff

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Speaker 1: and you know where's you know, uh, you know, are

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Speaker 1: they gonna trade for Nick Foles? And you you heard

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Speaker 1: from Nick Foles yesterday talking to the media about and

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Speaker 1: so the Houston debacle and yeah, you know, Dak Prescott's

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Speaker 1: fighting an injury. You know, he's starting and I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: play in this game. And there's there's Lamar Jackson on

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Speaker 1: the screen right now. He's on the COVID. He hasn't

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Speaker 1: played yet, he hasn't practiced, a lot of that stuff

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Speaker 1: going on. Yeah, um, I think Minnesota's got their top

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Speaker 1: two quarterbacks are Mond and Cousins are both on the

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Speaker 1: COVID list right because they had a close I think

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Speaker 1: Mon has COVID and and and Cousins. Yea, Cousins was

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Speaker 1: a close contact. So you know that if there's some

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Speaker 1: of that stuff going up going around as guys reported back,

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Speaker 1: I can't like, how are the Vikings holding thinking? What

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Speaker 1: are you doing? Yeah that that holds everything. You know.

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Speaker 1: They had to go out and sign just a guy

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Speaker 1: to be a fourth quarterback, I believe, just to be

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Speaker 1: able to practice, just to be able to practice and

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Speaker 1: throw the ball the whole team back. Yeah. Yeah, that's

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Speaker 1: a struggle to me. Um, I mean, it gives it

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Speaker 1: opens the door for somebody else. I mean, whoever the

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Speaker 1: third guy was, I should know that, I thought of

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Speaker 1: my head, I don't remember. And then you had somebody

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Speaker 1: else that was certainly gonna getting preseason snaps that was

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Speaker 1: on the street recently. But you want him in there

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Speaker 1: running a practice that you know, simulating something, you know,

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Speaker 1: not not looking like a guy who just stepped in

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Speaker 1: off the street. And Okay, we're gonna you gotta you

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Speaker 1: gotta step in and run plays and make throws and

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Speaker 1: you know, give give at least give the defensive looks

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Speaker 1: and try to make this young receiving corps besides our

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Speaker 1: top two guys better. And you know, it's a challenge.

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Speaker 1: I mean, not as challenging but the league face last year.

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Speaker 1: But it's a challenge. I mean, you know, a stealers

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Speaker 1: have done that without a center, right, Yeah, yeah, the

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Speaker 1: practice with two, you know, and so you're you know,

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Speaker 1: they've had a couple of practices where they're you know,

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Speaker 1: taking offensive tackles and put them in you know, and

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Speaker 1: that's you you have a plan there, but nobody has

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Speaker 1: a you're not getting that nobody. Like the Steelers in

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Speaker 1: the one practice were down to like their fourth and

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Speaker 1: fifth string centers, guys who weren't centers, but they were

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Speaker 1: playing center just to get you by, get you through

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Speaker 1: the practice. It's not gonna make a name for yourself

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Speaker 1: and try to snapp. And you can't do that with

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Speaker 1: a quarterback like who's your who's your fifth string quarterback?

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Speaker 1: In camp? You know you're putting a defensive back back there.

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Speaker 1: It's the it's the Broncos situation. Yeah, I mean, you

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Speaker 1: have to be able at least pass the ball so

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Speaker 1: we can do sevent of our stuff, you know today,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe a longer individual periods, I don't know,

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Speaker 1: but man, that's tough. Yeah, that would certainly set you back.

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Speaker 1: But uh, I would think Dallas, you see nobody though.

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Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, well they're brand name guys, their offensive

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Speaker 1: brand name guys. I mean, like on defense, you're not

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Speaker 1: gonna see Lawrence and those types. But more to think

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Speaker 1: about it, they did have a huge draft class and

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Speaker 1: they're implementing a new defense. So maybe you see a

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Speaker 1: lot of their young rookies. Maybe Michael Parsons plays a

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Speaker 1: little Yeah, but those big corners they drafted, or they

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Speaker 1: may look at this the same way that you know,

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Speaker 1: he may play a series series. Yeah, go out, okay,

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Speaker 1: go go make a couple of plays, Mica, and then

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Speaker 1: we're gonna get you out of there, because I mean

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Speaker 1: everybody's been raving about him. Yeah, and all the reports

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Speaker 1: have been good. Then again on a defense that's as

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Speaker 1: bad as that. Yeah, and he should stand out. He

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Speaker 1: should stand a mense athlete. I mean that, that's no shock.

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Speaker 1: I mean he's a very impressive physical specimen. And I

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Speaker 1: think he's the top of the defensive Rookie of the year. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know wagering, you know the odds right now. I

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Speaker 1: get that. So I hope he does play. I want

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Speaker 1: to watch him. Yeah, we'll have two of the favorites, uh,

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Speaker 1: those Rookie of the of the Year awards. Um, I don't.

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Speaker 1: We're not gonna see Naja Harris at all. I would

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Speaker 1: be I'll be shocked how much you think he plays

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Speaker 1: all preseason. I think a little bit. He You know,

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Speaker 1: we talked to him over the weekend and we played

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Speaker 1: it back yesterday. He said that he wants to play

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Speaker 1: as much as as as he can in the preseason

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Speaker 1: to kind of get the his feet wet and get

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Speaker 1: the speed of the game kind of stuff. He wants

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Speaker 1: to do everything he possibly can on and off the field.

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Speaker 1: Football wives, I think you gotta reel him in. I

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Speaker 1: think maybe he gets five carries for the whole preseason,

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Speaker 1: the whole preseason. I was gonna say three series something

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Speaker 1: like that. Probably dresses next week. I think he'd be

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Speaker 1: because I think you'd like to see him when Ben

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Speaker 1: Roethlisberger plays. Yeah, for past protection purposes, I want to see. Okay,

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Speaker 1: you're you're certain Ben will play. I think at some

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Speaker 1: point you want to get him at least a quarter

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Speaker 1: behind the We've moved a little bit closer to seeing

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Speaker 1: that offensive line on the field together. Everybody was in

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Speaker 1: pad yesterday. That was the first time that's upen in

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Speaker 1: this camp. Um, it's safe to say that the number

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Speaker 1: one OH line probably won't be together on Thursday. No, no, no, no,

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Speaker 1: that's three of those guys. You know, Banner practiced a

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Speaker 1: little bit yesterday, but but Dotson and uh a qure

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Speaker 1: for having still haven't. Yeah. I think when they get

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Speaker 1: back set. I think when they get back Saturday and

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Speaker 1: get back on the practice field Saturday. I think that's

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Speaker 1: when you start to see that those guys get on

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Speaker 1: the field. I would like to see them next week, though,

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Speaker 1: I mean that's uh seven days ago, and that's also

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Speaker 1: a Thursday. I would like to see the number maybe

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Speaker 1: not a ton. I mean, I'm a big believer more

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Speaker 1: and more and I didn't used to be this way,

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Speaker 1: but seventeen games and the way the league is, I

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Speaker 1: rest everybody in the preseason, but I would like to

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Speaker 1: see the number one line start the second preseason game. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think maybe you see that. Um by game three,

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Speaker 1: you're they're definitely gonna be out, especially if if Ben's

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Speaker 1: gonna go out there. You can't have three starters or

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Speaker 1: two stars. I don't see, you know, Mike Tomlin has

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Speaker 1: never been a guy to do what like Sean McVeigh

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Speaker 1: did a couple of years ago and not him all down.

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Speaker 1: He didn't play any starters in the preseason. Tomlin has

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Speaker 1: never been that guy. But this team, as the whole league,

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Speaker 1: has drifted closer to the McVeigh, you know, strategy than

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Speaker 1: the old school strategy. I think that the the issue

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Speaker 1: with that is that every game in the regular season

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Speaker 1: is so meaningful that you can't have your players warming

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Speaker 1: up to it for the first couple of weeks of

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Speaker 1: the season. There is this Belichick seems to do it

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Speaker 1: a lot, use that first month to really get a

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Speaker 1: pulse to your team. And like I mentioned Belichick because

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Speaker 1: over the years sometimes you've seen him shuffle in offensive

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Speaker 1: line combinations through the first month until he settles in

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Speaker 1: on one. And I guess that works if you're hot

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Speaker 1: down the stretch. And I think that works if you

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Speaker 1: have Brady, who's who gets the ball out quickly and

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Speaker 1: is isn't gonna you know, you know he knows protections.

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Speaker 1: You're not going to fool him with anything. He's not

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Speaker 1: gonna take a he's not gonna take a big hit

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Speaker 1: on a sack. But I mean Tomlin and Belichick, over

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Speaker 1: their careers of both certainly shown that they realize late

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Speaker 1: in the season and going into the playoffs, a went's

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Speaker 1: most important. But you're right, that's always kind of bothered

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Speaker 1: me a little bit because week one means the same

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Speaker 1: as the standings as week fifteen. I mean, you gets

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Speaker 1: seventeen of them. Just because you get one more doesn't

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Speaker 1: mean they don't matter. And you open a season in Buffalo.

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Speaker 1: You know, that's a that's a that's a big game

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Speaker 1: to start the season. You know, we talked about it,

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Speaker 1: you know, a couple of weeks ago about the schedules

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Speaker 1: for the a f C North teams. Uh, if you

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Speaker 1: if you would happen to win that game in Buffalo,

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Speaker 1: well now you I mean, that's a that's a pretty

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Speaker 1: big win. It's a pretty big win. I mean, even

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Speaker 1: if you don't win the North, it has you know,

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Speaker 1: playoff implications, simplications of you know, conference record and things

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Speaker 1: like that that aren't far common opponents when it when

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Speaker 1: that comes into play and things of that nature that

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Speaker 1: you know, you those those are gonna come be important

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Speaker 1: when it you know, comes down to tiebreakers, you know

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Speaker 1: all that stuff. I mean, if you're if it's the

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Speaker 1: Patriots and Steelers, that seventh wild guards spot and the

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Speaker 1: Patriots row in two against Buffalo and the Steelers the

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Speaker 1: one to know could go a long way at a

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Speaker 1: tiebreakers and things like that. I mean, so, I mean

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Speaker 1: obviously every game matters. It were you know, if it

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Speaker 1: were an NFC team, Yeah, you know, then I say, okay,

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Speaker 1: that's that's a little less important it is, But still though,

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Speaker 1: I mean, so in a way, I'm talking about both

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Speaker 1: sides of my mouth, because I'm more worried about preseason

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Speaker 1: health than i am them being their absolute sharpest on

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Speaker 1: the opening kickoff. But it does always worry me that

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Speaker 1: some people take this approach like the first month of

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Speaker 1: the season doesn't mean as much as the last. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I know, Kevin Colbert. You know, one of the reasons

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Speaker 1: why the Steelers have live tackling in their practices is

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Speaker 1: because they feel that, you know, to to replicate what

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Speaker 1: you're going to see in a regular season, you have

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Speaker 1: to yet your body has to get condition to being

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Speaker 1: hit absolutely, you know, to not be hit the entire preseason.

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Speaker 1: Then go into the Week one and all of a sudden,

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Speaker 1: you know, here comes pick a guy, Jerry, Who's to

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Speaker 1: take your head off? That's that's you know, Yeah, that's

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Speaker 1: quite a bit to ask, quite a bit to ask.

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Speaker 1: The thing that I don't envy the coaches nowadays, though,

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Speaker 1: is there's really no way to prepare your your team

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Speaker 1: to play sixty or seventy snaps on Week one. You know,

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Speaker 1: whoever that starting line is on offense, they're gonna play

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Speaker 1: six or seventy snaps. You're not gonna rotate Chucks out

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Speaker 1: because he didn't play a lot in the preseason. He's tired,

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Speaker 1: you know. So there's there's yeah, there's really if you

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Speaker 1: look at it from a stamina standpoint, your offensive line

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Speaker 1: doesn't change. Your cornerbacks, your top two cornerbacks you're gonna

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Speaker 1: play every snap. Your top safeties are probably gonna play

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Speaker 1: every snap. In your quarterback, yeah, and a lot of

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Speaker 1: the defense will play a very high percentI Bush Bush

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Speaker 1: played prior to his injury last year. Bush was on

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Speaker 1: the field for every snap, every defensive snap, every snap. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I know it's what you want, but I'm surprised it's everyone.

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Speaker 1: So it's really about ten ten of your twenty two

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Speaker 1: starters are on the field constantly, right, and that's they've

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Speaker 1: never even played probably forty snaps in the game since

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Speaker 1: last year. It's been a long stretch. So you gotta

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Speaker 1: try to replicate that as much as possible. You know

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Speaker 1: you can, and even it practices, they're still practiced. Everybody goes.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot bigger break in between plays, and you know,

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Speaker 1: the intensity is not as high and um in some cases,

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Speaker 1: the heat's not the same. And you're in Miami week

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Speaker 1: one lookout, you know, so it would be interesting, but

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Speaker 1: I'm I'm looking forward to seeing a game. Um. Yes,

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Speaker 1: of course we'll be up there all weekend. Matt and

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Speaker 1: I will be doing a show from three to six

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Speaker 1: on Saturday and Sunday on the Hall of Fame. So

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Speaker 1: you want to hear that on these very air waves.

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Speaker 1: But we're gonna take a break right now. He is

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Speaker 1: Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lali. You're listening to the Drive

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Speaker 1: here on Steelers Nation Radio. Your tunes about Drive Home

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Speaker 1: of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Adio. Welcome back

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Speaker 1: on Dale Lali here with Matt Williamson. Matt, um Uh

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Speaker 1: heard from Deante Johnson yesterday and I can't bring this

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Speaker 1: up enough. I asked Deonte. Maybe we'll play this back

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Speaker 1: later in the show here. We might hear from Menca

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Speaker 1: Fitzpatrick too. Um. There were three receivers in the NFL

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Speaker 1: last year who had ten games in which they were

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Speaker 1: targeted with at least ten passes. It was Davante Adams,

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Speaker 1: Keenan Allen and Deonte Johnson. Pretty good company, and yet

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Speaker 1: people still ask the question, like any time I go

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Speaker 1: on a National Fantasy Showers, I do serious fantasy and

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Speaker 1: things like who's the Steelers number one receiver? Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: I keep saying, can't figure it out. Deante Johnson, he's

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Speaker 1: their number one guy. Let the targets lead you guide

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Speaker 1: you here, folks, you know, I mean I told people

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Speaker 1: that before the season started, and then it was just

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Speaker 1: reaffirmed as he said over and over, and at times

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Speaker 1: he missed a little bit of time, So maybe the

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Speaker 1: national public was a little slow to Okay, it looks

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Speaker 1: like Deante's gonna be the guy, and then he gets

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Speaker 1: pulled for a half, he gets heard or whatever and

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Speaker 1: get you get thrown off the scent. But all the

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Speaker 1: numbers are there, they're telling you it's clear clearly him. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and I know he also led the league and drops

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Speaker 1: last year. I get that. But the only guys who

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Speaker 1: had more targets than him in the league last year

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Speaker 1: where Adams, Keenan, Allen, Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins. And

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Speaker 1: he missed some time. He missed some time. I think

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Speaker 1: Adams didn't play Week seventeen. But basically all those guys

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Speaker 1: will start to finish guys. I mean, he's an elite company.

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Speaker 1: There aren't many receivers better than that group in the

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Speaker 1: league right now, and Diggs and Adams had the two

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Speaker 1: best seasons in the in the whole year. So um,

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Speaker 1: you know, I look at this and I say, Okay,

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Speaker 1: what's gonna change with that this year? I don't. I

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Speaker 1: don't know that I think that they know who what

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Speaker 1: I think they know who their number one is? Right,

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Speaker 1: you know, I spread the ball around. He's not gonna

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Speaker 1: get every target. He may be used in different ways.

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Speaker 1: I hope he's used at different depths of the field,

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Speaker 1: but I think I think this year, if he plays

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Speaker 1: all seventeen games, you're going to see those same hundred

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Speaker 1: forty four targets. That's not gonna go down. I might

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Speaker 1: go over, I might eat. Yeah, I might even go

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Speaker 1: more than I don't know, maybe one sixty. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: don't know if that's throw the ball quite as quite

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Speaker 1: as much. But the hundred targets isn't going anywhere. M

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Speaker 1: I bet he averages seven or eight targets a game,

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Speaker 1: which is what a number one healthy number, that's the

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Speaker 1: number one receiver type targets. And I bet there's a

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Speaker 1: couple of times where he's I mean, of course he'll

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Speaker 1: be over double digits a handful of times as he

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Speaker 1: was ten times last year. I mean I bet he

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Speaker 1: gets the twelve or fifteen two or three times throughout

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Speaker 1: the season. Two. This is the great thing about where

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Speaker 1: fantasy sports helps beat writers up. Yeah, they go hand

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Speaker 1: in hand and with there so last year it are

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Speaker 1: full of Yeah, there's so much information out there. There

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Speaker 1: were four guys in the league who averaged average ten

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Speaker 1: targets a game. Okay, say ten guys. Four guys who

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Speaker 1: average ten targets game. Out the average ten targets a

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Speaker 1: game you gotta have, you probably gonna have some really

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Speaker 1: big games in there. Obviously Adams and Allan, Digs and

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Speaker 1: Hopkins were those guys because they were the four four

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Speaker 1: guys that have more targets than but Travis Kelsey average

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Speaker 1: nine point seven, which is a monster number for a

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Speaker 1: tight end. Johnson was at nine point six for over

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Speaker 1: the course of the season, Calvin Ridley was at nine

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Speaker 1: point five, and Julio is out in a fair amount.

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Speaker 1: Allen Robinson was at nine point for Darren Waller at

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Speaker 1: nine point one, again another tight and those guys are

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Speaker 1: clearly the only show in town for their offense. Waller

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Speaker 1: and Robinson, Juju last year average eight, which put him

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Speaker 1: in the top twenty. That might surprise the people. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and the ball went his direction a lot. His A

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Speaker 1: dot was very very low. It was very low. Yea,

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Speaker 1: and that needs to change. But I mean they still

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Speaker 1: like ju Ju. I mean, I think a lot of

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Speaker 1: people are in this misconception that nobody likes Juju anymore.

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Speaker 1: I mean he gets a ball thrown in direction a lot.

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Speaker 1: Chase claypol average six point eight targets per game, which

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Speaker 1: again is a good, healthy number, especially for a rookie.

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Speaker 1: He justin Jefferson's It's funny to me he had the

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Speaker 1: best rookie season basically ever, if not the second best

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Speaker 1: or whatever. When he averaged seven point eight targets per

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Speaker 1: game in the first two weeks. Is what I'm going

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Speaker 1: with this. The three targets in each of those first

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Speaker 1: two weeks barely used week one and two last year,

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Speaker 1: and even the Vikings, like a lot of draft folks,

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Speaker 1: thought he's a he's a slot. He probably is an

404
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Speaker 1: outside guy, and then they realized we don't have anything else.

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Speaker 1: Let's put him outside and he blew up. Here are

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Speaker 1: his targets three, three, nine, five, five, eleven. They had

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Speaker 1: there by a week four, four, ten, five, twelve, eight, eleven, ten, twelve,

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Speaker 1: So he really finished the season strong. Second half second

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Speaker 1: with Claypool, we kind of saw he had a really

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Speaker 1: deep a dot and really deep yards per catch. Jeff Jefferson.

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Speaker 1: There were people last year at the end of last

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Speaker 1: year going what happened? Where Why isn't Claypool playing as much?

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Speaker 1: You should be out there were here his target numbers

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Speaker 1: for the year to three four, the bye week, eleven, four, one, nine,

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Speaker 1: thirteen ten. That's this is where it started to pick

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Speaker 1: up nine four, six, eight, six, eleven hundred nine targets

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Speaker 1: last year as a rookie. As a rookie, Yeah, that's

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Speaker 1: where originally why I brought up Jefferson is especially last

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Speaker 1: year and we always talk with this with running backs.

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Speaker 1: These coaches aren't gonna target the rookie receivers double digit

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Speaker 1: times in Week one with no preseason and just a

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Speaker 1: little at a camp to look at them. You know,

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Speaker 1: like it's gonna take a little while to gain the trust.

424
00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:09,240
Speaker 1: And from what I recall, Claypool was the the Coats

425
00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,439
Speaker 1: Martavis deep guy from early on. I mean that showed up,

426
00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,879
Speaker 1: but then they gained more and more, you know, hit

427
00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:16,320
Speaker 1: him on a slant, you know, use them in a

428
00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,520
Speaker 1: variety of ways. And I think that's just touching the surface.

429
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,880
Speaker 1: Here are the guys who also averaged the same number

430
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:26,080
Speaker 1: of targets as Claypool. Uh six point eight number though,

431
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:31,119
Speaker 1: Will Fuller, Yeah, so very productive when healthy, Russell Gage,

432
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:38,280
Speaker 1: Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Evan Ingram. He averaged more targets

433
00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,640
Speaker 1: per game than Jarvis Henry or Jarvis Landry. I should say, wow,

434
00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 1: who was really their number one so much of the

435
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,600
Speaker 1: year basically yeah, um, you know, and the steels through

436
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,320
Speaker 1: the ball a lot more than Cleveland, But he was

437
00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:53,160
Speaker 1: more targets per game than Corey Davis just got paid big,

438
00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:57,280
Speaker 1: big money, right right, right? No, I mean a lot there.

439
00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,919
Speaker 1: First off, the attempts do need to come down collect

440
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,440
Speaker 1: of lee Yeah, I do think things will get spaced

441
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,280
Speaker 1: out a little more. I mean I think the second

442
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:07,720
Speaker 1: the tight ends I think will collectively catch more passes.

443
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,919
Speaker 1: You know, maybe not Ebron. Ebron's numbers might not go up,

444
00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,560
Speaker 1: but about the tight end room catches more balls. I

445
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,919
Speaker 1: bet the running back room catches a lot more balls. Well,

446
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,320
Speaker 1: here's the thing. Abrons and Apron average six point one

447
00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,600
Speaker 1: targets per game last year. Pretty big. That's a big number.

448
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,960
Speaker 1: Two's pretty big, right, Yeah, I mean Kelsey was just

449
00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:25,480
Speaker 1: under ten, and he's in a world of his own. Yeah.

450
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:28,040
Speaker 1: I mean it's essentially, you know, I'm looking at that's

451
00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,080
Speaker 1: more than what Dallas Goddard averaged. That's more than what

452
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:35,120
Speaker 1: Mike Kisiki averaged. You know, so Miami didn't have any

453
00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,880
Speaker 1: weapons either. It's more than one hayden Hurst average with

454
00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,679
Speaker 1: with Atlanta um So that, you know, I think you

455
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,119
Speaker 1: may see those Ebron numbers come down a little bit,

456
00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,639
Speaker 1: a little bit. Maybe he gets four to five targets

457
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,639
Speaker 1: per game instead of the six fire Mouth gets to.

458
00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,480
Speaker 1: Somebody's gonna you know, the Roethlisbergers are gonna change. Roethlisberger

459
00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:01,240
Speaker 1: average forty point five attempts per game last I've never

460
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,280
Speaker 1: done which leg religions, and that's how these guys do

461
00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,280
Speaker 1: projections might Clay and some of these and a lot

462
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:08,920
Speaker 1: of them fantasy orient and back to your point that

463
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,200
Speaker 1: there's a lot to glean from fantasy knowledge and research.

464
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,440
Speaker 1: So let's say Ben gets to thirty six, what do

465
00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,880
Speaker 1: you think the goal is. I think it's six somewhere

466
00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,000
Speaker 1: nets you're only taking five passes off the docket, but

467
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:28,439
Speaker 1: over the course of seventeen games, that's a hundred passes, right,

468
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,480
Speaker 1: And of course you I was gonna say, on a

469
00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,199
Speaker 1: typical game, who's gonna get those thirty five? How do

470
00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:36,879
Speaker 1: we divvy those up? That's really hard to do and

471
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:38,680
Speaker 1: it doesn't work over the course of the year because

472
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,800
Speaker 1: somebody misses a game or game fan specific or boy,

473
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,680
Speaker 1: this is an Ebron game. We saw that with Claypool,

474
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,760
Speaker 1: the one guy. We didn't see it with its Deonte

475
00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:48,960
Speaker 1: to the original every games of deont Every game is

476
00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,639
Speaker 1: a Deonte game, Summer Jujus summer clay Pools rarely is

477
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,639
Speaker 1: it both. I tend to think every game will be

478
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,919
Speaker 1: a Nausea Harris game. Yeah, you know, and maybe not

479
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,000
Speaker 1: double digit target something. We're not Kamara numbers or something

480
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,720
Speaker 1: like that, but I bet he gets four or five

481
00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,679
Speaker 1: a game. Yeah. I'm looking down the list here, I'm

482
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 1: looking on Fantasy pros dot com here that they're targeting. Again,

483
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,000
Speaker 1: the information you can lean from the fantasy world is

484
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,800
Speaker 1: there's tons of it. Looking okay, James Washington average three

485
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,959
Speaker 1: and a half targets per game. Wow, that shocks me too. Yeah. Um,

486
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,840
Speaker 1: some something's gotta give. Something's gotta give. James Conner average

487
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,320
Speaker 1: three point three targets, and that's who I was looking

488
00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:30,760
Speaker 1: I was actually gonna ask you this if I thought

489
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:32,879
Speaker 1: it wasn't something you were looking at. Is I wonder

490
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,960
Speaker 1: how many running back targets per game the Steelers average

491
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,760
Speaker 1: start to finish, Like if we if you go to

492
00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,440
Speaker 1: ESPN dot com or whatever, add up all the running

493
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,320
Speaker 1: back targets divided by sixteen. You said James was between

494
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,240
Speaker 1: three and four. He was at three point three. Yeah,

495
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,520
Speaker 1: so I'm guessing it's not much more than that. You know,

496
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 1: over the course of the year, it's maybe five targets

497
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,440
Speaker 1: go to the running backs per game for the Steelers

498
00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,040
Speaker 1: regular seasons. What changes with that one is that they

499
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,679
Speaker 1: all go to one guy. It'd be it'd be him

500
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 1: and McFarland. Yeah, but McFarland, I think steals some of

501
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,720
Speaker 1: those touches away from James Washington unless somebody gets hurt. Yeah, agreed,

502
00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,800
Speaker 1: Um steal some of those those catches that Ray Ray

503
00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,639
Speaker 1: McCloud had, how to say, the fifth receiver might just

504
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:23,159
Speaker 1: disappear in the pecking order, so it doesn't sound like

505
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:27,280
Speaker 1: much to take five attempts per game away from Ben.

506
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:29,520
Speaker 1: But if we think the running backs are going to

507
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,359
Speaker 1: get at least one more maybe two per game, Deante

508
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:35,880
Speaker 1: is not going to go away. The tight end room

509
00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,280
Speaker 1: is gonna stay the same or go up a little.

510
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,240
Speaker 1: What does that up? Don't they gotta come from somewhere.

511
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,440
Speaker 1: They gotta come from somewhere. So the receivers, I think,

512
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,200
Speaker 1: have to be more efficient. You can't have the drop

513
00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:54,440
Speaker 1: passes that they had likest to yeah, account more, Yeah,

514
00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,040
Speaker 1: I think you know, you want to make sure that

515
00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:02,720
Speaker 1: that you know those um, you make the most out

516
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 1: of those thirty five attempts or thirty six attempts. It

517
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,240
Speaker 1: can't be okay, we're gonna we know going into this,

518
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,680
Speaker 1: we're gonna drop two or three balls somewhere where they're

519
00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,119
Speaker 1: gonna wasted place. Um. I just think they need to

520
00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,200
Speaker 1: count more to I mean, throw the an eight yard

521
00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,000
Speaker 1: pattern in the middle of the field on first and ten.

522
00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,400
Speaker 1: You know they're there. I'm a big early down successor

523
00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,520
Speaker 1: eight guy. It's a warrant sharp thing that I've stolen

524
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,159
Speaker 1: from the Steelers at the bottom of league. I mean,

525
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,720
Speaker 1: they put Ben was part of this, but Ben was

526
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,560
Speaker 1: in third and unmanageables a lot compared to the rest

527
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,920
Speaker 1: of the league. You know that that needs to change

528
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:36,880
Speaker 1: more than anything. Well, I think being able to run

529
00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 1: the ball more effectively will help change that big question.

530
00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,560
Speaker 1: They ran the ball yesterday. Uh did the inside running.

531
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,040
Speaker 1: In Saturday's practice it was kind of a mess because

532
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,000
Speaker 1: they were had a bunch of backup offensive linemen out

533
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,440
Speaker 1: there and Trade Turner was sitting out as well when

534
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,280
Speaker 1: he had a veterans day off, so that it was

535
00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:56,800
Speaker 1: all backup lineman. Yesterday, they were in the ball was

536
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,639
Speaker 1: much more effectively. Caitlin Blage was getting some run with

537
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,280
Speaker 1: the two is because Benny Snow was out look good.

538
00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:05,760
Speaker 1: I didn't see him beat out Benny Snow. We haven't

539
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,240
Speaker 1: really had that conversation. I think it's very possible, and

540
00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,880
Speaker 1: it's a training camp battle that is worth monitoring. Art

541
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,240
Speaker 1: If he hit him hits is a strong word. If

542
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:18,679
Speaker 1: he continues to improve in his career and in his

543
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,639
Speaker 1: third stop, he's better than Snell, He's more gifted than Snell,

544
00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,040
Speaker 1: he's faster, he's a better receiver that I think this

545
00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,719
Speaker 1: backfield will be in better shape if he grabs Ahold

546
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,359
Speaker 1: of the true We've seen that happened around the league

547
00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:33,880
Speaker 1: a little bit with some guys that were just guys

548
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,200
Speaker 1: get their first you know, one or two stops, and

549
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,959
Speaker 1: then all of a sudden they get an opportunity and boom,

550
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:42,560
Speaker 1: you know it works for him. Um. You know that

551
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 1: happened a little for Bellage with the Chargers last year

552
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,000
Speaker 1: compared to his Dolphin years. Nobody was talking about Mike

553
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:52,800
Speaker 1: Davis much and Raying Gollman and all, all of a sudden,

554
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:54,800
Speaker 1: these guys get an opportunity and it's like, oh, he's

555
00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,520
Speaker 1: not bad. James Robinson's this for example. But the thing

556
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,880
Speaker 1: about Belage is why I didn't really like him coming

557
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,959
Speaker 1: out of school early in his career was this guy's

558
00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,200
Speaker 1: really big, looks great, he's super fast, he catches the

559
00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,920
Speaker 1: ball really well. What don't you like Williamson, Well he doesn't.

560
00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:17,760
Speaker 1: He's not very skilled. Yeah, he didn't hit the right holes, patience, vision,

561
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 1: you know, set up blocks. He kind of gave the

562
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,240
Speaker 1: ball when he was a big athlete. And my I

563
00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,000
Speaker 1: mean vision him in high school just being the best

564
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,360
Speaker 1: guy in the field and they hand the ball and

565
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:26,800
Speaker 1: he runs over a kid and then goes a t

566
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,520
Speaker 1: r there. There's a little bit of Jaylen Samuel's there.

567
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,360
Speaker 1: You're kind of learning the running back position, the the

568
00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 1: ins and outs in the running back position at the

569
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:38,200
Speaker 1: NFL level, right, And difference year. The difference is is

570
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,000
Speaker 1: that he's a much more talented guy. He's got a

571
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,320
Speaker 1: much Yeah he got he survived without the skills and

572
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,320
Speaker 1: now he could be an asset with them if he's

573
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,560
Speaker 1: developing them. And you know, he's had a couple different

574
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,160
Speaker 1: running back coaches. Maybe that helps too. But he's it

575
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:52,960
Speaker 1: was better last year than he wasn't on his career.

576
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,640
Speaker 1: That's promising. Yeah, um, but I think there might be

577
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,040
Speaker 1: something there. But that that pie uh you know that

578
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,680
Speaker 1: that you know he talk about with the I think

579
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,040
Speaker 1: it's it's the target pie is gonna be a little

580
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,959
Speaker 1: smaller than right, I mean, it has to hurt theonte

581
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,840
Speaker 1: a little. Like I bet he's not gonna be again.

582
00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:13,720
Speaker 1: I think I think he again seventeen games, a hundred

583
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,640
Speaker 1: forty five targets or so, um would would be great.

584
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,880
Speaker 1: It would still be probably among the top tend the

585
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,880
Speaker 1: fifteen in the league. But it's not gonna be the

586
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,520
Speaker 1: target share that he had last year. It might be

587
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,880
Speaker 1: the same percentage, but it won't be the same. I

588
00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:31,960
Speaker 1: don't think it's ten games with ten, right, you know

589
00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,360
Speaker 1: what I mean? And hopefully his A dot's a little

590
00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 1: higher though, and it's a yard or two deeper down

591
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,160
Speaker 1: the field, and maybe his yardage is the same. Yeah,

592
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,280
Speaker 1: even but I think that's where you know, Ben Roethlisberger. Um,

593
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,560
Speaker 1: I think his arms look better this this year in

594
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,960
Speaker 1: camp again last It's such a tough comparison because, as

595
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,400
Speaker 1: I've said before, last year, you were just okay, he's

596
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:58,320
Speaker 1: strowing the football, you know, So there's the bar was

597
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: much lower last year for him than it is this year. Um,

598
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,600
Speaker 1: but I've still been I've liked what I've seen of

599
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,680
Speaker 1: him throwing the football down the field. They were working

600
00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,640
Speaker 1: on deep ball's lap yesterday and he was he was

601
00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,480
Speaker 1: connecting on those things with regularity, like, oh okay, there's

602
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,040
Speaker 1: that's that's work on intermediate Yeah, middle of the field,

603
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,880
Speaker 1: in cutting routes, things like that. Um, you could definitely

604
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,000
Speaker 1: judge his arm a little bit sitting there live watch them,

605
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,680
Speaker 1: There's no question, but I would be very interested. And

606
00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:26,920
Speaker 1: there's no way they're gonna ever replicate this in practice.

607
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,160
Speaker 1: Is what about when someone's hanging on him or his

608
00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 1: feet aren't said, or you know, the the uncomfortable throws

609
00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,320
Speaker 1: that he's been so good at it over his career. Yeah,

610
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 1: he made one of those the other day and I

611
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,120
Speaker 1: believe it was seven shots or maybe they were working

612
00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,720
Speaker 1: on red zone whatever it was he had. He had

613
00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,440
Speaker 1: one where I think it was a red zone drill

614
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,840
Speaker 1: where he got some pressure from his left uh, stepped

615
00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:48,360
Speaker 1: up to his right and kind of made a little

616
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,920
Speaker 1: side arm throw I think acrossed his body to to Uh.

617
00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:53,880
Speaker 1: I think it was Deante Johnson crossing in the back

618
00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,960
Speaker 1: of the end zone. Touchdown up. Yeah, right, improv. It

619
00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,200
Speaker 1: was a little improv So he still has that capability.

620
00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:01,920
Speaker 1: I'm sure I know his mind. Does you know he

621
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,160
Speaker 1: still sees the game that way? I mean arm strength

622
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,720
Speaker 1: throws to me or whenever you really can't step into

623
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:08,960
Speaker 1: it and you gotta driving into a tight window even

624
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:13,600
Speaker 1: twelve yards down field. Does Yeah? But interesting uh that

625
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,600
Speaker 1: you know those numbers are there. You can find those

626
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,520
Speaker 1: on Fantasy pros dot com. Uh. He is Matt Williamson.

627
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,479
Speaker 1: I'm Dale Lally for the most complete selection of Steelers

628
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,800
Speaker 1: merchandise from official sideline gear and authentic memorabilia to the

629
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,760
Speaker 1: a selection of jerseys and terrible talents. Visit one of

630
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,080
Speaker 1: the official Steelers Pro stores located at hines Field, Grove City,

631
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Speaker 1: Premium Mountlets or the Tanger Outlets, or visit online at

632
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,480
Speaker 1: shop dot Steelers dot com for all your Steelers merchandise

633
00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 1: needs directly from the team. We'll be back with more

634
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:48,360
Speaker 1: right after this your tunes about Driven home of the

635
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:57,440
Speaker 1: Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio, We are back. I'm

636
00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:01,520
Speaker 1: dale ally here with Matt Williamson. Matt. One guy we

637
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,000
Speaker 1: didn't talk about when we were talking about that offensive

638
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:09,880
Speaker 1: pie is fullback Derek Watt. Yeah. Um, now, I don't

639
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,800
Speaker 1: expect him to be a huge part of that. I

640
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,560
Speaker 1: don't think he's catching ten pass the game, but I

641
00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,440
Speaker 1: think he might see him catch ten passes this season.

642
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,080
Speaker 1: How many have last year? Five or six? Maybe not

643
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:23,920
Speaker 1: even that, not even that, Yeah, I don't know if

644
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,320
Speaker 1: you have one. When they signed him, I thought it

645
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:31,520
Speaker 1: was really interesting because he's not Dann Krider, hammerhead, just

646
00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,560
Speaker 1: blow people up. Much different than I remember who was

647
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 1: the fullback for Nicks, Rosie Dick. Much different type than him.

648
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,120
Speaker 1: About Nick was a converted nose tack right and he

649
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,360
Speaker 1: comes downhill and this is the guy fullback. Yes, I

650
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,160
Speaker 1: think Watt's much more of a US check guy. And

651
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,960
Speaker 1: by all reports he's not playing tight end, but he's

652
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,400
Speaker 1: detaching us back and things of that nature. So I

653
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,440
Speaker 1: think there will be some kind of role for him

654
00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,840
Speaker 1: like that this year. Um, if he's only be on

655
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 1: the field, he at least has to have the threat

656
00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:03,960
Speaker 1: of they might throw him the ball, right you know. Yeah,

657
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,880
Speaker 1: he's not gonna run. You know, he's not gonna break

658
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:07,640
Speaker 1: a million tackles and go to the house with four

659
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:10,040
Speaker 1: to speed or something. But if you're gonna leave, if

660
00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,440
Speaker 1: you're at least have to honor him. I think they

661
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,480
Speaker 1: want to use him as the additional blocker. Maybe not

662
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:19,160
Speaker 1: run as many two tight end sets, but you have

663
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,439
Speaker 1: him on the field instead of a tight end. Yeah,

664
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,279
Speaker 1: he's a better blocker than hebron. Yes, it might be

665
00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:27,600
Speaker 1: better blocker than any other tight ends. Right. Yeah, So

666
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:29,680
Speaker 1: I think there's a there's a protection and in the

667
00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,960
Speaker 1: run game, yeah there's you know, he's not been like

668
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,000
Speaker 1: backs on backers. I wasn't real impressed with him. Um,

669
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,839
Speaker 1: he's one on one stuff. But again, I think with

670
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,279
Speaker 1: Canada's offense, um, you know, we've we've seen him do

671
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,400
Speaker 1: some stuff where he lines up on the wing like

672
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,600
Speaker 1: an h back and then leads to back through the hole.

673
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:51,279
Speaker 1: I wonder what Nags experiences out of two back. I

674
00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:52,879
Speaker 1: don't know that off the top of my head. I mean,

675
00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,400
Speaker 1: does he prefer a full back? Does he not? Don't again,

676
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,080
Speaker 1: I don't think it's going to be the eye with

677
00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:58,719
Speaker 1: a you know, running ice so all that. I know

678
00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,000
Speaker 1: when when he ran he it is a long run

679
00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,279
Speaker 1: the other day and it was behind what was that?

680
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,279
Speaker 1: When they ran goal line yesterday and he scored it

681
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,080
Speaker 1: was behind what even just goal line would go along with?

682
00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,000
Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Situational? I mean, even if

683
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,879
Speaker 1: you're broadcast on what you're gonna do, it's third and one.

684
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,320
Speaker 1: You know, at least have that option. I've I've actually

685
00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,279
Speaker 1: had people recently asked me why is Derek Why is

686
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,239
Speaker 1: Derek Watt even on this team? If his last name

687
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,400
Speaker 1: was Lawler Williamson, would he be a Steeler? And people

688
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:26,840
Speaker 1: need to tap the brakes a little bit on that

689
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 1: stuff exactly. I mean, I know he's making a fair

690
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,239
Speaker 1: amount of money. Is he worth that money? That's a conversation.

691
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:35,279
Speaker 1: He's a great special teams place. That's the thing. That's

692
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,319
Speaker 1: what it gets overlooked here. You're you basically signed him

693
00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:43,000
Speaker 1: to replace Tyler Matakavic Right. Nobody asked about Tyler Right

694
00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,520
Speaker 1: or Hayward bay or No one asked those questions about

695
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,960
Speaker 1: those guys when they were the best special teamer on

696
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,359
Speaker 1: the team and they were making a lot of money

697
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,040
Speaker 1: and Matti Cave was just making a good buck right

698
00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,040
Speaker 1: now for the Bills. I mean, core special teamers are important. Yeah,

699
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,279
Speaker 1: but let's hear from Derek what he spoke to the

700
00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:00,840
Speaker 1: media yesterday. Here's what he had to say. Yere, do

701
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:02,520
Speaker 1: you know what the role is gonna be. It seems

702
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,480
Speaker 1: like some practices you're heavily involved and some nod if

703
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:07,080
Speaker 1: you'd been able to get to feel what they want

704
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,520
Speaker 1: for me. Yet, Um, you know, it's still early in camp.

705
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,640
Speaker 1: Uh you know, kind of everybody's gotta you know, have

706
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:13,719
Speaker 1: an opportunity to kind of show the coaches what they

707
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,200
Speaker 1: got and uh, you know, it's a new offense this year,

708
00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:18,239
Speaker 1: so kind of still feeling things out and and we'll

709
00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,959
Speaker 1: kind of see as as we progress. But um, yeah,

710
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,040
Speaker 1: definitely there's a focus to try to get try to

711
00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:24,560
Speaker 1: get involved a little bit more and try to show

712
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,839
Speaker 1: them that I'm versatile enough to kind of bring more

713
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,480
Speaker 1: to the table. Today was big for you and you

714
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 1: get a lot of it that's out there in different positions. Yeah, yeah,

715
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,160
Speaker 1: today was big. Um. You know I did uh some

716
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 1: workout tight end and and individual drills and um you

717
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,160
Speaker 1: know you got involved in the offense and short yarders

718
00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:43,120
Speaker 1: goal one day. Guy, I better be involved in short

719
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:44,919
Speaker 1: yarders goal one day. Otherwise what the heck am I doing?

720
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,680
Speaker 1: So I did? I got caught the one I was,

721
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:52,279
Speaker 1: you know, just the happy nobody covers me. So got

722
00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:53,719
Speaker 1: out that way and and make it. Gave me a

723
00:36:53,719 --> 00:36:55,600
Speaker 1: good hit at the end there. Day you ask you

724
00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,879
Speaker 1: to go into tight end drills or is that? Uh? Yeah?

725
00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:00,160
Speaker 1: You know the coaches you know there there, they move

726
00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:01,839
Speaker 1: guys around a lot during camp, try to get them

727
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:04,440
Speaker 1: in different situations and um, see, like I said, kind

728
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:06,600
Speaker 1: of see what guys can do. So I know today

729
00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:08,120
Speaker 1: they wanted me to go with the tight ends. I

730
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:09,920
Speaker 1: did the one at the running backs the other day,

731
00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:11,520
Speaker 1: so with the inside backers. So today I went with

732
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:16,800
Speaker 1: the outside linebackers and tight ends. Yeah, yelp, do you

733
00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:18,600
Speaker 1: get when they call a full back wheel around, You're like,

734
00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,520
Speaker 1: oh my god, finally, like it's my time to shine.

735
00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,879
Speaker 1: What what's the reaction when they tell you around? Yeah,

736
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 1: I mean it's it's not necessary. I mean it's a

737
00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:26,319
Speaker 1: wheel route. But it's not like I don't it's not

738
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:27,719
Speaker 1: like the ball is going to me. But any mean

739
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,399
Speaker 1: just it's literally I don't even know I'm the first read.

740
00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:32,759
Speaker 1: But when they don't cover you. You know, Ben City

741
00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,120
Speaker 1: looked out there and he thought he didn't see it

742
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,120
Speaker 1: properly because that I was so wide open. Nobody was there.

743
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,360
Speaker 1: So um, yeah, definitely if there's a chance I go

744
00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,000
Speaker 1: off for a route, definitely excited, always ready for the ball. Um,

745
00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:44,719
Speaker 1: you know, any chance you get to touch the ball

746
00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,359
Speaker 1: is is uh, you know, a bonus for me. So um,

747
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,040
Speaker 1: definitely excited any time you get to runner out and

748
00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:51,920
Speaker 1: have an opportunity to catch the ball. Jeric, did you

749
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,160
Speaker 1: do any research on Canada and some of his the

750
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,520
Speaker 1: players that he ran at the college level. He used

751
00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,359
Speaker 1: to fullback a lot, h back a lot, or just

752
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:00,880
Speaker 1: kind of waiting to see how things come to you.

753
00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:02,920
Speaker 1: So I actually was with coach Canada for a year

754
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:05,600
Speaker 1: at Wisconsin. Um so I'm very familiar with him and

755
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 1: coach Faulkner. I was with him as well, he's running

756
00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:09,799
Speaker 1: backs coach here. He was he was at Wisconsin as well,

757
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,920
Speaker 1: so I have familiarity with both of them. Um, but

758
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:13,640
Speaker 1: definitely I know he he when he was at pit

759
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:17,000
Speaker 1: in other places that he definitely used uh my role

760
00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:19,960
Speaker 1: a good amount. And just trying to um, like I said,

761
00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:21,440
Speaker 1: I'm a little familiar with it, and I'm I've got

762
00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:23,360
Speaker 1: a good feel for it now. So just uh, you know,

763
00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,279
Speaker 1: excited to see how it all pans out. Is like

764
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,080
Speaker 1: an every game kind of thing with him, or just

765
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:28,759
Speaker 1: see because I remember at one point, I think during

766
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,440
Speaker 1: your off season, he talked about matchups, like when he

767
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,239
Speaker 1: looks at the opponent, he's Okay, we can do this

768
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,719
Speaker 1: against no question, it's about matchups. I mean, there's definitely, um,

769
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:40,160
Speaker 1: you know, some schemes work better against certain teams than

770
00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,480
Speaker 1: others based on their defensive structure, personnel. Um. So it

771
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:45,600
Speaker 1: may be like you were, like you referenced earlier, there

772
00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:47,319
Speaker 1: could be a game, you know, you play a ton

773
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:48,839
Speaker 1: and there could be a game where it's it's not

774
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,360
Speaker 1: so much and obviously the game that the the you

775
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:52,720
Speaker 1: know the course of the game, the way it plays

776
00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:54,960
Speaker 1: out dictates that a little bit as well. So, um,

777
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,320
Speaker 1: it's kind of all situational base and and you honestly

778
00:38:57,320 --> 00:38:59,160
Speaker 1: you never know it could it could be heavy one

779
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,719
Speaker 1: game and and not so much other. So you really

780
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,400
Speaker 1: didn't never have any idea. Played a little bit of

781
00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,799
Speaker 1: tight end chargers. Is there anything that you can use

782
00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:10,080
Speaker 1: here as well? Or is that just you have to

783
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,279
Speaker 1: learn the hope. Are you comfortable with Yeah, I mean

784
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,000
Speaker 1: I'm comfortable with it. Obviously, I'm not as big as

785
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:16,640
Speaker 1: a tight end body. Um, but again, I got familiarity

786
00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,400
Speaker 1: with coach. Coach Alfredo was my running backs coach with

787
00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:21,560
Speaker 1: the Charters, and now he's coaching the tight end, so um,

788
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:23,920
Speaker 1: you know he's I've got that good chemistry with him

789
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,080
Speaker 1: to to kind of, you know, take that in the

790
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,759
Speaker 1: coaching and we've got a good relationship to you know,

791
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,040
Speaker 1: help me improve and learn for those things that if

792
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:32,719
Speaker 1: it does come down to that and playing a little

793
00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:35,040
Speaker 1: bit more of that role to kind of develop those skills.

794
00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:39,280
Speaker 1: Are you still bringing every day? Yep? We bring upmeal

795
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:43,440
Speaker 1: every day, all of us too. So that was Derek

796
00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:47,359
Speaker 1: what the Steelers fullback, and I don't think it can

797
00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:51,200
Speaker 1: be stressed enough. He mentioned, you know he has a

798
00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:55,759
Speaker 1: relationship previously with Matt Canada, with Alfredo Roberts, the tight

799
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,359
Speaker 1: ends coach, with Eddie Faulkner, the running backs coach. Like

800
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,760
Speaker 1: he's wor with these guys. He's worked with these guys.

801
00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:04,040
Speaker 1: If you look at like, oh, he's got a relationship

802
00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:08,120
Speaker 1: with the outside linebacker, well, yeah, there's more reasons than that.

803
00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:12,359
Speaker 1: They know him, uh, and what he's capable of. We've

804
00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,640
Speaker 1: talked about it in the past with with Vince McDonald

805
00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:18,880
Speaker 1: when he came over, the coaching staff really didn't know him, right.

806
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,879
Speaker 1: So what happened last year with Derek Watt the same

807
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:24,840
Speaker 1: same similar thing. And I know Canada was here and

808
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:28,160
Speaker 1: Faulkner were here, but the rest of the coaching staff

809
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:32,239
Speaker 1: really didn't know him in terms of his They work

810
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:36,280
Speaker 1: with game preparation that kind of stuff. And what last

811
00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,839
Speaker 1: year missed most of training camp, he was still coming

812
00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:43,359
Speaker 1: back off of a surgery offseason surgery. Then he got

813
00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:47,600
Speaker 1: nicked up a little bit during the season. Um, you know,

814
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:51,080
Speaker 1: I had a concussion had you know some things happened there. Yeah,

815
00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:54,399
Speaker 1: a couple of things that they had a plan for him,

816
00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,239
Speaker 1: maybe not so much as the fullback, but as a

817
00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:00,239
Speaker 1: core special teams guy. Well, the second thing I him

818
00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,040
Speaker 1: they had a plan for him, right, and he gave him.

819
00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:04,400
Speaker 1: It wasn't like they gave him throw away money, you know.

820
00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:06,560
Speaker 1: I mean they tell you what they think with where

821
00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:08,640
Speaker 1: they put their money. And it wasn't like just to

822
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,759
Speaker 1: make t J happy. And know that that's ridiculous. Think

823
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:16,880
Speaker 1: a year on t J by giving this guy and

824
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,600
Speaker 1: they had a plan for him on offense. I think

825
00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:20,400
Speaker 1: we're starting to see it. Yeah, I just think that

826
00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,279
Speaker 1: because of the injuries. You know, Randy Fiker said a

827
00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:28,560
Speaker 1: couple of different times last year, you know, we'd like

828
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:31,680
Speaker 1: to use him here, but you know he missed the

829
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:34,040
Speaker 1: entire preseason, Like we didn't get a chance to incorporate

830
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,719
Speaker 1: the fullback into the into the plan all that much. Again, again,

831
00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:38,640
Speaker 1: he's not the same as Rosy Knicks, and he just

832
00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:40,560
Speaker 1: said it. There there are games where you may have

833
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,120
Speaker 1: a heavy fullback usage, games where you may not play

834
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,239
Speaker 1: fullback at all. It just depends on you know, what

835
00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,240
Speaker 1: what kind of defense do they like to play? Yeah,

836
00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:50,319
Speaker 1: what kind of what kind of defensive line do they have?

837
00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:53,600
Speaker 1: What were their linebackers like interesting because I hadn't thought

838
00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,160
Speaker 1: of it from that angle. Week one they played the Bills.

839
00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,680
Speaker 1: The Bills led the league by a wide margin. In nickel.

840
00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:04,680
Speaker 1: They almost any situation, which is really a nice way

841
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:06,919
Speaker 1: to operate. I mean when you Milano is a really

842
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,279
Speaker 1: good coverage linebacker. We know who Edmonds is. He's a

843
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:11,680
Speaker 1: super talented, top ten type of pick. But if the

844
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,160
Speaker 1: if the Steelers put the fullback on the field, I

845
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,040
Speaker 1: think they'll stay in nickel. So I think you'll see

846
00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:20,680
Speaker 1: the fullback fullback. You want to put another big body

847
00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:23,719
Speaker 1: out there against their light guys. Yeah, I mean in

848
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:26,440
Speaker 1: a way it's enviable because remember the year before they

849
00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:29,680
Speaker 1: drafted Bush, the Steelers were really heavy in base personnel,

850
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,759
Speaker 1: really lighting nickel, real heavy and dime. And when you

851
00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:36,480
Speaker 1: were dying, they ran on him, and when they were

852
00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:38,480
Speaker 1: in base they threw on them. They didn't have a Bush.

853
00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:40,400
Speaker 1: You know, they were looking for that second level do

854
00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:43,600
Speaker 1: it all guy. Well, some of these teams going back

855
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:46,520
Speaker 1: to Lake, Navarro, Bowman and Willis when they were there,

856
00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:48,200
Speaker 1: they were the first hand and I remember that just

857
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:51,000
Speaker 1: never left the field. And Seattle in their heyday with

858
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:54,480
Speaker 1: Right and Wagner if you can stay in nickel a lot,

859
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:56,719
Speaker 1: you don't tip your hand that way. I mean, you

860
00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,399
Speaker 1: may not always be ideal, but then you're gonna get

861
00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:03,480
Speaker 1: full backs and extra tight ends in a sixth offensive lineman.

862
00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,960
Speaker 1: And you know so, I mean, there's no right answer,

863
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: but expect that. I bet what plays a lot of

864
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,360
Speaker 1: week ones all. I'm saying, Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me.

865
00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:12,239
Speaker 1: As you heard him say there, he was working with

866
00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:15,400
Speaker 1: the tight ends as a blocker. As I mentioned that,

867
00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:17,359
Speaker 1: they're working him as a kind of an h back

868
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:22,400
Speaker 1: type player that gives you that flexibility. And Clint Diddier

869
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,680
Speaker 1: comes to mind. And Chris Cooley, like Washington, starting with Gibbs,

870
00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,040
Speaker 1: use that h back a lot where he was never

871
00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:31,800
Speaker 1: they didn't line him up on the line of scrimmage,

872
00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:34,560
Speaker 1: but he was back just which is what they're doing

873
00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:37,240
Speaker 1: with the what. Yeah, they'll put him in motion. Wolf

874
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,640
Speaker 1: always talks about the trap game, you know, like you

875
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:42,160
Speaker 1: can use them that way too. On a run. You know,

876
00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:44,680
Speaker 1: you let a linebacker come free through the B gap

877
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,920
Speaker 1: or C gap and he crushes them coming from across

878
00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:50,200
Speaker 1: the line of scrimmage or flares out on an easy catch.

879
00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:52,480
Speaker 1: If people are gonna play off of them because they're

880
00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:56,319
Speaker 1: worried about others. There's value there. I mean again, if

881
00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,520
Speaker 1: he's on the field, a more talented player, isn't I

882
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:04,320
Speaker 1: mean that was without saying. But if he's he's useful,

883
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,080
Speaker 1: he's very he's a chess piece. And what I liked

884
00:44:07,120 --> 00:44:10,000
Speaker 1: boast was, well, if I'm not out there in short yardage,

885
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,279
Speaker 1: then there's something wrong, you know, like what am I

886
00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:14,319
Speaker 1: doing here? I think that's how he said it, Like yeah,

887
00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: and again it would be nice to rosy next for

888
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,239
Speaker 1: short yardage. I mean, guys like that are but they're

889
00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:23,960
Speaker 1: one dimensional. You don't even haves to cover them hardly. Well,

890
00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,920
Speaker 1: that's what happened yesterday. Again. He started off on the

891
00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,359
Speaker 1: left wing, on the left side of the formation, just

892
00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:34,040
Speaker 1: offset up from the from the tight or from the

893
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:36,680
Speaker 1: left tackle. He's not in line, he's not in line.

894
00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:39,200
Speaker 1: He was just behind him and at the snap of

895
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:41,840
Speaker 1: the football. Again, we've seen him going in motion and

896
00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:44,439
Speaker 1: those things. We've seen him crack as you mentioned, coming

897
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,960
Speaker 1: across the formation and and you know, smacking one of

898
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,719
Speaker 1: the linebackers. In this instance, he just ran a straight

899
00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:53,360
Speaker 1: wheel route down the sideline and nobody went with him,

900
00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:56,360
Speaker 1: he was thirty r game. That's going to happen in games.

901
00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:58,279
Speaker 1: You don't have to be a supreme athlete. You do

902
00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:00,800
Speaker 1: a lot after the catch, and right, Ben's going to

903
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,440
Speaker 1: see that every time, you know, so or even a

904
00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,440
Speaker 1: you get a matched against somebody like his brother. You know,

905
00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:09,680
Speaker 1: like if you're playing a three four type of team

906
00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:12,799
Speaker 1: and the pre Watt type of guy. Again, if he's

907
00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:15,279
Speaker 1: taking that guy out of the equation, that's a win,

908
00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:17,880
Speaker 1: right right, and he might beat them with a route

909
00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:20,719
Speaker 1: across the league, so that again, I think he can

910
00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:22,239
Speaker 1: be a chess piece. Is he going to be out

911
00:45:22,239 --> 00:45:25,360
Speaker 1: there as much as you check? No? No, you know

912
00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,960
Speaker 1: if it's if it's fifteen snaps a game, okay, right

913
00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:32,000
Speaker 1: right right? I mean even the the Ravens, I forget

914
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,040
Speaker 1: the guy's name, but they employ that that fullback that's

915
00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:37,920
Speaker 1: like two pounds. I mean, he's just he's a guard

916
00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:42,040
Speaker 1: and he's at all But because they can do that,

917
00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:45,640
Speaker 1: it gives you a different personnel package. And with him

918
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,560
Speaker 1: as a guard in the backfield, Andrews is really a receiver.

919
00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:50,640
Speaker 1: Right if you're if you're like, well, I gotta get

920
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:54,360
Speaker 1: heavy defense against a tight end and a fullback well,

921
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:56,640
Speaker 1: Andrew's gonna beat you, you know, like there's a lot

922
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,239
Speaker 1: of I wish I was better at it, but I

923
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:03,080
Speaker 1: do like having fun with putting different five sums as

924
00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:08,960
Speaker 1: you know, offensive packages together. What Ebron a six offensive

925
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,160
Speaker 1: lineman and Harris and Claypool, you know, I mean, just

926
00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:14,839
Speaker 1: you can mix and match them like crazy. And they

927
00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:18,080
Speaker 1: haven't used the six offensive lineman much. I have been

928
00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:22,600
Speaker 1: totally speculating this year they haven't used it nearly as much.

929
00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:24,760
Speaker 1: And maybe it's because they don't have their their guys

930
00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:27,480
Speaker 1: out there right now. We haven't seen that in training

931
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,520
Speaker 1: camp at all. That would be more or hag. Yeah,

932
00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:32,879
Speaker 1: I mean, and they're playing, you know, they're playing right now,

933
00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:35,560
Speaker 1: and they're playing right now. That's interesting. It's something to

934
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:37,920
Speaker 1: keep an eye on. One thing Canada does, which is

935
00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:40,279
Speaker 1: not the same as six offensive lineman is he will

936
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,399
Speaker 1: go unbalanced a lot, it's historically and which can cause people,

937
00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:47,000
Speaker 1: you know, problems. We've seen some of those overloads with

938
00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:48,960
Speaker 1: the tight ends and things of that manature. There's nothing

939
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:50,680
Speaker 1: that says you can't make one of those tight ends

940
00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:55,400
Speaker 1: an offensive lineman instead, right, but yeah, exactly exactly, Maybe

941
00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,560
Speaker 1: that's more HAG. They just have a history of doing it,

942
00:46:57,600 --> 00:46:59,719
Speaker 1: but that was before Canada. Yeah, we'll see it's all

943
00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:02,320
Speaker 1: new this year, but you know we could see Derek

944
00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:05,359
Speaker 1: Watt is more more usage this year from him. That's

945
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:07,000
Speaker 1: gonna do it for the first hour. He is Matt

946
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,000
Speaker 1: Williams and I'm Dale Lalie will be back with our

947
00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:54,080
Speaker 1: two right after this. M