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Speaker 1: Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your Home

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

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Speaker 1: to the Drive. I'm Dale Alli here with Matten Weeks.

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Speaker 1: It's Wednesday here in Pittsburgh, Week eighteen. Where did this

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Speaker 1: all go? I know it's pretty crazy halfway through the

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Speaker 1: week end of the season, crazy week around the league,

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Speaker 1: But Steelers are pretty cut and dry. What you're gonna

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Speaker 1: get from them? You know? You know? I did some

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Speaker 1: math last night. I did some math, but looking into

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Speaker 1: the some figuring, and a lot of people said, well,

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Speaker 1: you know, if the Steelers wouldn't have had that tie

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Speaker 1: against the Lions, they'd be in much better shape right now.

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Speaker 1: Actually they wouldn't. That's not the one that because they

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Speaker 1: would still need you'd still yeah, you still need the

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Speaker 1: Colts to lose, because the Colts have a better conference

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Speaker 1: record than you. Got you, and you would still need

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Speaker 1: the Chargers to lose, got you because yeah, Or if

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Speaker 1: you'd have beat in the Raiders either way, either those

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Speaker 1: two games, because either one of those two, but you

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Speaker 1: had a lead against the Chargers and they gave up

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Speaker 1: the lead, that would have been a bigger loss. If

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Speaker 1: they're if they're sitting at nine and seven right now

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Speaker 1: as opposed to eight, seven and one, they're still in

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Speaker 1: the same scenario. They would still need the Chargers to

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Speaker 1: lose and the colt still lose, right they would need

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Speaker 1: both teams. It's just weird, Okay, yeah, it is. It's strange, um,

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Speaker 1: but that's the that's the reality of it. That tide

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Speaker 1: actually means nothing right now. They would still technically be

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Speaker 1: alive in the division race. No, I guess the Bengals

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Speaker 1: wouldn't have locked it up by now, but the Bengals

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Speaker 1: still would have the tiebreaker. Okay, okay, interesting, So it's

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Speaker 1: it's all relative, right, yeah, right right. I mean I

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Speaker 1: do think fans do that too often, and media as well,

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Speaker 1: all of us. You know, we're not gonna do the

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Speaker 1: figure in that you did of well, what was the

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Speaker 1: game that got away? You know what's the difference because

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Speaker 1: you know, as you were saying that, I'm sitting here thinking, well,

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Speaker 1: they made the playoffs last year. Two years before that,

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Speaker 1: they were the seven seed when six teams went in,

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Speaker 1: right seven, and you could easily go, well, one away

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Speaker 1: or half game away, you know what this game, that game.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot of teams in the league this year

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Speaker 1: that can talk about this game, that game or without question,

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Speaker 1: how do you lose the Jags or how do you know?

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Speaker 1: I mean hopefully it's a cult. So after Week eighteen,

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Speaker 1: we shall see again. I'm not betting on that, but

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Speaker 1: there is a history there. There's a history there, and

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Speaker 1: you know, wentz in play well last week and he

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Speaker 1: also was didn't practice last week, which you still got

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Speaker 1: guys going on the COVID list as well. All week long,

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Speaker 1: the Steelers getting everybody who had been on their active

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Speaker 1: roster back today off the COVID list, and then Joe

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Speaker 1: and then Joe Hayden goes on. Yeah, and it's late

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Speaker 1: in the week. He's a Keith Butler went on as

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Speaker 1: well too, you know, So now Hayden has it because

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Speaker 1: of the way the rules have changed. If he's vaccinated

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Speaker 1: as a shot, he's If he's vaccinated and having no symptoms,

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Speaker 1: that's the key is being symptom free. You can get

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Speaker 1: back in a few days. I looked it up last

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Speaker 1: week when they put like Oberton and Warmly on at

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Speaker 1: that point. Uh, and that was what last Thursday, I believe. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's pretty late. Yeah. Um, there had been eight players

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Speaker 1: since the new rules have been put in place who

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Speaker 1: had gotten through COVID protocols and three days or less.

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Speaker 1: And that's probably the quickest you can pause. It's about

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Speaker 1: as quick as you can do. Everything lines up perfectly.

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Speaker 1: There were a couple that got through in two days,

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Speaker 1: but three days is typically what takes. So if you

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Speaker 1: go to three days, then shot, he's got the sniffles

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Speaker 1: or whatever problem is. That the game is in Baltimore.

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Speaker 1: I think you're better off if you're at home in

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Speaker 1: those situations because the team can wait and make some

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Speaker 1: of those designations. I mean, I guess you could drive

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Speaker 1: himself for something. True, it's not you could fly if

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Speaker 1: but interesting though. Yeah, but they're getting a lot back.

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Speaker 1: It's not not the worst team to be missing a

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Speaker 1: cornerback against. And with Witherspoon stepping up too. Yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 1: I mean, Bateman and Brown are a good young pair, um,

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Speaker 1: but they're not a great passing team. And I'm not

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Speaker 1: sure you what quarterback you're the only differences. I mean,

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Speaker 1: Hayden helps out in the run game. I think he's

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Speaker 1: more physical than than Witherspoon as a tackler. I think

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Speaker 1: that's safe to say. And I don't know if this

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Speaker 1: is an issue with Witherspoon, but Hayden obviously is mentally

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Speaker 1: advanced in terms of not going to blow a coverage.

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Speaker 1: Every two year old cornerback. He's seen a lot. And

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Speaker 1: I'm not on the field with the guys, but just

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Speaker 1: you know, reading the tea leaves and what the coaches say,

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Speaker 1: it sounds like he's a very good communicator, even from

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Speaker 1: you know, the edge of the field, you know, getting everyone.

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Speaker 1: You're not going to fold, you know, I mean big picture,

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Speaker 1: Weatherspoon might take his job this year, a year from now. Anyway.

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Speaker 1: That's the thing. This, this could this could have been

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Speaker 1: Joe Hayden's last game as a stassibility. That kind of

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Speaker 1: stinks that that, you know, he didn't get to play

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Speaker 1: it to have a conversation of hey, would love to

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Speaker 1: have you back, but at this number, you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: maybe you know, and Joe's a proud guy player and

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Speaker 1: he's had a great career. Yeah, and that you know,

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Speaker 1: when he's played this year, I think he's played fine.

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Speaker 1: I would have wouldn't hesitate to bring him back. It's like, oh,

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Speaker 1: he's getting old. He's's just not going to sign into

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Speaker 1: a long term and that's the problem. You know, somebody

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Speaker 1: else gonna say, hey, well we'll bring you in as

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Speaker 1: a are we have we have a young cornerback room,

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Speaker 1: and we need you to be there. We need you

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Speaker 1: to be the veteran mentor or we're just we feel

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Speaker 1: like we're a corner away from being a super Bowl team.

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Speaker 1: And there's a lot of teams Jets come to mind,

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Speaker 1: it just have dreadful corners and probably have money. You know,

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Speaker 1: you know, you know the thing about Hayden is he's made.

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Speaker 1: He's made a lot of bucks. Um. Sure seems like

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Speaker 1: it here he does he does. Um, so he can

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Speaker 1: kind of pick and choose what situation he wants to

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Speaker 1: go in. Is it for the money or is it

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Speaker 1: for the situation or you know, all of a sudden

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Speaker 1: Kansas City come knocking on his norm says, that's pretty

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Speaker 1: good situation. I want to go try to win a

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Speaker 1: win a super Bowl. Absolutely would wouldn't blame him a bit,

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Speaker 1: you know, if he did something like that. So, but

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Speaker 1: that being said, I mean, I think he's a very

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Speaker 1: good player. Um, I wouldn't change my prediction based on

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Speaker 1: him being in this game or not, you know, I mean,

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Speaker 1: but you'd rather have him of course. Depth. It's not

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Speaker 1: like they run a lot of three receiver sets either.

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Speaker 1: So Sutting a Weatherspoon can handle you handle business, in

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Speaker 1: my opinion, and you can let back this week. So

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Speaker 1: your Nicchols good point. Yeah. I think he's a solid corner,

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Speaker 1: by the way, a solid slot. I mean, I think

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Speaker 1: he's a keeper. I think he's all right. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 1: solid is the word. Yeah, I mean I don't know

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Speaker 1: that he's not you know the best of the guys

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Speaker 1: out there, but he's certainly not you know, he's an

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Speaker 1: obvious weakness. No right, I don't think somebody people pick on.

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Speaker 1: And I think he's improved throughout the year too. In fact,

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Speaker 1: I didn't mean to go down and didn't want to

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Speaker 1: go down this road here, but I know a lot

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Speaker 1: of people are talking about this one. We're heading in

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Speaker 1: the week eighteen. The Steelers need a lot of help

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Speaker 1: to get into the playoffs. I don't think the defense

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Speaker 1: is a hard fix. I don't either, and I got

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Speaker 1: a lot of push back from others, like, have you

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Speaker 1: watched this team if you were watch football in your life,

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Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Well, let's start up front, though,

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Speaker 1: I mean you and I were talking off the air.

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Speaker 1: They almost always keep six true defensive linemen. They could

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Speaker 1: keep seven, it's possible. But if you sit side six

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Speaker 1: guys that are pretty much showanced to make this team

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Speaker 1: cam if you've operated under the assumption that to It

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Speaker 1: and Lulu are going to be back, which they're both

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Speaker 1: under contract, both under contract. Um louder Milks a keeper,

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Speaker 1: warmly proved his worth over and over this year, and Adams,

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Speaker 1: I think is a fine too. I mean for what

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Speaker 1: you're paying him, maybe wait one more year on a

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Speaker 1: second round, Pickers. I mean if if, if the opportunity

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Speaker 1: presents itself, you take it. But that guy's going to

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Speaker 1: be inactive, or unless he's a true stud um, you know,

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Speaker 1: maybe Warmly is inactive. You know, whatever it is, you help,

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Speaker 1: you're you're helping. DEPTH mean, I wouldn't ignore it, but

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Speaker 1: maybe it's not as much a priority as I thought.

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Speaker 1: You see the next louder Milk out there in the

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Speaker 1: fifth round and you grab him. You know, it's it's it's,

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Speaker 1: it's all. It doesn't become necessarily because of what you've

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Speaker 1: got coming back now. Obviously you know a Lulu is

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Speaker 1: getting up in age, but I would like a shot

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Speaker 1: of youth added to the the nosesh area. But if

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Speaker 1: you think Adams is that guy, then okay, and people

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Speaker 1: have there's there's a misconception about Adams. Um. In fact,

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Speaker 1: I was telling you off the air, I got a

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Speaker 1: question in my my live queues yesterday. Um, you know

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Speaker 1: what does it or is it? Is it a is

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Speaker 1: it a downer? That I can forget how it was wondering,

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Speaker 1: But you know, what does it mean that the that

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Speaker 1: these other guys have been passed by a guy they

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Speaker 1: signed off of somebody's practice squad in a fifth round rookie.

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Speaker 1: I'm like the guy they signed off the practice squad

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Speaker 1: was a third round draft pick, right. I think he

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Speaker 1: was like a four or five star recruit. I was

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Speaker 1: a top recruit at Auburn. Was was considered going into

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Speaker 1: his senior year a potential first rounder front pick. He

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Speaker 1: was on all the lists, you know, into that final year, right,

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Speaker 1: and he was a big time player, right. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: mean he has some bumps along the way, as a

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Speaker 1: lot of these guys do, but he has more pedigree

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Speaker 1: than Davis Bugs Mandu and drafted or they were late. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's it was. You know my other points, you're together

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Speaker 1: guy was a fifth round pick. The other guys you're

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Speaker 1: talking about or six and seventh round picks and an

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Speaker 1: undrafted rookie free agent. So the answer to your your

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Speaker 1: guy's question is, well, because those guys are playing like

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Speaker 1: six and seventh round picks, they're not playing like they

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Speaker 1: had their chance and going past them wasn't all that

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Speaker 1: great of a challenge, and that's why you go get them.

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Speaker 1: Had your chance again, I didn't play having this conversation.

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Speaker 1: Either would you be set at linebacker out off the ball?

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Speaker 1: I think you can get I mean, I'd love to

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Speaker 1: see those two better. Yeah, that that would go a

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Speaker 1: long way to evaluate evaluate them. Um, I'm glad you

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Speaker 1: don't have to make the decision right this minute about

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Speaker 1: Bushes fifth year option. You're gonna have to make it

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Speaker 1: in the off season, right, you know. So it's it's

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Speaker 1: like twelve million bucks, it's a note. I don't I

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Speaker 1: don't think you pick it up. I think, but that

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Speaker 1: doesn't mean that he's necessarily gone. I think it's a

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Speaker 1: it's an Edgemond situation where hey, we can't pay a

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Speaker 1: twelve million dollars a year, not for what you put

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Speaker 1: on tape a minute. But and they have a lot

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Speaker 1: more knowledge by his knee and stuff too that we don't,

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Speaker 1: of course. But and I think maybe you, you know,

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Speaker 1: you keep adding bodies to that um because those guys

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Speaker 1: are available, you know, Ulysses Gilbert was a six round

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Speaker 1: draft pick. Buddy Johnson was a four. I mean, he

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Speaker 1: played twenty five snaps or so. But I thought Gilbert

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Speaker 1: held up pretty well this past week. But he's had

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Speaker 1: trouble getting on the field and I'm not gonna say

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Speaker 1: he's the answer, buddy. We haven't not seen anything from Um.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I guess you're you're probably foolish if you

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Speaker 1: just run it back with those as your four in

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Speaker 1: Marcus Allen or whoever. But I wonder if that, you know,

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Speaker 1: how high a priority I guess is really my question.

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Speaker 1: I'm just I'm not opposed to adding. You know, we

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Speaker 1: did a lot of draft research on that position. Um,

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Speaker 1: the hardest fish to find a vetteran either No, it's not.

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Speaker 1: But you can find these young guys in the middle rounds.

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Speaker 1: There's there's you know, probably fifty guys in this year's draft.

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Speaker 1: Who are you know, sixty pounds that can run. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: the Buddy Johnson's of the world, and you know, the

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Speaker 1: Gilbert's of the world. But the row Kuans and you know,

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Speaker 1: the top guys you gotta pay for. I don't think

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Speaker 1: I'm ready to invest that. I don't mest you with

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Speaker 1: other you got other needs. Um, you know in the

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Speaker 1: cornerback position. You know, if you sign re sign Witherspoon.

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Speaker 1: You know, Pierre's got some you know when I want

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Speaker 1: him in camp, he made some plays. He's you know,

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Speaker 1: a good special teams player. Justin Lane is a good

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Speaker 1: special teams player. I don't have a problem bringing either

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Speaker 1: one of those two guys back and adding maybe another again,

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Speaker 1: another slot to the equation. I mean, corner is one

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Speaker 1: of those positions. I almost feel like you should draft

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Speaker 1: one every year. You know, it doesn't have to be

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Speaker 1: a slot or an outside you know, best available, fourth

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Speaker 1: fifth round pick type guy Adam to the mix, you

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Speaker 1: know what I mean? And then and then you you know,

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Speaker 1: you see what you happens with Edmunds, the strong safety. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would bet he's back, but who's to say. I mean,

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Speaker 1: he might want to test the water. Maybe somebody may

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Speaker 1: offer him more money. I mean that's somebody probably will. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean unless they unless he's like the they never

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Speaker 1: get to test the waters. You know, if they nail

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Speaker 1: him right away, I mean on the open market, you're

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Speaker 1: probably looking at said yeah, I was gonna say six

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Speaker 1: ish for solid starting safety. Arrows probably still going up.

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Speaker 1: Young played a lot of snaps. I mean, I know

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Speaker 1: who he is from another team and evaluate. So if

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Speaker 1: if that happens and the Steelers looking and go, you

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Speaker 1: know what, we can spend that money. We like the player. Um,

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Speaker 1: but we can spend that money elsewhere, yeah, you know,

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Speaker 1: and get a guy, you know, four million dollars a

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Speaker 1: year to play safety, you know, three or four million

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Speaker 1: dollar a year veteran and a third round pick, you know,

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Speaker 1: something like that too. It's a small deal because it

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Speaker 1: really doesn't matter in the big picture. But I don't

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Speaker 1: love when the two starters at a position like that

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Speaker 1: at the exact same age, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 1: That's always to stagger him, just to pay them easier.

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Speaker 1: And you know, one develops and passes it on, the

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Speaker 1: next guy, who passes on the next guy, and that

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Speaker 1: kind have been thing. But and then those two are

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Speaker 1: the same age. Yeah, that's why you know when when

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Speaker 1: people talk about the Bengals, well, the Bengals are in

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Speaker 1: this for the long term. Maybe maybe not, maybe because

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Speaker 1: you know, are they're gonna be able to Keephiggins in

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Speaker 1: another two years? No, from that angle, I mean, second

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Speaker 1: round draft pick. The quarterback was the first round draft pick.

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Speaker 1: You're gonna have to pay the quarterback, and then you

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Speaker 1: get Chase Waiting Aaron Wings and anything you pay Higgins,

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Speaker 1: Chase is gonna go, of course, and he'll deserve it.

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Speaker 1: And all of a sudden. Now you're paying your wide

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Speaker 1: receiver room a jillion dollars, you know, right, right, But

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Speaker 1: at least they're built through the draft. You know, the

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Speaker 1: power there, you know, obviously, and they can pick up

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Speaker 1: Chase's fifth year and of course Burrows fifth years. That's

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Speaker 1: the waves down the road. But it's not here, it's

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Speaker 1: not that far. It happens quick. I mean, you know, Higgins,

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Speaker 1: amazing we're talking about they're heading in the They're heading

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Speaker 1: in the year three, next year. Um, you know, so

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Speaker 1: it's it does move along as It's why the bronze

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Speaker 1: windows closing, right, they had their shot, you know, they

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Speaker 1: got their their quarterback. So still in his rookie deal.

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Speaker 1: Now he's not going to be. It's not going to

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Speaker 1: be and they yeah, I guess yes, I mean, first

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Speaker 1: blush conversation about the defense. Edmonds would be the one

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Speaker 1: I'm trying to keep, but I don't If you lose everybody,

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Speaker 1: it's not the end of the world. Whether Witherspoon's the

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Speaker 1: one I would like to Witherspoon's a must keep. I

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Speaker 1: think he is too, But when he um, I don't

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Speaker 1: know what he'd make. I mean, he's a tough one

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Speaker 1: to judge at this time. And the thing is, if

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Speaker 1: he does, let's say he goes somewhere else and signs

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Speaker 1: somewhere else, he's probably looking at an a four year,

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Speaker 1: four million dollars something, you know, somewhere. Expensive corners cost money.

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Speaker 1: If that happens. He gave up a fifth round pick

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Speaker 1: in three for him, you're gonna get the car later,

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Speaker 1: maybe a sixth round camp pick back for him. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: he is value if he leaves. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that

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Speaker 1: makes sense. I mean, you won that deal no matter what. Right,

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Speaker 1: you know, if he didn't play interceptions for you, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you'll be in bad shape without him. But no, I'd

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Speaker 1: like to bring him back for sure. Yeah, and without

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Speaker 1: question is I think he likes it here too. I mean,

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Speaker 1: like twenty six year old cornerback and it's a good situation. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: he's getting playing time now and shining and so yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean I'm by no means, I don't think then

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Speaker 1: one of us are saying, oh, ignor the defense, it's

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Speaker 1: totally fine, But I don't know that it's in dire

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Speaker 1: straits by anything. I think getting those those defensive lineman

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Speaker 1: back goes a long way. I mean, wouldn't break my

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Speaker 1: heart to have a fifth round edge guy too, just

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Speaker 1: a third guy or somebody along the what Rochet could

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Speaker 1: have been or you know, I mean, you know, you

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Speaker 1: gets because they're is making some plays. He'll be in

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Speaker 1: camp next year. Yeah, he'll be in camp East Taco.

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Speaker 1: Charlton probably has done enough to come back, you know again,

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Speaker 1: so he's you're not devoid of talent with those positions.

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Speaker 1: But I can't see a first round pick being on defense.

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Speaker 1: I don't see. I don't either. I mean, I haven't

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Speaker 1: given this all that much thought, but I mean it

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Speaker 1: would be hard from the fact I've seen some of

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Speaker 1: that from the steel from this, you know, from the

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Speaker 1: mock drafts that are out there. Dollar Steelers take an

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Speaker 1: edge rusher, Steelers take a corner. I'm like, I don't

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Speaker 1: think that happens. I don't think that happens either. You know,

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Speaker 1: if anything at all, it would be some stud first

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Speaker 1: round or defensive lineman falls into their laps and we

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Speaker 1: can't pass on this guy, right if they fall in

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Speaker 1: love with Jordan Davis from Georgia or something like that.

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Speaker 1: But he's not pass really, he doesn't. I don't know.

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Speaker 1: He's he's a pocket pusher and pass us exactly. I mean,

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Speaker 1: corner is such a valuable position. If there's a six

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Speaker 1: pound four or four corners sitting there and you're picking

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Speaker 1: fifteen or sixteen, it's hard to turn your nose up

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Speaker 1: at those guys. And I would get it, you know,

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Speaker 1: no matter what happens with Hayton. But oh no, I

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Speaker 1: bet the first pound picks an offensive player. I would

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Speaker 1: think so too, not necessarily even an offensive lineman though,

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Speaker 1: or a quarterback. I don't think. I don't think it's

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Speaker 1: it's going to be a quarterback unless they fall in

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Speaker 1: love with somebody, don't see to do a lot more work.

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Speaker 1: But I just can't see that. I could see a

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Speaker 1: wide receiver. I would. It's actually what I was about

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Speaker 1: to say too. It's like the way these guys are hitting.

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Speaker 1: You know, Rookie, you know, you get the next Jalen

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Speaker 1: Waddle or you get the next you mar Chase likestin Jefferson. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, like some of these guys that

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Speaker 1: weren't top five picks, even like Chase was early but Jefferson,

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Speaker 1: and I mean there's many names and even in the

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Speaker 1: second and third rounds. That's boy, that'd be nice no

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Speaker 1: matter who your quarterback is. Oh yeah, especially I mean

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Speaker 1: if Juju walks, then I think that's a very good possibility. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you got three guys that are free agents, right, that's

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Speaker 1: that has you have to pay attention to that, and

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Speaker 1: that's the cheapest way to do it. You know, at

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Speaker 1: some point you're gonna have to pay you know, Deante

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Speaker 1: Johnson's contract is going to be up right right, you know,

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Speaker 1: going into next year. And that back to that thing

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Speaker 1: about guys being the same age too, Like then Claypole's

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Speaker 1: a year after. I mean, so all of a sudden,

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Speaker 1: it's hitting you pretty pretty fast. And they're pretty good

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Speaker 1: success drafting receivers, not bad, not bad at all. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: So that that's kind of the my my sleeper. They're

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Speaker 1: not going to take a tight end obviously, know we're

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Speaker 1: running back. We're running back. I mean, but it looks

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Speaker 1: like a really good tackle draft in the area they

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Speaker 1: should be picking. But I bet those guys get inflated

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Speaker 1: a little, you know, but it looks like there's maybe

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Speaker 1: tackles or something like that. And if if you could

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Speaker 1: get that guy and he just goes to the left

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Speaker 1: and more and chokes and ban or whoever fight it

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Speaker 1: out for the other spot, like so bad you don't

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Speaker 1: think more's the long term answer. That's not what I meant,

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Speaker 1: you know, But if there was a true plug and play,

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Speaker 1: potential Pro Bowl starter first round and you have one

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Speaker 1: of those tackle spots figured out, more might be the

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Speaker 1: other answer and just you have to bump into the

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Speaker 1: right or whatnot. Yeah, I mean I think he's promising.

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Speaker 1: He's part of the He's part of the equation, right,

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Speaker 1: you know, he's definitely part of the equation. Again, I

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Speaker 1: I just look at this him like this. You know,

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Speaker 1: you put a Jamaar Chase on this roster right now,

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Speaker 1: all of a sudden, instead of being the number one,

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Speaker 1: Deante Johnson is the number two. Yeah. Wow, Yeah, you

404
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Speaker 1: got something right right right? It opens things up for

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Speaker 1: Harris and you know that that whose guys are scared threat.

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Speaker 1: That's why I'm not completely I think Mason Rudolph' pretty

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Speaker 1: good down the field. Passer life and adventure and it's waiting. Hi.

408
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419
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Speaker 1: don't disagree with that part. I don't think he's a starter,

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Speaker 1: but I think he can throw the one on the field. Um. Now,

421
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,000
Speaker 1: whether it's you know, he if he goes in and

422
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,240
Speaker 1: wins a training camp battle and you know, is he

423
00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,720
Speaker 1: he's gonna be here. Yeah, he's He's the guy who's

424
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,040
Speaker 1: under contract right for people don't realize. I mean, he's

425
00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,359
Speaker 1: gonna be in camp and he's going to get a

426
00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,080
Speaker 1: crack at it. Whether I mean, if if they'll they'll

427
00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,160
Speaker 1: be competition where that beat Wayne Haskins, um and another guy.

428
00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,240
Speaker 1: But they're not gonna just sit pat and go Okay,

429
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,480
Speaker 1: We're just gonna go with Haskins Rudolph in a fourth

430
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,480
Speaker 1: round draft picks. There's been more than that from for sure.

431
00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,120
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know if they sign a Winston

432
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,560
Speaker 1: Mariotta Tribsky type, is there a competition, you know, you're

433
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,040
Speaker 1: battling with Rudolph or you signed those guys with the

434
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,680
Speaker 1: intent of them being starters. But if you draft on

435
00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,800
Speaker 1: the first round, you can't just hand the pick in

436
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,760
Speaker 1: the draft the keys of the car. I mean, it

437
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,919
Speaker 1: might be Rudolph for a month the year. Who knows. Yeah, actually,

438
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,560
Speaker 1: you know. Ben Roethlisberger talked to the media today was

439
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,359
Speaker 1: asked about Mason Rudolph and he said, you know, he

440
00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,920
Speaker 1: works really hard, he's smart. It's just the repetition. He

441
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:45,720
Speaker 1: got a lot of reps that year. I didn't play

442
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,040
Speaker 1: very much. Um, I know, a lot of Wednesday practices,

443
00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,480
Speaker 1: you know. I know he and Duck Hodges kind of

444
00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,480
Speaker 1: did some splitting time. I think the off season. I

445
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,879
Speaker 1: think this offseason, knowing that there's going to be a

446
00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,400
Speaker 1: competition for it, I think that it will be good

447
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 1: for him. It's probably hard harder. It's probably pretty hard

448
00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,520
Speaker 1: to wrap your mind around what you have to do

449
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,639
Speaker 1: to be a starter when there's a veteran guy ahead

450
00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,760
Speaker 1: of you. Probably, um, I think that that could do

451
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,679
Speaker 1: wonders for him. This offseason. That makes sense, you know,

452
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,159
Speaker 1: it's just a different mentality. Like Okayan, he should certainly

453
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,000
Speaker 1: prepare as if he's going to be the next starter.

454
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,760
Speaker 1: And I think he opportunity or not. I think the

455
00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:26,360
Speaker 1: thing about Rudolph is that he's continued to do that. Um,

456
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,919
Speaker 1: you know, you see it this this year. You know,

457
00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:31,760
Speaker 1: everybody thought, well most Mason Rudolph led footed, he can't

458
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:33,639
Speaker 1: run at all. Well he's got two the longer runs

459
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,159
Speaker 1: the Steelers have had this year. He looks better and

460
00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,800
Speaker 1: better than that competity, right, I don't work ethic or

461
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,919
Speaker 1: putting the time, and that's that's not a problem at

462
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,560
Speaker 1: all for him. Yeah, right, So, and I think the

463
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,000
Speaker 1: Steelers do like him. I think they like the fact

464
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,960
Speaker 1: that he's a student of the game and that he's

465
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 1: at an extra year to his contract. Right. They didn't

466
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,520
Speaker 1: do that just because well an extra five million, right,

467
00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:56,320
Speaker 1: that's because we got a couple of bucks later around.

468
00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,439
Speaker 1: It was so he's in camp next year, so they

469
00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,120
Speaker 1: had themselves covered. Okay, if if Ben does retire, which

470
00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:05,600
Speaker 1: obviously he's going to, Um, we got a quarterback on

471
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 1: the roster that, as Kevin Colbert likes to do. If

472
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,600
Speaker 1: we had to line up and play a game tomorrowfly.

473
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,040
Speaker 1: What I was gonna say is, as we're having this conversation,

474
00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,840
Speaker 1: I'm like, he's the definition of if I got to

475
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,080
Speaker 1: play a game before the draft and before free agency starts,

476
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,320
Speaker 1: I got a guy. That doesn't mean I can't go

477
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,360
Speaker 1: over and do better than that, but I got one,

478
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,800
Speaker 1: you know, and I'm not sure of I'm not playing

479
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,720
Speaker 1: with Denver's wide receiver quarterback because what you didn't want

480
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:32,679
Speaker 1: to happen is is you go into the off season

481
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,800
Speaker 1: with no quarterbacks on your roster because when you're talking

482
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 1: to agents, they know that too. And then three of

483
00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,159
Speaker 1: the musical chairs get filled around the league and they

484
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,239
Speaker 1: started using us a year offer against you know as

485
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,400
Speaker 1: somebody else. Well, you know, the Steelers are offering us

486
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,320
Speaker 1: this and that you keep you know, now you're playing

487
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,080
Speaker 1: chicken with it with the agent. Would you like to

488
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:56,920
Speaker 1: have Haskins back. I don't think he's ever going to

489
00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,880
Speaker 1: be a first round I didn't love him coming out.

490
00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,240
Speaker 1: I didn't either, and I really disliked him in Washington.

491
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,840
Speaker 1: Like him better now that I Washington. I'd like to

492
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:11,000
Speaker 1: see him and be more aggressive when he you know,

493
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,960
Speaker 1: the chances that he had in training camp in the

494
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,439
Speaker 1: preseason last year. Um, I just wouldn't cost you much,

495
00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,160
Speaker 1: I'm sure. But he's he's an understan he's a restrictive

496
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,359
Speaker 1: free agent. All you gotta do is put a tender

497
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,280
Speaker 1: offer on him. Yeah, and then you at least get

498
00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:29,560
Speaker 1: something back and if somebody else wants to sign him away, Okay, yeah,

499
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,080
Speaker 1: I think that is easy answer. I mean, I must

500
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,240
Speaker 1: give him a second round tender, you know, whatever the

501
00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,679
Speaker 1: one after that is. I'd probably I'd probably put a

502
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:39,880
Speaker 1: two on him because he is a quarter pick, a quarterback,

503
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,880
Speaker 1: and it's you're talking about three million dollars for three

504
00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,760
Speaker 1: or four million dollars, you know, you could do that. Yeah,

505
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:48,880
Speaker 1: I guess that would work too. And if he's your backup, he's,

506
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,440
Speaker 1: you know, get a shot to win the job, and okay,

507
00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,280
Speaker 1: he might blow you away. I'd like to have him

508
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,480
Speaker 1: in Latrobe next year. You know, whether he even makes

509
00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,800
Speaker 1: a team or not, who's the same. He's got the

510
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,000
Speaker 1: arm talent, right, there's something that it's just a matter

511
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 1: of you know, is he willing to It's it's the

512
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,679
Speaker 1: Ohio state thing. Yeah, you know, does he have to

513
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,359
Speaker 1: see it to throw it? Every time seems like it. Yeah,

514
00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,399
Speaker 1: you know, and he's not a great athlete either, you know,

515
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,639
Speaker 1: And I don't know exactly what their recipe is. Do

516
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,639
Speaker 1: they do they want to Lamar Jackson type? You know,

517
00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:20,480
Speaker 1: they played against those guys, you know how hard they

518
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:22,240
Speaker 1: are to deal with. I mean, would they be happy

519
00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,040
Speaker 1: with Carson Strong from the Vada? A big lad like him?

520
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,200
Speaker 1: He grows growing on me a lot too. I mean

521
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,200
Speaker 1: just early prep. You want to talk about a guy

522
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,280
Speaker 1: with a big arm and arm and touchdown the field. Yeah,

523
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,119
Speaker 1: he's not a stiff either. I mean he can move

524
00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,159
Speaker 1: around a little bit. And I'm starting to worry that

525
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 1: Senior Bowl and stuff. We're gonna just shoot him up

526
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,320
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden it's like, oh, that's the

527
00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:43,320
Speaker 1: best one in the draft. Yeah he might be. Yeah,

528
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,720
Speaker 1: he he could be this year's big riser. Um. I

529
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,840
Speaker 1: don't know. The problem the history. Yeah, the problem also

530
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,080
Speaker 1: is is I don't think this this quarterback class as

531
00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,680
Speaker 1: a whole is not viewed is a great one. No,

532
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,679
Speaker 1: A lot of star Yeah, I can remember. I know

533
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,240
Speaker 1: everybody in Pittsburgh's in love with Kenny Pickett and all

534
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,960
Speaker 1: that stuff. And you know, I can remember watching one

535
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,600
Speaker 1: of their early games this season, texting you and saying, pick,

536
00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,840
Speaker 1: it's gonna get drafted, and I thought maybe third rounds

537
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:11,760
Speaker 1: some yea, it looks better than last year. I even

538
00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,520
Speaker 1: changed my opinion of that. He's probably still the second

539
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:18,159
Speaker 1: to third round talent. But he's a quarterback. You know,

540
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:20,840
Speaker 1: that's just the way it goes with the quarterback. Then

541
00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:22,960
Speaker 1: I'm sure I'll interview well, and I'm not bashing picking

542
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,879
Speaker 1: at all. You're you're gonna get drafted in the if

543
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:27,880
Speaker 1: I think you're at least a third round draft pick.

544
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:29,680
Speaker 1: There's talent there. I mean, I'm not sure he's any

545
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:31,880
Speaker 1: different than Daniel Jones coming out of school, who went

546
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,240
Speaker 1: fifth or six. But you know, the people that talked about, well,

547
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 1: look at his numbers. Look at you know, look whose

548
00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,600
Speaker 1: records he broke. Mason Rudolph broke a lot of records.

549
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,440
Speaker 1: College numbers to me go all that. I mean, it's great.

550
00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:44,879
Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's a nice thing to have on

551
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,480
Speaker 1: the resume, right, but it's not the only thing to

552
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,800
Speaker 1: have on your resume. And he's not overwhelming physically, And

553
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:53,919
Speaker 1: you know, I think he can be a good player,

554
00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,200
Speaker 1: but I don't I don't know that there taking fifteen

555
00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,040
Speaker 1: and he's there. It's the mac Jones argument from a

556
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,000
Speaker 1: little bit. Do you spend the first round draft pick

557
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,280
Speaker 1: on a guy who is going to be middle, middle

558
00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,120
Speaker 1: of the road. Kirk Cousins was not a first round

559
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,119
Speaker 1: draft pick for a reason because he was you know,

560
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,640
Speaker 1: the ceiling was there if I'm drafting a first round quarterback,

561
00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,040
Speaker 1: because when you take a quarterback in the first round,

562
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,240
Speaker 1: the expectations surrounding a first round quarterback is that he

563
00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:25,679
Speaker 1: become a star without a question. And if he's not

564
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,520
Speaker 1: a star, then the pressure, the pressure is just so

565
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,240
Speaker 1: great on the guy that it doesn't It's if you

566
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,360
Speaker 1: look at Bud Dupree and for all Evans, you get

567
00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,879
Speaker 1: that first round tag on you. People expect you to

568
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,440
Speaker 1: become t J. Watt and it doesn't always work that way,

569
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,879
Speaker 1: especially at the quarterback position. You know, there's just so

570
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,680
Speaker 1: much outside pressure beyond just being a first round draft

571
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,879
Speaker 1: It's funny, like my opinion of evaluating the quarterback position

572
00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,120
Speaker 1: come out of school, it's changed in the last couple

573
00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,760
Speaker 1: of years, and a lot of it's the Lamar alan

574
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:03,000
Speaker 1: Acre draft, and I like the brag I was Lamar

575
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,280
Speaker 1: was my one in that class, but Allen was my five.

576
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,359
Speaker 1: You know, I like Rosen and darn Old and may

577
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,320
Speaker 1: feel better than Allen because his accuracy was so bad.

578
00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,960
Speaker 1: And I didn't like him his first two years of

579
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,400
Speaker 1: Buffalo because his accuracy was so bad. But his ceilings

580
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,679
Speaker 1: so high, you know, like, Okay, you swung, you missed,

581
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,480
Speaker 1: then you're probably gonna pick early again. But you had, Yeah,

582
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,080
Speaker 1: you had to live with that for a couple of years,

583
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,480
Speaker 1: you know. I mean, the Rosens of the world are

584
00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,120
Speaker 1: and they're not gonna get you far, you know, I mean,

585
00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,720
Speaker 1: get swinging for the fences. At quarterback, Yeah, don't you

586
00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,600
Speaker 1: just take a well, he's we think he can be

587
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,160
Speaker 1: an average starter. No, not at that position. I mean

588
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,440
Speaker 1: one week from now and before were talking about playoff games.

589
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,479
Speaker 1: Those teams are going to have a very talented you

590
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,760
Speaker 1: can find the average. You can find Teddy Bridgewater. You

591
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,400
Speaker 1: can find an average quarterback on them there everywhere. Um,

592
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:54,960
Speaker 1: and he was gonna take a break. He is Matt

593
00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,280
Speaker 1: Williams and I'm Dale Lally. You're listening to the drive

594
00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:02,320
Speaker 1: here on Steelers Nation Radio. Up next, Bob Labriola's back.

595
00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,920
Speaker 1: We got him. We have we finally have the capability

596
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,760
Speaker 1: to uh get him into the studio, so we will

597
00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,320
Speaker 1: do that right after this. He's Matt Williamson. I am Dale.

598
00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:12,720
Speaker 1: Ally you're listening to the drive her on Steelers Nation

599
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,960
Speaker 1: Radio Life and Adventure and it's waiting Hi. This is

600
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,640
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