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Speaker 1: At least.

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Speaker 2: He's The Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

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Speaker 2: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold,

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Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 3: Live from the upmc rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.

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Speaker 3: Welcome into Steelers mandatory Mini camp coverage here on Steelers

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Speaker 3: Nation Radio in the Steelers Audio Network. I am Tom Aferman.

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Speaker 3: With me are the two co hosts of The Drive,

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Speaker 3: Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson. And it's real now, guys.

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Speaker 3: You don't show up, money comes out of your pocket.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, And OTAs were great. We got good weather,

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Speaker 1: We've got great participation. We had a lot of enthusiasm.

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Speaker 1: Saw some new faces and maybe we'll see a few

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Speaker 1: new faces today too that haven't been around the last

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Speaker 1: two weeks.

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Speaker 3: May have already seen it would be what's that yeah

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Speaker 3: back on the air? Uh can I I've already been

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Speaker 3: here seen that new face you're alluding to, Matt, And

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Speaker 3: I think that that's why the parking lot was a

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Speaker 3: little jammed out there today too.

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Speaker 1: It's a pretty different feel to it. There's a buzz,

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Speaker 1: there's a buzz, and I don't think it was an

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Speaker 1: accident that it was announced a new Steeler quarterback is uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, right after OTA's that makes all the sense

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Speaker 1: in the world. Line up for this stuff, the serious stuff,

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Speaker 1: and then take a little break, come back to camp

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Speaker 1: and get after it. But there's definitely a buzz down here,

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Speaker 1: more so than last couple of weeks, for sure. Even

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Speaker 1: DK Metcalf and Sleigh and some of these guys right too,

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Speaker 1: and give new faces.

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Speaker 4: All the new toys are here, so you know now

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Speaker 4: that it's real. You gotta get everybody here, and that's

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Speaker 4: what the Steelers are about getting these guys here. We'll

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Speaker 4: see if everybody is here, but you know, at this

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Speaker 4: point in the last three days, to get an opportunity

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Speaker 4: to see everybody.

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Speaker 1: Without question, and I'm sure everyone more than anything, of course,

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Speaker 1: is just anxiously awaiting Raw, of course, and I'm excited

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Speaker 1: to see how he interacts with the teammates, how he

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Speaker 1: throws the football. He's not going to be doing deep,

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Speaker 1: you know, deep things against the Ravens in week twelve

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Speaker 1: and right now, I mean that kind of thing too,

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Speaker 1: But things should be a little more serious this week

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Speaker 1: than they were last couple of weeks. And even the

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Speaker 1: you know, week one mini camp Tuesday was a lot

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Speaker 1: different than Thursday to me. Week too, Mini Camp Tuesday

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Speaker 1: was a lot different than Thursday. To me, the team activities,

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Speaker 1: the the pace of everything. Now again, they're not hitting,

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Speaker 1: they're not tackling, they're not blocking, of course, but they're

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Speaker 1: still getting ramped up and they're improving, you know, as

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Speaker 1: all all teams are right now across the league.

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Speaker 3: And I think it is you guys haven't really talked

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Speaker 3: about ar coming in, right because that happened after your

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Speaker 3: OTA show wrapped on Thursday.

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Speaker 1: Or we've brought it up over the last couple of months.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, it's not beneficial.

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Speaker 3: That's the thing about it. It's like we've just basically

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Speaker 3: talked about every angle already, right, it's just actually putting

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Speaker 3: pen to paper. But it is good as we predicted

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Speaker 3: what happened that he is here for the mandatory MIDI

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Speaker 3: camp session, and Matt, you just alluded to how things

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Speaker 3: can get a little bit more serious now, Hm, you

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Speaker 3: need your QB one to allow that to happen.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and particularly this QB one, And I've done a

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Speaker 1: lot of homework on him obviously this whole offseason, but

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Speaker 1: even more the last four or five days. Now that

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Speaker 1: it's he's he's.

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Speaker 4: A steeler right now.

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Speaker 1: And one thing that I'm sure will never change if

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Speaker 1: he's twenty eight thirty eight, forty two sixty two is

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Speaker 1: he's ridiculously good above the neck and he is such

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Speaker 1: a good processor, and he's so meticulous and demanding of

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Speaker 1: his receivers. Yes, you know, I mean very very much

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Speaker 1: so in terms of if I get this coverage, it's

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Speaker 1: not that you're going to pop open at this point.

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Speaker 1: It's I'm going to put the ball six inches in

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Speaker 1: front of your numbers or on your back hip or

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Speaker 1: you know where the ball placement is based on coverage.

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Speaker 1: And he's gotten a reputation, I want to say, a

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Speaker 1: bad reputation of liking his guys, the Randall Cobbs, the Lizards.

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Speaker 4: Because they know what he wants.

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Speaker 1: It's also Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson and guys that

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Speaker 1: are really, really good the back shoulder.

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Speaker 3: DeVante Adams got a billion first downs in green pay

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Speaker 3: for like eight years.

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Speaker 1: You're a little young too, But the Jordy Nelson stuff

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Speaker 1: was ridiculous too. You know, I meant all levels of

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Speaker 1: the field, and that's because it's it's not I'm sure,

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Speaker 1: he loves to have beers and barbecue with those guys too,

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Speaker 1: and they get along. But I think it's truly being

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Speaker 1: on the same page, you know, Like a lot of

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Speaker 1: people just throw that out there, Oh, get on the

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Speaker 1: same page. Well, with this guy, you better be, because

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Speaker 1: he's gonna be really demanding. He's not gonna throw you

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Speaker 1: the football if you're not exactly where you're supposed to

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Speaker 1: be when you're supposed to be there, And that's gonna

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Speaker 1: be a challenge, you know. I mean with DK Metcalf

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Speaker 1: in particular, he's a really, really good receiver, but he's

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Speaker 1: not a precise, precise route runner type. I do think

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Speaker 1: they'll add another receiver at some point, and I bet

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Speaker 1: that guy is really on his p's and q's with

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Speaker 1: his footwork and all those things. And Metcalf and Rogers

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Speaker 1: and Austin and Wilson and all these guys have a

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Speaker 1: lot of work to do to get to the point

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Speaker 1: where the quarterback's happy with them, you know. I mean,

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Speaker 1: the standards are a little different now.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. The other thing this does is it allows the

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Speaker 4: quarterback packing order to set itself up.

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, you know.

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Speaker 4: Now, it's not Mason Rudolph taking all the ones. Now

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Speaker 4: you're a number eight, Yeah, taking all the ones, and

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Speaker 4: so that's a big difference.

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Speaker 1: That's a huge difference.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: And I think it's pretty clear. I mean, now the

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Speaker 1: packing order is very clear. I think the overall plan

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Speaker 1: is pretty clear. I'm sure Rogers will do a lot

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Speaker 1: with the ones from between now and all through training camp.

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Speaker 1: But Rudolph will get mixed in there a little. I

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Speaker 1: don't know. Sure he gets some Yeah, And I was

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Speaker 1: gonna ask you this, and I don't think we even

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Speaker 1: know this yet, but I would imagine Rogers will probably

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Speaker 1: get some better in days off here and there. Sure,

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Speaker 1: I would think so, I would think at his age,

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Speaker 1: I mean, Ben did, I mean, I think Wilson.

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Speaker 4: Will Howard a few more snaps.

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Speaker 1: That's where I was going with it, is I bet

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Speaker 1: Will Howard gets a ton of preseason snaps. He might

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Speaker 1: not get a lot of action these next three days

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Speaker 1: with the top units, but I bet in the preseason

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Speaker 1: he gets a ton of usage, and you really have

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Speaker 1: a good feel for him and hopefully don't use him

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Speaker 1: into the season.

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Speaker 4: The other thing's gonna be interesting, guys, is how does

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Speaker 4: Arthur Smith cater this offense two and Aaron Rodgers. It's

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Speaker 4: not gonna be, yeah, the exact same thing. Oh no, no,

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Speaker 4: if they ran last year.

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Speaker 1: No, he's gonna have a lot of input on the

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Speaker 1: x's and.

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Speaker 3: O's as he should. Really heard people say that they've

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Speaker 3: already started any kind of pow wow in this short

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Speaker 3: time they've been together.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure that's gone back to even his visit here

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Speaker 1: months ago or whatever too. And I don't think it's

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Speaker 1: going to be the Rogers offense like this is exactly

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Speaker 1: what playbooking throat in the fire. I mean, that's not

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Speaker 1: what's going to happen. But one thing about Rogers that

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Speaker 1: over his entire career we've seen the ridiculously good throws

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Speaker 1: and the MVP level stuff and Super Bowls and stuff

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Speaker 1: like that, but his knowledge of the game and his

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Speaker 1: intelligence is really an asset on game day during prep

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Speaker 1: all those type of things. I mean, he's phenomenal with

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Speaker 1: things like when the defense is trying to get a

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Speaker 1: guy on late, he'll snap the ball and make you pay.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he's going to always get you out of

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Speaker 1: bad plays at the line of scrimmage. And he's gonna

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Speaker 1: have all the freedom in.

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Speaker 3: The world to do all those things here, do you

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Speaker 3: think so?

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah.

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Speaker 3: I think that's a big question that people have on

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Speaker 3: their minds right now is how much he'll be able

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Speaker 3: to do with the line of scrimmage, how much freedom

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Speaker 3: he's gonna get. And I agree with you, it's not

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Speaker 3: going to be like, hey, Art, take a back seat.

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Speaker 3: I got it for the rest of this game. There's

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Speaker 3: gonna be a lot of give and take between the

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Speaker 3: two of them.

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Speaker 1: But it was like Ben at the end.

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Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, and Matt you mentioned above the neck.

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Speaker 3: I mean that's his greatest strength now at this point.

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Speaker 3: And if you don't let them do stuff at the

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Speaker 3: line of scrimmage, if you don't let him check out

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Speaker 3: of this check into that, you're neutralizing that.

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Speaker 1: One hundred percent. And I also think there's a misconception

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Speaker 1: of what went on last year. And I wasn't here.

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Speaker 1: I don't know the Steelers playbook. I don't know the

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Speaker 1: relationship between Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin.

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Speaker 1: But I do understand that Arthur Smith's play calling when

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Speaker 1: he puts, you know, when he hears in his headset

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Speaker 1: to quarterback, there are multiple options, and that doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: you have to run power into a ten man block box.

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Speaker 1: I mean the quarterbacks. I think there's a misnomer that

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Speaker 1: quarterbacks last year had no power at the line of scrimmage,

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Speaker 1: had no options. That's not how the offense is designed,

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Speaker 1: any offense. No no, no, no, no.

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Speaker 3: Right, unless maybe you got a rookie right and you're

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Speaker 3: really trying to keep the handcuffs on him, keeping training

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Speaker 3: wheels on him. But once you get to week twelve,

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Speaker 3: week thirteen, week fourteen with that rookie, it's it's time

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Speaker 3: to take those training wheels off a little bit. So

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Speaker 3: oh yeah, I could see maybe being the helicopter offensive

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Speaker 3: coordinat early on in a very young quarterbacks tenure. But

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Speaker 3: if you don't let them fly Dale, you know, jump

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Speaker 3: out of the nest, he'll never be a starter.

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Speaker 4: Tom. If you think about it the way they did

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Speaker 4: it was Ben Roethlisberger. He basically at half field rights.

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Speaker 1: His rookie year.

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Speaker 3: Very easy, yes, yeah, something simple, easy that he can execute,

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Speaker 3: hand off to the bus.

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Speaker 4: When they got to the playoffs, they opened things up

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Speaker 4: a little bit more and you saw more Ben going

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Speaker 4: out winning game because.

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Speaker 3: You're not really rookie anymore. Right, you're an NFL.

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Speaker 1: Stars or whatever.

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Speaker 3: College basketball they always say, once you get to March Madness,

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Speaker 3: you see all these freshmen outdays, they're basically sophomores. Once

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Speaker 3: that tournament. Yeah, it's the same deal with the end

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Speaker 3: of the NFL season. Basically into your second season. Now

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Speaker 3: you know how to be a pro.

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Speaker 1: No, I would think so you should.

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Speaker 3: Yeah again better Yeah.

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Speaker 1: And I'm I'm certain of it that for a long

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Speaker 1: stretch of the second half of Ben's career two he

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Speaker 1: was not. I mean he he'll override the coaching staff too.

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Speaker 1: He's the one on the field at the line of

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Speaker 1: screen image. If these are my options, I'm going to

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Speaker 1: change something. I mean, there's a misnomer that he like

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Speaker 1: drew stuff up in the dirt. I mean, that's not

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Speaker 1: the way that works. But I'm sure, even more so

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Speaker 1: than Wilson, Rogers is going to get you in the

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Speaker 1: right place. Not run into heavy boxes, don't run cover

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Speaker 1: twos in the cover two beaters, you know what I mean,

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Speaker 1: Like be in the right situations. And I don't think

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Speaker 1: it'll take him long at all, because again, I'm just

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Speaker 1: gonna stress so much how good he is from the

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Speaker 1: neck up of learning all this stuff, but it might

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Speaker 1: take time for him and his receivers to truly get

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Speaker 1: on the right page, same page, with the precision of

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Speaker 1: it all.

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Speaker 3: No, I think that's a big by the way.

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Speaker 1: DK metcalf looks all right first time in person, But yeah,

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Speaker 1: he's everything bloody big, right.

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Speaker 4: I mean here, you're really you're talking about a guy

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Speaker 4: two worst starts to get to two hundred and fifty

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Speaker 4: in his career.

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Speaker 1: Okay, two hundred and fifty starts right, r right?

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Speaker 3: I mean come on, yeah, to your point Matt about

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Speaker 3: the receivers and getting the timing down to I mean

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Speaker 3: that's just again you hit on it's so big when

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Speaker 3: it comes to an Aaron Rodgers led team in an

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Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers led offense, and you mentioned bringing in another piece.

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Speaker 3: You think they're gonna do that? Do you think they

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Speaker 3: kind of have to to get a guy that is

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Speaker 3: that precise route running tactician or technician if you will.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, but it doesn't have to happen today, right right right?

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Speaker 1: I mean I think you could be pretty content with

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Speaker 1: this group for now with your eyes open on the

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Speaker 1: best deal. You know, I don't think you make a

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Speaker 1: deal just to make it deal. You make the right

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Speaker 1: deal when the time comes.

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Speaker 3: You know what else? I like, we talk a ton

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Speaker 3: about the draft capital that they've been able to accumulate

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Speaker 3: through compensatory picks that they will be awarded and the

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Speaker 3: picks that they have themselves. We saw what the market

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Speaker 3: looked like for wide receivers last year at the trade deadline.

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Speaker 3: Third and third and first fourth round picks get you

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Speaker 3: a good game change. And that's as in the NFL,

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Speaker 3: that's the hot stove position now. So even if you

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Speaker 3: get into the season a little bit, you got enough

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Speaker 3: capital to make a big splash. I'm talking even bigger

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Speaker 3: than Mike Williams last year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And I would think whatever edition they make is

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Speaker 1: bigger not late literally but figuratively than Mike Williams was too.

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Speaker 1: I mean in terms of immediate impact. I'm looking for

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Speaker 1: a starter, you know, or at least a Gabe Davis Samari.

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Speaker 1: I mean, like gave Davis, Amari, Cooper Keenan Allen are

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Speaker 1: on the open market still, okay, you know, I mean

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Speaker 1: they're free. I mean I don't know how attainable McLaurin

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Speaker 1: or Ayuk or any of these guys that.

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Speaker 3: Are having contracts.

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Speaker 1: I think he's not going in. He's getting paid right right, right,

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Speaker 1: But there's going to be more of those situations, you know,

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Speaker 1: where you can probabe receivers away. Green Bay's got a bunch,

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Speaker 1: Houston's got a bunch, you know. I'm sure all those

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Speaker 1: talks are being had. I don't know if there's any

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Speaker 1: truth to the tight end talks, but those are all

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Speaker 1: receiving types. They need another pass catcher, and that really

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Speaker 1: would complete the roster pretty much for me.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, God, oh, no doubt.

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Speaker 4: You know, when you look at it, guys, you just

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Speaker 4: want to build the best roster that you can right now.

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Speaker 4: You're in it to win. You've shown that by signing

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Speaker 4: a forty one right right, right, right right, and you're

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Speaker 4: not thinking about next year or the year after.

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Speaker 1: And Tom, you mentioned all those picks. I mean as

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Speaker 1: it stands now, and these are somewhat subject to change,

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Speaker 1: but it looks pretty firm that they're going to have

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Speaker 1: their first, their second, three thirds, two fourths, two fifths,

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Speaker 1: two six that's a lot, you know, And they're not

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Speaker 1: going to make all those picks in April of next year. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you're not going to have what twelve or thirteen new

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Speaker 1: draft picks. No, and I still think the move is

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Speaker 1: to somewhere position yourself to get a quarterback in the

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Speaker 1: first round, whatever that takes. But extra six and fifth

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Speaker 1: round picks aren't going to get you anywhere in the

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Speaker 1: first round. But that should they could get you a receiver.

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Speaker 4: There to fill out the the other Yeah, after you've

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Speaker 4: treated away, yep, you know you're maybe it's your you know,

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Speaker 4: next year's first and maybe one of those.

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Speaker 3: Threes get you in the top ten, top five.

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Speaker 4: Now you still you know, even.

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Speaker 1: If you make a move, you still might like to

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Speaker 1: see them ALU and need a guard.

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Speaker 3: The third round picks now to still play with guards.

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Speaker 3: You can take two guards.

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Speaker 4: You're not completely you know, bankrupting yourself in the draft.

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Speaker 1: And before you even get to that point, you have

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Speaker 1: some of the some of the most available cap space

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Speaker 1: in the league. You go grab things or keep your

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Speaker 1: own or extend Austin or Warren or Elliott or whoever

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Speaker 1: you want. And I know that there's a watt contract

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Speaker 1: out there that's probably gonna be the next thing we

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Speaker 1: talk about.

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Speaker 3: Now, the receiver or the quarterback settled.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't know that that's going

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Speaker 1: to eat up all that much space. I mean, the

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Speaker 1: Rogers contract didn't cripple your cap this year too. You

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Speaker 1: got a ton of ability to restructure guys. You know,

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of fluidity with this.

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Speaker 3: They know how much they need to allocate to watch. Yeah. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I don't know where he is right now. He's on field,

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Speaker 3: Omar up there in his room, like he knows what

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Speaker 3: he needs. And they've i think kept a very good

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Speaker 3: eye on their cap with in mind what they think

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Speaker 3: they're going to have to end up paying.

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Speaker 4: Well, the thing is any extension you sign what to now,

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Speaker 4: he isn't going because this year's cap to go up.

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Speaker 3: It's gonna actually probably right, yeah, because a lot of

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Speaker 3: that's going to be signing bonus.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Now that they have a lot of options with

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Speaker 1: that stuff, and Omar's background with the salary cap is

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Speaker 1: very apparent over the last couple of years, you know,

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Speaker 1: because they have a high quality roster with a lot

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Speaker 1: of fluidy cap space. And next year, like I said,

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Speaker 1: there's only two or three teams as it stands right now,

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Speaker 1: that when free agency opens a year from now, they'll

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Speaker 1: have more. Now that will change a lot throughout the

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Speaker 1: entire league. But still you can go fill your other

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Speaker 1: needs and push all your chips in for a young

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Speaker 1: quarterback come draft time.

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Speaker 3: And we're talking about money right now. I mean, that's

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Speaker 3: the golden window in the NFL is when you're not

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Speaker 3: paying a quarterback anything. He's a talent that deserves to

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Speaker 3: be paid fifty million dollars a year. He's just young.

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Speaker 3: And the Steeler.

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Speaker 1: I mean, despite having a Hall of Famer as your quarterback,

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Speaker 1: your quarterback room is pretty cheap right now.

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Speaker 3: I was just gonna say, Matt, like, they're kind of.

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Speaker 1: In for like the next five that space twenty.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, they're in that phase already. Yeah, they're Rodgers because

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Speaker 3: they're only paying them ten million guaranteed, thirteen million maybe

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Speaker 3: year twenty like whoop do do. And by the way,

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Speaker 3: if it gets to twenty, we win the super Bowl.

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Speaker 1: It's a great thing.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, right right, So if you yeah, if you look

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Speaker 4: at this, you can kind of do what Washington did

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Speaker 4: last year next year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you know you've got your your veterans in place,

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Speaker 4: you have cap space, you know, you build around that

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Speaker 4: young quarterback with veteran players, yep.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know you win a playoff game, and

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Speaker 1: you know, to be a desirable place for free agents.

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Speaker 1: You know, if Rogers can keep you highly competitive this year,

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Speaker 1: I think your ceiling's higher with this guy. And I'm

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Speaker 1: just gonna put it out there. I mean, I very

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Speaker 1: much believe and will be shocked if the quarterback if

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Speaker 1: Rogers isn't the best quarterback in this franchise since Ben's

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Speaker 1: elbow surgery. I would not since Prime Bell, but I

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Speaker 1: mean I'm talking about since his elbow surgery. I would

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Speaker 1: be shocked if this is not the best quarterback they've had.

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Speaker 3: Let's talk about that when we get Yeah, let's pick

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Speaker 3: up on that, because I think a big part of

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Speaker 3: that is him being more removed from the injury that

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Speaker 3: he had his first year.

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Speaker 1: I will say the second half of last year was

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Speaker 1: way better than the first half.

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Speaker 3: So we'll keep talking some Rogers. We're down here at

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Speaker 3: the upmc rooney Sports Complex. He's the Matt Williams says,

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Speaker 3: see I did it right, Dale Lollie, and I'm Tom

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Speaker 3: Aferman here for live coverage of Steelers Mandatory Mini Camp

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Speaker 3: on Steelers Nation Radio on Steelers Audio Network.

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Speaker 2: At least, he's the drive with Dale Lollie and Matt

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Speaker 2: Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the

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Speaker 2: Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 3: Back at the uar pmc Roody Sports Complex for our

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Speaker 3: coverage of Steelers Mandatory Mini Camp on Steelers Nation Radio

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Speaker 3: and Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy AM, Tom offermandale Lallie

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Speaker 3: and the Matt Williamson and we were just talking about

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Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers, of course in that first segment, and how

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Speaker 3: you're going to see Now you ended that segment saying

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Speaker 3: you're going to see a quarterback this year. You guess

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Speaker 3: that is better than or on par to anything we've

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Speaker 3: seen since Big Ben walked away. That's my expectation, I

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Speaker 3: mean a fair one to have.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean were so his last year in Green

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Speaker 1: Bay was okay, not great.

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Speaker 3: Eight nine.

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Speaker 1: His first year in the Jets, he played four STAPs

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Speaker 1: or something like that and had a pretty awful injury.

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Speaker 3: Was achilles right out.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and then last year with the Jets. Not to

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Speaker 1: make excuses for him, but the beginning of the season

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Speaker 1: was not like the end. I mean, he was looked

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Speaker 1: like an older guy coming off a serious injury.

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Speaker 4: And they were also a mess.

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Speaker 1: They were also a mess. And maybe he contributed to

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Speaker 1: that being a mess. I mean it was it was

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Speaker 1: I don't think no, no, everyone's to blame. You're the

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Speaker 1: starting quarterback. Everything's a mess.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I like this notion that he ruined the

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Speaker 3: Jets because it right Jets. I mean, it's been like this,

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Speaker 3: this is the norm for them. He was supposed to

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Speaker 3: change them from what they usually do.

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Speaker 1: And that's a big thing I've been stressing too, is

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Speaker 1: that these two organizations couldn't be any more different. I mean,

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Speaker 1: in terms of walking past Lombardi trophies. Who the head?

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Speaker 1: I mean, do we really think Mike Tomlin's going to

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Speaker 1: get fired in week six or whatever? Like salaw and

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Speaker 1: you know, like I mean, like the constant change that

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Speaker 1: was going on in New York. And the other thing

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Speaker 1: was their protections were really bad. They were I found

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Speaker 1: this out over the weekend. They were third in the

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Speaker 1: league in most drops the Jets, So there were a

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Speaker 1: lot of catchuple balls that his guys didn't help them.

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Speaker 1: But the second half of the season after trading for

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Speaker 1: Devonte Adams, but even more so, who's definitely the post

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Speaker 1: boy for being where you're supposed to be in a

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Speaker 1: Rogers offense obviously, and he's a great player, but he

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Speaker 1: also started to move around a lot better he used to.

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Speaker 1: He got to higher speeds as a runner, he was

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Speaker 1: more and more comfortable. I think he was more of

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Speaker 1: an elevator as opposed to just kind of getting by

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Speaker 1: and it gets the ball up really quick for better

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Speaker 1: or worse. I mean, at this stage of his career,

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00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:25,400
Speaker 1: kind of like Ben, he does not want to hold

438
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,240
Speaker 1: the football on a you know, three four seconds into

439
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,600
Speaker 1: there and take get blasted in the back by you know,

440
00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,680
Speaker 1: Miles Garrett. But his quick games were really, really good,

441
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,840
Speaker 1: and it got better and better as the season went on,

442
00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,280
Speaker 1: despite tough circumstances in New York.

443
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,680
Speaker 3: Wasn't there moments later in the season two where you're

444
00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,920
Speaker 3: you're right that he gets rid of the ball crazy fast,

445
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,240
Speaker 3: he doesn't want to get hit. It's a lot of

446
00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,000
Speaker 3: short game stuff, but there were deep yeah, And I

447
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,439
Speaker 3: think there were moments where he was like I have

448
00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,199
Speaker 3: to get hit in the chint here, like I just

449
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:54,960
Speaker 3: have no choice about this, Like this is going to

450
00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,000
Speaker 3: be a big play. It's single coverage with Garrett Wilson.

451
00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:00,960
Speaker 3: He's gonna beat this corner. I'm gonna get blasted by

452
00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,959
Speaker 3: the linebacker. And he's still willing to do that, not

453
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:05,560
Speaker 3: as much as maybe he used to be in his

454
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,280
Speaker 3: mid twenties in his prime. But you're not going to

455
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,159
Speaker 3: see just a completely scared dink and dunk. No.

456
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,840
Speaker 4: That's also knowing that you don't have to do that.

457
00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,440
Speaker 4: You know, Hey, I don't have to take that deep yard,

458
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,040
Speaker 4: take the picket, you know, shot in the face. I

459
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,359
Speaker 4: can dump it off here and get ten yards.

460
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:27,560
Speaker 3: He's getting the first instead.

461
00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,480
Speaker 4: Yeah, and just play it that way.

462
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,600
Speaker 3: That goes along with above the neck, right, what Matt

463
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:34,480
Speaker 3: was harping on to the beginning.

464
00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,600
Speaker 4: That's what you want. I mean, if you look at it.

465
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:42,399
Speaker 4: In twenty twenty, Roethlisberger's first year back from the elbow

466
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,040
Speaker 4: in Tree, he threw for thirty eight hundred yards. He

467
00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:51,640
Speaker 4: also had thirty three touchdown passes hand I mean thirty three.

468
00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,800
Speaker 4: That's the second most, yeah, second highest of his career.

469
00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,800
Speaker 3: So you know, and that was getting rid of the

470
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,560
Speaker 3: ball quickly your playmakers.

471
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:04,800
Speaker 4: Yeah.

472
00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,040
Speaker 1: Now, I do think the line is going to be

473
00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,479
Speaker 1: extremely important, as is the running game. Now, I'm not

474
00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,800
Speaker 1: saying he's end of career, lway, and you're a little

475
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:14,480
Speaker 1: young for this one.

476
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:15,879
Speaker 3: Too, Tom, but I know what he was doing with

477
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:16,960
Speaker 3: TD exactly.

478
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,199
Speaker 1: I mean it was a zone running game, and Davis

479
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:21,600
Speaker 1: became the focal point of the offense and l Way

480
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,280
Speaker 1: made plays when he needed to. It wasn't I gotta

481
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 1: wear the cape for sixty minutes type of thing. I

482
00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,560
Speaker 1: think that's ideally where you want to be with Rogers.

483
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,000
Speaker 1: You know where I need you to make a handful

484
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,439
Speaker 1: of big throws. I need you to be always have

485
00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,320
Speaker 1: us in the right plays. You be the leader. All

486
00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,960
Speaker 1: the communication and all that kind of stuff needs to

487
00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 1: be perfect, and you can handle that stuff like in

488
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,440
Speaker 1: your sleep, but the line needs to also be a

489
00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 1: little better. What I find interesting about the like the

490
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,320
Speaker 1: time to throw stuff though, is Wilson and Fields were

491
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,480
Speaker 1: hold the ball guys. Yeah. I mean so people be like, man,

492
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:00,480
Speaker 1: this line, they're not gonna be able to heck them.

493
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,840
Speaker 1: That's where I'll fight you because I can't stress this

494
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,560
Speaker 1: number enough that time. Everyone knows what a pressure is.

495
00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:09,840
Speaker 1: I think at this point not a sack, but a pressure,

496
00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,920
Speaker 1: and they could be a little foggy. I mean they're

497
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,719
Speaker 1: not dead on a sack, but it still get the idea.

498
00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,560
Speaker 1: The only teams that had a higher in terms of

499
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:23,880
Speaker 1: seconds time to pressure when they finally gave up a pressure,

500
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,919
Speaker 1: or the Chiefs and the Ravens, and that's the quarterbacks.

501
00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,400
Speaker 1: You know, those guys are hard to sack. They run around.

502
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,520
Speaker 1: I mean, Holmes and Jackson maybe the best two quarterbacks

503
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:35,760
Speaker 1: on the planet right now. A lot of MVPs between

504
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,280
Speaker 1: them as well. So my point is, Okay, the Steelers

505
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,840
Speaker 1: gave up sacks last year, and I'm not throwing these

506
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:46,400
Speaker 1: dudes under the bus, but those numbers highly indicate that

507
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,840
Speaker 1: the pressures were on Wilson and Fields in Dale. And

508
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:51,800
Speaker 1: I talk about this all the time. Sacks and pressures

509
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:53,480
Speaker 1: are as much a quarterback stat as they are an

510
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,320
Speaker 1: a line stat. So if you're not giving up pressures

511
00:23:56,400 --> 00:24:01,560
Speaker 1: until late in the down, this fault come out as

512
00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:02,840
Speaker 1: opposed to last year. You know.

513
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:07,600
Speaker 4: The other thing to remember, guys, no team ran the

514
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,560
Speaker 4: ball last last year, then the Jets, I bet it

515
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:12,600
Speaker 4: makes it dead last.

516
00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,280
Speaker 1: That makes sense. And rushing attempts that's totally opposite.

517
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:16,960
Speaker 4: That's going to be completely different.

518
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, why do you think that was with the Jets?

519
00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,640
Speaker 3: Presall was good back and they had expectations for him,

520
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,399
Speaker 3: and I bet you you know, Jets Nation Radio might

521
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,320
Speaker 3: have been saying some similar things to us, were like,

522
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,640
Speaker 3: we can run the ball with Priese Hall. We're putting

523
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,000
Speaker 3: a lot into our offensive line.

524
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:32,720
Speaker 4: Our line was great.

525
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 1: The line was bad.

526
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 4: Vera.

527
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:35,880
Speaker 1: Tucker is their best line and he missed a ton

528
00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:39,399
Speaker 1: of time. Faushon who they're like Steelers, they went two

529
00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:43,880
Speaker 1: years in row now taking a tackle and they've which

530
00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:45,359
Speaker 1: tells you that they knew it was bad.

531
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,240
Speaker 4: But you had Tyrone Smith who was in.

532
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:52,120
Speaker 1: And out, in and out the Penn State Faushon who

533
00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,080
Speaker 1: was slow to acclimate, and so they took another one

534
00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,200
Speaker 1: this past year. I mean, I like what they're doing now,

535
00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,240
Speaker 1: but that didn't help Rogers then. And I also think

536
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,880
Speaker 1: back to Dale's point too. You have a head coach

537
00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,880
Speaker 1: getting fired mid season, you didn't really have a real

538
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:12,560
Speaker 1: strong replacement or coordinator. Yeah before that, before that too,

539
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,840
Speaker 1: like what's the plan here? What's the foundation of things?

540
00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:18,760
Speaker 1: Who's keeping this thing on the on the tracks? Too?

541
00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,160
Speaker 1: And then their defense started to crumble a little bit too.

542
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:22,880
Speaker 1: You know, they're playing from behind a little bit more.

543
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,440
Speaker 1: And I'm sure solid too, I think that right, No, yeah, yeah,

544
00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,560
Speaker 1: one hundred percent. And then I think you look at

545
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,080
Speaker 1: it and say, in hindsight, we should have ran the ball.

546
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 1: You know, we do resolve and yeah, Raylen Allen's on him. Yeah,

547
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:36,440
Speaker 1: I mean that can't be the key.

548
00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:41,200
Speaker 3: Like the room is better than the usage we mentioned. Yeah,

549
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:42,680
Speaker 3: but that's not gonna be a problem here with the

550
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,119
Speaker 3: Steelers down, they.

551
00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,200
Speaker 4: Will run the ball a lot. Yeah.

552
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,480
Speaker 3: They drafted Caleb Johnson with their second pick, third round

553
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,919
Speaker 3: pick in this year's draft, and they have a lot

554
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:53,840
Speaker 3: of faith in Jalen Warre too. And we talked about

555
00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:55,399
Speaker 3: this when I was here at OTAs two. But the

556
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,560
Speaker 3: rest of that running back room has been filled out

557
00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,320
Speaker 3: better than in previous years as well. Like when you

558
00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,320
Speaker 3: get to the third and even the fourth and fifth

559
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,879
Speaker 3: guys on this roster, there's there's better players there.

560
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,520
Speaker 1: There's some intriguing guys. I mean, stands out right right,

561
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,080
Speaker 1: he's an NFL back and if that's your three year

562
00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,680
Speaker 1: in really good shape. But I keep looking at guys

563
00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,800
Speaker 1: like Evan Hull from h Northwestern, some of the dudes

564
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,679
Speaker 1: that were back last year. Tray sermon, they have not

565
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,479
Speaker 1: been super productive at this league. That's the reason you're

566
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,560
Speaker 1: getting it for nothing. But they had good college resumes

567
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,359
Speaker 1: their mid round picks. I mean, this is kind of

568
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,840
Speaker 1: the end of their rope that they better put up

569
00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,479
Speaker 1: her shut up if they're gonna be NFL players.

570
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt about it. Like it's time for them

571
00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,520
Speaker 3: to prove it. And you know that's when it comes

572
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,920
Speaker 3: to the offensive line too, Matt. I mean, that's kind

573
00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,639
Speaker 3: of the year for them too. Right, it's kind of

574
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:40,520
Speaker 3: put up her, shut up time when it comes to

575
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,639
Speaker 3: these players, especially a guy like Roger Jones. I know

576
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,320
Speaker 3: you're going through the switch to left tackle. Yeah, she

577
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,480
Speaker 3: got to establish yourself. And and if for nothing more, if.

578
00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,679
Speaker 1: The line is like riddled with injuries though or doesn't

579
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,440
Speaker 1: live up to things, it's problem for no matter who

580
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:55,879
Speaker 1: the quarterback. It would have been the same if it

581
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,400
Speaker 1: was Rudolph or Wilson or whoever. But yeah, Homes right,

582
00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,399
Speaker 1: But that's gonna be a critical component, Burrow.

583
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,520
Speaker 3: And it's just that if you don't have a good

584
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,919
Speaker 3: line play, you're gonna have a struggle during the season.

585
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:08,240
Speaker 3: But back to that offensive line, if not for anything,

586
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,400
Speaker 3: you know, Roderick Jones, it's money time for him. Oh yeah,

587
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,280
Speaker 3: fifth year option time for him. It's time to get

588
00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:15,800
Speaker 3: paid like a real NFL player and come into some

589
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:17,800
Speaker 3: I mean, you're already making some pretty l nice life

590
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,040
Speaker 3: changing money, but real generational wealth is on the table

591
00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:21,560
Speaker 3: now for you.

592
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,640
Speaker 1: If Damn More makes twenty, what do you think that guy's.

593
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,040
Speaker 3: With the pedigree that he has and the potential still well, I.

594
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,880
Speaker 5: Mean, we know what the fifth year option is, and

595
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,879
Speaker 5: it's a big even if he doesn't go to a

596
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,359
Speaker 5: Pro Bowl or dramatically, they have a big decision to

597
00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:41,120
Speaker 5: make after this year.

598
00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 3: So beyond just establishing yourself as an NFL player and

599
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,159
Speaker 3: being a hit as a first round pick as opposed

600
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:50,760
Speaker 3: to a miss, you know, looking at it from a

601
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 3: selfish perspective, it's money makes of time.

602
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,000
Speaker 1: So absolutely all these guys have to look at that, right.

603
00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,879
Speaker 3: Especially when you're into that fifth year option pick up

604
00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:59,520
Speaker 3: or not pick up after this season window.

605
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,080
Speaker 1: I mean, all these guys are teammates and part of

606
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,360
Speaker 1: a team, but they're also independent contractors have to look

607
00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:05,920
Speaker 1: out for themselves, and there's something to be said about, Hey,

608
00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,199
Speaker 1: this is contract year, I mean, and that's how the

609
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:09,560
Speaker 1: league works.

610
00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:11,320
Speaker 3: So often players just ball out in the year when

611
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:11,880
Speaker 3: it's money.

612
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,399
Speaker 1: Time, and sometimes that's just when they mature. I mean,

613
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,040
Speaker 1: I think there's a misnomer that he tried so much

614
00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,520
Speaker 1: harder this year. I mean, sometimes it's a couple of

615
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,480
Speaker 1: years right time to be a good player, you know, right.

616
00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,879
Speaker 1: And I do think the contrary to some popular belief

617
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,480
Speaker 1: that Jones got a lot better post by last year,

618
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,359
Speaker 1: there was some messiness before that, and I think he

619
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,160
Speaker 1: got a lot of things ironed out, got away from

620
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:35,760
Speaker 1: the game for a week and looked a lot better

621
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:36,360
Speaker 1: when he got back.

622
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:37,920
Speaker 3: And you know what they felt like at this time

623
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 3: last year, And I think especially at training camp, we

624
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,200
Speaker 3: started to see some turbulence with Jones. The injury to

625
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:45,560
Speaker 3: ye first day camp.

626
00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, I remember watching it live. I was like, oh, I.

627
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 3: Haven't had any of that so far. It looks great,

628
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,040
Speaker 3: looks like he's in great shape, he's healthy. So maybe

629
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,320
Speaker 3: you know that injury and that slow start to the

630
00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 3: season last year, or actually that slow started the season

631
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,240
Speaker 3: last year, Matt had a little bit more to do

632
00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:02,720
Speaker 3: with the injury than we gave credit.

633
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:04,480
Speaker 1: And he toughened through it and he put that I

634
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:10,120
Speaker 1: mean no, I mean toughness and competitiveness was never an

635
00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 1: issue with that situation, and he did wear an elwell

636
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,320
Speaker 1: brace the whole year from what I remember. But Tom,

637
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 1: I mean, most things ahead of us are going to

638
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,600
Speaker 1: be bad. I mean a lot of these guys were

639
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,560
Speaker 1: looking at are going to get injured in the next

640
00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,280
Speaker 1: six months or whatever. There's a lot of hurdles that

641
00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:28,680
Speaker 1: are we have not foreseen yet.

642
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,880
Speaker 3: They had unbelievable luck for two years on that offensive

643
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,040
Speaker 3: lineout injuries, and then last year that bill kind of

644
00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,440
Speaker 3: came to the starters like immediately.

645
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,520
Speaker 1: I mean, Herbig was a starter when he was the

646
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: lost probably would have went past him. But the day

647
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:45,240
Speaker 1: he got hurt, he was a starter.

648
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,520
Speaker 3: The starter's gone. Her Big Daniels gets hurt and was

649
00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:51,680
Speaker 3: a starter, I mean the starter, and he goes down.

650
00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,480
Speaker 3: So three fits of your offensive line is injured last year,

651
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:56,760
Speaker 3: and you knew that that pendulum was going to swing

652
00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,680
Speaker 3: back in that direction. Maybe a little less in that

653
00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:01,760
Speaker 3: direct this time, though, Like maybe we just deal with

654
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,840
Speaker 3: the guy missing a few weeks, not a season ender.

655
00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,160
Speaker 1: I forget who we were chatting with last week, but

656
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:11,880
Speaker 1: the state of this line compared to last year. I

657
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,720
Speaker 1: like the starting five better than I liked last year

658
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,320
Speaker 1: starting five when we sat here, but I liked the

659
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,920
Speaker 1: depth of that group a year ago more than I

660
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,640
Speaker 1: liked the depth of this group. And remember, at that point,

661
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,160
Speaker 1: Fraser was a rookie, McCormick was a rookie, Anderson was

662
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:31,280
Speaker 1: a second year guy. Obviously Fatanu was a rookie. Jones

663
00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:32,760
Speaker 1: was in his second year. You didn't know as much

664
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,200
Speaker 1: about those dudes, but you still had the Herbigs and

665
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:37,960
Speaker 1: Daniels and Siam Malus and some guys had been more

666
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,320
Speaker 1: that have been around the block. We'll see. I mean

667
00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,440
Speaker 1: that's one thing I'm really going to concentrate on camp.

668
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,880
Speaker 1: And it's hard to know here, but what's the second

669
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,840
Speaker 1: team offensive line look like right now? Last year I

670
00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,800
Speaker 1: thought it was extremely strong. This year, I have some questions. Well,

671
00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,120
Speaker 1: and they needed it last year and then thank god,

672
00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,360
Speaker 1: right they would have been in a really bad shape

673
00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:58,880
Speaker 1: if they had not had that line depth.

674
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:01,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, right now you're looking at guys like

675
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,400
Speaker 3: Dylan Cook, Calvin Anderson, Max Sharping.

676
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,840
Speaker 1: I do get the impression they like Calvin and Anderson

677
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,120
Speaker 1: better than maybe people out there might know. They're kind

678
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:11,840
Speaker 1: of aggressive to keep him, and I think he signed

679
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:13,680
Speaker 1: a two year deal with that right Yeah, Yeah, but

680
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:14,640
Speaker 1: just says a lot.

681
00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:15,200
Speaker 4: Yeah.

682
00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:16,959
Speaker 3: Now I'm looking at our lads right now, and they

683
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,120
Speaker 3: actually have Spencer Anderson lined up as the backup center

684
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,719
Speaker 3: behind crazier lads.

685
00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's not the case, I would think McCall.

686
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,200
Speaker 3: I would hope not. It was pretty surprising to see that.

687
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,440
Speaker 5: I mean, he's capable, he's done it, he's he's a

688
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,520
Speaker 5: great Spencer.

689
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 3: Anderson is a good bench option though, because of that

690
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,360
Speaker 3: versatility everywhere on the line.

691
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:41,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, he can get you out of a game of tackle,

692
00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,040
Speaker 1: but ideally he's a guard and he has center more

693
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,520
Speaker 1: than just center capabilities. You know, I get why.

694
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:48,840
Speaker 3: You're you know, I don't know if skeptical is the

695
00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:50,440
Speaker 3: right word when it comes to the second.

696
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,000
Speaker 1: String unproven that's it, yeah, because.

697
00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,640
Speaker 3: There's definitely a chance for it to be good, maybe

698
00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 3: just as good as last year, but last year was

699
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:57,640
Speaker 3: a little more proven. At this point.

700
00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,880
Speaker 1: The last two camps, I've really liked the line depth.

701
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 1: You know, you even had guys like Dots and and

702
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,560
Speaker 1: Green and some of those dudes that they end up

703
00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,240
Speaker 1: trading this year. I'm not sure, you know, I hope

704
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:12,160
Speaker 1: it doesn't get tested.

705
00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 4: I think they're like, uh, you know, a guy like

706
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,520
Speaker 4: Sharping better than I think a lot of people understand.

707
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,959
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean these are fewer household names, right, not

708
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,120
Speaker 1: that o Lineman always with household names.

709
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:24,720
Speaker 4: He's got twenty plus starts in the league.

710
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, some of these guys are have played,

711
00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,880
Speaker 1: you know, right, right. But if by to your point though, Tom,

712
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,840
Speaker 1: I mean, if three of these starters get hit, oh no,

713
00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,280
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. That's every team and there's

714
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,200
Speaker 1: such an no line shortage across the Steelers, not on common.

715
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,240
Speaker 3: Kind of just lucky last year that they had three

716
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:44,360
Speaker 3: of their five starters go down and the guys that

717
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,880
Speaker 3: filled in were future starters. Frasier, Yeah, obviously a big

718
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,880
Speaker 3: plan for him. Roderick Jones who jumped in for Fotanu.

719
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:52,920
Speaker 3: That guy's the first round pick. Just a couple of

720
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:53,640
Speaker 3: years ago.

721
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,200
Speaker 1: They had three tackles for two spots.

722
00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 3: Was kind of the more sinker swim guy that they

723
00:32:58,440 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 3: had to throw into the fire.

724
00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,000
Speaker 1: But he did a real good job swam. Yeah right, yeah, yeah,

725
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,560
Speaker 1: so we'll see. But I also think the starters could

726
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,280
Speaker 1: be noticeably better in year two for your right guard,

727
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,040
Speaker 1: your center, your right tackle, although it's more like a

728
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:14,200
Speaker 1: year one for him.

729
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,240
Speaker 3: Jones the center especially, and I think.

730
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:18,320
Speaker 1: He's I worry about least.

731
00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,479
Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think he takes a big jump up.

732
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:21,320
Speaker 3: Yeah this year.

733
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:22,840
Speaker 1: I already think he's a top five guy.

734
00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,440
Speaker 3: And does a guy like Rogers help with that development? Yes,

735
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,240
Speaker 3: a quarterback like that, absolutely.

736
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,760
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, off on his plate, they

737
00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:34,160
Speaker 1: could talk a little bit learn Absolutely.

738
00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,400
Speaker 3: Not to say that Russ wasn't that kind of quarterback either,

739
00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:38,960
Speaker 3: like he has that kind of mental ability as well.

740
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,640
Speaker 3: Rogers is a complete Yeah, it's a different league, right.

741
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,360
Speaker 1: He doesn't get lumped this way. But Rogers is a

742
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:49,840
Speaker 1: Peyton Manning like mind. Yes, yes, yes, I mean one

743
00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,840
Speaker 1: of the best ever. And that's not a knock on Russ.

744
00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,959
Speaker 1: Russ obviously had a has in having a great career

745
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,800
Speaker 1: and is good from the neck up. But he's a

746
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 1: little more improv He's a little more my way the highway.

747
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 1: And I think it tells a lot that Pete Carroll

748
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,759
Speaker 1: and then Sean Payton and then Mike Tomlin all decided

749
00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,759
Speaker 1: we're gonna be fine with you going somewhere else. And

750
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,359
Speaker 1: those three coaches have won about eight million games in

751
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:15,759
Speaker 1: this league.

752
00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:17,799
Speaker 3: You know what they're doing. They have a pretty good

753
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:18,600
Speaker 3: sense of what they're doing.

754
00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:19,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, they're on top of it.

755
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, so that you know that above the neck aspect.

756
00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,640
Speaker 3: When it comes to Aaron Rodgers's it's obviously his biggest

757
00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,319
Speaker 3: strength right now. We talked about that, and.

758
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,600
Speaker 1: That's I've been stressing that more than anything over this

759
00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:32,239
Speaker 1: last couple of weeks. And I'm trying to on the

760
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:36,080
Speaker 1: air to his smarts, his football intelligence, his IQ, his

761
00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:40,400
Speaker 1: processing on the field. And I'm sure I know that

762
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,400
Speaker 1: people look at him like he's a diva. He's a

763
00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,719
Speaker 1: big personality, he's hard to be around. None of his

764
00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,719
Speaker 1: teammates have ever said that. They're all like, he makes

765
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:49,600
Speaker 1: me better every day.

766
00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:55,400
Speaker 3: Even we heard Brandon Echoles earlier this offseason because this

767
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,000
Speaker 3: is potentially gonna happen, and he said, I loved Aaron

768
00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:01,000
Speaker 3: Rodgers in New York like nothing that everyone was saying

769
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,279
Speaker 3: like we had a great And that's a guy who

770
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,319
Speaker 3: was in the locker room last year with him when

771
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,000
Speaker 3: they were supposed to be this big dumpster.

772
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:12,000
Speaker 1: When you right right right, yeah that I mean, I

773
00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,359
Speaker 1: don't know him off the field all those things, but

774
00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,520
Speaker 1: his teammates do not complain at all. It's quite the opposite.

775
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,040
Speaker 1: Is I learned so much football from being around him,

776
00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,759
Speaker 1: and he made me and my team better, you know,

777
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:23,520
Speaker 1: behind the scenes.

778
00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,359
Speaker 3: The Matt Williamsondel Lollie, and Tom Offerman here until one

779
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,759
Speaker 3: o'clock for Steelers Mandatory Mini Camp. Players walking off the

780
00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:32,360
Speaker 3: field right now, well some of them are. Some of

781
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,640
Speaker 3: them are still on the field as that was the

782
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 3: walkthrough walk through, so Mini Camp is underway.

783
00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:41,439
Speaker 1: Structed different than last month. Okay. I I was wondering,

784
00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,759
Speaker 1: what's going on regular season? Yeah, yeah, We'll be.

785
00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:47,920
Speaker 3: Back at the upmc rooney Sports Complex after this on

786
00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,000
Speaker 3: Steelers Nation Radio and Steelers Audio Network and Fox Sports

787
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:56,040
Speaker 3: Pittsburgh nine seventy am.

788
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,480
Speaker 2: He's the Drive with Dale, Lolly and Matt Williamson on

789
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,040
Speaker 2: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold,

790
00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:05,799
Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio.

791
00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:14,560
Speaker 3: Live at the upmc rooney Sports Complex. It is Steelers

792
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,840
Speaker 3: Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio Networks coverage of Mandatory

793
00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:20,880
Speaker 3: Mini Camp with the Matt Williamson, Dale Lawley, and myself,

794
00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,080
Speaker 3: Tom Opferman. We talked a lot about the offensive line, gentlemen,

795
00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,479
Speaker 3: at the end of that second segment in the first hour. Here,

796
00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:30,720
Speaker 3: let's switch it over to the other side of the trenches,

797
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:31,160
Speaker 3: the defense.

798
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,439
Speaker 1: What's funny I feel the exact opposite about that about

799
00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:35,640
Speaker 1: the defensive line, like they have like three too many

800
00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:38,280
Speaker 1: good ones, Like it's such a deep room.

801
00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:40,480
Speaker 3: I mean that's a good problem to have, exactly.

802
00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:42,920
Speaker 1: I mean there's like nine of them for six pots.

803
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,000
Speaker 3: Especially when it comes to how you see that position

804
00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:48,960
Speaker 3: on teams that are really great at defensive line utilized.

805
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,879
Speaker 3: It's like hockey line changes almost. It's like, okay, three

806
00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:53,960
Speaker 3: over the boards and three back on the sideline now,

807
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,279
Speaker 3: And it keeps everybody fresh late in games. That's a

808
00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:02,319
Speaker 3: good thing. Say eight year old, you'd like to maybe

809
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,520
Speaker 3: ease up his second half or first half, excuse me,

810
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,879
Speaker 3: second quarter usage so the fourth quarter he can bring

811
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,640
Speaker 3: it on home be the nice closer.

812
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:11,839
Speaker 1: End of the season and playoffs and all that stuff too.

813
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:12,080
Speaker 1: You know.

814
00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,480
Speaker 3: So I like that, you like the depth in that room.

815
00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:16,920
Speaker 3: But let's start at the very top of it. It

816
00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,120
Speaker 3: starts with Ayward. Obviously, his first team All Pro. He's

817
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,160
Speaker 3: got to pass that baton sooner or not later. I mean,

818
00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,560
Speaker 3: it's just natural that time. Yeah, time is coming for him.

819
00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,960
Speaker 3: I think I think maybe he'll be like forty eight

820
00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:27,560
Speaker 3: and still doing this.

821
00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:29,200
Speaker 1: No, I don't know that anyone's going to be as

822
00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:31,000
Speaker 1: good as him. I mean, I think he's a potential

823
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,560
Speaker 1: Hall of Famer and you know, so you want.

824
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,480
Speaker 3: To see and the two candidates are obviously Harmon and Benton, right,

825
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:37,160
Speaker 3: you want to see one.

826
00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:38,839
Speaker 1: See he doesn't see the same way we do. I mean,

827
00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,280
Speaker 1: look at the position that's similar.

828
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:42,959
Speaker 3: You want to see one of them this year really

829
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:44,920
Speaker 3: start to again, not take it from him because I

830
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,799
Speaker 3: think Cam's gonna have a great year, but start to

831
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:48,320
Speaker 3: maybe get his fingerprints on it a little bit, and

832
00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:49,840
Speaker 3: see I can I can carry that a little bit

833
00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,040
Speaker 3: if you need me to captain, no question.

834
00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:56,919
Speaker 4: I think you know, Benton, this is year three needs

835
00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,080
Speaker 4: to start taking those steps.

836
00:37:59,280 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I don't know.

837
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:05,040
Speaker 4: Would I expect that from Harmon right away? But Ben's

838
00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:06,200
Speaker 4: got to be that guy.

839
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,160
Speaker 1: And it's been very promising.

840
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:13,160
Speaker 4: The pressures that he had last year now need to

841
00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,080
Speaker 4: start turning, you know in the sacks.

842
00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:19,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, things are that nature. And you know, take words

843
00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:20,919
Speaker 1: out of your mouth literally, because give you a little

844
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:23,840
Speaker 1: break here. You've told this story many times about you

845
00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:27,920
Speaker 1: talking to Steff Onto. It probably the somewhat similar style

846
00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:31,360
Speaker 1: part of his career where he was getting close. He

847
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,920
Speaker 1: was getting close and then he realized there's an art

848
00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:35,920
Speaker 1: to getting the sack. Yeah, and then all of a

849
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:40,160
Speaker 1: sudden he became really as good as Cam and you

850
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,120
Speaker 1: tom to your point. We talked the labs all the time.

851
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:45,400
Speaker 1: He brings us up every Wednesday, like we need the

852
00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,920
Speaker 1: next stuff onto it and you do. And that was

853
00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:49,880
Speaker 1: a massive loss that they didn't see coming.

854
00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,160
Speaker 3: Such a big life. I mean, I think it's not

855
00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:52,120
Speaker 3: talked about enough either.

856
00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,320
Speaker 1: Can you imagine if they died his ear and to

857
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:55,320
Speaker 1: it the last couple.

858
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:57,640
Speaker 3: Of years, Matt, you know, when he was healthy and

859
00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,279
Speaker 3: I think before that really final injury happened to him,

860
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:02,799
Speaker 3: he was the defensive player too. And I mean he

861
00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:04,520
Speaker 3: was the defensive player of the year. Actually you could

862
00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,080
Speaker 3: apply that to shay'zier too in his year. But to

863
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,040
Speaker 3: it that season before his final like last injury happened,

864
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,440
Speaker 3: I don't think you could block him. Like there are.

865
00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:16,680
Speaker 4: Five guys in the league who had double legit sacks

866
00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:18,400
Speaker 4: that year live.

867
00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,080
Speaker 3: And it was one of them. He played half the game. Yes,

868
00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,680
Speaker 3: it was an unbelievable display. In that first half of

869
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:26,280
Speaker 3: that season. I thought he was gonna be the DePoy.

870
00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:28,040
Speaker 3: I thought he was better than Cam that year. So

871
00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,959
Speaker 3: it's a massive loss. Yeah, a guy that could still

872
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:31,920
Speaker 3: be in his prime today.

873
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, and because Salard cap reasons, he had to let

874
00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:38,239
Speaker 1: Hargrave go in his prime, and so they're looking for

875
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,520
Speaker 1: that guy and they obviously understand that too. I mean,

876
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:45,000
Speaker 1: I think some of our listeners have heard us say

877
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,760
Speaker 1: this over the last couple of months, but their yards

878
00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:50,120
Speaker 1: per carry when Cam was on the field was like

879
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,279
Speaker 1: best in the league against their yards per carrying me

880
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:54,520
Speaker 1: was off the field was like worst.

881
00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:55,080
Speaker 4: Yeah.

882
00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:56,879
Speaker 1: I mean it's a massive discrepancy.

883
00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,640
Speaker 4: Three point six versus five point one.

884
00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,600
Speaker 1: I mean that's hard and a half every carry. I mean,

885
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,480
Speaker 1: think about that, and that can't be the case. I mean,

886
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,239
Speaker 1: it's a testament of ninety seven how awesome he is.

887
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,160
Speaker 1: But even if he's awesome for two years, you can't

888
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,600
Speaker 1: be that dependent on one player. And that's one hundred percent.

889
00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:16,799
Speaker 1: What they're doing here is they've created a lot of

890
00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,920
Speaker 1: depth to take snaps off. These guys. The Logan Lee's

891
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,880
Speaker 1: and people like that are going to play more and

892
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,799
Speaker 1: more and you hopefully get a star out of one

893
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:28,080
Speaker 1: or both out of Benton and Harmon, and you know

894
00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,800
Speaker 1: their pedigree indicates that that's quite possible, and plus Benton's

895
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,640
Speaker 1: been a success. I mean, it's not like we're down

896
00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:35,200
Speaker 1: on Benton all right.

897
00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:37,680
Speaker 3: Now, what about somebody and maybe that next line, because

898
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:40,280
Speaker 3: that's talking about the first line of guys, Harmon Benton Hayward.

899
00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:43,480
Speaker 3: Who's a guy in the depth role that might turn

900
00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,000
Speaker 3: your head a little bit this year? Is it the

901
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:48,719
Speaker 3: rookie Wya Black, is it an equalle addition from New

902
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,160
Speaker 3: England and free agency, or is it somebody that's been

903
00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,839
Speaker 3: around like a louder Milk at Dean Lowry, somebody like that.

904
00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,280
Speaker 4: I'm looking forward to sing Marvin Leal.

905
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,320
Speaker 3: You know, year we'll talk about a guy in his

906
00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:02,439
Speaker 3: big year in front of his place.

907
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,680
Speaker 4: He was having a good camp and you know, I

908
00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:09,280
Speaker 4: think the neck injury and the bouncing back and forth

909
00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:15,439
Speaker 4: really kind of hurt him outside inside, outside inside. Now

910
00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,839
Speaker 4: he's just playing defensive tackle.

911
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:22,160
Speaker 1: And you talk about the guys that are too you know, right, he.

912
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:25,000
Speaker 4: Was a better, great guy. So you know, I think

913
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:29,560
Speaker 4: they need him to show that he can he belongs

914
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,560
Speaker 4: in the league, and I think he's capable.

915
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,759
Speaker 1: The two of them encouraged with for sure that are

916
00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,640
Speaker 1: young that we have not seen really take snaps yet.

917
00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,080
Speaker 1: Are logan the two Iowa guys Black and Lead and

918
00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:50,080
Speaker 1: for very different reasons, Blacks size, physicality, you know, ability

919
00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:53,200
Speaker 1: to open up those around him, I think will be very,

920
00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,200
Speaker 1: very valuable from the beginning. And I think Lee is

921
00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,600
Speaker 1: a guy that they're way more optimistic than people might think.

922
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:01,799
Speaker 1: And I think he has a lot of traits to

923
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:06,640
Speaker 1: be a rotational Dean Lowry type, but maybe better, you know.

924
00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:09,239
Speaker 3: I mean when it comes to Loganly, doesn't it kind

925
00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,880
Speaker 3: of tell you how the team views this player and

926
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:14,920
Speaker 3: their potential. When he misses his entire rookie year as

927
00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,239
Speaker 3: a sixth round pick, they still give them that red

928
00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:19,840
Speaker 3: shirt season and they still bring him back, and I

929
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:21,719
Speaker 3: think they hope he makes the roster out of this

930
00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:24,480
Speaker 3: training camping k factor in so and another.

931
00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,759
Speaker 1: Guy that's another.

932
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:26,840
Speaker 3: Guy I look at it in the kind of that

933
00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,800
Speaker 3: same light. He's not a second year guy, but Corey Trice.

934
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,320
Speaker 3: I mean, they have to like something about this guy

935
00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,240
Speaker 3: if they continue to keep him around despite the injury

936
00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:37,280
Speaker 3: problems that he's had. Now Loganly doesn't have injury problems

937
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:39,480
Speaker 3: just one year, but you get my drift, like there's

938
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,680
Speaker 3: something there that the team is seeing in these guys,

939
00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,719
Speaker 3: to keep staying committed to them despite turbulence at the

940
00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,920
Speaker 3: beginning of their career for being undrafted late round picks.

941
00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:52,080
Speaker 1: And to still give them legitimate shots at the right

942
00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:54,279
Speaker 1: at the roster squad like you could, you could bring

943
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,920
Speaker 1: in other guys to challenge them even more directly than

944
00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:57,879
Speaker 1: they have, you know.

945
00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:01,719
Speaker 3: No doubt, so, Matt, a little more optimistic, you'd say

946
00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:04,200
Speaker 3: about the defensive line and the offensive line, right, absolutely,

947
00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:05,200
Speaker 3: I mean more comfortable.

948
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:07,120
Speaker 1: Maybe also the first round pick and a mid draft

949
00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: pick there too, you know.

950
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,360
Speaker 3: May there's a couple first round picks on the offensive line.

951
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:11,960
Speaker 1: I know, but there's five of them and three of

952
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,480
Speaker 1: these you know, I mean, but yes, I mean I

953
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:18,399
Speaker 1: misspoke that there's nine for six spots. There's probably more

954
00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:21,319
Speaker 1: like ten for seven, right right, you know, which is

955
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,560
Speaker 1: a nice situation, and especially if Benton has the ability

956
00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:27,839
Speaker 1: to turn into a star, or Benton or Harmon has

957
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,600
Speaker 1: the ability to turn into a star, and Benton can

958
00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:32,520
Speaker 1: really be a plus starter for you, which I think

959
00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:33,239
Speaker 1: he already is.

960
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:35,920
Speaker 3: And we shouldn't be surprised, right that this is starting

961
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:38,439
Speaker 3: to happen, because this is Andy Widel, This is amre

962
00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:40,560
Speaker 3: con when hiring Andy Widel. This is what they wanted

963
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:43,160
Speaker 3: to do. There was a mandate, if you will to

964
00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:45,200
Speaker 3: fix the trenches on both sides of the ball. You

965
00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:47,600
Speaker 3: do that first, poured a ton of capital draft wise

966
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,439
Speaker 3: into it. Splash some free agency capital into it as well.

967
00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:53,440
Speaker 3: And now three years later, look at it where it's at.

968
00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,520
Speaker 3: You have depth on the defensive line, and you're cautiously

969
00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:59,640
Speaker 3: optimistic about offense and youth on both sides, right other

970
00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:00,920
Speaker 3: than the who's the first team.

971
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,680
Speaker 1: On pro yep? And you have leadership in your youth,

972
00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:06,200
Speaker 1: you know, and in both and I think that's a

973
00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:09,160
Speaker 1: really good situation. And that's step one, you know. I mean,

974
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:11,839
Speaker 1: now you insert the quarterback, you know what I mean.

975
00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:17,279
Speaker 1: Building the line of scrimmage is the biggest key to

976
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,080
Speaker 1: this league besides quarterback. Without questioning.

977
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's just so boring and so sleepy that never

978
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:22,960
Speaker 3: pays attention to it.

979
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:24,759
Speaker 1: And the offensive side's really hard to do.

980
00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,479
Speaker 3: I mean, look at when the Chiefs have had quote

981
00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,240
Speaker 3: unquote struggles and for them that's losing in the Super Bowl.

982
00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:32,520
Speaker 3: It's because their offensive line has been bad. It's because

983
00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:35,279
Speaker 3: their offensive line got overwhelmed by an Eagles defensive line.

984
00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:37,799
Speaker 3: It's because their offensive line got overwhelmed by a Buccaneers

985
00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:39,520
Speaker 3: defensive line like that.

986
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,200
Speaker 1: The only time of Homes hasn't.

987
00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:43,319
Speaker 3: Thrived when they're not good, it's their offensive line is

988
00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:45,640
Speaker 3: a little bit below what they need it to be. Now,

989
00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:47,839
Speaker 3: what makes them so great is that you know, they

990
00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:51,440
Speaker 3: go their their front office and Andy Reid, you know,

991
00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,200
Speaker 3: they go into their their front offices and they figure

992
00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:56,040
Speaker 3: out how to fix this offensive line and they've done

993
00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:58,920
Speaker 3: it quickly, and they've turned it around fast.

994
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,920
Speaker 1: They put a lot of resources and it will see right,

995
00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:02,920
Speaker 1: exactly right. But they're aggressive about it.

996
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,799
Speaker 3: They never but it is the biggest key matt to

997
00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:08,680
Speaker 3: your point, like if if even that's a little bit lacking.

998
00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:12,480
Speaker 3: Teams with truly elite Hall of Fame quarterbacks will not

999
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:15,600
Speaker 3: achieve what they possibly could a lot of the time.

1000
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:20,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, most of no questions. And that's not you know,

1001
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:22,840
Speaker 1: from a chiefs perspective, that's not Week eight against the

1002
00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:25,520
Speaker 1: Raiders or Bears. That's in the Super Bowl against the

1003
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:29,560
Speaker 1: eas you know, I mean, it wasn't a kryptonite until they.

1004
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,920
Speaker 3: It's funny because they lose. They always get to the

1005
00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:35,000
Speaker 3: final They've never not gotten the final four Mahomes is

1006
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 3: the quarterback. But I'm just trying to illustrate that. It's

1007
00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:39,640
Speaker 3: like that's the one thing that they have kind of

1008
00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,640
Speaker 3: not been super elite at and it's hurt them. They

1009
00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:44,759
Speaker 3: traded to Tyreek Hill away. Doesn't matter. We're fine. We'll

1010
00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,920
Speaker 3: get by the makers. We'll build playmakers. Mahomes will make

1011
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:49,399
Speaker 3: them great. The defense has had some changeover, it doesn't matter.

1012
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,360
Speaker 3: We're gonna make our defense great. We sell Chris Jones.

1013
00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:53,319
Speaker 3: We're fine. But when that line takes a little bit

1014
00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:55,800
Speaker 3: of a dip for them, they're not at their full death.

1015
00:45:55,600 --> 00:46:00,600
Speaker 1: Star superpower in terms of being the best team jar Yeah, yeah, absolutely,

1016
00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:01,640
Speaker 1: absolutely so.

1017
00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:03,520
Speaker 3: A lot of hope for the Steelers offensive line this

1018
00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:06,560
Speaker 3: year to start to turn that page and take that

1019
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:08,720
Speaker 3: step forward into being one of the best units in football.

1020
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:10,800
Speaker 3: And they certainly got the quarterback behind them that it

1021
00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:13,759
Speaker 3: can pay dividends if they do achieve that. We will

1022
00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,560
Speaker 3: be back for the second hour of mini camp down

1023
00:46:16,560 --> 00:46:19,880
Speaker 3: here at upmc rooney Sports Complex. Team went inside, so

1024
00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:21,799
Speaker 3: they should be coming out in the field shortly to

1025
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:26,239
Speaker 3: get the practice portion of things underway. Matt Williamson, Dal Lawley,

1026
00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:30,640
Speaker 3: Tom Opperman, You're listening to Steelers Nation radio coverage of

1027
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:33,800
Speaker 3: Mini camp on Steelers Audio Network and Fox Sports Pittsburgh

1028
00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:34,920
Speaker 3: nine seventy am