WEBVTT - Future Cap Settings.mp3 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:04.520 Your tunes about drive on Home of the Black and 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:34.080 Goals Steelers Nation Radio, we are back. I'm Dale Elly 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:36.720 here with Matt Williamson and Matt I wanted to go 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:39.839 back to something that we talked about prior to the draft, 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:42.479 and it was something that a lot of people were 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:44.479 kind of I don't know, I want to I don't 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:46.239 want to say panic is the right word, but they 0:00:46.240 --> 0:00:49.320 were talking about this like it was something that was 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.360 wasn't going to be resolved. And that is the number 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:57.520 of players that the Steelers have on the contract, because 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:00.320 everybody that was one of the narratives of soon as 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:04.320 last season ended, they only got x amount players under 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:06.600 contract eight team players seven. He was seven team was 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:08.520 the lowest that it was. Well, that's two years away. 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.000 For one thing, the draft hasn't happened, Free agent hasn't happened. 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:13.520 You haven't extended some of your guys, we haven't even 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:16.759 got the MINCA and why there ain't going anywhere. So 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.839 let's let's break that down. I'm interested. So the Steelers 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:24.000 now have forty four players under contract for the two season, 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:27.920 and I don't think they want that number to be massive, 0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:30.280 and I think they want to be somewhat liquid next 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:33.000 off season in terms of going to get the next 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.200 quarterback from the first and foremost or maybe going outside 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:38.320 the organization for a position or two, you know, if 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:43.319 need be so. Right now, Um, this according to spot track, uh, 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:48.400 the Steelers have sixty sixty seven million UH in cap space, 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:52.240 and I believe that's based on a salary cap, which 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:54.960 I guess is this assumes a hundred ninety two point 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:57.760 five million dollar salary cap in it's gonna be more 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:01.120 than that. I mean, we don't know what's going to 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:03.080 be in the stands, but the next Penn game tomorrow 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.840 night's yeah, that's just basically doing what they typically do 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:11.080 and bumping it up ten million dollars. It's gonna be high. 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:14.440 So sixty seven million, that's the second most amount of 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:17.760 money going into next year, which is remarkable, Like that 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:20.919 never happens. They're always second least, you know what I mean, 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.360 We've never seen that before. The only team with more 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.280 cap space than them is the Colts. But the Colts 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:29.440 only have thirty seven players under contract, so those seven 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:32.440 players make up for that. The Colts have sixty nine 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:34.960 point two million. The Steelers are sixty seven point four 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.280 Steelers have the most cap space. Well, I was going 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:41.120 to kind of counter that. I mean, they obviously the 0:02:41.120 --> 0:02:43.480 Colts don't have as many guys under contract, but I 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.720 think the Colts have a big lump still this year 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:47.959 that will roll over because they haven't spent much. And 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:50.960 that's true. Yeah, so there are some of those things. 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:53.040 The factor in fact, if you look at the cap 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:57.519 space from right now, current current cap space, actually Jacksonville 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:01.320 has thirty nine point four million envers at thirty six 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:04.320 point three, the culture two point nine. So they'll probably 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.720 roll over something like you know what I mean? Um? 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:11.360 Or do they extend wins? Right, They're gonna make that. 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:14.119 And then they get you know, the Quent Nelson's contracts 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:16.560 coming up. They got some, they get some big ones. 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:20.200 They're gonna be expensive. Um. So if you look at 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:23.720 this from a cap stand, they got forty four players 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.000 on a contract, They got sixty seven million dollars in 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.760 cap space. The number three teams the Bengals at fifty 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:31.120 seven point five. That was a huge jump there actually 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:33.640 ten ten million dollars. Then you look at the Jets 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:37.240 are at fifty two, almost fifty three, Miami's at forty 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:41.400 eight with a lot of youth and not not guys 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:43.640 they have to pay soon. On the other side of 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:46.840 the spectrum, you look at the teams who were over 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.400 the cap a hundred ninety two and a half million. 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:53.040 Remember before we do, you have them listed second. I 0:03:53.120 --> 0:03:56.760 bet with roll over their third will definitely be in 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:01.080 the top five, but probably about eighty millions spend because 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:03.200 the cap is very low. In that projection, that's a 0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:05.760 ton and they don't have to give it to any 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:07.480 none of us going to bed, right, you know, No 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:09.400 more of it's going to bed, you know. So the 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:13.560 Packers right now thirty nine point six million dollars over 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:16.080 that cap. That's with forty six players signed for next year. 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:20.839 Dallas has fifty seven players signed for next year, but 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:23.200 they're thirty two point eight million dollars over that cap. 0:04:24.480 --> 0:04:27.400 The Giants have fifty players signed their twenty four million 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:29.360 dollars over the cap, and they don't really have they 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:31.719 don't have anybody, right, they don't have Rogers and Dak 0:04:31.920 --> 0:04:35.080 and Zeke get you know, right. The Rams have fifty 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:38.200 eight players, they're at eighteen points six million over that cap, 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:41.600 and this is how they operate. But the Texans, wow, 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.560 they are such a disaster. They've got forty two players 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.760 signed for next year. There's still twelve million dollars over 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.440 the cap. Wow. They signed like thirty guys in free 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:52.160 agency and almost all of them are one year deal, 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.440 right right right? They can't Yeah, I mean, Watson will go. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.160 Watson some way, shape or form is not gonna be 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:00.279 a text in this time next year. I'm sure of it, 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:03.640 and that will open up a little. Here's here's where 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:08.040 the list gets interesting. I bet there's an north at 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:10.920 eight point six million dollars over the cap with fifty 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:14.480 eight players signed to the Cleveland Browns. Baker doesn't have 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.640 a new deal yet, Garrett does. I don't know where 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.640 else their money is gonna go, but I could see, like, well, 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:24.840 they gotta pay the corner board. Yeah, he's gonna be expensive. 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:26.839 I could see him being a franchise guy. They just 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:29.840 picked up his his his rookie option. I think it's 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:34.040 thirteen million dollars next year. My immediate thoughts are I 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:37.080 bet Landry and or O'Dell are they can't afford them? 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.799 Maybe both of them, at least one, maybe both, Because 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:44.840 if you're eight point six million over the cap, you're 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:48.960 gonna need six million dollars to sign your rookie class. 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:51.320 You're gonna need you know, you're gonna want to make 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:54.960 some moves. So yeah, I mean this this might be it. 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:58.000 Like people were talking about the Browns as well, the 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:01.839 long term contender. We'll see. It's different if it's Mahomes. 0:06:02.320 --> 0:06:04.960 You know, Baker ain't Mahomes. I mean, he may be 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:07.800 a very good player. He maybe take a big step forward. 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:10.919 You know, he ain't cauna be Josh Allen. He's not 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:12.880 gonna be my Homes a lot closer to Kirk Cousins 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.680 and to those guys. You know, I wonder if it 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:18.800 next year. You mentioned O'Dell and Landry, and it's the 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.520 first I thought of these things. But even little things 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:25.039 luxuries that they've been able to have, like Kareem Hunt. 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:27.880 Do they have to trade Kareem Hunt to Seattle? You know, 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:30.159 they just to dump them. They gonna give Chubb a 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:33.000 new deal because they're not gonna jub go no way, 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:36.320 you know. So some of these moves they've made, I 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:38.359 don't know if they'll have the luxuries. And I wonder 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:41.000 the more I think about it, maybe Ward walks after 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:46.040 drafting Newsom yeah, you know, I mean, right, um, here's 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:49.760 another interesting one that we can keep the old line intact. Yeah, 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:52.279 that's gonna get exact, big yeah, Like guy like Hooper's 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:55.520 gonna get cut for sure. The Bills are seven points 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:59.120 seven million over the cap, and Alan doesn't have his 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:00.600 new deal, and Alan does that was a new deal, 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:02.599 and some of those, I mean, we've seen this many 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.320 times in Pittsburgh history. You can get a cap relief 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:07.360 this year, you know, give him a six year deal 0:07:07.440 --> 0:07:09.560 or whatever. And maybe that's coming for Baker too, But 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:13.360 these are you know, if you've cap problems, you're not adding, 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:15.400 you're not you're not adding like you have been the 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:18.240 last couple of years. No, you can't trade for DAGs 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:20.320 and you know those type of things. And I think 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:22.800 their draft showed us that, Like we're just gonna draft 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.000 four linemen to start, start to draft because those things 0:07:25.000 --> 0:07:28.120 are expensive and we know soon we're gonna be losing 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:31.760 more than we're bringing in every year. The Saints with 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.560 forty six players signed or four point seven million dollars over, 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.960 good for them, but yeah, better than that's without a 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:43.560 that's without a starting quarters, right, and the cap doesn't 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:46.280 account for them. The Falcons are three point eight million 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:49.200 over man Julio and Ryan are hard to move on from. 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:52.080 The Vikings are the last team that has a little 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:55.240 bit of cap space there. That's from twenty four downs. 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:57.360 So the Falcons on down are all over the cap. 0:07:57.800 --> 0:07:59.600 Then you have the Vikings at two point eight million, 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.280 thety Niners are at one point three Real quick question, 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.360 just because I'm just interested with myself, how many players 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:09.120 do the Vikings have under contract? They have sixty. I 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:11.120 wasna say they've got a lot of six draft picks 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:12.960 in the last two year. Compare that to the I 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:15.000 just mentioned the Vikings and the forty Niners in that 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.480 same neighborhood. Yeah, so the Vikings have sixty players under contract, 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:20.840 the forty Niners have thirty six, and the Niners are 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:22.240 the first round pick for a while, I don't have 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:24.080 a first round pick and they've only got one point 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:27.240 three million in cap space. I mean, Jimmy's gonna go right. 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:29.120 I mean, some of those moves are right on, but 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.239 then you're eating dead caps, you know, eating. But depth's 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:32.760 gonna be a problem for the Niners now. I mean 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:35.480 they're gonna become a rams Stars and scrubs. Type of 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:39.840 team real quick. The Chiefs have thirty seven players under contract, 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:42.240 only have five point five million in cap space? How 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:45.880 many the Steelers have again under contract? Where are the 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:48.400 Ravens on there? The Ravens in the middle of the pack, 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:51.280 their fifteen They have forty nine players in the contract, 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:54.160 twenty four million dollars in cap space. But again, Lamar's 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:56.640 but they gotta signed Lamar. Sign Lamar, which again can 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:58.800 be fine for the first year, give him a big bonus. 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:03.480 And yeah, but those teams, I mean, who are some 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:08.280 of the other examples Baker Buffalo, you know when they 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.560 gave him his deal, Dak Prescott when he's gotten his 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:12.640 money here. But I'm thinking the teams that are about 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.760 to hit that. Okay, the Browns, the Bills, the Ravens, 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.920 they've they're soon going to find out what life is 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:21.040 like with an expensive quarterback because none of those guys 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:22.599 are leaving. They're not moving on from him. There, No, 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:25.559 they're not moving on from him. And the Lamar experiment better. 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:30.040 I'm a Lamar believer, much more so than Baker. At 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:32.560 some point he needs to learn how to be a 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.360 better pocket passer. Yes, because the running is not gonna 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:37.480 last forever, and anyway, when they give him a big deal, 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:39.160 they may not want him to run as much. To say, 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:41.920 I think he has he and they have to change 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:44.840 a little for this to work for the next It's 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:46.760 still find to scramble. We're not going to design any 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.080 more running place for you know. And we've talked about 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:52.559 with Josh Allen to who's built much differently and runs less. 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.320 But I think I'm handed to Zack Moss a little 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:59.400 bit more here if I'm gonna pay him a huge contract. 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.200 And he's only had one good year. It was an 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:05.960 awesome year, and I'm a believer that he's that I 0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:09.400 was wrong about him. But no one got better more 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:11.960 from nineteen to twenty than Josh Allen. I mean, what 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.880 if he takes a percent step back? You know, not 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:17.480 much does this matter to you. I'm looking here at 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:21.440 the average age of those players. Mhm. The Saints are 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:26.280 tops at this. See this is weird for me with 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:30.839 the Saints. They are They're the Mardi Gras in the league. 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:34.839 I mean it's just a party, you know, spend and 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:38.240 left and right and Hurricanes and you know, lifted shirt up, 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:41.760 you know, I mean because they not only they spend 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:45.600 like crazy. But I mentioned Minnesota has made twenty six 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:48.240 draft picks in the last two years. The Saints have 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:50.960 made like fifteen in the last three. You know, like 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:54.520 they trade up for troutman and guards and you know, 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:57.600 like they go for quality instead of quantity. And they've 0:10:57.640 --> 0:11:01.280 drafted very well. But they most had that Steelers of 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:05.720 the seventies draft with Kamara and ram Check and Williams. Like, 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:10.880 now you gotta pay those dudes. They are unbelievable to 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:14.240 me because they're so aggressive. But their draft should be 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:16.840 like the Rams. Like the Rams are super aggressive, never 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:18.760 the first round pick, but they bring in ten picks 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:20.640 every year. You know, at least you can have backup 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:23.400 linebackers that are cheap. The Saints don't do any of that. 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:27.160 Who do you think is number two in average age? 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:28.880 This one was kind of surprising because you don't think 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:30.600 of this team, the SATs the oldest team the league. 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:33.040 Sat Saints will be the oldest team next year. This 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:35.240 is this is looking I can call it up for 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.800 this year, but two the oldest the second oldest team 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:41.120 will be the forty Niners. As I said, Tampa, we've 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:44.040 been my guests. Let me, let me look at this 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:47.600 year's bring Yeah, that's kind of like. The Steelers are 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:49.800 are tenth on that list at twenty seven point two three, 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.559 but they've got they got thirty year old quarterbacks. Assume 0:11:53.559 --> 0:11:55.880 Brady'll still be there, Ben won. So the average age 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.199 going right now as we sit here is the Tampa 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:02.320 Bay Buccaneers at seven won four years for Okay, that's 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:06.120 current roster, current guys under contracts current current roster for 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:11.319 the Bears are second at seven a third at twenty 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.320 seven point one. Wow, I don't think of them as 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:17.040 an old team. The Patriots are fourth on that list 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:20.200 at eight four because they've drafted so poorly and just 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:22.199 had to bring in a bunch of twenty eight year olds. 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:28.240 The Texans are fifth metric for them, there's no hope. 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:30.360 There's not a good one around, right. I mean not 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:31.920 to mention, I mean I don't mean to be course 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:35.360 towards the women and all the Watson situation. Their only 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.720 card in the only ace they have turned into a two. 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.200 You know, like, you can't get anything for him right 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:44.800 now unless things change dramatically, and even if they do, 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:46.880 you're not gonna get what you could have six months 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:50.280 ago for Shaun Watson. They have no means of getting better. 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:56.600 I mean, whoever Spencer Rattler needs to be a superstar. 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:58.640 And they if they are earned the first pick in 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:00.320 the draft that you know what I mean, Like you 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.120 draft him, you're now you're playing two quarterbacks, like right, 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:05.800 I mean they should never drafted Mills either, because he's 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:09.000 not a he's a really hard time succeeding on that team. 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.839 And even if he succeeds, you're probably gonna draft a 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.240 quarterback with the top three pick anyway, you know, he 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:18.120 has to blow your doors off. So the Steelers on 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:21.760 on the current age of their roster or eighteen six 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:25.960 point one six with one obvious with one that's with 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:28.560 Roethlisberger on the roster, I mean Cam and de Castro 0:13:28.679 --> 0:13:34.240 and somebody found. But you're getting younger, right yeah, And again, 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:37.680 what was the number after the season of guys under 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:41.040 contract in twenty two? It was like they started off 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:45.679 with seventeen and now it's up and none of those 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:47.960 are old people, right, you know, and you're gonna add 0:13:48.040 --> 0:13:51.680 Minca and Watt to that in their prime, so you'll 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:54.360 be up at the forty six in time, you know, 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:56.560 been because there's no rush because of the franchise bag 0:13:56.600 --> 0:14:01.040 and all that. But so, I mean, I don't think 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.360 they're gonna go out there shopping for thirty two old 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:05.360 free agents after this year, you know, I don't see that. 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.520 They just that's not how they do business. And even 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:11.000 if they had a veteran quarterback, it's gonna be Derrick 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:15.599 car Age, it's not gonna be Ryan Fitzpatrick. No, it 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:17.960 was the same age as Ben. I might yeah, I mean, 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:21.160 it's not gonna be that era. But I just I 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:24.000 just thought they're only getting younger, which not every team is. 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:25.840 You think every team is, but not every team is. 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:28.760 It's not a bad thing to get younger while also 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.160 keeping You know, people wonder why did the Steelers pay 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:33.000 Cam Heyward that money they could have They could have 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:37.600 spent that on whoever Bud do Pury for example, Cam 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:40.120 is better than Bud. You spend the money. First of all, 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.000 you spend the money on camp A because he's better 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:45.320 than the bud be because he's one of your locker 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:48.760 room leaders. That goes a long way. That's why, you know, 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:50.520 when you talk about I was asked this question today 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:53.040 on my chat. How did the Steelers get people to 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.400 buy in. How the Steelers get their players to buy 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:59.440 into paying it forward, Like, Okay, we brought in a 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:02.760 I'm the starting wide receiver, Matt, You're a second round 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:04.800 draft pick. You come in and I help you out. 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:06.960 Aaron Smith sends it to Hayward, who sends it to 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:10.040 who sends it to some sophomore at Oklahoma right now, 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.520 you know who. Don't you get that because hey, you 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:16.600 keep that family type atmosphere in the locker starts with ownership, 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:21.080 and you do that by being mostly homegrown. Without question. 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:24.040 They don't see you going out and spending money like crazy. 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:26.840 Everybody in that locker room for the most part. If 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:29.360 there's if there's fifty three guys in the locker room, 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:33.840 forty five of them were guys you drafted or developed, 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:36.920 and that goes a long way towards building that kind 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:40.320 of without question. Of course, that starts with the ownership, 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:47.760 which then in turn, same GM, same head coach, whoever's 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.240 here for three or four years, knows what to expect 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:53.000 next year. You're in the same camp, you're running the 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:56.640 same offense, you know, and you see you see them 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:59.640 them show loyalty towards their guys. They did it to 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:02.600 M like if I if I do what I'm supposed 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:04.440 to do and I make this proper, if I make 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.240 the strides that I'm supposed to make, They'll give me 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.360 a second contract and I'll be here for the length 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.320 of that second contract. And these guys know each other. 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:16.520 The world's much smaller now. I mean, Nase Nausey knows 0:16:17.040 --> 0:16:20.760 Lynch and Peter's and whoever at Bama before Um and 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:23.880 one of you know, make up. I'm sure every team 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:27.400 has connections. And the no college guy or free agent 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.120 now goes to a team and doesn't have a clue, 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:33.160 don't know anybody like we're talking to We're talking to 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:37.680 Dan Moore and Kendrick Green on draft day and they 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:40.760 trained together at the same you know. And some of 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:43.360 these guys are the same agents or trainers or went 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:45.720 to school or recruited. And then you have Buddy Johnson 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:47.920 there who's also played with like yeah, dy have mork 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:49.480 and room with either one of them be you know, 0:16:49.720 --> 0:16:52.880 just as comfortable. And they follow each other on Instagram 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:55.640 and Facebook, and you know, like they pay attention to 0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:59.680 one another. It's not when I was in fifth grade, 0:16:59.680 --> 0:17:01.440 if my ad moved to Oklahoma, and I had to 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:02.880 go to a new school and didn't know a soul. 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:04.959 That's not how the world works anymore. So you go 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:09.400 into an environment with friends or acquaintances that have told 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:11.960 you how things go around here, and I'm sure a 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:15.080 lot of those aren't so swell, like like kind of 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.240 hate it here, you know what I mean, Like that's 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:21.240 very important. If you let the cams go, you lose 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.239 a lot of that. You lose some of that that 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:28.120 veteran leadership, call it whatever you want to call it. 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:29.680 It goes a long way in that locker room. You 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:33.679 can trace the lineage of those guys straight back to 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:37.920 Joe Green, right, Oh that it starts there. Yeah. Yeah, 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:41.280 And not every year was super successful, and there's bumps 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:46.760 in the roads over a fifty year period, but I'm sure, 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:50.080 but it's there. Let's say they draft a defensive lineman 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:52.800 in the first round, or even the guy they drafted 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:54.600 this year, the one before that, or the one before that, 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:57.119 and you walk in that defensive meeting room and you 0:17:57.160 --> 0:18:01.320 sit next to Cam Heyward your things, Yeah, you know, 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:03.560 you know what I mean. It's not like this is 0:18:03.600 --> 0:18:06.760 a nobody and Cam's not the biggest name in in sports. 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.000 It's not like sitting next to Brady, but we've been 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.480 around the guy. He commands respect, and when he speaks 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:13.840 in that room, everyone shuts up, and I'm gonna do 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.080 what he does, you know what I mean. Position coach, 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.280 the defense coordinator, the head coach. They keep pulling out, Hey, 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.920 here's what we do and what y'll Cam does this? Yeah, right, 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:24.119 exactly exactly, And just the way he speaks, in the confidence, 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.040 in the swagger and you know that stuff is important. 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.000 It's it's kind of like when I when I traced 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:31.640 the you know, I took Cam Sutton and traced him 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.440 back to the Shay Townsend like you see that there 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:36.760 there's a direct lineage there of those of those kind 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:39.320 of guys that and they're not pro bowlers, but they're versatile, 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:41.480 important pieces that played a lot of special teams and 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:44.960 made their bones. And to be honest, that worries me 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.159 a little bit with Pouncey and al leaving. You know, 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:50.399 they weren't great players last year. I mean, I'm not 0:18:50.400 --> 0:18:53.080 gonna Candy coade it. They weren't, you know what what 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.000 pounds he had been earlier in his career, and frankly, 0:18:56.040 --> 0:18:58.119 they were maybe more liable. They may be better at 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:00.240 left tackle and center this year than they were last 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:02.440 year or just on the field, but they're not gonna 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:05.200 be better in the room. Not yet. Yeah, I mean 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:08.200 the Pouncy Poundcy still commanded that respect. He was still 0:19:08.240 --> 0:19:11.680 the he was still the guy. He was still the 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:14.000 pulse of the team, Like you could go to him 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:15.760 and you know, what's the team feeling about this? Or 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:17.840 for example that when they when they were going through 0:19:17.920 --> 0:19:23.080 the situation with the with the the protests and stuff 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:25.399 like that, you went to Pouncey for that, you know, 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:29.399 because he was the you know, the the voice of 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:31.800 the team on that in that situation. Well who's that 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:33.960 guy now? Like you also went to Cam, So Cam 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:36.680 still there? Somebody else now needs to step into them 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:39.040 be TJ now it needs to be you know, I mean, 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:41.760 Ben's not gonna be there much longer. Is it gonna 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.520 be one of the wide receivers or is it going 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:47.280 to be Nausey? One of these days? It will be 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:49.000 this year, But I mean, is he gonna be the 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:52.080 next ye Rome? Unfortunately, they don't usually play twelve years. 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:55.639 You know, Um, I don't know this for a fact. 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:59.359 That's an educated guess. But ab went off the rails 0:19:59.359 --> 0:20:01.480 at one point. Would he have gone off the rails 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:03.520 a little earlier if Hayward Bay wasn't with him all 0:20:03.520 --> 0:20:06.040 the time, you know what I mean. I've said that before, 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:08.720 like somebody needed to be the adult in there. That 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:10.159 worries me a little in that room too. They're a 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:13.480 little young, yeah, you know they're getting they've been around 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:16.160 the block though, yeah, I mean they're young, but experienced. 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:18.480 You know, it's not like you know, you're you're counting 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:20.399 on three guys who've been here for a year or 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:22.600