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Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold Steelers Nation.

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Speaker 2: Radio Final Hour. Here of our coverage of day one

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Speaker 2: of Steelers mandatory Mini camp from the upmc rooney Sports Complex.

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Speaker 2: The Matt Williamson and Tom Aframan with you. Steelers practice

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Speaker 2: today is a scheduled to start around one and go

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Speaker 2: till about three fifteen. So wrapping up on the air

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Speaker 2: and things will be happening on the practice field. That's fine.

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Speaker 2: We weren't allowed to tell you anything that happened anyway.

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Speaker 2: So right ver you point. Starting to see a little

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Speaker 2: bit of a rain here, come down, Matt, a little

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Speaker 2: bit of a dip in the temperature for these guys.

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Speaker 2: I was here a couple of weeks ago during OTA's

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Speaker 2: and it felt like it was a early November day.

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Speaker 2: It was rainy.

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Speaker 3: Oh you heard that that? Oh yeah, yeez.

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Speaker 2: And we said, you know what, this is good. You're

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Speaker 2: playing in the AFC North, you're in Pittsburgh. This is

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Speaker 2: more like what you're going to be playing in as

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Speaker 2: opposed to the summertime weather. Now, it's still very nice

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Speaker 2: out today, but I wouldn't hate seeing a little bit

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Speaker 2: of rain during this next three days of mini camp.

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Speaker 2: Kind of have the elements present a problem to this team.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, of the six Ota game, their days, the weather

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Speaker 3: you were here for the most extreme that was cold.

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Speaker 2: It was very wet.

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Speaker 3: I mean, even where we're at under a shelter, the

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Speaker 3: rain was coming in. The players were soaked. I mean

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Speaker 3: the ball was wet. And then there was another day

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Speaker 3: that was pretty extreme heat for late May, June, et cetera.

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Speaker 3: I mean it was it was really warm. I looked

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Speaker 3: this morning today, it looks like the only day where

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Speaker 3: they might be rain and I didn't realize they were

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Speaker 3: practician one when I looked. But I think that's about

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Speaker 3: when it's expected to hit, which I'm sure to Mike

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Speaker 3: Tomlin wouldn't mind at all. The other two days are

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Speaker 3: supposed to be nice, and today's been nice, but I

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Speaker 3: think Thursday is supposed to be pretty darn hot again too.

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Speaker 3: And I think Tomlin wants heat more than anything, you know,

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Speaker 3: I mean that's what.

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Speaker 2: He like camp. Yeah, Yeah, he loves those hot, sticky,

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Speaker 2: gross days. Yeah, but I think he likes the rain too,

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Speaker 2: and the rain football. If there's snow, lightning and he's

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Speaker 2: allowed to.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, you can get more done out here too.

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Speaker 3: There's just so much more real estate to practice as

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Speaker 3: opposed to the indoor.

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Speaker 2: You're just you're not playing in domes like you're you're

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Speaker 2: in the AFC North.

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Speaker 3: Get used to it, right, Eight of your games is

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Speaker 3: going to.

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Speaker 2: Be played outdoors, just naturally because or excuse me, six

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Speaker 2: of your opponents are gonna be played out there, whatever

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Speaker 2: that is? Whatever? Yeah, yeah, six because you got three

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Speaker 2: home against them and three on the road against them.

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Speaker 2: So like, you're just not playing indoors. You're playing in

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Speaker 2: the elements. And was that a bit of a surprise

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Speaker 2: to you? Why Rogers decided to come here is because

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Speaker 2: of that. You have to play in the elements, and

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Speaker 2: I know he did that in his entire career. I

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Speaker 2: you aged a little more gracefully now when you're in

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Speaker 2: a dome and that control sure.

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Speaker 3: I'll be honest, I'm not sure how many opportunities he

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Speaker 3: had to go. I'm not sure. I mean cities he

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Speaker 3: had to pick from.

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Speaker 2: When Minnesota decided to go with JJ.

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Speaker 3: I'm not even sure if that was real.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I don't talked into existence a little bit.

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Speaker 3: Who knows I just think that they're all in on

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Speaker 3: McCarthy and he's the franchise, and no matter who it is,

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Speaker 3: you don't want that guy being a distraction, you know

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Speaker 3: what I mean? You should, Yeah, and I think they've

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Speaker 3: built a phenomenal nest for that as well.

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Speaker 2: He could be one of those guys that, if he

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Speaker 2: went to the wrong place, would fail miserably be a

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Speaker 2: bust in this league. But he might have just maybe

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Speaker 2: he might have just landed in the perfect spot. Perfect.

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Speaker 3: He's definitely in the perfect spot. I just think that

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Speaker 3: you like, for example, I'm trying to think who it

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Speaker 3: was at the end of the Cam Newton experience in Carolina.

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Speaker 3: Not that Cam Newton was a bad guy, but you

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Speaker 3: just wanted him out, so he's not a shadow over

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Speaker 3: the the new guy, you know what I mean. Like,

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Speaker 3: let McCarthy be the one on the billboards not having

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Speaker 3: an all time great hovering over him, and then you.

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Speaker 2: Have that whole farm saga that you would be playing

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Speaker 2: into again because now I'm in the Vikings. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 2: it would have been a monumental distraction.

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Speaker 3: But fact, like the weather conversation, I was sitting here

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Speaker 3: just thinking about it as we were talking about that.

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Speaker 3: I mean Rogers more maybe as much as any quarterback

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Speaker 3: in history right there with Farv has thrived in bad weather. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I mean he's a California guy. Farv was a Mississippi guy.

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Speaker 3: They didn't grow up playing in the elements, you know

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Speaker 3: what I mean. He played at Cow, they played at

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Speaker 3: Southern Myths or wherever he's from, you know, so they

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Speaker 3: learned to adapt quite a bit. And I don't think

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Speaker 3: the weather here will affect him at all. DK Metcalf

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Speaker 3: comes from Seattle, I mean rainy cold, I mean yeah, right,

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Speaker 3: all right, Slay comes from Philly, you know what I mean. Like,

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Speaker 3: some of their new additions are not going to be

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Speaker 3: influenced at all by weather and conditions and that sort

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Speaker 3: of thing. So I think it's noteworthy. It's not a

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Speaker 3: huge thing, but it's noteworthy.

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Speaker 2: Let's get into the running backs for a little bit

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Speaker 2: more here. What's it going to take for Caleb Johnson

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Speaker 2: to get that first string role to be the guy

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Speaker 2: Sunday night football. Your head pops up, you say, Caleb Johnson,

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Speaker 2: University of Iowa.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, is that an.

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Speaker 2: Initial thing for him?

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Speaker 4: Him?

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Speaker 2: Because they did that with Nause But Naji was a

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Speaker 2: first round pick coming out of this is the third

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Speaker 2: round pick. And also it was Naji or Benny Snow

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Speaker 2: when you draft right right Jalen Warren. So there is

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Speaker 2: definitely some notable differences between the scenarios. Yeah, but I

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Speaker 2: think they hope that it's all systems go. After this

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Speaker 2: mini camp and very early into training camp, they are

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Speaker 2: confident that he can take sixty percent of that workload

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Speaker 2: and give forty to Jalen Warren kind of that similar split.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and you also have gain Weell floating around just

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Speaker 3: as Inshore and Slash as a number three, and you

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Speaker 3: know he was Barkley's number two last year. There's something he.

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Speaker 2: Said for that if injury oh yeah, yeah.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah. You mentioned it with Nausey. If you're a

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Speaker 3: use first round pick on a running back, even if

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Speaker 3: it's late, they're almost always the starter. Like he's in

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Speaker 3: trouble in Sandy in LA with with a Mary Hanton, right.

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Speaker 2: He's gonna maybe become the Warren there, like that second fiddle.

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Speaker 3: It's bound to happen. I mean, there's such history of

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Speaker 3: if you're going to use a first round pick on

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Speaker 3: a running back that usually don't last in this league.

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Speaker 3: Super long and everyone eman knows the theory of you

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Speaker 3: don't take running backs in the first round. They're gonna play,

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Speaker 3: and they're gonna play a lot. And he only had

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Speaker 3: to beat up Benny Snell, who was a good special teamer,

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Speaker 3: but he was a very mediocre number two number two back.

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Speaker 3: Even I think Johnson's challenge is much much greater in

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Speaker 3: that Warren's really good. I mean, Warren's one of my

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Speaker 3: favorite Steelers and maybe one of my most underrated Steelers. Frankly,

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Speaker 3: since he's been in black and gold, and this is

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Speaker 3: somewhat of indictment those around him, he's been one of

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Speaker 3: their absolute best offensive weapons. I mean, without doubt in

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Speaker 3: my mind.

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Speaker 2: There's been so many times over the past couple of

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Speaker 2: years he comes in the game and you see the pop. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you've been missing the series before he finally got in.

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Speaker 3: Yep. And now I don't know that, Oh, I do

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Speaker 3: know that they don't want him to be a seventy

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Speaker 3: five percent touch guy. He can be, I think for

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Speaker 3: a game or two, but yeah, I don't think that

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Speaker 3: should be your plan in order. And that's not a

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Speaker 3: great plan or twenty game plan for that matter. But

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Speaker 3: Labs nailed it. I mean, what keeps young receivers or

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Speaker 3: run young running backs off the field is fumbling in

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Speaker 3: pass protection more than anything. Most of these guys know

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Speaker 3: how to run, they know what hole to hit. That

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Speaker 3: doesn't mean they're great. But what keeps you off the

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Speaker 3: field is trust. I mean, if you're gonna put the

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Speaker 3: ball on the ground, which has never been a problem

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Speaker 3: for him, that doesn't worry Yeah, that doesn't worry me.

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Speaker 3: But it's he's got to do it in the league.

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Speaker 3: I mean, with all respect of the Big ten, it's

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Speaker 3: not it's going to be more of a challenge one

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Speaker 3: and very unproven in past pro Now again doesn't mean

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Speaker 3: he can't do it. I mean it's just very unproven.

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Speaker 3: He certainly has the physical traits, you know, like for example,

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Speaker 3: he brought up nausey nause has super long arms. You've

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Speaker 3: seen him in person. I mean he is a big, strong,

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Speaker 3: strapping running back that maybe is only second to like

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Speaker 3: Derrick Henry in terms of physical prowess right right right,

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Speaker 3: right right right. So physically nause he had no problem.

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Speaker 3: But even like when he got here in protection nause

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Speaker 3: you would duck his head a little bit, you know,

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Speaker 3: upon contact and you can't hit what you can't see

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Speaker 3: type of thing, but hits line back exactly exactly, But

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Speaker 3: he quickly corrected that. I mean that was an issue

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Speaker 3: coming out of Bama, and you got away with it

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Speaker 3: there Again, Johnson, there's a so few reps to analyze,

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Speaker 3: so we'll see it's Iowa. They don't they don't pass protect.

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Speaker 3: But he is built for it. I'm sure he is

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Speaker 3: the willingness for it. But we'll see, let's say, and

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Speaker 3: that won't be proven this week. I mean that's gonna

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Speaker 3: be a training camp. I can almost predict it now.

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Speaker 3: First rep backs on backers, Johnson, you got what you know,

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Speaker 3: but he's gonna lose, you know. But that's what Tomlin does,

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Speaker 3: you know, like Ardie Burns got here, you got ab

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Speaker 3: one on one, you know. I mean, that's what happens.

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Speaker 2: That on top of him being explosive and established himself

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Speaker 2: as a big time playmaker. But that was one of

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Speaker 2: the main reasons why Jalen Warren was able to make

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Speaker 2: the team, as.

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Speaker 3: He's great at the player. Yeah, he stood.

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Speaker 2: Out, let's have that. Now he's undrafted, so he doesn't

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Speaker 2: start with Watt like Johnson.

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Speaker 3: No, right, right, moved up right right, it gets.

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Speaker 2: Number ninety and he kind of pops number ninety in

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Speaker 2: the mouth a little bit, and all of a sudden,

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Speaker 2: you're like, whoa, we got a dude that not only

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Speaker 2: is athletic, but we can we can trust this guy

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Speaker 2: on the football field now, And that went a long

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Speaker 2: way with him making that team as an undrafted short

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Speaker 2: And now you have that in your back pocket where

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Speaker 2: if you know you can try. Johnson is a little

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Speaker 2: bit behind the eight ball when it comes to that,

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Speaker 2: We're still going to be okay because third down Rogers

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Speaker 2: needs to pass the ball. Thirty is going to be

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Speaker 2: next to him in the sidecar, yes, and he's gonna

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Speaker 2: be just to handle all of that.

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Speaker 3: And game Boll's not as big as strong, but he's

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Speaker 3: been around the block and professional running back that understands

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Speaker 3: protection and right right, he won Super Bowl last year.

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Speaker 3: You know, but again the LABS is point too about

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Speaker 3: protection even backs on backers. Hey, okay, I know I

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Speaker 3: have TJ. Watt and that's awful. I mean that's brutal,

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Speaker 3: don't get me wrong. Or I know I have Patrick

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Speaker 3: Queen coming from the second level as big as of

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Speaker 3: a challenge as those are. One on one physically is

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Speaker 3: mentally knowing, well, if this guy comes, I have him.

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Speaker 3: If this guy comes, I of him. And Lab said

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Speaker 3: it perfectly, like if I'm six inches off on my

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Speaker 3: angle against these guys, I mean against these velociraptors, they

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Speaker 3: are trying to kill my quarterback. Right, You're just getting

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Speaker 3: a piece of them. You're lungeon. You know, you got

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Speaker 3: to be mentally really sharp. Now I don't know this

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Speaker 3: for sure, but I'm guessing Iowa had five protections and

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Speaker 3: he knew them all like the back of his hand.

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Speaker 3: Here they might have fifteen, and it's faster and it's better,

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Speaker 3: but you also have the quarterbacks going to go. You

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Speaker 3: got forty two, you got sixty three, you know what

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Speaker 3: I mean, like whispering in his ear right right right.

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Speaker 3: He's a nice sidecar to have on your side, no

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Speaker 3: doubt about that.

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Speaker 2: And Rogers is going to be aware of that curve

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Speaker 2: that John is going to have to go through in

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Speaker 2: his rookie season coming from Iowa. We talked about how

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Speaker 2: there's not much of a sample size or a tape

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Speaker 2: out there of him in pass protection because Iowa threw

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Speaker 2: like four passes a game. Yeah, yeah, that being kind

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Speaker 2: of a bit of a negative or providing us a

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Speaker 2: bit of an unknown with that aspect of his game

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Speaker 2: and pass protection. The fact that Iowa ran the ball

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Speaker 2: like eighty five percent of the time show against stacked

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Speaker 2: boxes and he was still having success. I mean, that

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Speaker 2: is what gives you so much optimism for him in

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Speaker 2: the actual you know, running back portion of.

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Speaker 3: His Oh yeah, and the workload and all that kind

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Speaker 3: of stuff, right right.

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Speaker 2: He and you mentioned the workload thing. He had two

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Speaker 2: hundred and forty carries his senior season at Iowa, but

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Speaker 2: only had one hundred and seventeen and one hundred and

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Speaker 2: fifty one the previous two years. Like it's not like

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Speaker 2: worn into the ground like some running backs are.

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Speaker 3: That's a good point.

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Speaker 2: He was only a starter for one season, so.

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Speaker 3: People don't think about this human aspect of it either

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Speaker 3: is not only does your body have to hold up

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Speaker 3: to be a feature back in this league. I mean,

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Speaker 3: Jerome Emmett, you know these type dudes. Certainly there is

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Speaker 3: a physical toughness, there's an endurance to it, without question, conditioning,

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Speaker 3: understanding how to take a hit, blah blah blah. But

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Speaker 3: there's also a mentality to it, you know, like Emma

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Speaker 3: Smith in the playoff game. His arm is dislocated, hanging

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Speaker 3: on the ground. Give me the rock man, you know,

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Speaker 3: Walter Payton, you know, I mean, I mean, I'm sure

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Speaker 3: bettest that time and time again. And you know, Steeler

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Speaker 3: greats have done a time and time again. But there's

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Speaker 3: a mentality to it. And I think Johnson proved at

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Speaker 3: the college level, which isn't the same. I got that mentality,

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Speaker 3: you know. I mean, just keep fan me the football, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I know him. The whole offense feature feature me over

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Speaker 3: and over and over. But back to your workload thing especially,

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Speaker 3: I mean what backs it up or like the advanced metrics.

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Speaker 3: But if you look at Warren as just a receiver

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Speaker 3: over the last two or three years, he's slightly behind

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Speaker 3: like the mccaffreys of the world in terms of yards

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Speaker 3: per catch, all kinds of different aspects of the receiving stuff.

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Speaker 3: It would blow people away where he ranked around him. Yes,

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Speaker 3: I mean, yes, McCaffrey's like the best, and there's a

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Speaker 3: couple of elite ones, but he's right in their neighborhood.

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Speaker 3: So his third and long, second and long stuff isn't

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Speaker 3: going away at all. I mean, that's what he does best.

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Speaker 3: So Johnson to a point is sort of capped because

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Speaker 3: if it's stur Nate, Warren's going to be out there.

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Speaker 3: He's one of the best in the league at it. Yes, yes, yes, yes,

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Speaker 3: checks every box, yes, yes, yes, He's not going to

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Speaker 3: be better at Warren than those things, and even third

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Speaker 3: down back.

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Speaker 2: Stuff, even if Rogers is feeling himself a little bit

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Speaker 2: on those third and eight thirty nines and he's like,

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Speaker 2: I'm switching to a draw there's no one on the field. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: he's got the skill as a runner too, It's not

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Speaker 2: just like some specialty guy that can only block.

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Speaker 3: And I've been praising Warren up and down this segment

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Speaker 3: and I still will. But I also think there's a

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Speaker 3: misnomer over his and Nausey's tenure here. Wow, look at

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Speaker 3: Warren George carry. It's so much better. He should be

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Speaker 3: out there one night. Well, nause he's also getting carries

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Speaker 3: on third and one, where his goal is to push

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Speaker 3: a pile and get one yard.

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Speaker 2: Ten guys are going to be at the box herea

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Speaker 2: he's not.

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Speaker 3: Getting the draw on third and twelve that you get

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Speaker 3: eight yards free, you know, I mean, so the usage

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Speaker 3: has been a little different too.

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Speaker 2: And if we're uncomfortable or if you're uncomfortable with Warren

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Speaker 2: maybe being used too much in that taking away from him,

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Speaker 2: he can be the quote unquote starter this year. No

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Speaker 2: Caleb just dips into some of his carries. The dynamic

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Speaker 2: can still work that way. Yeah, and you still get

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Speaker 2: the quality performance that you're getting out of Warren.

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Speaker 3: I'm wanna throw something at you too. I mean, Warren's

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Speaker 3: contracts up after this year. Now, I understand in the

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Speaker 3: world of contracts, Watt is priority number one that he'll

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Speaker 3: be the next contract they do.

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Speaker 2: Priority number one Matt for sure. But also I'm the

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Speaker 2: least worried about it. I'm for sure it's getting done right.

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Speaker 2: Other ones like Austin and this one, I'm a little

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Speaker 2: more fogged.

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Speaker 3: But Warren is a guy I would consider at least

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Speaker 3: adding a year or two. And I think of it

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Speaker 3: from a couple perspective. First off, he's pretty darn good.

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Speaker 3: He's a high quality dude. I don't need a rookie

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Speaker 3: this year and then a rookie next year. You know,

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Speaker 3: let's kind of stagger their ages a little bit.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, all of a sudden, he's the veteran in the room.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, But Warren will be here. He's a

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Speaker 3: steeler if you would make him, if you would put

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Speaker 3: two years on his deal, He's here through twenty eight

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Speaker 3: or whatever. You know. And I don't know gain will

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Speaker 3: will be probably not. And this sounds cruel, but you

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Speaker 3: know I have a front office background. Warren hasn't made

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Speaker 3: any money. I mean in the world of the NFL.

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Speaker 3: He is about as low of an earner as you

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Speaker 3: possibly could be.

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Speaker 2: I remember he'd play for free some weeks.

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Speaker 3: But if you get or right, and my point is,

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Speaker 3: if you give him a bonus today five million a

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Speaker 3: year as opposed to eight million a year, the Warren

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Speaker 3: families like, sign me up, man, right, I could blow

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Speaker 3: out my knee in a heartbeat, right, especially at that position.

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Speaker 3: It's a great, I low opportunity. I'd love to see

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Speaker 3: that both of them here together for the next two

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Speaker 3: or three years and then you know running backs after

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Speaker 3: that who knows, but that would be some stability there too.

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Speaker 2: Now this year he will get an it's it's the

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Speaker 2: best it's been and they get around second round tender,

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Speaker 2: which is amazing.

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Speaker 3: It shows you what shows what they think of him. Right,

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Speaker 3: But all in all, he doesn't much in the bank

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Speaker 3: compared to most people.

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Speaker 2: No, he does not, but this year is going to

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Speaker 2: feel like Wade has been lifted off of us. So hey,

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Speaker 2: he can actually, you know, maybe get a fine in.

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Speaker 3: The actually paid for it, right, Not if they walk

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Speaker 3: around the locker room with the right.

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Speaker 2: And now yeah collecting, but if you would.

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Speaker 3: Give him a couple of million dollars signing bonus and

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Speaker 3: camp sign easy guy to sign, right, take advantage of that.

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Speaker 2: Throw money in front of him.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely.

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Speaker 2: Austin's kind of the same way to pay more than

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Speaker 2: Warren because he was an actual draft pick at this point.

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Speaker 2: But throw real money at Calvin Austin you to be

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Speaker 2: able to get a nice team friendly there.

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Speaker 3: Those two and Elliott are the ones that are upcoming

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Speaker 3: free agents. Wat aside that I might consider extending in camp.

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Speaker 3: You got the money and that don't think any of

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Speaker 3: them would break the bank.

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Speaker 2: Will we come back back, Matt, Let's take a look

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Speaker 2: around the AFC. Now that the Steelers have, yeah, their

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Speaker 2: quarterbacks set in stone. Where do they kind of fall

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Speaker 2: now June tenth in the hierarchy in the pecking order

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Speaker 2: of the conference. So we'll get into that and maybe

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Speaker 2: peek into the NFC side of things as well, if

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Speaker 2: we have some time. It's Matt Williamson, It's Tom Offerman,

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Speaker 2: rolling along here in hour three of our Mandatory Mini

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Speaker 2: Camp coverage from the upmc rooney Sports Complex. You're listening

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Speaker 2: to Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network in

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Speaker 2: Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy am.

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Speaker 3: Least.

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Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williams sision

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Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold. Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Live at the upmc rooney Sports Complex, Day one of

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Speaker 2: Steelers Mandatory Mini Camp. They already had their walk through

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Speaker 2: this morning. I think they're wrapping up team meetings now that. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: the staff is starting things out like televisions and pads,

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Speaker 2: so it's starting to gear up towards the first official

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Speaker 2: practice of this phase of the Steelers off season.

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Speaker 3: All the individual stuff set up, and I'm sure the

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Speaker 3: music will start pumping. We're going to start guys starts

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Speaker 3: stretching and getting back at it. But yeah, I didn't

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Speaker 3: quite understand what the plan was for today. But this

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Speaker 3: is much more like you know, right right road down

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Speaker 3: is how they do things they could they come out

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Speaker 3: on the field twice throughout the course of the day

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Speaker 3: in the regular season, in between, you know, mixing whiteboard

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Speaker 3: and video work and lifting and treatment. Also a ton

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Speaker 3: of it is treatments, especially during the season. You know,

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Speaker 3: that's huge. And then going back on the field and

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Speaker 3: I would expect we'll see the quarterback throwing the ball round.

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Speaker 2: So a little bit of an extra buzz here today,

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Speaker 2: a little bit of extra media presence because of course

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Speaker 2: this is Aaron Rodgers' first official.

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Speaker 3: If you notice there's people from NFL network around Parkings

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Speaker 3: a little harder than usual that I don't.

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Speaker 2: Think I'm part legally, I'll just be very honest with you,

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Speaker 2: but it's just got that little extra juice to it

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Speaker 2: today because of Rogers's arrival. A lot of attention on

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Speaker 2: the Steelers and a lot of sad about.

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Speaker 3: It more over the weekend too. I'm psyched to go

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Speaker 3: see Roger.

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Speaker 2: I was too. When I got in my calf.

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Speaker 3: And slay and guys I haven't seen.

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Speaker 2: I asked if I could jump in today and do

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Speaker 2: the fill in work. I was like, that's amazing. I'll

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Speaker 2: get to see Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers uniform before anybody.

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Speaker 3: Else, first time ever.

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Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, we did see him out here walking through

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Speaker 2: stuff earlier today, and like we said, practice will be

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Speaker 2: underway soon.

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Speaker 3: And what he did and and I'm not this isn't

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Speaker 3: Ex's nose secrets. He just sat by the quarterback coach

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Speaker 3: and they were they were six inches apart from each

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Speaker 3: other the whole time, talking about every little thing.

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Speaker 2: He had a little play sheet he looked like behind

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Speaker 2: his back too, And I like to use my imagination

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Speaker 2: and think that he had it behind his back because

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Speaker 2: he was quizzing himself and he was like, I know this,

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Speaker 2: I know that this looks like that formation. I don't

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Speaker 2: even need to look at this cheat sheet anymore.

435
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,040
Speaker 3: I very much think that's the case. And again, I've

436
00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,400
Speaker 3: done way more homework on him. He signed over the weekend,

437
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,639
Speaker 3: and a lot of people I know just said he

438
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,680
Speaker 3: is a micro processor in terms of learning and processing

439
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,600
Speaker 3: offense and you know football in general. X's and o's

440
00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:12,280
Speaker 3: people get this stuff quick.

441
00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,160
Speaker 2: The terminology changes. There's obviously different wrinkles from team to team,

442
00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:17,600
Speaker 2: but it's a lot of the same core stuff.

443
00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,880
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think this is a different language for him.

444
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,479
Speaker 3: Assuming Smith and Laflor basically use the same stuff. I

445
00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,840
Speaker 3: think his coordinators with here, they were the guys from

446
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,840
Speaker 3: the Jets were Packers disciples too. It's all wait, West

447
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,040
Speaker 3: Coast based, yeah, I mean they're all speaking French.

448
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,240
Speaker 2: Remember back in dialects of it, Like remember back when

449
00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,760
Speaker 2: Lafloor used to have you call whiskey here, like we

450
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:39,880
Speaker 2: call tango on this one.

451
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:40,160
Speaker 5: Yeah.

452
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,600
Speaker 2: Completely, it's the same thing, does the same thing, moves

453
00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,399
Speaker 2: the tight end over here, but it's just different trigger

454
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,240
Speaker 2: work that you're going to have to memorize. Yeah, flash

455
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:48,680
Speaker 2: cars just like this does this.

456
00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,040
Speaker 3: Yeah. And again kind of what I mentioned is Okay,

457
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,840
Speaker 3: we're all speaking English now, but there's different dialects in

458
00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,960
Speaker 3: the south and north. It's not French, it's not Chinese,

459
00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,399
Speaker 3: right right, Yeah, they're right right, right, right right, But

460
00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,280
Speaker 3: it's all the same words, just phrased a little different. Maybe.

461
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,960
Speaker 2: Well, the Stewarts quarterback is officially here, so you can

462
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,240
Speaker 2: put that kind of unsureness to rest. Now, where do

463
00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,440
Speaker 2: they stack up against the rest of the AFC, Matt,

464
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,159
Speaker 2: Where does this put them in that hierarchy? And I

465
00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:21,359
Speaker 2: guess let's start locally and then expand out and bi locally,

466
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,480
Speaker 2: I mean the AFC North. Yeah, Rogers is obviously an

467
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,879
Speaker 2: upgrade to Rootolph Rogers I think is an upgrade to

468
00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,399
Speaker 2: what they had last year, both quarterbacks, fields and rust.

469
00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,200
Speaker 2: When you said earlier today that it is the best

470
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,240
Speaker 2: they've had since Ben, I agree with you on that.

471
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,000
Speaker 3: Like I still think. I know at this point he's

472
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,240
Speaker 3: still behind Lamar and Burrow.

473
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:39,680
Speaker 2: I was just gonna say, I still put him third

474
00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:40,480
Speaker 2: in the division.

475
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,320
Speaker 3: Now, Yes, I mean to me, there's four unbelievable quarterbacks

476
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:44,920
Speaker 3: in the league right now, and they're all in the AFC.

477
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:46,160
Speaker 3: And tour in the division is.

478
00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:51,280
Speaker 2: The Mount Rushmore, Burrow, Lamar, Mahomes and Allen. Yes, and

479
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,280
Speaker 2: two of them you have to go through in your division,

480
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,239
Speaker 2: and then the other two you'd have to go Like

481
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,199
Speaker 2: get to the super Bowl in the AFC, you have

482
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,560
Speaker 2: to go through Mount Rushmore most likely, and you're also

483
00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,680
Speaker 2: on Mount Rushmore while you're going through the other guys.

484
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,480
Speaker 2: It's just absurdly the gauntlet that is going to be

485
00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,000
Speaker 2: here for the next five ten years.

486
00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,600
Speaker 3: It's awesome, and it's awful, you know, right right, right,

487
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,919
Speaker 3: right right, And frankly, I'm getting to the point where

488
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:20,840
Speaker 3: it rivals when Brady Manning Ben and Rogers were all

489
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,280
Speaker 3: in their prime, just in terms of a rare time

490
00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:29,600
Speaker 3: in NFL history where there's four superhero quarterbacks, And why

491
00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,880
Speaker 3: haven't the Bengels and Bills and Ravens and Steelers won

492
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,400
Speaker 3: more playoff games because they have to play these guys.

493
00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,359
Speaker 3: I mean, it's so quarterback driven. It's not the only reason,

494
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:39,160
Speaker 3: but it's a big reason.

495
00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,240
Speaker 2: But then you look at the other conference. I mean,

496
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 2: they're getting better. Don't get me wrong.

497
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,320
Speaker 3: Daniel showing up goes a long way.

498
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,240
Speaker 2: You know, Hurtz is established himself as you could maybe

499
00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:48,800
Speaker 2: say he's like the fifth best guy in the league.

500
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:50,960
Speaker 2: I'm not saying that you think that, but no, you

501
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,280
Speaker 2: could make the argument, like you, there's definitely evidence there.

502
00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:54,680
Speaker 3: Stafford's still a big time guy.

503
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,919
Speaker 2: Stafford's still big, Dak is still better than people will

504
00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 2: give him. Jordan Love is up and coming. We'll see

505
00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,600
Speaker 2: what McCarthy looks like. You got some quarterbacks in the NFC.

506
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:05,760
Speaker 3: Six of them are drafted last year and they all

507
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:06,720
Speaker 3: look pretty promised.

508
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,240
Speaker 2: But it's a lot of still potential. Stafford and the

509
00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,400
Speaker 2: Hurtzes of that conference, whereas the AFC, it's all realized,

510
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,080
Speaker 2: it's all guys that had high ceilings and then reached

511
00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:16,280
Speaker 2: those high ceilings.

512
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,639
Speaker 3: Let alone the Strouds and Herbert's and guys that are

513
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,080
Speaker 3: really good football players, but are clearly.

514
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,919
Speaker 2: Also behind the quarterback and the conference right.

515
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:24,960
Speaker 3: Right, they're clearly behind those super four.

516
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 2: So do you put the elite team still Baltimore? I

517
00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:29,879
Speaker 2: think the city?

518
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:30,120
Speaker 3: Yeah?

519
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:31,160
Speaker 2: Is it still your three?

520
00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:31,560
Speaker 3: Yes?

521
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,160
Speaker 2: And then where do you go in that next tier

522
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,320
Speaker 2: until you get to the Steelers.

523
00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,040
Speaker 3: At this point, I would put the Steelers in the

524
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 3: next year, especially if they can add one more pass catcher,

525
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,360
Speaker 3: which I'm kind of thinking will happen. You will too,

526
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:44,520
Speaker 3: but even without it, I still think they're in the

527
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:45,880
Speaker 3: next tier. But it's a big.

528
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,960
Speaker 2: Tier, and that would be what Cincy no one in.

529
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,440
Speaker 3: The East, you know, like I think the Bills will

530
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:52,200
Speaker 3: run away with.

531
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,760
Speaker 2: No They're going to try to kind of do what

532
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:56,840
Speaker 2: the Patriots did forever right with that division where they

533
00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 2: just have it. There's no real competition with them.

534
00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,400
Speaker 3: There's no team I feel more confident and will win

535
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:02,320
Speaker 3: their division than.

536
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,200
Speaker 2: Buffalo, New England up and coming though.

537
00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, but not maybe seven when you know, like way better.

538
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,480
Speaker 3: They the worst roster in the league last year. And now, okay,

539
00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,160
Speaker 3: I'm a big may fan. He could be in that

540
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:19,200
Speaker 3: elite category in a couple of years. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

541
00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:21,879
Speaker 3: They add a lot this offseason, but they had a

542
00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,080
Speaker 3: long way to go. I mean, Belichick left them and

543
00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,399
Speaker 3: dire straight. I don't know. I don't know. I think

544
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,280
Speaker 3: he's a good enough stop gap for now, you know

545
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:29,640
Speaker 3: what I mean.

546
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:31,840
Speaker 2: I don't know what that pink stuff was, Well, good.

547
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,439
Speaker 3: For him whatever, But nobody in the East was in

548
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:40,000
Speaker 3: a Tier two No, Chargers, just go to the North.

549
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,040
Speaker 3: The Bengals are in Tier two with the Steelers, but

550
00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:48,040
Speaker 3: I'm not as sold on them as everybody. It's going

551
00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:49,960
Speaker 3: to be as bad, if not worse.

552
00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,800
Speaker 2: Right, I haven't been keeping up on this, forgive me,

553
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,159
Speaker 2: I should because I'm on the air for some station radio.

554
00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,960
Speaker 2: Stuart the first round draft pick. Did they ever resolve that?

555
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,400
Speaker 3: I don't know. I guess that's something I'll come out

556
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,919
Speaker 3: today because now mini camp situation, right, I know, Hendrickson

557
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:04,840
Speaker 3: didn't show up today.

558
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,200
Speaker 2: Have ever seen that where a rookie just those kind.

559
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,199
Speaker 3: Of kind of There was a Bosa thing Joey Bosa

560
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,440
Speaker 3: when he got drafted with the Chargers. It was something

561
00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:14,800
Speaker 3: about the language if you get hurt in mini camp

562
00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,119
Speaker 3: or I'm sure it'll work itself out. But frankly, the

563
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,360
Speaker 3: Chargers at the time, the Bengals at the time are

564
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,040
Speaker 3: frugal with some of these things, are set in their ways.

565
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:28,240
Speaker 3: It's more of an organizational failure, Like maybe.

566
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,879
Speaker 2: You don't hear this from other organizations because the Stuart

567
00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:31,920
Speaker 2: would would.

568
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,600
Speaker 3: Ye, that's what everybody else does. Yeah, I think that's

569
00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,199
Speaker 3: more of the case. But I haven't given that a

570
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,720
Speaker 3: lot of thought. But he's like the raws player in

571
00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,160
Speaker 3: the draft. He needs to be out there.

572
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:42,960
Speaker 2: A ton all the time.

573
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, I saw that Hendrickson.

574
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,359
Speaker 2: He Stuart is built like Garrett, Like he looks like

575
00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,760
Speaker 2: a Miles Garrett. Yeah, yeah, it just rare right, play

576
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,120
Speaker 2: like Miles Garrett. No, he would be one overall pick

577
00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,640
Speaker 2: potentially if he actually produced to what his build.

578
00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,919
Speaker 3: His potential, right, And they have such a bad his

579
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:01,080
Speaker 3: developing guy.

580
00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,000
Speaker 2: And what they're doing with Hendrickson is just it's it's nutty.

581
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,000
Speaker 3: I mean, it can't be good for morale or any

582
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,080
Speaker 3: of that kind of stuff, right, And I know Burrow,

583
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:10,120
Speaker 3: I don't think they'll give him money. Burrow was really

584
00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:14,240
Speaker 3: big on bringing Higgins back and Burrow.

585
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,879
Speaker 2: Was campaigning all off season about bringing Higgins and the

586
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,800
Speaker 2: Chase getting them the money, and he can that's a

587
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:20,800
Speaker 2: great call. Sure. Hendrickson in there too when he was

588
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,560
Speaker 2: talking about getting guys paid and just feels like the

589
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,520
Speaker 2: team gave him his wide receivers and they were like,

590
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,399
Speaker 2: that'll probably shut Joe up for a little bit.

591
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,680
Speaker 3: It's gonna we're paying you three. You got to carry

592
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,280
Speaker 3: the team and win thirty five thirty two again, you know,

593
00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:33,160
Speaker 3: but they need to pay.

594
00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 2: Like if it were me, you find a way to

595
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:36,879
Speaker 2: make Hendrickson work. You sign him.

596
00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,640
Speaker 3: He's your best defensive player, right.

597
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:39,840
Speaker 2: And he's the sack king in the end. It's not

598
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:41,880
Speaker 2: like he's your best defense player, but he's average anywhere else.

599
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,120
Speaker 2: He'd be a great player on any team.

600
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, and he's far and away your best guy, you know.

601
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:46,760
Speaker 3: I mean it's not even close.

602
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:48,480
Speaker 2: He's the only one that could maybe change a game

603
00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,439
Speaker 2: for you by getting a nice fumble. We're back a

604
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:51,000
Speaker 2: big sack.

605
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,040
Speaker 3: Right. You try to put teams away in a shootout

606
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,840
Speaker 3: and he's rushing the pass or over and over, he

607
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:57,120
Speaker 3: gives you much more of a chance.

608
00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,440
Speaker 2: It's tough when you gauge the Steelers in the Bengals

609
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,200
Speaker 2: and where they're at kind of with each other because

610
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:05,000
Speaker 2: that's offense is just such it's a scary thing.

611
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,520
Speaker 3: With Burrow and the Shoo receivers phenomenal. I mean, it's

612
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,920
Speaker 3: core as you can have, but it's also a fragile

613
00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,320
Speaker 3: build because I don't love like their tier two players,

614
00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,280
Speaker 3: their depth, their defense. I think the coaching staff's pretty average.

615
00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:18,560
Speaker 3: To be honest with you too, I don't think it

616
00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,199
Speaker 3: gives them a lot of schematic advantages.

617
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 2: But I'm actually surprised they haven't moved on from Taylor yet.

618
00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's not really their style, but right.

619
00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,679
Speaker 2: But like you you think a team would be like,

620
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,359
Speaker 2: let's get a guy in here with Joe and like

621
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 2: pair him up like like Harbot would have been a

622
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,119
Speaker 2: great one for them to kind of kick the tires on,

623
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:35,600
Speaker 2: But then the Chargers did it with Herbert.

624
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,359
Speaker 3: I mean, I've said this several times, so I'm not

625
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,320
Speaker 3: going to like go back on my what I've put

626
00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,119
Speaker 3: out there, but it wouldn't shock me in if a

627
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,439
Speaker 3: year or two and from now Burrow is very unhappy

628
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,679
Speaker 3: with that organization. You know, like I'm doing everything and

629
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,119
Speaker 3: we're still only winning eight games because we have nothing

630
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,840
Speaker 3: on the back end, right right, I mean.

631
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 2: I'm looking at Baltimore and Pittsburgh. These are like these

632
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,600
Speaker 2: are literally like blueprint front offices for the NFL in

633
00:27:57,640 --> 00:27:59,520
Speaker 2: my division. I see all the moves they're making, and

634
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 2: they do so much more. They're paying their guys, they're

635
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,359
Speaker 2: working money out with guys, and you guys are just

636
00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:05,600
Speaker 2: sitting on your hands being cheap.

637
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,879
Speaker 3: I mean it's a goofy example. But like if you

638
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,760
Speaker 3: look at their drafts every year, if they have the

639
00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,240
Speaker 3: fourteenth pick in the draft, they picked fourteenth in the

640
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,439
Speaker 3: first round, fourteenth and the second fourteenth and third, you know,

641
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,080
Speaker 3: like can't tell me moving around or something isn't a

642
00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:21,960
Speaker 3: little bit useful? Yeah, you know what I mean. Like

643
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,560
Speaker 3: they're real set in their ways. Cheap might not be

644
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,800
Speaker 3: the right word, but bullheaded or you know. So other

645
00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:31,000
Speaker 3: Tier two teams.

646
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:32,439
Speaker 2: The Steelers and Bengals are there, but they're kind of

647
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:33,440
Speaker 2: neck and neck with each other.

648
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:37,879
Speaker 3: Yeah, but with Rogers on board, now, I think I

649
00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:39,959
Speaker 3: give the edge of Steelers. I don't think the National

650
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,800
Speaker 3: people do, and certainly the Vegas odds don't. They have

651
00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:47,400
Speaker 3: the Bengals really high as potential super Bowl teaching and

652
00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,440
Speaker 3: quarterbacks last I mean, yeah, quarterbacks don't fluctuate year to

653
00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 3: year as much too. It's safe. I think Houston has

654
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,200
Speaker 3: a chance to turn into a Tier one team, and.

655
00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,360
Speaker 2: So injured last year. A lot of that is going

656
00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:00,640
Speaker 2: to come down to their offensive line.

657
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:02,800
Speaker 3: That's the whole thing. The rest of the team I

658
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,440
Speaker 3: have extreme faith in. So if they can figure that out,

659
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,880
Speaker 3: I think they could challenge. They could go ahead of

660
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:14,520
Speaker 3: those guys. Yeah, I don't think anybody else from that division,

661
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,320
Speaker 3: certainly not now. But I could paint a picture where

662
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:19,320
Speaker 3: Jacksonville gets better.

663
00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,720
Speaker 2: Colts are screwed me. I think it's hurt right now.

664
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,040
Speaker 3: This Richardson thing is bad.

665
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,000
Speaker 2: He's a bad pick.

666
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,320
Speaker 3: The injuries rush right, and I could see them all

667
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,200
Speaker 3: getting replaced to the owner just passed away. Unfortunately. It's

668
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,840
Speaker 3: just a lot of change in the building. The West

669
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,800
Speaker 3: is strong, like I think the Raiders are very much improved,

670
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,320
Speaker 3: but certainly not there. I think probably.

671
00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 2: Charge and Broncos, though.

672
00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 3: I'm impressed with Denver. I mean, Peyton's a legit, Coach

673
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,400
Speaker 3: Knicks is a dude. They might have the best defense

674
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 3: in the league. They're hard to play.

675
00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,680
Speaker 2: Again, I've been pushing forward this take since last year,

676
00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,440
Speaker 2: and it's mainly born off of the Chiefs doing what

677
00:29:58,440 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 2: they did last year where they won all those one

678
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,000
Speaker 2: score games and they looked vulnerable and then of course

679
00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:03,960
Speaker 2: they went to the Super Bowl anyway, and they got

680
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 2: blown out in the Super Bowl. But I was pushing forward,

681
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,000
Speaker 2: you know what, I'm picking Chargers to finally do it.

682
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,200
Speaker 2: They're finally gonna beat the Chiefs in that division. Give

683
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,360
Speaker 2: me the Chargers, They'll take the West. It's it goes

684
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,560
Speaker 2: back into Alex Smith the last time before the Chiefs

685
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,280
Speaker 2: didn't win the AFC West dominance, and I was like,

686
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,480
Speaker 2: give me the Chargers. It's the Chargerer, Matt. Now that

687
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:21,440
Speaker 2: I'm working my way through this offseason after I saw

688
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:25,360
Speaker 2: that draft, sneaky, sneaky Denver might sneak up in the

689
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,760
Speaker 2: AFC West. Denver might be I don't want to say,

690
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:29,959
Speaker 2: the best team in that conference, but their roster is

691
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:31,760
Speaker 2: so damn complete it's good.

692
00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:33,920
Speaker 3: I mean, they're really good on both lines of scrimmage.

693
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,040
Speaker 2: Could they use way more playmaker in the past, Yeah,

694
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,360
Speaker 2: but they did draft two of them, and they also

695
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:39,280
Speaker 2: added Evan Ingram.

696
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,480
Speaker 3: I mean, they're not superstars, but they are better at receiver,

697
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,800
Speaker 3: tight end, and running back than they were. It's not

698
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:45,520
Speaker 3: great though.

699
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:47,320
Speaker 2: That's kind of their mo right when they were. This

700
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,840
Speaker 2: new Payton era is we're not superstar heavy. We have

701
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:51,840
Speaker 2: really great.

702
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 3: Players and fits for him. The defense is defensive, sat.

703
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,600
Speaker 2: Is faceless, like you don't know who they are. But

704
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,320
Speaker 2: they're all great yeah every level.

705
00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,640
Speaker 3: And guys like Zach Allen are great football players of.

706
00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,520
Speaker 2: The year concertain, and I love adding that corner in

707
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 2: the draft to in the first round. I mean, that's

708
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:10,160
Speaker 2: one of the best tandems in football.

709
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,720
Speaker 3: They're my preseason pick to be the best defense in

710
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:13,080
Speaker 3: the league.

711
00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:18,160
Speaker 2: Again, Nicks just takes that next step forward, not even

712
00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:21,200
Speaker 2: an astronomical one. They could win the AFC West too.

713
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,240
Speaker 2: I think the three teams could take that division.

714
00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:25,920
Speaker 3: I'm higher on them than I am the Chargers, but

715
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,719
Speaker 3: I'm really really high on Herbert and I have a

716
00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,680
Speaker 3: lot of respect for Harbaugh. I just don't love a

717
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 3: lot of the personnel moves they've made over the last

718
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 3: two years that I think they're still lacking a playmaker

719
00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:39,440
Speaker 3: on both sides of the ball, and that's being kind

720
00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:42,440
Speaker 3: to the defense. I love McConkey, but you need another

721
00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:44,400
Speaker 3: receiver other than that, I mean, it can't be Mike

722
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,959
Speaker 3: Williams and Quinton Johnston and nondescript tight ends. And you know,

723
00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,160
Speaker 3: I thought they'd be a little further along on their build.

724
00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,240
Speaker 2: You know, Harbaugh loves Herbert. He's not shy about telling

725
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:55,880
Speaker 2: you that. Yeah, I do too, already put him in

726
00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,280
Speaker 2: the Hall of Fame. But Matt isn't harbor and away

727
00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,720
Speaker 2: kind of Herbert because he loves to run the football.

728
00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,320
Speaker 2: He's going to sort of the football, control offense, play

729
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,000
Speaker 2: really good defense, and Herbert be Superman when I need

730
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,840
Speaker 2: you to be Superman. But Herbert is kind of the

731
00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,080
Speaker 2: guy that you just like roll the ball out and

732
00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:12,680
Speaker 2: you're like be Superman from.

733
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:16,880
Speaker 3: Because the can the game. Yeah, although it's kind of

734
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:19,920
Speaker 3: a misconception. I mean, as the season went on, they

735
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 3: ran the ball worse and worse and worse and got

736
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,440
Speaker 3: away from it, which is why they drafted Hampton in

737
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,400
Speaker 3: the first signology he did, yeah, resources and the guy back.

738
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,520
Speaker 3: Then they added the O line, you know, like they

739
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,480
Speaker 3: didn't run the ball as well. I bet made Harbaugh

740
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:37,840
Speaker 3: insane early on to get hurt early. Interior line wasn't great.

741
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 3: The tackles are really good and he eleven games and yeah, yeah,

742
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,800
Speaker 3: I mean he's That division is so crazy to me

743
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,360
Speaker 3: because there's I believe that there's fifteen human beings one

744
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,600
Speaker 3: of them is within striking distance of us right now

745
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,840
Speaker 3: that really know how to win games in the NFL

746
00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:59,720
Speaker 3: level as a head coach, and that division has four

747
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:00,360
Speaker 3: of the team of.

748
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:05,080
Speaker 2: Oh my god, it's right division. Yes, I mean, I

749
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,400
Speaker 2: I'm not confident that this will be the case, but

750
00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,640
Speaker 2: all four of them have Hall of Fame resumes.

751
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:11,080
Speaker 3: Yes, they might all get in.

752
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:15,360
Speaker 2: They might, and Peyton's got the bounty gate that's kind

753
00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,960
Speaker 2: of flowing over his head. But just far as strictly coaches.

754
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,240
Speaker 3: They're all going to be on the ballots and heavy and.

755
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,680
Speaker 2: H I mean reads in no question, no doubt, Carol,

756
00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:25,800
Speaker 2: for sure, I think is into.

757
00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,080
Speaker 3: I think so he's got a similar resume to Tomlin

758
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:28,640
Speaker 3: and Harbaugh.

759
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,880
Speaker 2: And I know it doesn't matter because there's a college

760
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,120
Speaker 2: Hall of Fame and a pro Hall of Fame, but

761
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:34,160
Speaker 2: being one of the few coaches to win both national

762
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:36,480
Speaker 2: championship and a Super Bowl pretty I.

763
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,640
Speaker 3: Mean he's a really good.

764
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:39,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, Harbors trying to do that too.

765
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:41,760
Speaker 3: I guess, so. I guess so I didn't think that.

766
00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:45,240
Speaker 3: But no, that coach, I mean that coaching staff loaded.

767
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:50,400
Speaker 2: Is really impressive. And again, the quarterbacks on all of

768
00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:51,800
Speaker 2: those teams too, like none of you.

769
00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:53,880
Speaker 3: Gen Smith to the make right. It used to be

770
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,720
Speaker 3: one team that nothing. Now Gino Smith's legit.

771
00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:00,320
Speaker 2: You've got homes is the goat right now he's chain.

772
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,120
Speaker 2: And then you got Herbert, who talent wise people say

773
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:03,680
Speaker 2: is right there.

774
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:05,800
Speaker 3: I mean he would be second in many divisions.

775
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:10,560
Speaker 2: And then Bo Nick's great rookie season but wins Rookie

776
00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:11,680
Speaker 2: of the Year and almost.

777
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,160
Speaker 3: Any other Oh yeah, yeah.

778
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 2: Jane Daniels was just unbelievably as impressive or more impressive

779
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,520
Speaker 2: than he was. And then, like you said, Gino Smith,

780
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,400
Speaker 2: offering that Aiden O'Connell upgrade to to Vegas huge. Not

781
00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,319
Speaker 2: only do you have great coaches down the line, Like

782
00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,680
Speaker 2: no quarterback is really one that you look at like, oh,

783
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,160
Speaker 2: he's staying throw four picks in this.

784
00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,160
Speaker 3: Game, right right? And that has been the case a

785
00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,440
Speaker 3: little bit with Denver and especially the Raiders over the

786
00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:34,239
Speaker 3: past couple of years.

787
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,640
Speaker 2: I mean, Gino's gonna throw the ball, That's what Gino does. Yeah,

788
00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,080
Speaker 2: and Brock Bowers, I take him in fantasy, maybe in

789
00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,320
Speaker 2: my top five pick. That guy didn't get a ton.

790
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,200
Speaker 3: Of He wins a rookie the year nine out of

791
00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:44,719
Speaker 3: ten times and couldn't last year either.

792
00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,080
Speaker 2: You know, sneaky think he maybe should have won last year.

793
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:48,680
Speaker 3: Oh, he had a strong case. I mean, best tight

794
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:49,560
Speaker 3: end rookie season.

795
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,480
Speaker 2: Got five receiving yardage in the league, not just as

796
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,440
Speaker 2: far as tight ends were concerned, and he had Aidan

797
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:55,880
Speaker 2: O'Connell throwing him the football.

798
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,960
Speaker 3: I mean, to your point, though, Mahomes and the Chiefs

799
00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:01,919
Speaker 3: path to just steam rolling the division harder than.

800
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,400
Speaker 2: Like the Patriots got. We talked about this with Buffalo

801
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,840
Speaker 2: and that dynamic. Now, like the Patriots, big benefit for

802
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,560
Speaker 2: their dominance in the run of Belichick and Brady was

803
00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,160
Speaker 2: basically six easy wins every year.

804
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, dominance division.

805
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,280
Speaker 2: Jets, the Jets, Bills, and the Dolphins all stink everyone.

806
00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,719
Speaker 3: I'm sure you find it quick. But mahomes record versus

807
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,440
Speaker 3: AFC West's dominant insane.

808
00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,279
Speaker 2: Every once in a while, Chad Pennington would sneak the

809
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:25,440
Speaker 2: Dolphins or the Jets up there, and Rex Ryan and

810
00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:28,200
Speaker 2: Sanchez and the Jets would kind of brush by you.

811
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,600
Speaker 3: Every once in a while it was Division.

812
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,160
Speaker 2: Easy six games most of the year, and the Chiefs

813
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,319
Speaker 2: had that for a little bit at the start. But

814
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 2: everybody's I don't want to say caught up, but have

815
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,479
Speaker 2: gotten to a point now where it's like we playing

816
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:42,040
Speaker 2: one of the toughest divisions of football now.

817
00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:45,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, like reading Mahomes were five and one in

818
00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:47,040
Speaker 3: the division was a bad year.

819
00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,440
Speaker 2: All right, we come back. We will wrap up today's

820
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,240
Speaker 2: first broadcast of Mini camp and then practice will actually,

821
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,839
Speaker 2: funny enough, get started right when we wrap things up.

822
00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,880
Speaker 2: Matt Williams and I live from the upmc rooney Sports Complex.

823
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,800
Speaker 2: You're listening to Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio

824
00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:09,880
Speaker 2: Network and Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy at least.

825
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,480
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

826
00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:15,640
Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

827
00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:21,239
Speaker 1: Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

828
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:25,879
Speaker 2: Tom off from It and Matt Williamson wrapping up our

829
00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,840
Speaker 2: coverage of day one of mandatory Minichamp for the Steelers.

830
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,759
Speaker 2: Practice gets underway for the Steelers at about one o'clock.

831
00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:36,920
Speaker 2: It's mandatory now, Matt, you get fined if you do

832
00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,400
Speaker 2: not show up. And I thought I was gonna have

833
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,680
Speaker 2: to find this person shows up the last show up

834
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:49,120
Speaker 2: at the last boy said the Pittsburgh Steelers. What's up Rob?

835
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:50,440
Speaker 5: Nothing? Hey, you guys doing everything good?

836
00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,480
Speaker 3: Everything's real good. There's been a lot of buzz around

837
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:53,279
Speaker 3: here there.

838
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:53,800
Speaker 5: Why is that?

839
00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,680
Speaker 3: I don't know. I'm waiting, I don't know. It seems

840
00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:58,000
Speaker 3: like there's more people than usual.

841
00:36:58,120 --> 00:36:59,880
Speaker 5: I think we're going to be wall to wall here,

842
00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 5: elbow to elbow, no doubt. And it's exciting.

843
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:09,600
Speaker 3: That's very exciting. Yeah, it's exciting. It's you know, high ceiling,

844
00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:11,239
Speaker 3: you know what could be.

845
00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,759
Speaker 4: You know, there's like a couple of people have kind

846
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,759
Speaker 4: of shaken their head, Well are you what do you

847
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:17,399
Speaker 4: think about Aaron?

848
00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:18,320
Speaker 5: Are you kidding?

849
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:18,759
Speaker 3: Right?

850
00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,680
Speaker 5: I'm totally stoked about it.

851
00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,160
Speaker 4: I think I think it's a I think it's gonna

852
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,920
Speaker 4: be a blast, and I think he's got more than

853
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:26,439
Speaker 4: anything else.

854
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:26,600
Speaker 3: You know.

855
00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:28,200
Speaker 4: Look, it's gonna be a bit of a circus in

856
00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:30,160
Speaker 4: a zoo, and there's gonna be a lot of attention

857
00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,080
Speaker 4: on it, which is kind of fun to be, you know,

858
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:34,200
Speaker 4: and we're witnessing it, you know, we're not really in

859
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,319
Speaker 4: the middle of it, obviously, but we're witnessing it from

860
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,120
Speaker 4: a step or two away, and I think I think

861
00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:40,360
Speaker 4: that part is fascinating.

862
00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,439
Speaker 5: Plus I just think the guy's got good football left

863
00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,759
Speaker 5: in him. I really do. And I think it's going

864
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,560
Speaker 5: to make the Steelers a better team.

865
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:50,759
Speaker 3: I truly believe that there's gonna be buzz when you

866
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,239
Speaker 3: bring a four time MVP into the building. I'll do

867
00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,960
Speaker 3: it like the best quarterbacks that ever lived.

868
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:56,160
Speaker 5: You know.

869
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:57,839
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think there's gonna be some buzz.

870
00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,080
Speaker 2: And Rob Matt and I have been talking about this

871
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,200
Speaker 2: all day too. It's just above the neck, you know.

872
00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:06,239
Speaker 2: The football I q that he has. It's probably the

873
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:07,759
Speaker 2: best in the league right now as far as an

874
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,480
Speaker 2: active player is concerned, certainly at that quarterback position. And

875
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,680
Speaker 2: maybe some of the physical tool sets have faded a

876
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:15,520
Speaker 2: little bit, not much though, I mean, he's still got

877
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:17,799
Speaker 2: great arm talent, but he's just gonna think the game

878
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,600
Speaker 2: at such a high level. And that's such a big

879
00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:21,839
Speaker 2: advantage that the Steelers haven't had even with Russ, who

880
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:23,560
Speaker 2: could think the game at a high level, just not

881
00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,400
Speaker 2: at that different. It's a different jump up.

882
00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,040
Speaker 4: He is a and uh, you know so I said

883
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,040
Speaker 4: this to people last year. I said, I don't think

884
00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,440
Speaker 4: there's too many rooms. Russell Wilson walks in where he's

885
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,439
Speaker 4: not the smartest guy in the room. He's a really

886
00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:41,000
Speaker 4: bright guy, obviously, so is Aaron Rodgers. Then Aaron Rodgers.

887
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,480
Speaker 4: I think he went on Jeopardy just like slaughtered everybody.

888
00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:47,880
Speaker 4: I think he just obliterated football. They were trying him

889
00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:50,120
Speaker 4: out as the coach or the coach, the host.

890
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:51,920
Speaker 2: That's right, yeah.

891
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,120
Speaker 3: About in charge the whole show.

892
00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:57,040
Speaker 5: A whole lot of Jeopardy.

893
00:38:57,120 --> 00:39:01,080
Speaker 4: Yeah, anyway, so yeah, look, he he's got a lot

894
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:05,560
Speaker 4: of I mean, it is inevitable that, you know, father

895
00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,960
Speaker 4: time catches up with all of us, right, nobody, you

896
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:09,839
Speaker 4: don't see, I don't care if you're No. One Ryan,

897
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,120
Speaker 4: you weren't you know, you can be effective later in

898
00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,040
Speaker 4: your career. And it's it's amazing that Nolan Ryan was

899
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:16,920
Speaker 4: able to pitch so well for so long, but he

900
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,480
Speaker 4: didn't have the same arm town he did when he

901
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:19,040
Speaker 4: was twenty seven.

902
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:20,840
Speaker 5: And it's just as simple as that.

903
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:21,920
Speaker 2: But he's.

904
00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're at that crossroads where you now again, uh

905
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:28,799
Speaker 4: have you already gone down passed the crossroads a little bit?

906
00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:29,160
Speaker 3: Maybe?

907
00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,280
Speaker 5: But you but I still well and and and probably

908
00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:34,840
Speaker 5: you know, some people would say definitely. It's not no

909
00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,000
Speaker 5: maybe about it. Definitely.

910
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,479
Speaker 3: I mean, but the peak was so high, the peak

911
00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:39,439
Speaker 3: was so high.

912
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:42,920
Speaker 5: Yeah, and we've talked about this again. What an unbelievable

913
00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:44,239
Speaker 5: throw over the football he is.

914
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:46,200
Speaker 3: But you're right, I think people are going to be

915
00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:48,759
Speaker 3: blown away, maybe in the next couple of minutes, of

916
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:50,839
Speaker 3: how well he throws, how the ball looks coming Yeah.

917
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:52,480
Speaker 5: Yeah, And you and I have talked about this.

918
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:56,200
Speaker 4: I mean, I've just I've never seen anybody who can

919
00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,200
Speaker 4: go left, go right, go forward, go back off your

920
00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:03,440
Speaker 4: left foot, off your right foot, you know, falling backwards,

921
00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:09,400
Speaker 4: leaning forward, that can make the amount of consistently incredible

922
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,040
Speaker 4: throws that he can, I've never seen. I've never seen

923
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,480
Speaker 4: anybody who's able to do that. I don't I don't

924
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,800
Speaker 4: think there's anybody in the same league mahomes Is. Mahomes

925
00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,400
Speaker 4: as you pointed out, mahomes Is, He's not bad. But

926
00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:24,040
Speaker 4: I think Aaron Rodgers is the best I've ever seen

927
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,520
Speaker 4: at it. And you know, the acumen, the football acumen.

928
00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:32,040
Speaker 4: And I've got to believe that this man really wants

929
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:33,080
Speaker 4: to win another Super Bowl.

930
00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:33,880
Speaker 5: I've got to believe that.

931
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:34,840
Speaker 2: And I think I.

932
00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:38,600
Speaker 3: Can't imagine he would be content going out right at

933
00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:42,040
Speaker 3: the very least right right.

934
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,759
Speaker 4: And we have talked about this, Tom Matt and I

935
00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,360
Speaker 4: have talked about this and others. I just think that

936
00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:52,320
Speaker 4: they have very rapidly. And look, there's there's points of

937
00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:55,320
Speaker 4: where you are as a franchise, where your talent base is,

938
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,399
Speaker 4: and that's going to be stretched out at times, I think,

939
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,680
Speaker 4: and that's I think there's an inevitable quality to that.

940
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:03,080
Speaker 5: But I also think that.

941
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:08,040
Speaker 4: Omar Khan and his staff have restocked the shelves very quickly.

942
00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,000
Speaker 4: I think it was a much more competitive team last

943
00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:12,960
Speaker 4: year than it was two years ago. And I think

944
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:14,960
Speaker 4: it's gonna be a much more competitive team this year

945
00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:17,480
Speaker 4: than it was last year. And that was before you

946
00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:21,000
Speaker 4: added Aaron Rodgers. So I'm bullish on where this Steelers

947
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:21,920
Speaker 4: team can go this year.

948
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,720
Speaker 3: None of us have crystal balls. But do you agree

949
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:28,600
Speaker 3: this is the since Ben's arm surgery, this is the

950
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,480
Speaker 3: team that has the best chance to advance in the playoffs? Yes,

951
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:33,719
Speaker 3: I do too. I think it's clear, yep.

952
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,320
Speaker 4: And I think it's you know, there's it would be

953
00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,560
Speaker 4: interesting to put together like a sliding scale of Okay,

954
00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,160
Speaker 4: if you're if you have an elite team, you probably

955
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,799
Speaker 4: don't need a great roster to get to the super Bowl.

956
00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:48,920
Speaker 4: And then if you have a not quite elite quarterback,

957
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,759
Speaker 4: but a good quarterback, well then you're how much better

958
00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:55,440
Speaker 4: does your roster have to be? Probably probably exponentially. You know,

959
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:59,160
Speaker 4: every every every one rung you go down to the quarterback, right,

960
00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,360
Speaker 4: you probably have to go up three rungs on or

961
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,400
Speaker 4: two rungs on quality around that quarterback. So I just

962
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:08,520
Speaker 4: think that this years have built a good team, and

963
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,880
Speaker 4: I think now they're getting a quarterback that's up up

964
00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:13,520
Speaker 4: near the high rungs in that ladder, and.

965
00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:17,319
Speaker 2: There's no risk. He's so cheap. Ten million guaranteed gets

966
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:19,040
Speaker 2: to maybe thirteen million, gets to maybe twenty million, but

967
00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,000
Speaker 2: as we joked earlier, he gets twenty million your hoisting

968
00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:21,879
Speaker 2: at lombardin.

969
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:25,040
Speaker 5: Right, Yeah, yeah, money well spent right, Like there's.

970
00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:26,759
Speaker 2: Like no risk to it. Like, so someone may be

971
00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,680
Speaker 2: in the camp of like I maybe would have rather

972
00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:30,759
Speaker 2: gone with Fields again this year. It's like why he's

973
00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:32,440
Speaker 2: more expensive, and I don't think he's got much of

974
00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:33,400
Speaker 2: a future anyway.

975
00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:36,279
Speaker 4: And his he certainly doesn't have the pass right, Yeah,

976
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:39,440
Speaker 4: I think that I think I think he would have

977
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,040
Speaker 4: been an intriguing guy, Justin Fields. I would have been

978
00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:45,200
Speaker 4: interested to see him go and see whether he could

979
00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:47,960
Speaker 4: continue to develop. He's not as excited as you are now, No,

980
00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,440
Speaker 4: he and he I think Justin is uh, you know,

981
00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:53,200
Speaker 4: there's a lot of things I like about him. I

982
00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:56,440
Speaker 4: think he's just a real got He seemed struck me

983
00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,160
Speaker 4: as a real character guy. We've obviously seen some of

984
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:00,560
Speaker 4: the trades that he has. I don't want to sell

985
00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:05,080
Speaker 4: him short, because yeah, really easy to root for. Has

986
00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:08,840
Speaker 4: that March fifth birthday, which we all like, same birthday

987
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:09,120
Speaker 4: that I have.

988
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:10,920
Speaker 3: Can you pick the same one as me?

989
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,080
Speaker 2: Michael Jordan has my very really nice.

990
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:18,240
Speaker 4: Okay, all right, so, uh, there aren't that many famous

991
00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:19,839
Speaker 4: people born on March fifth.

992
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:21,080
Speaker 5: I told Justin it's up to him.

993
00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:23,920
Speaker 4: You gotta you know, when I google Google ten years

994
00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:25,239
Speaker 4: from I want to see him be the first guy

995
00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:26,040
Speaker 4: that shows up.

996
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:27,800
Speaker 2: As a March fifth birthday.

997
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:28,080
Speaker 3: I don't.

998
00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:32,880
Speaker 4: Yeah, there's like there's like, you know, uh, Emperor, you know,

999
00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,680
Speaker 4: Charles the Fifth, it was, you know, the emperor for

1000
00:43:35,760 --> 00:43:36,720
Speaker 4: two years in France.

1001
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:38,680
Speaker 5: That's like the first guys, you know, some obscurity.

1002
00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:41,960
Speaker 3: We can't have that anyway, I'm mine six six. The

1003
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:43,600
Speaker 3: anti Christ was born on six No.

1004
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:48,480
Speaker 4: So I think that I would have been interested to

1005
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:51,040
Speaker 4: see Justin Fields. I I'm intrigued by him. I do

1006
00:43:51,239 --> 00:43:54,359
Speaker 4: think that there's a reason he was taken high. Can

1007
00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:57,759
Speaker 4: you can you fix the things that the students identified

1008
00:43:57,800 --> 00:43:59,800
Speaker 4: as needing to be fixed? I thought he showed progress

1009
00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:02,680
Speaker 4: last year, But again I wish I'm luckhya as well,

1010
00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,360
Speaker 4: right right, right too. I hope after week one he

1011
00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,520
Speaker 4: has a tremendous year, and I do think that. But

1012
00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:10,880
Speaker 4: but again, Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers man.

1013
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,759
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Rob, thanks for stopping by.

1014
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,160
Speaker 5: I wanted to make sure that my presence year a

1015
00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:17,920
Speaker 5: mini camp was noted so I wasn't fined.

1016
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:20,320
Speaker 3: He came out of the bullpen, closed things out, you know,

1017
00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:22,880
Speaker 3: get those three three strikeouts right at the end of

1018
00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:23,879
Speaker 3: the end of the game.

1019
00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:24,239
Speaker 5: Three.

1020
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:25,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, everybody melt them down.

1021
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,160
Speaker 5: Heading over there looking for win number five in a

1022
00:44:29,239 --> 00:44:30,080
Speaker 5: row for the Buckos.

1023
00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:34,320
Speaker 2: That's right, they're hot buckos. That'll do it for us. Today,

1024
00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:35,960
Speaker 2: players are starting to come out on the field for

1025
00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:40,400
Speaker 2: one o'clock practice, day one of Mini camp practice. Matt Dale,

1026
00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:43,520
Speaker 2: Rob Labs, I'm sure I think Wes will be back

1027
00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,799
Speaker 2: down here tomorrow. Whoever's here, we will broadcast at ten

1028
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:49,399
Speaker 2: am on Steelers Nation Radio. Thanks for joining us today.

1029
00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:51,439
Speaker 2: We'll talk to you for the remainder of Mini Camp

1030
00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:54,280
Speaker 2: on SNR and the Steelers Audio Network and Fox Sports

1031
00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:55,680
Speaker 2: Pittsburgh nine seventy am.