1
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,360
Speaker 1: Welcome to the drive. I'm Dale Lolly. He is the

2
00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,800
Speaker 1: Matt Williamson and it is a beautiful Friday out here

3
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:12,120
Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh, and Matt, we are now certainly less than

4
00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:17,720
Speaker 1: two weeks out from training camp. And NFL dot Com

5
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,160
Speaker 1: yesterday came out with a story that kind of previewing

6
00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:27,160
Speaker 1: the AFC North and the five top storylines for each

7
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,000
Speaker 1: one of the teams in the AFC North. So I

8
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,640
Speaker 1: thought we'd take a look at that here. We'll save

9
00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,600
Speaker 1: the Steelers for last. Yeah, and maybe we'll just do

10
00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,159
Speaker 1: a whole segment on the Steelers. We'll look at the

11
00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,599
Speaker 1: rest of the AFC North first. But just this kind

12
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,560
Speaker 1: of gives you the sometimes you get too close to things. Yeah, yeah,

13
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,560
Speaker 1: you know, because we're we're on top of this year

14
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,720
Speaker 1: round with the Steelers. So let's see what the national

15
00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,880
Speaker 1: perspective is on this. This is the AFC North Roster

16
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,200
Speaker 1: chair or the AFC North look is by Nick Shook

17
00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,680
Speaker 1: from around the NFL on the NFL Network or NFL

18
00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,880
Speaker 1: dot Com, we should say, and so we'll take a

19
00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:07,400
Speaker 1: look at the Cincinnati Bengals first. Of course, you get

20
00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,840
Speaker 1: their their notable roster changes. They added, of course, a

21
00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,600
Speaker 1: Marius Mims in the first round, Chris Jenkins in the

22
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,559
Speaker 1: second round, the defensive tackle out of Michigan, Jermaine Burton,

23
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,160
Speaker 1: the wide receiver out of Alabama in the third round.

24
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 1: They also had the compensatory pick at ninety seven. They

25
00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,520
Speaker 1: took McKinley Jackson, the nose tackle out of Texas A

26
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,440
Speaker 1: and M, so they doubled down at defensive tackle. Then

27
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,000
Speaker 1: they took Eric All, the tight end out of Iowa

28
00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:33,840
Speaker 1: on the fourth round, and the fifth round that was

29
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:40,080
Speaker 1: Josh Newton, the defensive back from TCU, Tanner McLaughlin, another

30
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,320
Speaker 1: tight end. In round six. They also had a second

31
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,840
Speaker 1: round sixth pick. They took Cedric Johnson, a defensive end

32
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,320
Speaker 1: out of Mississippi. Then they took Dahaunt dejohn Anthony, a

33
00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,640
Speaker 1: defensive back out of Mississippi with their first seventh round pick,

34
00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,520
Speaker 1: and center Matt Lee from Miami with their second seventh

35
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,400
Speaker 1: round pick. So if you see, there a lot of

36
00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,280
Speaker 1: draft picks into trenches this year for the Cincinnati Bengals.

37
00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,959
Speaker 2: Yeah, I actually kind of forgot. They made ten picks.

38
00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:11,680
Speaker 2: I mean there were two in the seventh round, two

39
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:12,160
Speaker 2: and the sixth.

40
00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,839
Speaker 1: Because usually the usually they're a team that they don't

41
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,040
Speaker 1: move they don't move around a whole lot or anything

42
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,079
Speaker 1: like that. But they had some compensatory picks this year.

43
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, I like that, Eric allpick. I really liked the

44
00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,680
Speaker 2: Burton pick, especially on the field. But other than that, right,

45
00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,920
Speaker 2: it's a lot of big people. I mean Mims leading

46
00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,520
Speaker 2: the way and Jenkins as well.

47
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,760
Speaker 1: And Burton's a guy. You know, we talked about him

48
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:39,520
Speaker 1: in the pre draft process. There's talent there, but there's

49
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,400
Speaker 1: no question, you know, there's some some questions about him.

50
00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:43,800
Speaker 3: No question.

51
00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:45,720
Speaker 2: I mean, he would not have lasted to eighty if

52
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,560
Speaker 2: he were clean off the field.

53
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's wondering. I mean, the Bengals used to do

54
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,840
Speaker 1: things like that and take chances on those kind of

55
00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,839
Speaker 1: guys when they weren't good, because they kind of had

56
00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,640
Speaker 1: to do that, you know, to try to get you

57
00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:03,440
Speaker 1: knowtional talent. It just makes me wonder, if you know,

58
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,760
Speaker 1: I don't know. We'll see if that works out for him,

59
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,040
Speaker 1: but certainly the player is talented. We'll see if he can,

60
00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,239
Speaker 1: you know, kind of keep keep his nose to the grindstone.

61
00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:13,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly.

62
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,760
Speaker 2: I mean, you hope for their sake they don't fall

63
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,079
Speaker 2: into old bad habits because it didn't really work out

64
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,200
Speaker 2: for them, or maybe he's sweetest guy on earth.

65
00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,440
Speaker 3: And they know more than everybody else, you know that.

66
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know what I mean. No, No, If you

67
00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,680
Speaker 1: look at the free agent additions, they got running back

68
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,560
Speaker 1: Zach Moss, tight end Mike Kasiki. They brought in Trent

69
00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:38,320
Speaker 1: Brown the offensive tackle, defensive tackle, Sheldon Rankins, and two safeties,

70
00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,480
Speaker 1: Von Bell and Gino Stone. The departures, there's more on

71
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,720
Speaker 1: the Ledger on the departure side of things. Joe Mixon gone,

72
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,600
Speaker 1: Tyler Wood gone or Smith Junior gone at tight end,

73
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:55,880
Speaker 1: Joanah Williams at offensive tackle, Josh Tupou at defensive tackle,

74
00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,960
Speaker 1: DJ Reader at defensive tackle, Hidobi a Woozia a cornerback,

75
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,320
Speaker 1: and safety Nick Scott. Now they replaced for the most

76
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,360
Speaker 1: part they positions there. Yeah, they replaced a lot of

77
00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,120
Speaker 1: those guys with the additions that they made, except I

78
00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,880
Speaker 1: mean Rankins for Reader to me, and I don't know,

79
00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,320
Speaker 1: you know, I mean, Reader might not be ready. He

80
00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,039
Speaker 1: might not be ready to play right out of the gate.

81
00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,279
Speaker 1: But Sheldon Rankins isn't quite the player that DJ Reader is,

82
00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:27,480
Speaker 1: and so.

83
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:28,120
Speaker 3: A couple of things.

84
00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,920
Speaker 2: A note here so yes, I'm sure they realized Reader

85
00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:33,200
Speaker 2: was a bigger loss.

86
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,440
Speaker 3: Than Rankins was a gain. But two of their thoughts,

87
00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:36,520
Speaker 3: that's what they drafted to.

88
00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, they drafted to, and they're different types of defensive tackles.

89
00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,960
Speaker 2: You swap out Williams for Brown at right tackle, you

90
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,800
Speaker 2: swap out Smith Forgoseki a tight end, you swap out

91
00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,920
Speaker 2: Mixing for mosst and running back. And I do think

92
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,280
Speaker 2: one of their biggest priorities though, was I think they

93
00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,280
Speaker 2: realized they made a big mistake letting Vaughan Bell and

94
00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,680
Speaker 2: Bates go to the Falcons, and we ask a lot

95
00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,120
Speaker 2: from our safeties, and we need to get these guys

96
00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,000
Speaker 2: that are solid at that position.

97
00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they also didn't replace Now they've drafted some

98
00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,440
Speaker 1: guys at the cornerback position.

99
00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:12,279
Speaker 3: That was one I want to bring up.

100
00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,039
Speaker 1: A Woozia was a starter for them and a solid player,

101
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,400
Speaker 1: and they're going to rely on the young guys again.

102
00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,159
Speaker 1: It's almost like what they did with safety last year. Yeah.

103
00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're right, And I think Dax Hill is now

104
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,080
Speaker 2: officially a corner but I don't know that he's going

105
00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,279
Speaker 2: to do it well, you know, I mean right coming

106
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,320
Speaker 2: out of school. But he really hasn't fell found a

107
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:32,280
Speaker 2: home ball that much.

108
00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, and Gino Stone's a guy that, while he took

109
00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,760
Speaker 1: the ball away last year in Baltimore, he doesn't tackle real.

110
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:44,640
Speaker 3: Well, no, he doesn't. And hey, I mean who knows.

111
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,039
Speaker 2: But I'm betting when we look back at the history

112
00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,760
Speaker 2: of Gino Stone ten years from now, two twenty twenty

113
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:50,800
Speaker 2: three is going to be his peak.

114
00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,560
Speaker 1: That's the high water mark. Yeah. Yeah, looking at their

115
00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,560
Speaker 1: some of their schedule notes here because he also notes

116
00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,159
Speaker 1: that the Bengals play two Monday night football games week three,

117
00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,560
Speaker 1: week fourteen, in two games on Thursday night Week ten

118
00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,839
Speaker 1: and sixteen. Okay, so the Steelers had to, hint, do

119
00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,840
Speaker 1: you know, deal with that last year where they they

120
00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,360
Speaker 1: had the the two Thursday night games. That's not easy.

121
00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,600
Speaker 3: No, it's not. I don't I don't feel for them

122
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:15,920
Speaker 3: at all.

123
00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,120
Speaker 2: I mean just in terms of not not of who

124
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,240
Speaker 2: they play, but when they play them and rest and

125
00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 2: things like that. They got hit the hardest when the

126
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,640
Speaker 2: schedule came out, maybe other than the Steelers.

127
00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,479
Speaker 1: Yeah, they also play nine games in twenty twenty three

128
00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,760
Speaker 1: or I'm sorry, nine games against twenty twenty three playoff teams.

129
00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,120
Speaker 3: Okay, so the schedules, the schedule's not easy.

130
00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,600
Speaker 1: There's some but when you look at their their schedule ranking,

131
00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,200
Speaker 1: they're like middle of the pack. Yeah.

132
00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,400
Speaker 2: I don't quite get that either. I mean, there's six

133
00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,240
Speaker 2: division games are tough. You got the Chiefs, you know,

134
00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,280
Speaker 2: you got all these other playoff teams, and there are

135
00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:54,640
Speaker 2: some some things.

136
00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,279
Speaker 3: They actually have the least rest advantage too in the division.

137
00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:02,599
Speaker 2: But that matters too, it does, it does, And I

138
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,360
Speaker 2: don't love those two Thursday games for them.

139
00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,320
Speaker 1: Yeah. Of course Joe Burrow back this year, so we'll

140
00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,840
Speaker 1: see if he can. That's one of the big storylines

141
00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:11,960
Speaker 1: for them. Can they keep him healthy the entire year

142
00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,400
Speaker 1: because last year, the last two years really he hasn't

143
00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,160
Speaker 1: been and last year was right out of the gate.

144
00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,320
Speaker 1: If you remember, early in training camp, we're out at

145
00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,520
Speaker 1: Saint Fencent College and you see the video of Burrow

146
00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,480
Speaker 1: rolling out to throw pass and all of a sudden

147
00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,560
Speaker 1: that calf was bothering him. And I don't know that

148
00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,360
Speaker 1: he ever really recovered from that all season.

149
00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:30,840
Speaker 2: No, and then he got hurt again late in the year.

150
00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:32,640
Speaker 2: I think was the elbow or.

151
00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,640
Speaker 1: Is the a risk He had wrist on his throwing hand,

152
00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,960
Speaker 1: so he's never maybe once in his career, had a

153
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,720
Speaker 1: real off season like his rookie year and your rookie year,

154
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,120
Speaker 1: you really don't get an off season.

155
00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:47,840
Speaker 2: Don't get an off season, you know, you don't even

156
00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,400
Speaker 2: become a Bengal until late April, right.

157
00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,880
Speaker 1: So it's gonna be interesting to see. You know, I

158
00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,160
Speaker 1: think that's kind of been underreported here. Is that risk

159
00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,240
Speaker 1: completely healed? Does it? Does it affect some of the

160
00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,760
Speaker 1: I mean his calling card is his accuracy?

161
00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:02,600
Speaker 3: Yeah?

162
00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, did he lose some of that with that risk injury?

163
00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:05,480
Speaker 1: We don't know.

164
00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a tough but we'll see. We'll see, I

165
00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,400
Speaker 2: mean play in the preseason. I'm sure they'll keep him

166
00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,040
Speaker 2: in bubble wrap, but we'll see.

167
00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,880
Speaker 1: So, of course, they don't have Joe Mixon anymore. And

168
00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,160
Speaker 1: whether you think that Mixon was good or not for

169
00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:27,400
Speaker 1: them or was a declining player, he was still you know,

170
00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,760
Speaker 1: I think a very solid Yeah, I mean has sixty

171
00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,199
Speaker 1: four hundred rushing yards and forty nine touchdowns for them,

172
00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,080
Speaker 1: and in his seventh season, so I mean he was

173
00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,880
Speaker 1: a good football player for them, over over eighty five

174
00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,640
Speaker 1: hundred total yards in seven seasons. You know, Zach Moss, well,

175
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,320
Speaker 1: he had a good year last year. I mean, the

176
00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:53,120
Speaker 1: Buffalo Bills gave up on him and they drafted him.

177
00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,240
Speaker 1: Indianapolis could have kept him, or at least tried to

178
00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,560
Speaker 1: keep him. They let him walk. He hasn't been a belt.

179
00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,320
Speaker 1: He hasn't been a true workhorse running back over a

180
00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,000
Speaker 1: seventeen game season in the NFL.

181
00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,080
Speaker 3: Yet true, very true.

182
00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,920
Speaker 2: I forget what the stat is you might remember, but

183
00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,360
Speaker 2: I know Mixing and Nausey. I think of the only

184
00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,199
Speaker 2: two backs in the league that have had a thousand

185
00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:15,800
Speaker 2: yards each the last three years.

186
00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,240
Speaker 3: Right, I mean right like that. I mean, so, yeah,

187
00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:19,240
Speaker 3: Mixing is declining.

188
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,559
Speaker 2: But he also came in the league as one of

189
00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,480
Speaker 2: the most talented backs I'd ever seen. I mean, we

190
00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,520
Speaker 2: know why he wasn't a first round pick because of

191
00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:27,679
Speaker 2: off the field stuff going back.

192
00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so we'll see if they miss him or not.

193
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,480
Speaker 1: I mean, I like Moss. I think Moss is a

194
00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,480
Speaker 1: good runner, but again, I want to see him do

195
00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,160
Speaker 1: it for seventeen games and hold up doing that, because honestly,

196
00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,680
Speaker 1: he's different than their other backs, Chase Brown and Chris

197
00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:46,080
Speaker 1: Evans and Trevion Williams.

198
00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, Chase Brown to me catches the ball. Well, takes

199
00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,160
Speaker 2: a little while to get going, but it's fast in

200
00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,960
Speaker 2: a straight line, especially for a bigger guy, but not

201
00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,880
Speaker 2: a lot of wiggle. And I don't think anybody would

202
00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,800
Speaker 2: think this is, you know, a top fifty team backfield.

203
00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,880
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean Mixon had fourteen hundred scrimmage yards in

204
00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:05,720
Speaker 1: twelve touchdowns last year.

205
00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:06,839
Speaker 3: Yeah.

206
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:08,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, So I mean when you when you look at

207
00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,680
Speaker 1: the numbers that that's not bad, not bad, you would

208
00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,560
Speaker 1: take that. Yeah. Uh. Of course they have a new

209
00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,160
Speaker 1: offensive coordinator this year. Now, the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati

210
00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,959
Speaker 1: doesn't call the plays, but it's going to be a

211
00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,800
Speaker 1: little bit different. Yes, let me pitcher.

212
00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,520
Speaker 2: Now, the this will be a theme in the division

213
00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,560
Speaker 2: is the other teams made coaching changes because people stole

214
00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,000
Speaker 2: their dudes. The Steelers make coaching changes because they wanted to, right, right.

215
00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,560
Speaker 1: We've talked about Yeah, we've talked about this next thing

216
00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,200
Speaker 1: here a lot. And it's the t Higgins situation. You know,

217
00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,800
Speaker 1: he's on working on the franchise tag. You know, is

218
00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,000
Speaker 1: he real motivated to go out there? If he's got

219
00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:57,080
Speaker 1: a hangnail? You know, I think he could he could

220
00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,240
Speaker 1: have a year like he did last year where he's

221
00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:00,600
Speaker 1: in and out of the line up and things of

222
00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,360
Speaker 1: that nature, and still go in the free agency and

223
00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:04,360
Speaker 1: get paid a lot of money.

224
00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,640
Speaker 2: Yes, and he's I'm sure, of course ASCO's I's saying

225
00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,920
Speaker 2: he's had two eyes on the receiver contracts and a

226
00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,280
Speaker 2: lot of those guys weren't even true free agents, you know,

227
00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,000
Speaker 2: teams competing with them. They're just re upped from their

228
00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,760
Speaker 2: own team for big money. I would think he gets

229
00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,199
Speaker 2: Nico Collins money, maybe more if you get three or

230
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,800
Speaker 2: four teams competing with him. And unlike a Brandon Ayuk situation,

231
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,079
Speaker 2: I think everybody in the planet knows Cincinnati is not

232
00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:30,680
Speaker 2: all of a sudden they come in with a contract

233
00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:31,880
Speaker 2: in the next couple of weeks.

234
00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, or yeah, same thing, you know, the CD

235
00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:40,240
Speaker 1: LAMB stuff. Yeah. So they're stretch, They're they're every in

236
00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,040
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh is focused on, you know what the what the

237
00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:48,400
Speaker 1: Steelers have to do down the stretch? Uh? Cincinnati week

238
00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,000
Speaker 1: in Week thirteen plays the Steelers in Cincinnati, then they

239
00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,040
Speaker 1: travel to Dallas for a Monday night game, then they

240
00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,200
Speaker 1: play the Browns. Uh. Then they finished back up again

241
00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,200
Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh. They get that's a tough four game stretch for.

242
00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:03,559
Speaker 3: Them, absolutely.

243
00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,800
Speaker 2: I mean, the whole division obviously plays each other a

244
00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,920
Speaker 2: lot down the stretch and it's gonna be crucial, but

245
00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,040
Speaker 2: maybe the most you know, least injured team ends up

246
00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:13,679
Speaker 2: winning that.

247
00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,680
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, let's go ahead and take a look.

248
00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,560
Speaker 2: At the Browns here and then for the bye is

249
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,160
Speaker 2: not easy for them at Dallas Cleveland, you know.

250
00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:25,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's gonna be a tough one.

251
00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:25,680
Speaker 3: Yeah.

252
00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,840
Speaker 1: Uh for the for the Cleveland Browns, their draft class,

253
00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,880
Speaker 1: they took Michael Hall. They of course didn't have a

254
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,720
Speaker 1: first round draft pick because well, Deshaun Watson. Uh. So

255
00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,439
Speaker 1: they take Michael Hall, the defensive tackle out of Ohio

256
00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,720
Speaker 1: State in the first round. He's a little undersized, second

257
00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:42,360
Speaker 1: round for him, but in the second round, I'm sorry.

258
00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:42,559
Speaker 3: Yeah.

259
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:44,559
Speaker 1: Then they come back with Zach Ziner, the guard out

260
00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,880
Speaker 1: of Michigan in the third round at pick eighty five. Uh,

261
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,120
Speaker 1: we'll see where he's at. He broke his leg late

262
00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,559
Speaker 1: in the season last year. Then they took Jamari Thrash,

263
00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,480
Speaker 1: the wide receiver out of Louisville. They've all they've drafted,

264
00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,720
Speaker 1: They've drafted wide receivers every year in like the last

265
00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,880
Speaker 1: four years, and they have nobody to show for it.

266
00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,559
Speaker 2: What's hilarious to me is, yes, they drafted receivers left

267
00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,240
Speaker 2: and right, and their top three guys are Jerry Judy

268
00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,400
Speaker 2: drafted by the Broncos, Elijah Moore drafted by the Jets,

269
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,120
Speaker 2: and Amari Cooper drafted by the Raiders.

270
00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,719
Speaker 1: Yeah, none of them have worked out. No, that was

271
00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,280
Speaker 1: a fifth round pick, and they also in round six

272
00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,280
Speaker 1: tick Nathaniel Watson, a linebacker in the Mississippi State. They

273
00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,800
Speaker 1: had two seventh round picks. They took Miles Harden, the

274
00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,400
Speaker 1: defensive back out of South Dakota, and then they took

275
00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,840
Speaker 1: Juwan Briggs, the defensive tackle out of Cincinnati. So I

276
00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:32,720
Speaker 1: don't see a whole lot of help there for them

277
00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,440
Speaker 1: this year in the draft class.

278
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:34,880
Speaker 3: Yeah.

279
00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,200
Speaker 2: I actually just went to draft history with dot Com

280
00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,280
Speaker 2: while you were reading those off and I bring this

281
00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,720
Speaker 2: up with the Vikings a lot. But it's even worse

282
00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,480
Speaker 2: for the Browns. Like in twenty twenty two, their first

283
00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,880
Speaker 2: pick was number sixty eight, didn't have a pick in

284
00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,480
Speaker 2: the round one or two. In twenty twenty three, their

285
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,680
Speaker 2: first pick was seventy four. Didn't have a pick in

286
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,760
Speaker 2: round one or two. This year, as you mentioned, Michael

287
00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,520
Speaker 2: Hall and Zach Zinter, but they didn't have a fourth,

288
00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,760
Speaker 2: so they only had two picks in the top one

289
00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,800
Speaker 2: fifty five this year. So that's tons of cheap young

290
00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,440
Speaker 2: talent that they just have not been able to get

291
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:12,240
Speaker 2: fights of the apple.

292
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:14,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so they need to hit on like some

293
00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,880
Speaker 1: undrafted rookies and things of that nature. You look at

294
00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,840
Speaker 1: the additions for this team. They had two quarterbacks Jamis

295
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,120
Speaker 1: Winston and Tyler Huntley, two running backs Deontay Foreman and

296
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:32,600
Speaker 1: Nim Hines, Jerry Judy at wide receiver, offensive lineman Jermaine Effetti,

297
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:38,200
Speaker 1: linebacker Devin Bush, and linebacker Jordan Hitch and kicker Kate

298
00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,720
Speaker 1: kde York. Okay, the departures, well, they let Joe Flacco

299
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,200
Speaker 1: and PJ. Walker go. Running Back Kareem Hunt no longer there,

300
00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,480
Speaker 1: wide receiver Marquise Goodwin no longer there, tight end Harrison Bryant,

301
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:57,000
Speaker 1: cener Nick Harris, defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, linebacker Sioni Tacky Tacky,

302
00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,960
Speaker 1: linebacker Anthony Walker, and cornerback Mike Ford. So a lot

303
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:06,680
Speaker 1: of losses and I don't know that they necessarily replaced

304
00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:08,800
Speaker 1: a lot of the I just don't see a lot

305
00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,600
Speaker 1: of help there, and again, the draft classes have been

306
00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,480
Speaker 1: kind of kind of thin the last couple of years. Like,

307
00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:14,960
Speaker 1: I think they're a very thin team.

308
00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:16,600
Speaker 3: I tend to agree.

309
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,200
Speaker 2: You know, they swap out two linebackers for two linebackers,

310
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:21,960
Speaker 2: but I think I'd rather have the guys.

311
00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:23,200
Speaker 1: They used to have. Yeah, I think so.

312
00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,000
Speaker 2: I mean, I found it really curious that you would

313
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,280
Speaker 2: pay Winston and Huntley legit backup money when you're paying

314
00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:31,600
Speaker 2: Watson what you are.

315
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,480
Speaker 3: And I don't know if there's any truth to this,

316
00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:34,200
Speaker 3: but there's been.

317
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,040
Speaker 2: A lot of speculation from every angle that I've heard

318
00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,000
Speaker 2: that they didn't want Flacco back because the locker room

319
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,040
Speaker 2: thinks he's better than Watson, which is a problem, which

320
00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,480
Speaker 2: the problem, And I mean, we might get the Week

321
00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,040
Speaker 2: three and the fan base and people might think Winston's

322
00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:48,760
Speaker 2: better than Watson.

323
00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,760
Speaker 1: So there were schedule notes. The Browns played three straight

324
00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,359
Speaker 1: road games in weeks four through six. That's never good

325
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,640
Speaker 1: for immediately playing three consecutive home games in week seventh nine.

326
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,280
Speaker 1: As we've noted multiple times on the show, their defense

327
00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,320
Speaker 1: has did not travel well last year.

328
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:08,600
Speaker 3: No, No, it didn't.

329
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,240
Speaker 2: And I guess it's not super late in the year.

330
00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:13,720
Speaker 2: Of course, if you won three straight home games, that

331
00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,480
Speaker 2: part's great. Yeah, thinking too if it was later in

332
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,080
Speaker 2: the year, it's mid season, maybe they're sloppy games and

333
00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:22,800
Speaker 2: they even the playing field, you know what I mean.

334
00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,400
Speaker 2: Like I was, look at Chicago and Cleveland just being weather.

335
00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:27,800
Speaker 2: It can just be an equalizer.

336
00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Cleveland finishes the season with four

337
00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,400
Speaker 1: of its final games against twenty twenty three playoff teams.

338
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:37,120
Speaker 3: I hadn't realized that.

339
00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,240
Speaker 1: And they also have, based on their opponent's twenty twenty

340
00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,720
Speaker 1: three records, a five to forty seven winning percentage, the

341
00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,240
Speaker 1: most difficult seventeen game schedule in the league.

342
00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:47,840
Speaker 3: How about this?

343
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,960
Speaker 2: I mean, so again, I'm looking at their schedule grid.

344
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:55,160
Speaker 2: You mentioned four of their last five or against playoff teams. Well,

345
00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,560
Speaker 2: the other one is at Cincy, right, that's no Yeah,

346
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,960
Speaker 2: that's no gift either. Their last five are at Pittsburgh, Chiefs,

347
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,280
Speaker 2: at their place, at Cincy, Miami.

348
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:06,760
Speaker 3: At Baltimore.

349
00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,360
Speaker 1: Oh yuck. Yeah, I don't like that at all.

350
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:10,920
Speaker 3: I don't like that at all.

351
00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:13,960
Speaker 1: The things you need to know will Ken Dorsey proved

352
00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,320
Speaker 1: to be the right fit in Cleveland, the new offensive

353
00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,280
Speaker 1: coordinator there. Of course, he got fired by Buffalo midway

354
00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,840
Speaker 1: through the twenty twenty three season, because well he was

355
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:23,760
Speaker 1: a little pass happy.

356
00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:25,040
Speaker 3: Yeah.

357
00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,639
Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's a tough one to comment on. You

358
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,320
Speaker 2: know that Stefanski's going to pretty much run the offense

359
00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,040
Speaker 2: kind of like in Cleveland, not to that degree or

360
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,600
Speaker 2: in sin Yeah, yeah, not quite to that degree. But

361
00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:40,280
Speaker 2: Dorsey's been around the block. I mean, I thought it

362
00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:41,600
Speaker 2: was odd that he got fired when.

363
00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,200
Speaker 3: He did, but the Bills changed.

364
00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,760
Speaker 1: The next question just getting the Browns offensive line sustains

365
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,399
Speaker 1: success without Bill Callahan, that's a huge loss for that.

366
00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:58,480
Speaker 2: Him and the defensive coordinator for the Ravens are maybe

367
00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,880
Speaker 2: the two biggest losses and looting players in the whole division.

368
00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,520
Speaker 2: I mean, like, with all respect to everyone that followed

369
00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,800
Speaker 2: Mike Munchak, when Mike Munchhack walked out the door, you

370
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,600
Speaker 2: know it, man, I mean, these guys are called hyper

371
00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:11,360
Speaker 2: line coaches.

372
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,800
Speaker 1: Yeah. And and again with with some of the you know,

373
00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,400
Speaker 1: the the lack of draft picks, you know, you need

374
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,680
Speaker 1: somebody developing some of those young guys on the backside,

375
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,040
Speaker 1: you know, to to find again some cheap labor. They

376
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:25,920
Speaker 1: got a very expensive offensive line.

377
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think that's why Zinter was picked because

378
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,320
Speaker 2: he may not play a snappist year. I mean he

379
00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,560
Speaker 2: might have to fill in for somebody that's too expensive.

380
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, next time. The next question is, is DeShawn Watson

381
00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,439
Speaker 1: finally going to be a star in Cleveland? Thought it

382
00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,320
Speaker 1: was acquiring in twenty twenty two. He has not been

383
00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:44,680
Speaker 1: that yet, and.

384
00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:47,560
Speaker 3: You know a times since he was.

385
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,560
Speaker 1: It's been a long time since he was that guy.

386
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,000
Speaker 1: Really what twenty twenty?

387
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,560
Speaker 2: I think twenty twenty, you know, with injuries and suspensions

388
00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:56,160
Speaker 2: and trades.

389
00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean since he's been a top tier guy.

390
00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,520
Speaker 1: That's ancient history in the NFL.

391
00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:02,480
Speaker 3: Ancient.

392
00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,639
Speaker 2: I mean we said this when the trade happened. I

393
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,480
Speaker 2: remember distinctly having this conversation with you that for what

394
00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,119
Speaker 2: they gave up and what they paid him off the

395
00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,240
Speaker 2: field a side, he had to be a top four

396
00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,639
Speaker 2: or five quarterback in the league just to make the

397
00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:16,520
Speaker 2: trade worth it.

398
00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's I mean no, I think I think

399
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,760
Speaker 1: on his best day, from what I've seen, on his

400
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:29,679
Speaker 1: best day, he's maybe quarterback twelve or thirteen maybe, I

401
00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,960
Speaker 1: think that's I think that's his ceiling right now. And

402
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,000
Speaker 1: he hasn't. He hasn't done like he was twenty seven

403
00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,440
Speaker 1: to thirty three for two hundred and eighty nine yards

404
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,359
Speaker 1: and two touchdowns in a Week ten game against Baltimore

405
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,479
Speaker 1: in Baltimore. That's by far his best game as a Brown.

406
00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,720
Speaker 1: And then he promptly goes out and gets hurt again.

407
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean so, yeah, maybe you are right, like

408
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,240
Speaker 2: that day he was maybe a ten through.

409
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,440
Speaker 3: Twelve best quarterback. But those days haven't happened very often.

410
00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,760
Speaker 1: They haven't. And again, much like Joe Flacco, he's coming

411
00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,160
Speaker 1: off of shoulder injury now where he didn't he didn't

412
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:03,760
Speaker 1: throw the football most of the offseason.

413
00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:04,680
Speaker 3: Yeah.

414
00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,280
Speaker 2: I think that's a lot of these injuries don't get

415
00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,000
Speaker 2: talked about enough, you know, Like I'm sure Burrow will

416
00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:10,359
Speaker 2: be fine.

417
00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,840
Speaker 3: I'm sure Watson will be fine. But how much are

418
00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:13,160
Speaker 3: they going.

419
00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:14,800
Speaker 2: To do in camp? How much are they going to

420
00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:16,560
Speaker 2: do in the preseason. I mean, these guys are coming

421
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:17,400
Speaker 2: off major injuries.

422
00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:18,640
Speaker 3: Yeah.

423
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,560
Speaker 1: The Marii Cooper situation for them is another big question.

424
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,160
Speaker 1: Is you know, if you heard him say last month

425
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,480
Speaker 1: that he's trying to get paid this year, he's thirty

426
00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:32,480
Speaker 1: years old. You know, I don't see them paying him.

427
00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,199
Speaker 1: He's going into the final year of his contract. I

428
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,880
Speaker 1: think that's why they made the Jerry Judy acquisition kind

429
00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,439
Speaker 1: of with an eye down the road, because and they

430
00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,880
Speaker 1: paid Jerry Judy better money than probably what he would

431
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,760
Speaker 1: have gotten on the free agent market, because they're looking

432
00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:51,120
Speaker 1: at this one when we get to you know, he's

433
00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,160
Speaker 1: gonna We're not gonna have him Amari Cooper after this year.

434
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:55,920
Speaker 3: I don't think they will.

435
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,840
Speaker 2: And I think that they've there's a lot of reading

436
00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,879
Speaker 2: the tea leaves, the receiver stuff, all the draft picks,

437
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,960
Speaker 2: the acquisitions, knowing this day is bound to come because

438
00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:07,600
Speaker 2: you got so much tied up in Watson too.

439
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:08,560
Speaker 3: I mean, I think.

440
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,760
Speaker 2: One of their guards that are both good players and

441
00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:14,320
Speaker 2: ben stalwarts for them, and Amari and maybe others are

442
00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:15,960
Speaker 2: going to have to go somewhere else.

443
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:17,800
Speaker 3: After the year. I don't.

444
00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:19,960
Speaker 2: I think it'd be foolish to say, you know, the

445
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,560
Speaker 2: Browns are going to be terrible and you're gonna be

446
00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,560
Speaker 2: dumping everybody at the trade deadline. But if things don't

447
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:27,280
Speaker 2: go well, maybe they do trade them at the trade deadline,

448
00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,119
Speaker 2: you know, if they're two and six or something.

449
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:34,119
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, of course, Cleveland's unlikely run to the postseason

450
00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:37,960
Speaker 1: at twenty three with five different starting quarterbacks, relied heavily

451
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,639
Speaker 1: on their defense. You know, you had Jim Schwartz win

452
00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,359
Speaker 1: Assistant Coach of the Year as well as Kevin Stefanski

453
00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:49,639
Speaker 1: went head coach of the year. You know, but you

454
00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:51,800
Speaker 1: look at what happened in the playoffs. They got blown

455
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,720
Speaker 1: out in Houston bad. It wasn't even it wasn't even competitive.

456
00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,760
Speaker 1: Like the Steelers what lost thirty one to seventeen in Buffalo.

457
00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,600
Speaker 1: The Browns game in Houston was worse. It was.

458
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,960
Speaker 2: And I don't remember exactly, but I think the Browns

459
00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,960
Speaker 2: were favored. Yeah they were, okay, I mean, Houston didn't

460
00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 2: look like as good a team at time.

461
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,120
Speaker 1: And you know, but it's those home road splits.

462
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:15,760
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, they're real.

463
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,080
Speaker 2: Real, they're real, and you wouldn't think Houston's a brutal

464
00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,520
Speaker 2: place to play necessarily, but they did not have a

465
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:22,600
Speaker 2: good performance there at all.

466
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:24,800
Speaker 1: Well, let's take a break and then we'll move on

467
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,080
Speaker 1: to the Ravens here, and of course that's always a

468
00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 1: hot topic here in Pittsburgh. He is Matt Williamson. I'm

469
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,880
Speaker 1: Dale Lolly. You're listening to the drive here on Steelers

470
00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,840
Speaker 1: Nation Radio. We'll be back with more right after this

471
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,200
Speaker 1: welcome back. I'm Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson

472
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,880
Speaker 1: and we're going through Nick Schuok's look at the at

473
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,480
Speaker 1: the N or the end of AFC East or AFC North.

474
00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,000
Speaker 1: My goodness, I'm all time tied today AFC North, and

475
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:57,200
Speaker 1: we've got already done the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals,

476
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,480
Speaker 1: and we're on to the Baltimore Ravens. Of course, this

477
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 1: is a kind of an overview of the offseasons, just

478
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,760
Speaker 1: kind of reminder, but because hey, we're going you know,

479
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,160
Speaker 1: we've got teams head in the camp late next week, which.

480
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:09,920
Speaker 3: Is hard to believe soon.

481
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely got the Baltimore Ravens. They actually report July

482
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:20,680
Speaker 1: thirteenth with their rookies, which is well tomorrow, and their

483
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,960
Speaker 1: veterans report on July twentieth. Teams can do that. I

484
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,199
Speaker 1: don't understand necessarily why more teams don't do that.

485
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,119
Speaker 2: Yeah, you'd think you want to get together as soon

486
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:31,760
Speaker 2: as possible.

487
00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, but the Ravens one of the teams that will

488
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:40,199
Speaker 1: do that. Their draft class, they took Nate Wiggins, the

489
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,040
Speaker 1: cornerback out of Clemson, in the first round, pick thirty.

490
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,200
Speaker 1: Then they took Roger Rosengarten, the offensive tackle out of Washington,

491
00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,720
Speaker 1: at number sixty two. Adza Isaac, the addresser out of

492
00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 1: Penn State, was their third round pick at ninety three.

493
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,640
Speaker 1: Devontes Walker, the wide receiver out of North Carolina, went

494
00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,360
Speaker 1: with their first of two fourth round picks at one thirteen,

495
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,240
Speaker 1: and then they took TJ. Tampa, the cornerback out of

496
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 1: Iowa State in the in the fourth round at pick

497
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,840
Speaker 1: one thirty, Rashien Ali, the running back out of Marshall

498
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,920
Speaker 1: at one sixty five in the fifth round. The sixth round,

499
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:19,040
Speaker 1: they added Devin Leary, the quarterback out of Kentucky to eighteen.

500
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,520
Speaker 1: Then they took center Nick Sammic out of Michigan State

501
00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,159
Speaker 1: with their first of two seventh round draft picks, and

502
00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,879
Speaker 1: then Sanusi Kane at safety at a Purdue with the

503
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,000
Speaker 1: two hundred and fiftieth overall pick. You look at the

504
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:40,200
Speaker 1: losses in terms of the departures way outweigh the additions.

505
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,560
Speaker 1: Here they added Derrick Henry find here.

506
00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:49,080
Speaker 2: I think Wiggins was a better commodity than the thirtieth

507
00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,080
Speaker 2: overall player. I mean length, speed, man, coverage ability. I

508
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 2: think most years when quarterbacks don't go six out of

509
00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:00,439
Speaker 2: the first twelve. He doesn't last till thirty. That being said, frankly,

510
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:02,480
Speaker 2: I think they're pretty loaded to corner now with Tampa

511
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,040
Speaker 2: Wiggins and the guys they return.

512
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:04,680
Speaker 1: Yeah.

513
00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,160
Speaker 2: That said, though, their first couple picks, and I said

514
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,600
Speaker 2: this on the draft day, aren't exactly AFC.

515
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:13,720
Speaker 1: Yeah. They're not Ravens type players.

516
00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:14,639
Speaker 3: They're not really.

517
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,160
Speaker 2: They're more finesse athletes, leaner, need to get stronger types,

518
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:20,960
Speaker 2: not tough guys, you know.

519
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,359
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I wonder too, like you could say the

520
00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,360
Speaker 1: same thing about some of their edge guys that they've

521
00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,160
Speaker 1: drafted over the years. The last couple of years, they're

522
00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:30,920
Speaker 1: more finesse type edge rushers.

523
00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,000
Speaker 3: Dead rushers last year were van Noy and Clowney.

524
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,400
Speaker 1: And because the young guys, the young guys can't get

525
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:39,560
Speaker 1: they can't break into the lineup.

526
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:40,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're not.

527
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:45,840
Speaker 2: They're more twitchy finesse athletes, where van Ness or van

528
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,680
Speaker 2: Noy and Clowney they're not edge benders, you know, they're

529
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,679
Speaker 2: just bull rushers, power player, veteran types. And that was

530
00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:53,479
Speaker 2: more of their speed.

531
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's gonna be interesting to see. I know,

532
00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:58,440
Speaker 1: you know, Rashein and Ali the running back they took

533
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,240
Speaker 1: in the fifth round. I don't think he's going to

534
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,680
Speaker 1: be ready for the start of the regular season. Yeah,

535
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,320
Speaker 1: he got hurt. If it wasn't at the combine, it

536
00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: was sometime he got hurt sometime late in the process too. Yeah. Right,

537
00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,280
Speaker 1: and they're kind of counting on Devon Leary to be

538
00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,120
Speaker 1: the backup maybe. Yeah.

539
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:20,440
Speaker 2: I thought they'd do more at the backup spot after

540
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:22,720
Speaker 2: Huntley went to the Browns.

541
00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's Josh Johnson and and Devon Leary, neither one

542
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,879
Speaker 1: of whom is going to remind anybody of Lamar Jackson. No.

543
00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,639
Speaker 3: I mean, Josh Johnson has been on four million teams.

544
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,760
Speaker 1: He's like he might be our age. Uh. The veteran

545
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:41,240
Speaker 1: additions through free agency running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver

546
00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:47,520
Speaker 1: Deontay Hardy, offensive tackle Josh Jones, defensive tackle Josh Tupal

547
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,760
Speaker 1: that comes over from Cleveland, and they re signed Kyle

548
00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 1: van Noyr. Yeah, I know he's he's easily the best

549
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,840
Speaker 1: of those players. Van Ney had a good season for

550
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,840
Speaker 1: them last year. Yeah, but I think he's like thirty

551
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:02,920
Speaker 1: one to thirty two now.

552
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:04,359
Speaker 3: He might even be older.

553
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:08,240
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, tough guy, but I think he's kind

554
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,560
Speaker 2: of there to groom o Way and the Jabo and.

555
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:11,240
Speaker 3: Those guys too.

556
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,639
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, well they they need at least one of

557
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,719
Speaker 1: those guys that they've drafted in recent years to take

558
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:19,920
Speaker 1: a big step forward. It just hasn't happened yet.

559
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:21,320
Speaker 3: No, it hasn't.

560
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,160
Speaker 2: And we'll talk about their departures here in a minute.

561
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:26,560
Speaker 3: But I was reading the.

562
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:32,040
Speaker 2: Football Siders Guide and they brought in Josh Jones, who's

563
00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,160
Speaker 2: not a bad player. I mean he'd be. He's kind

564
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,720
Speaker 2: of a sixth man. He's kind of like McCary, you

565
00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,440
Speaker 2: know that he can do a lot of things for

566
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:41,479
Speaker 2: you on the O line. But they lost over three

567
00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,280
Speaker 2: thousand snaps from offensive lineman and that's crazy.

568
00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,400
Speaker 3: I mean that's a ton. And we'll get to those names,

569
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:48,639
Speaker 3: you know.

570
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. So the departures the afore mentioned Tyler Huntley, both

571
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,840
Speaker 1: running backs JK. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. They replace those

572
00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,000
Speaker 1: with Derrick Henry wide receiver.

573
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 2: Interrupt what you see with all the running backs he

574
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 2: could have picked, why'd you pick a hurt one when

575
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,360
Speaker 2: you're when Mitchell's hurt and you lost to in free agency?

576
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 1: You know, Yes, it's strange. Rod receiver. They said goodbye

577
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:14,560
Speaker 1: to Odell Beckham and Devin Duverney and then the offensive

578
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:20,919
Speaker 1: line losses. They traded Morgan Moses John Simpsons, a starting

579
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 1: guard for them last year. He signed elsewhere as did

580
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,680
Speaker 1: Kevin Zeitler, so both starting guards and their right tackle. Uh.

581
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:34,520
Speaker 1: They said goodbye to Jadavian Clowney. Yeah, yeah, maybe his

582
00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:35,119
Speaker 1: best season.

583
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,719
Speaker 3: He was really good for them.

584
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:42,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, Linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Ronald Darby, cornerback Rocky of

585
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,360
Speaker 1: Sin and safety Gino Stone.

586
00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,680
Speaker 2: And they play a ton of big nickel, I mean

587
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,720
Speaker 2: with three safeties, so they're gonna have to find the

588
00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:51,800
Speaker 2: Stone replacement.

589
00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:53,440
Speaker 3: I mean they still Hamilton and Williams.

590
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,560
Speaker 2: Who are really good. I like their corners. I think

591
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,520
Speaker 2: they can handle that. We all we've talked to Queen

592
00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,400
Speaker 2: to death, but they knew that was com I mean,

593
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,960
Speaker 2: the season made with that entirely in mind. The old

594
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,680
Speaker 2: lines would worries me. And not that I love Odell

595
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,800
Speaker 2: or Duverney. Their wide receiver depth is poor.

596
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:11,840
Speaker 3: I mean it's.

597
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:15,040
Speaker 2: Flowers counting on Bateman to be a two's a little

598
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,680
Speaker 2: bit of a reach Agalar and then guys I've never

599
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:18,000
Speaker 2: heard of.

600
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:23,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's not all that much better than what

601
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:24,360
Speaker 1: the Steelers have a wide receiver.

602
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 2: No, I mean, Flowers had a really nice rookie year.

603
00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,479
Speaker 2: I'm sure they're psyched about him. I get that, but again,

604
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:32,720
Speaker 2: the depth.

605
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:33,280
Speaker 3: There is bad.

606
00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:34,920
Speaker 2: I mean the Steelers have more depth. I mean we

607
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,200
Speaker 2: talked about that the other day, like, you know, depth

608
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 2: type guy, and.

609
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,080
Speaker 1: I like Flowers, but I would rather have Pickens.

610
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:45,560
Speaker 3: Me too, me too.

611
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:47,959
Speaker 1: So I think I just think he had the size

612
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,760
Speaker 1: and what he's able to do. Flowers is a very

613
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:53,640
Speaker 1: specific type wide receiver, like you have to get him

614
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,320
Speaker 1: the ball, find ways to get him the ball in space.

615
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 3: Mm hmm. Yeah.

616
00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,000
Speaker 1: Their skin notes they'll play more games against twenty twenty

617
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,480
Speaker 1: three playoff teams, ten of them, than anyone else in

618
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:06,480
Speaker 1: the NFL this season.

619
00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:07,680
Speaker 3: Yeah.

620
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,680
Speaker 1: Among those ten games are matchups against both of Baltimore's

621
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,440
Speaker 1: playoff opponents from twenty three. They're at the Chiefs, who

622
00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,160
Speaker 1: beat the Ravens in the AFC title game, and then

623
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,600
Speaker 1: they play also play at the at the Texans. The

624
00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:23,440
Speaker 1: Ravens beat them last year in Baltimore, so at at

625
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,200
Speaker 1: the Texans. So both of those road games their Week

626
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,360
Speaker 1: three trip to Dallas, so they also have to go

627
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,640
Speaker 1: to Dallas, will be a clash between twenty twenty three's

628
00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,040
Speaker 1: number one one scoring defense, which was the Ravens, and

629
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:42,280
Speaker 1: the number one overall scoring offense. That's three really tough

630
00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,480
Speaker 1: road games. And we also know they go to Cleveland,

631
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:48,960
Speaker 1: to Pittsburgh and to Cincinnati the road scheduled, and they.

632
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,360
Speaker 2: Open on Thursday night in Kansas City in the worst

633
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:52,520
Speaker 2: environment on the planet.

634
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:52,960
Speaker 1: Yeah.

635
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:55,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're probably gonna start out oh.

636
00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:57,880
Speaker 2: One, I mean most almost everyone does in that situation.

637
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 2: Two other scheduling notes to throw out there for them,

638
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,240
Speaker 2: one good, one bad. Their first five games are the

639
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,760
Speaker 2: hardest of any teams. They open the season in heart

640
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,320
Speaker 2: with the most difficult stretch of any of the thirty

641
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,040
Speaker 2: two teams at Kansas City.

642
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,080
Speaker 3: Then you should beat Vegas at home, but then you

643
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:15,640
Speaker 3: go to Dallas.

644
00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,560
Speaker 2: As you mentioned, the Bills come to town at Sincia.

645
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:23,040
Speaker 2: I mean, that's a lot of Scotland first spot. The

646
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,240
Speaker 2: one thing that Warren Sharp's are pushing like crazy that

647
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,120
Speaker 2: makes him bonkers is.

648
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:35,760
Speaker 3: They have a fifteen day rest advantage over their opponents.

649
00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,520
Speaker 2: Like, for example, if they play the Steelers with three

650
00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,200
Speaker 2: days more rest than the Steelers got, that's plus three

651
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:43,880
Speaker 2: and that's the most in NFL history, So they have

652
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,520
Speaker 2: That's the one thing working in their favor is they

653
00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,080
Speaker 2: have fifteen more days of rest than their opponents, which

654
00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,120
Speaker 2: isn't fair to be honest with you, Like that's the

655
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:53,120
Speaker 2: thing sharpkeeps talking about.

656
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,200
Speaker 3: It is like how does the NFL do this? You know,

657
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,720
Speaker 3: like that that is a massive advantage.

658
00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, a big The big addition in the

659
00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,720
Speaker 1: offseason Derrick Henry we'll see, you know, he's coming off

660
00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,080
Speaker 1: of his age twenty nine season. Can he continue to

661
00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,320
Speaker 1: do that into his thirties That remains to be seen.

662
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,080
Speaker 1: But he was pretty good last year eleven hundred and

663
00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 1: sixty seven yards behind a terrible offensive line. Yeah. But

664
00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:20,240
Speaker 1: as we noted, when we're going through the departures with

665
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,600
Speaker 1: the Ravens, they get some offensive line questions too.

666
00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:24,800
Speaker 3: They really do.

667
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:26,920
Speaker 2: I Mean the more I think of this, I'm glad

668
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,800
Speaker 2: we're doing this exercise because it just, you know, reminds

669
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:34,560
Speaker 2: me of where they're at. Besides tight end, their offensive

670
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:35,800
Speaker 2: depth is really bad.

671
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,040
Speaker 3: I mean, we look the on line situation.

672
00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:42,200
Speaker 2: Just talked about the receivers, Justice Hills were really the

673
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:45,960
Speaker 2: only backup of notes behind Henry, who's twenty nine, and

674
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,800
Speaker 2: we talked about Lamar's backups.

675
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:48,440
Speaker 3: Yeah.

676
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:52,640
Speaker 1: I just the second question is can Lamar reached some

677
00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:54,960
Speaker 1: new heights? You know, of course this will be the

678
00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:00,840
Speaker 1: second season with Todd Monkin as the offensive coordinator. We'll see.

679
00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,160
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, again, I don't think the weapons

680
00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,239
Speaker 1: are quite as good as what they were last year

681
00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,640
Speaker 1: in terms of the overall depth, and the offensive line

682
00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:08,560
Speaker 1: is not as good.

683
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,400
Speaker 3: No, it would really worry me.

684
00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 2: I mean, injuries can hurt anybody, but if they would

685
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 2: get a couple cluster offensive injuries, that could really derail

686
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:18,280
Speaker 2: the season for them.

687
00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,480
Speaker 1: Yeah. Of course. A question number three is well the

688
00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:26,120
Speaker 1: revolving door at offensive tackle finally slowed down. We just

689
00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:29,960
Speaker 1: mentioned they lost both starting guards in addition to their

690
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 1: starting right tackle. Ronnie Stanley played eighteen games between twenty

691
00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,360
Speaker 1: and twenty and twenty twenty two and struggled last year

692
00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,640
Speaker 1: to the point where he was coming on and off

693
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,320
Speaker 1: the field. He was kind of a messenger tackle at times,

694
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,239
Speaker 1: and they need him to be better. I don't know

695
00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,200
Speaker 1: that you know he can regain He's now thirty.

696
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:54,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, so yes, he did play eighteen games between twenty

697
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:57,120
Speaker 2: and twenty two, many of them He did not play

698
00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,959
Speaker 2: every snap, many many of them, and none of them

699
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,160
Speaker 2: did he play at the level that we remember him as.

700
00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:06,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's not that guy anymore, and I don't expect

701
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:07,640
Speaker 1: him at thirty to regain that.

702
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,920
Speaker 3: No, I mean it was an ankle that changed his

703
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:11,840
Speaker 3: career drastically.

704
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, we saw how that worked with Marquise Pouncy really

705
00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,080
Speaker 1: kind of hampered him, you know, the last four years

706
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:21,879
Speaker 1: of his career. The question number four is is Nate

707
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:28,319
Speaker 1: Wiggins the missing piece? Again, he doesn't profile as a

708
00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:29,440
Speaker 1: Raven's cornerback.

709
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,200
Speaker 2: He doesn't, and I like the player, and again I

710
00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,719
Speaker 2: think his skills are coveted in this league. I was

711
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:37,799
Speaker 2: a little shocked they went corner, to be honest with you.

712
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:40,319
Speaker 2: I mean, with as good offensive line draft as this

713
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,120
Speaker 2: was the receivers you could possibly have got. I didn't

714
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,760
Speaker 2: think a corner like I wouldn't structure that that sentence

715
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,680
Speaker 2: the same way like I didn't think a corner, no

716
00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:51,640
Speaker 2: matter who it is, was the missing piece for them.

717
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,120
Speaker 3: I thought they were fine there. Yeah.

718
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,720
Speaker 1: The final question here is the you know, the coaching losses.

719
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,280
Speaker 1: They lost Mike McDonald, their defensive coordinator. They lost Anthony mcweaver,

720
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,240
Speaker 1: their defensive line coach who went and took the Dolphins

721
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:11,040
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator job, and they lost defensive backs coach Dinor Wilson,

722
00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,680
Speaker 1: who is now the defensive coordinator in Tennessee.

723
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:15,600
Speaker 3: Yeah.

724
00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:17,360
Speaker 2: I mean they were one of the best defenses in

725
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,440
Speaker 2: the league and one of the coaches becomes the head guy,

726
00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:24,879
Speaker 2: and two guys become defensive coordinators like Ouch and Zach

727
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:25,879
Speaker 2: Orr's taking over.

728
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:27,000
Speaker 3: People might remember him as.

729
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:30,360
Speaker 2: A player, he was like a depth linebacker, special teamer,

730
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,000
Speaker 2: and I did a little homework on him. He's super

731
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,239
Speaker 2: popular in the building, but he hasn't coached long and

732
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,799
Speaker 2: he really is getting thrown into this maybe a little

733
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:38,160
Speaker 2: too soon.

734
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll see how that works out for him. Let's

735
00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:43,319
Speaker 1: get to a break, and when we return, we'll look

736
00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,719
Speaker 1: at the Steelers and we'll do a deeper dive on this,

737
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:48,040
Speaker 1: probably even the Nick Schuch did. We'll do that when

738
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,440
Speaker 1: we return. He is Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lollie. You're

739
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,160
Speaker 1: listening to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. Ray

740
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:56,439
Speaker 1: Steeler fans gear up with the latest sideline apparel, hats

741
00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:59,600
Speaker 1: or jerseys of your favorite players, authentic memorabilia, custom items,

742
00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:02,040
Speaker 1: an elusives you can only find directly from the team

743
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,840
Speaker 1: at one of the official Steelers pro shops. They're located

744
00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,040
Speaker 1: at Akershuer Stadium, Grove City Premium Ountlets, or Tanger Outlet's,

745
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,600
Speaker 1: or you can visit online at shop dot Steelers dot com.

746
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:14,880
Speaker 1: He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly and this

747
00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:18,279
Speaker 1: is the drive on Steelers Nation Radio. We're going over

748
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:23,200
Speaker 1: Nick Schuk's look at the AFC North. Here we've done

749
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,880
Speaker 1: the other three teams. Now let's take a look at

750
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,960
Speaker 1: the Steelers and see what mister Schulk has to say

751
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:32,080
Speaker 1: about them. Of course, the players report on July twenty fourth.

752
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:35,239
Speaker 1: That's rookies and veterans to Saint Vincent College. Can't wait

753
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:37,960
Speaker 1: to get out there again. Just going over the draft

754
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:40,400
Speaker 1: class again, we all know it. Troy Patano in the

755
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,799
Speaker 1: first round, Zach Fraser in the second round. Third round

756
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,920
Speaker 1: brought in two players, Roman Wilson, the wide receiver out

757
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,680
Speaker 1: of Michigan and Peyton Wilson, the linebacker the NC State.

758
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:53,200
Speaker 1: They had a Mason McCormick in the fourth round at

759
00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:57,319
Speaker 1: pick one nineteen. Logan Lee, the defensive end out of

760
00:36:57,400 --> 00:36:59,879
Speaker 1: Iowa at pick one seventy eight. And a six round

761
00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,880
Speaker 1: and then Ryan Wats his defensive back out of Texas

762
00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:07,120
Speaker 1: at pick one ninety five in round six. And if

763
00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:11,279
Speaker 1: you look at that, Matt the Steelers once again, this

764
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,200
Speaker 1: is like the second year in a row they've had

765
00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:16,040
Speaker 1: five picks basically in the top one twenty at the draft.

766
00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:19,799
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not when you when you talk about the

767
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,200
Speaker 2: other three draft classes just in a row like that,

768
00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,080
Speaker 2: that you get five in the first one nineteen four

769
00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 2: in the first ninety eight, and it doesn't seem like much.

770
00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:32,120
Speaker 3: But the pick at trade Deontay Johnson.

771
00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,799
Speaker 2: Trade, you suddenly move up before the draft and set

772
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,279
Speaker 2: yourself up to get in these sweetiter spots and no

773
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,520
Speaker 2: offense to Lee or Watts. But I look at those

774
00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:42,799
Speaker 2: guys as picks for another day. You know, use it

775
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,600
Speaker 2: a lot. Probably don't count on him, and you probably

776
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,440
Speaker 2: not McCormick either, but he's still a pretty high end prospect.

777
00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,160
Speaker 1: But those first four guys, yeah, A're gonna yeah, you're

778
00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:55,200
Speaker 1: counting on those first four guys. And there are four

779
00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:56,279
Speaker 1: of the top ninety.

780
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:59,440
Speaker 3: Eight picks, yep. And you know, hand to the sky.

781
00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:01,880
Speaker 2: If I was on Raven's Nation Radio right now, I

782
00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,080
Speaker 2: would say this is my favorite draft class in the division.

783
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I think that that's not even us

784
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:14,600
Speaker 1: saying that, Like everybody trumpeted the Steelers draft class, so like.

785
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:15,279
Speaker 3: The guys they got.

786
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, uh. The key additions, well.

787
00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:20,600
Speaker 3: Real quick mention.

788
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,279
Speaker 2: I think people remember I was on vacation and I

789
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,319
Speaker 2: ran into an old Budy from ESPN who's in charge

790
00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,359
Speaker 2: of recruiting and does a bunch of college stuff, and

791
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,520
Speaker 2: I mentioned we were just talking Steelers draft and he goes, oh,

792
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:35,919
Speaker 2: I spent a bunch of time with Zach Frasier. There's

793
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,480
Speaker 2: no chance he buss you know, like you know there's

794
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,919
Speaker 2: some something you just know. I'm not saying he's gonna

795
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,200
Speaker 2: be Webby. He's like that guy's makeup. He's gonna make

796
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,480
Speaker 2: it in the league. I'm like, And then that came

797
00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:49,400
Speaker 2: from someone that had no skin in the game, that

798
00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,640
Speaker 2: just was a round Fraser a lot in competitive setting,

799
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:54,920
Speaker 2: and I think that stands out with him. It's like

800
00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,520
Speaker 2: he might not be the top five center, but he's

801
00:38:57,520 --> 00:38:58,440
Speaker 2: not gonna be a bottom.

802
00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,840
Speaker 1: Five sever Yeah. Yeah, no, I think that's one correct

803
00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:05,520
Speaker 1: the key additions this offseason. Of course, Russell Wilson and

804
00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:10,840
Speaker 1: Justin Fields at quarterback, running backl Michael p Ryan, wide receiver,

805
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:14,880
Speaker 1: Van Jefferson, wide receiver, Scottie Miller, wide receiver, Cordero Patterson,

806
00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:19,880
Speaker 1: wide receiver, Quas Watkins, linebacker Patrick Queen, cornerback Dante Jackson,

807
00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:23,440
Speaker 1: cornerback Cam Sunton, and safety Deshaun Elliott.

808
00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,120
Speaker 3: A lot of use old names there.

809
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:26,719
Speaker 1: Yeah.

810
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:31,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you look at the key departures Patterson receiver,

811
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 2: I know they are, but I think he's.

812
00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,440
Speaker 1: Gonna he could do a little bit of everything for you.

813
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,759
Speaker 1: That's nice. That's a nice thing about that. Uh, of course,

814
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:43,040
Speaker 1: quarterback Kenny Pickett, quarterback Mason Rudolph, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky all gone.

815
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:48,000
Speaker 1: They swept out that, that quarterback room, wide receiver Deontay Johnson,

816
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,560
Speaker 1: wide receiver Alan Robinson, offensive tackle Chooks, the corps for

817
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:58,000
Speaker 1: linebacker Marcus Golden, linebacker Kwan Alexander, linebacker Michael Walker, cornerback

818
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:02,400
Speaker 1: Patrick Peterson, cornerback Levi Walla, and safety Kean O'Neill. Really,

819
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,239
Speaker 1: when you look at it that way, the only one

820
00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:07,720
Speaker 1: that you look at and say, well, you know, that's

821
00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:10,520
Speaker 1: gonna maybe hurt a little bit more is Deontay Johnson.

822
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,080
Speaker 1: The rest of that they had guys in place where

823
00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:16,799
Speaker 1: they made sure that they replaced them already, Like, is

824
00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,560
Speaker 1: anybody gonna miss Michael Walker or kwant Alexander when they

825
00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,839
Speaker 1: replace them with Patrick Queen. And it's nothing against those guys, No, no,

826
00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,160
Speaker 1: not at all. But Patrick Queen's an upgrade. Deshaun Elliott's

827
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:28,759
Speaker 1: an upgrade over Keillan O'Neil.

828
00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:30,360
Speaker 3: Exactly exactly, you know.

829
00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,120
Speaker 2: So and one name on their golden might be back,

830
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:37,279
Speaker 2: you know, yeah, yet you know, I mean so that

831
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:38,920
Speaker 2: one's kind of his own category.

832
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:41,719
Speaker 3: There's some decent football players on there.

833
00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:44,920
Speaker 2: And frankly, I would have loved to seeing Picket with

834
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,280
Speaker 2: a new offense. And I don't think his story's totally written.

835
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,480
Speaker 2: He's not the enemy, you know, I mean that kind of.

836
00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:52,400
Speaker 2: He got a little bit of the short end of

837
00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:54,239
Speaker 2: the stick in terms of what he was able to show.

838
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:55,960
Speaker 3: But I like the new guys.

839
00:40:55,719 --> 00:41:01,080
Speaker 2: Better and than Johnson, well, including Johnson. I mean, there's

840
00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:05,240
Speaker 2: a lot of snaps gone, all your quarterback snaps. Johnson

841
00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:08,120
Speaker 2: and Robinson played a ton, the Corps foards played a lot.

842
00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:13,400
Speaker 2: Since he's been here. Alexander was a rotational dude. Peterson

843
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:15,920
Speaker 2: and Wallace and Neil all played a lot of snaps.

844
00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:19,080
Speaker 2: Peterson led to the defensive snaps, but it's not like

845
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:23,200
Speaker 2: other than Johnson, any of them were above average starters.

846
00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,240
Speaker 1: Right, yeah, yeah, the schedule notes, of course, the Steelers

847
00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:31,959
Speaker 1: open out that might be upgraded. Yeah, the Steelers opened

848
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,000
Speaker 1: the season with back to back road games and played

849
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,840
Speaker 1: three of their four three of their first four games

850
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:42,200
Speaker 1: outside of Pittsburgh. No, they finished with back finished the

851
00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,239
Speaker 1: season with back to back home games. Of course, we

852
00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,080
Speaker 1: know it's a tough schedule down the stretch. And they

853
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:49,560
Speaker 1: capped their season with four of their final five games

854
00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:54,280
Speaker 1: against twenty twenty three playoff teams, including three games against

855
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 1: all three of their division rivals.

856
00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:01,399
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, what you need to know here?

857
00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:04,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, actually, now think about it. How did they phrase

858
00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:05,040
Speaker 3: that with.

859
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:09,840
Speaker 2: The playoff teams? They said four of their final five

860
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:11,759
Speaker 2: are against playoff teams.

861
00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,520
Speaker 1: And the other ones against Cincinnati, and say the other

862
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:14,320
Speaker 1: two are Cincinnati.

863
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,759
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,

864
00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:20,720
Speaker 2: eight are Cincinnati Your playoff teams?

865
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:24,800
Speaker 1: You know, yeah, not kind there's no kind of right,

866
00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:26,920
Speaker 1: no offens or butts about that. But you know, you

867
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:29,760
Speaker 1: gotta make your hay and win, you know, win.

868
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:33,120
Speaker 2: Some of those games, at least those last two or time.

869
00:42:33,719 --> 00:42:36,760
Speaker 1: His first question, who will be the new sheriff in town?

870
00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:42,000
Speaker 1: Talking about Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Look, it's going

871
00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:46,160
Speaker 1: to be Russell Wilson unless he would have to completely

872
00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:50,560
Speaker 1: fall flat on his face for Justin Fields to somehow

873
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:52,520
Speaker 1: pass him on the depth chart.

874
00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:56,040
Speaker 2: And I just don't see that happening me either. And

875
00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:58,080
Speaker 2: we've talked this to death. I think our listeners are

876
00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,840
Speaker 2: tuned into this. Maybe the national world world isn't yet.

877
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,960
Speaker 2: I was on a Football Outsiders Almanac rampage last night

878
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:07,399
Speaker 2: looking at stats and.

879
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,800
Speaker 3: Didn't realize only two quarterbacks.

880
00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,920
Speaker 2: Sam Howe and Young with the Panthers were hitting more

881
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:18,360
Speaker 2: than Wilson last year in terms of quarterback hits and sacks.

882
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:20,920
Speaker 2: When you combine those two, Yeah, he was the third

883
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,560
Speaker 2: most hit quarterback in the league and didn't play the

884
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,480
Speaker 2: last two games. I mean, some of that's on him

885
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,160
Speaker 2: holding the ball, but that's going to go down, you know.

886
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:31,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, you would expect that to go down, especially if

887
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,200
Speaker 1: the Steelers run the balls effectively as they did in

888
00:43:33,239 --> 00:43:35,000
Speaker 1: the second half of last season. There's no reason to

889
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:38,640
Speaker 1: expect that, And that is, of course the second question

890
00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:41,759
Speaker 1: here for Nick Shook. After proving to be among the

891
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:44,239
Speaker 1: most loyal coaches in the history of professional sports, Mike

892
00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,680
Speaker 1: Tomlin finally pulled the plug on the Matt Cannada experience

893
00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:50,399
Speaker 1: in the middle of the twenty twenty three season. Arthur

894
00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:52,799
Speaker 1: Smith is now in charge of the offense, bringing with

895
00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:56,160
Speaker 1: him a system that extracted seven wins from each of

896
00:43:56,200 --> 00:43:58,720
Speaker 1: the last three Falcon seasons he spent as the head coach,

897
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:04,239
Speaker 1: despite not having a quarterback. Oh you know, he's got

898
00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:06,719
Speaker 1: a better quarterback situation I think than he had in

899
00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:11,839
Speaker 1: any of his time in Atlanta. Remember, the first year

900
00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:14,920
Speaker 1: was the was the what was left of Matt Ryan.

901
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,600
Speaker 3: Mh and he pieced that together reasonably well.

902
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,320
Speaker 1: Yeah again one seven. Nobody expected him to win seven

903
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:24,319
Speaker 1: games with those Falcons teams in any of those years. No,

904
00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:27,160
Speaker 1: I think he kind of overachieved to a certain degree

905
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,439
Speaker 1: with based on what they had in terms of talent

906
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:32,360
Speaker 1: on the field, especially at the quarterback position.

907
00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:36,680
Speaker 2: I thoroughly believe the time Smith spent with the Falcons,

908
00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:39,960
Speaker 2: he had worse quarterbacks than what we've seen here during that.

909
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,640
Speaker 1: Stretch, which is saying something I mean because again, the

910
00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:45,040
Speaker 1: Steeler quarterbacks through thirteen touchdown passes last year.

911
00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Ritters noticeably worse than Pickett in my opinion,

912
00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:51,640
Speaker 2: and yeah, Harryota can't hit the broad side of bar.

913
00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:55,799
Speaker 1: Name Number three thing here is general manager Omar Khan

914
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:59,760
Speaker 1: crushed the twenty twenty four offseason, drafting starting quality linemen

915
00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,880
Speaker 1: as Frazier and Troy Fatanu, plus a sneaky good receiver

916
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:05,399
Speaker 1: in Roman Wilson who should fit into the top three

917
00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:08,680
Speaker 1: nice seat nicely and an uber athletic linebacker, and Peyton

918
00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:10,920
Speaker 1: Wilson was sideline to sideline range. It could be used

919
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,919
Speaker 1: as a blitzing missile. He spent the free agency free

920
00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,920
Speaker 1: agency reinforcing both sides of the ball, picking up a

921
00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,920
Speaker 1: handful of receivers while trading away Deontae Johnson and then

922
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:23,759
Speaker 1: add an experienced cornerback in Dante Jackson to replace in

923
00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:28,000
Speaker 1: aging Patrick Peterson. On paper, the Steelers are markedly better,

924
00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,800
Speaker 1: and if the quarterback revamp works out, Tomlin should have

925
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,040
Speaker 1: had the best roster he's had since going twelve and

926
00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:34,000
Speaker 1: four and twenty twenty.

927
00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:41,879
Speaker 2: Wow, I mean, I love the offseason, but that needs

928
00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:43,200
Speaker 2: to play out first, you.

929
00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 3: Know what I mean? Right?

930
00:45:44,719 --> 00:45:47,319
Speaker 1: But he's not saying that the Steelers are gonna win

931
00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:50,760
Speaker 1: twelve games, right, I know, But IM just saying that

932
00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:52,480
Speaker 1: the roster's good.

933
00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,200
Speaker 2: And going back to last year's draft with Benton and Porter,

934
00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,280
Speaker 2: I think Gomar has done a lot to really enhance

935
00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:00,680
Speaker 2: this offense, this roster.

936
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:05,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, Mike Tomlin number four, Mike Tomlin returns with

937
00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,319
Speaker 1: a new deal and his best chance to win since

938
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,040
Speaker 1: that twenty twenty campaign. Tomlin ended trying twenty twenty three,

939
00:46:11,600 --> 00:46:14,239
Speaker 1: trying twenty twenty three campaign with a lopsided playoff lost

940
00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:19,400
Speaker 1: in Buffalo. But you know, they've they've got they've a

941
00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:23,879
Speaker 1: better quarterback situation, I think, a better overall roster. Now,

942
00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:26,640
Speaker 1: it's just you know, seeing can he maneuver this team

943
00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:30,680
Speaker 1: through what looks like a difficult schedules, particularly in the

944
00:46:30,719 --> 00:46:31,320
Speaker 1: second half.

945
00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:35,759
Speaker 2: Yeah right, I mean we've harped on this lately too.

946
00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:39,680
Speaker 2: I mean, fight close games, one score games, you know,

947
00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:43,080
Speaker 2: not playing with great quarterbacks, he still finds ways to

948
00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:44,000
Speaker 2: win football games.

949
00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:47,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, and he's got a quarterback in Wilson who is

950
00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:49,400
Speaker 1: among the best. He's in top ten all time in

951
00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:52,200
Speaker 1: terms of fourth quarter comebacks. So it does match up

952
00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:55,080
Speaker 1: well with that. I mean, those two things bode well

953
00:46:55,800 --> 00:46:59,000
Speaker 1: it does. I mean, there's no question about that. I

954
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,319
Speaker 1: think it's small things like they didn't even talk about this.

955
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:05,239
Speaker 1: They're so much better at punter now, yeah, what little

956
00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:08,560
Speaker 1: things like that make a difference having an actual kickoff

957
00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:11,240
Speaker 1: return guyg in Cordor or Patterson with the kickoffs.

958
00:47:12,120 --> 00:47:14,520
Speaker 3: Yeah right, yeah, So, I.

959
00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,560
Speaker 1: Mean there are some things that you look at and

960
00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:19,279
Speaker 1: you go, this team could win in the margins to

961
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:20,120
Speaker 1: a certain degree.

962
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:21,880
Speaker 3: They just absolutely could.

963
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:25,480
Speaker 2: And I'm not picking on Mac Canada, but again, I've

964
00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:29,239
Speaker 2: been digging into these almanacs heavily, and it's really remarkable

965
00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:33,319
Speaker 2: that over the time that Canada was the offensive coordinator,

966
00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:37,399
Speaker 2: the league basically averaged just over twenty two points per

967
00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:40,880
Speaker 2: game per team per game, you know, and all the

968
00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:44,399
Speaker 2: games are an extremely high percentage. Of the games where

969
00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:48,840
Speaker 2: the Steelers allowed more than twenty two points they lost.

970
00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:52,280
Speaker 2: Almost the game that they allowed under twenty two points

971
00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:52,640
Speaker 2: they won.

972
00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:53,080
Speaker 3: You know.

973
00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:55,400
Speaker 2: Like, so if you could just get the offense to

974
00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:59,080
Speaker 2: league average, you're cooking, Yeah.

975
00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:00,719
Speaker 1: Because I think the defense is going be really good.

976
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:01,759
Speaker 3: I do too.

977
00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:04,280
Speaker 1: I think a lot of Steeler fans are selling Dante

978
00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:06,520
Speaker 1: Jackson's short Yes.

979
00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,560
Speaker 3: Another thing I dug up, I mean I went crazy

980
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:11,600
Speaker 3: with these, that's right. Yeah, the last.

981
00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:15,960
Speaker 2: Three years, no defense has faced more throws to the

982
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:20,000
Speaker 2: middle of the field. Well, I think the Steelers recognize this.

983
00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:22,239
Speaker 2: Go look at the linebackers they got, Look at the

984
00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:25,520
Speaker 2: strong safety they got. You know, like teams have game

985
00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:29,359
Speaker 2: plan to pick on the defense between the numbers. Last

986
00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:32,040
Speaker 2: year they were the highest percentage of passes were between

987
00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:33,840
Speaker 2: the numbers were against the Pittsburgh defense.

988
00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:37,040
Speaker 3: It's been a three year stretch. Well, if you.

989
00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:41,240
Speaker 2: Have Queen and Wilson and you know, more strong safety

990
00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,360
Speaker 2: linebacker types that could cover ground, you might take that

991
00:48:44,400 --> 00:48:45,080
Speaker 2: weekness away.

992
00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:45,760
Speaker 3: Yeah.

993
00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:48,520
Speaker 1: Absolutely. And then his final thing is well, and we've

994
00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:53,799
Speaker 1: talked a ton about this, the Winter Gauntlet of waits, Yeah,

995
00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:58,279
Speaker 1: winners is near. The schedule makers did the Steelers zero

996
00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:00,680
Speaker 1: favors in twenty twenty four, hitting them in front of

997
00:49:00,719 --> 00:49:04,360
Speaker 1: a national audience three times in weeks five through eight. Actually,

998
00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:07,920
Speaker 1: that doesn't bother me because Tomlin's teams always seem to

999
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:14,520
Speaker 1: play well when they're on national TV. Yeah. But of course,

1000
00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:17,680
Speaker 1: after Week eleven, the Steelers start a four game stretch

1001
00:49:17,719 --> 00:49:22,480
Speaker 1: that it's filled with exclusive division games, including meetings with

1002
00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:26,560
Speaker 1: Baltimore and Cleveland on short weeks. Then they get the

1003
00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:31,000
Speaker 1: Christmas with at Baltimore week sixteen, home versus Kansas City

1004
00:49:31,239 --> 00:49:33,560
Speaker 1: four days later on Christmas Day, and then home versus

1005
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:38,880
Speaker 1: Cincinnati in week eighteen. You know, you got to position

1006
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:43,319
Speaker 1: yourself through those first ten games of the season and

1007
00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:45,839
Speaker 1: put yourself in solid position. I'm not saying you've got

1008
00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:47,839
Speaker 1: to be like nine to one or eight and two,

1009
00:49:48,760 --> 00:49:51,080
Speaker 1: but you better be. You better be. You know, I

1010
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:53,000
Speaker 1: think if you're seven and three, you're feeling pretty good

1011
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:57,520
Speaker 1: about yourself. System four will be okay, but you know,

1012
00:49:57,600 --> 00:49:59,920
Speaker 1: anything less than that is going to be a trouble.

1013
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:02,919
Speaker 2: The only positive spin I could put on, and that's

1014
00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:05,440
Speaker 2: hard to do because it's a tough gauntlet, without question.

1015
00:50:06,160 --> 00:50:07,240
Speaker 3: Is unlike the Ravens.

1016
00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:09,400
Speaker 2: We talked about their first five games being the hardest

1017
00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:12,720
Speaker 2: in the league. I would rather have my hardest stretch

1018
00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:18,000
Speaker 2: at the end, maybe playing they are. Yeah, Burrow might

1019
00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:19,040
Speaker 2: be out of the year, you know what I mean.

1020
00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,600
Speaker 2: Like at the beginning of the year, Baltimore is probably

1021
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:23,400
Speaker 2: gonna get the teams we think you're gonna get, you

1022
00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:23,839
Speaker 2: know what I mean?

1023
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I also think that that's where the Steelers.

1024
00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:29,120
Speaker 1: I think that's why they they built a depth that

1025
00:50:29,200 --> 00:50:33,480
Speaker 1: they have, you know, just so they can withstand some

1026
00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:35,600
Speaker 1: of that stuff. I mean, you're gonna have injuries during

1027
00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:38,960
Speaker 1: the season, you just are and so but you know,

1028
00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:43,239
Speaker 1: I think the Steelers are the deepest team, certainly in

1029
00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:46,960
Speaker 1: the AFC North and maybe in the entire AFC in

1030
00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:50,440
Speaker 1: terms of overall depth. I'm not saying, yeah, guys that

1031
00:50:50,560 --> 00:50:52,759
Speaker 1: you can line up with. I mean, there's a good

1032
00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:56,400
Speaker 1: chance they cut guys, you know at the end of

1033
00:50:56,440 --> 00:50:59,200
Speaker 1: training camp this year. We're gonna get picked up elsewhere

1034
00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,520
Speaker 1: and play football across the league this year.

1035
00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:04,239
Speaker 2: Maybe end up starting some games, yeah, or maybe you

1036
00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:06,080
Speaker 2: trade them for six or seventh round picks like they've

1037
00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:07,319
Speaker 2: done right.

1038
00:51:08,480 --> 00:51:10,160
Speaker 3: And that's funny. He kind of beat me to the

1039
00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:10,640
Speaker 3: punch there.

1040
00:51:10,680 --> 00:51:13,680
Speaker 2: But two of the three teams in the division that

1041
00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:16,799
Speaker 2: we previewed earlier in the hour, Baltimore and Cleveland, we

1042
00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:20,440
Speaker 2: mentioned depth worries me with these teams, you know, and

1043
00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:22,759
Speaker 2: that's when you play them, is when their death is

1044
00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:23,719
Speaker 2: gonna be tested.

1045
00:51:23,960 --> 00:51:26,840
Speaker 1: No doubt, no doubt. That's going to do it. For

1046
00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:29,359
Speaker 1: our number one, Matt. We'll be back with our number

1047
00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:32,200
Speaker 1: two of the drive. He is Matt Williamson, I am Dale,

1048
00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:34,960
Speaker 1: Lully and we'll be back with more right after this