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Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on Home of the Black and

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Speaker 1: Goal Steelers Nation Radio. Ye, welcome back to the Drive.

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Speaker 1: I'm Dale Ally here with Matt Williamson and Matt two

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Speaker 1: Steelers O t A sessions today. After session number two, UM,

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Speaker 1: we had an opportunity to speak with two second year

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Speaker 1: players who are being counted on a lot by the

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Speaker 1: Steelers this year. That being left guard Kevin Dotson, who

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Speaker 1: was a fourth round pick last year, and Alex high Smith,

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Speaker 1: who will be moving into Bud dupreez right outside linebacker

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Speaker 1: spot uh their third round pick a year ago. UM,

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Speaker 1: there's a high expectations for both of these guys, at

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Speaker 1: least in Pittsburgh, maybe not as much nationally as That's

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Speaker 1: kind of where I was going with this too. It's

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Speaker 1: first of all, I think it's a little it's a

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Speaker 1: little premature, but it sure looks like a heck of

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Speaker 1: a draft class last year, especially if you put Maka

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Speaker 1: on the equation. Obviously, I mean that that's a hit.

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Speaker 1: I think Claypool's a hit. I think both these guys

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Speaker 1: are really promising, you know, and the national media doesn't

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Speaker 1: get that. Which I've been there, I've been that national

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Speaker 1: guy and it's hard to know the fourth round pick

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Speaker 1: from last year's ready to step up in Green Bay

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Speaker 1: or Sandy. It's not like he didn't play. If he did,

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Speaker 1: it's not like both of these guys didn't play. They

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Speaker 1: got forced in in a way. I don't think they

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Speaker 1: were planning on playing one year ago today. But how

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Speaker 1: many times do we say teams tell us what they

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Speaker 1: think of their players. And I think they've really writing

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Speaker 1: has been on the wall that they trust these two

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Speaker 1: to start now and got enough to last year in

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Speaker 1: live games, let alone practice that everyone gets to say

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Speaker 1: what kind of these two to be starters? And with

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Speaker 1: him every day, and we didn't add anybody to either spot.

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Speaker 1: Then I was going to I was going to challenge

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Speaker 1: those these guys for a starting but that doesn't often happen.

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Speaker 1: No second year guys that have played. I don't know

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Speaker 1: how many snaps between them, but I'm guessing seven or

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Speaker 1: something like that. Maybe you know, or between the two

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Speaker 1: of them are going to be my starting guard and

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Speaker 1: starting outside linebacker in camp. No challenge, boom. You know

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Speaker 1: that says a lot about these two players. Yeah, so

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Speaker 1: I thought that was interesting. I actually asked Alex Highsmith

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Speaker 1: about you know, some of the national perceptive perception. And

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Speaker 1: he saw the stuff out there before the draft of

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Speaker 1: Steelers gonna draft an outside linebacker, they gotta replace Bud

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Speaker 1: Dupree and like he's still here, or Steelers gotta draft

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Speaker 1: a guard and no centers and tackles it in they guards.

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Speaker 1: But you saw, guardless, that is a big need a

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Speaker 1: lot and I don't, I don't. It just wasn't realistic.

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Speaker 1: I didn't ask I didn't ask Kevin Dodson about that,

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Speaker 1: but we did talk to him, asked him a lot

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Speaker 1: of other stuff. So let's hear what Kevin Dodson had

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Speaker 1: to say. Fun guy, Yeah, yeah, he's It was wondering

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Speaker 1: if you could um walk us through some of the

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Speaker 1: main differences between good Sewn and good day Graham and Uh,

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Speaker 1: I noticed one thing that when you guys were under center,

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Speaker 1: you guys had your hand on the ground. Is that

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Speaker 1: something that Clemens emphasizing here that, yeah, he's he emphasized

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Speaker 1: it more definitely for the tackles being more, you know,

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Speaker 1: more often doing three point stands. Uh, last year I

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Speaker 1: did threeple stands the whole year, So it didn't really

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Speaker 1: changed for me. But you know, some of the guards.

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Speaker 1: They'll be in the They did two point stands last year.

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Speaker 1: He's trying to get a little bit away from that

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Speaker 1: to be able to come off the ball a little more.

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Speaker 1: Go to Jeff half of Jeff count How different is

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Speaker 1: it for you this year with new guys on your

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Speaker 1: left and right? And what's that feel with with the

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Speaker 1: group without Marquis and going away over there. You know,

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Speaker 1: we just gotta have to a doubt. You know, been

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Speaker 1: um my office lines of any team I've been on

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Speaker 1: being able to blow people in and still be able

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Speaker 1: to do what they need to do get done. You

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Speaker 1: know we're gonna miss the leadership of Pouncy and them,

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Speaker 1: but you know we're gonna have to adjust that. We can't.

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Speaker 1: We can't hold onto it. We have to move on

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Speaker 1: and start our own stuff. Kevin. Mike Tomlin also always

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Speaker 1: talks about the biggest jump for a player being between

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Speaker 1: year one and year two. How different do you feel

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Speaker 1: this year coming into this and you actually have some

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Speaker 1: tas this year what you didn't have last year. You know,

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Speaker 1: I just feel more prepared, to say prepared. I just

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Speaker 1: know what's to come. You know, last year, all the

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Speaker 1: COVID stuff I had no idea when I was supposed

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Speaker 1: to come up to Pittsburgh. I didn't know what we're

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Speaker 1: gonna do, what type of practices we're gonna be. Now

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Speaker 1: I can expect it and I know what to work for,

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Speaker 1: and I worked for it all the off season being

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Speaker 1: able to get ready for what I know was coming prior. Hey, Kevin, um,

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Speaker 1: I believe that you train with Duke many Weather down

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Speaker 1: in Dallas in the off season. Also where Kendrick Perkins

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Speaker 1: and Dan Moore were training pre draft. Did you get

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Speaker 1: to know them at all before they ended up here

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Speaker 1: and what have you seen out of them? Early in

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Speaker 1: O t A s. I got to talk to them

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Speaker 1: at the place that they was training at. I like

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Speaker 1: kind of talked to the group and tell them about

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Speaker 1: my first year in the league. And you know, I've

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Speaker 1: I've noticed that they feel like they're they're sponge. They

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Speaker 1: take in the information that's given to them. They're trying

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Speaker 1: to do it to the best of their ability. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be a little a little rough to get

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Speaker 1: it in the first day or two, but you know,

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Speaker 1: kind of gotta get it, get it rolling after while

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Speaker 1: Jenna Harner, Kevin, you mentioned just talking about, you know,

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Speaker 1: your first year in the league. What did you share

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Speaker 1: with these guys? What do you you know, what did

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Speaker 1: you learn? I guess from your one that you want

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Speaker 1: to kinda I guess bestow on these rookies in year two.

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Speaker 1: The main thing I wanted to tell them is, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, once you take your first snap in the league,

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Speaker 1: you're no longer a rookie. So you know, people are

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Speaker 1: gonna hold you to their high expectation even in practice.

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Speaker 1: So if you played a game, even if you haven't

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Speaker 1: played the game, once you made it to the league,

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Speaker 1: you're really not a rookie anymore. People don't have any

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Speaker 1: you know, sympathy for oh, this is his first year. No,

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Speaker 1: it's if you get plugged in. You need to be

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Speaker 1: able to compete. We can't. We can't slow up for anybody.

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Speaker 1: So I feel like they'll be able to do this.

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Speaker 1: I feel like they're ready to, you know, compete with

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Speaker 1: NFL guys. Well, were Grace, Kevin? You mentioned the leadership

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Speaker 1: void left by Pounds and you know, the al and

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Speaker 1: some of those guys. I mean, is it you expected

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Speaker 1: to sort out just naturally or other guys? Do you

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Speaker 1: think here maybe pre determined, you know, to bebb that

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Speaker 1: guy that can be the leader of the group. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I know Dave has been around a long time, but

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Speaker 1: he doesn't strike me as the guy that's gonna be

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Speaker 1: like a hey, let's go a guy like count He was, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I feel like it's gonna be one of those things

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Speaker 1: where somebody is gonna fall into that role. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's not really known right now. You know, it's not

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Speaker 1: one of those things that's just oh, this is for

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Speaker 1: sure him He's going to be the leader something like that.

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Speaker 1: But I think it it'll be at least around Game

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Speaker 1: two or three where we'll find out who really the

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Speaker 1: leader of the on line at least Christopher Carter, Kevin,

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Speaker 1: you guys have got to interact with Naji Harris. What's

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Speaker 1: it been like with the offensive line getting you know,

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Speaker 1: the running back that they're gonna be blocking for for

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Speaker 1: the next next several years, and just some of the

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Speaker 1: interactions that you guys have had and how you guys

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Speaker 1: have felt just getting to know each other in these

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Speaker 1: first few O t A s. You know, just from

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Speaker 1: just from practice alone. Easy, you know, he's he does

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Speaker 1: his drills to this maximum potential. He does what he

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Speaker 1: but he's the supposed to do. He's Um. He does

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Speaker 1: the passing, I mean not passing, the like the route running,

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Speaker 1: the running. UM plays like he's hitting where he's supposed

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Speaker 1: to hit. No backside, no cutt bag is it's where

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Speaker 1: he's supposed to be, you know, until he fully understands

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Speaker 1: the office, I feel like he'll be good. Marktabully, thank

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Speaker 1: Kevin back on that leadership one more time. Um, it

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Speaker 1: seems like Banner has a personality to be that type

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Speaker 1: of guy, but he hasn't played a time. He's only

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Speaker 1: played the hand for Stamps. Do you need to have,

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Speaker 1: you know, a ton of experience to be a a leader?

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Speaker 1: And do you see Banner potentially fallen into that role? Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I can see him being in that role. Um. He

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Speaker 1: definitely has a big personality. It's just I think it's

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Speaker 1: something that we could follow, you know. Um, Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: feel like he could fall in that role. His best

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Speaker 1: person and Ellie is is to the point I feel

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Speaker 1: like he could be a leader. Joe Rudder, when you

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Speaker 1: went home for the off season and you know, as

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Speaker 1: things unfolded, was there anything you wanted to work on?

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Speaker 1: Was there anything they were told you? I wanted to

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Speaker 1: see more from you in the off season or cut

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Speaker 1: from this county. Um, they want to be the UH

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Speaker 1: train more left. That's that's really where I'm where they

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Speaker 1: had me right now. So that's pretty much what I

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Speaker 1: did the whole off season was training for the left side,

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Speaker 1: just a little more comfortable in it, because last year

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Speaker 1: when I played it out, I really wasn't too comfortable

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Speaker 1: with it. But I feel like I'm way more comfortable now.

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Speaker 1: He's getting more and more comfortable now and UH looked

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Speaker 1: pretty comfortable there last year. Yeah, it really plugged and

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Speaker 1: played in better than I expected early early, and really

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Speaker 1: his protection was a lot better than I expected. That

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Speaker 1: was supposed to be the knock. You know he was

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Speaker 1: gonna struggle with that, and well he'll do really good

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Speaker 1: in the on game, but he'll struggle. It's kind of

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Speaker 1: the what people are saying about the entire Steelers offensive line. Well,

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Speaker 1: they should be able to run the ball better, but

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Speaker 1: how are they going to be in protection? Right? Well,

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Speaker 1: I think well, I mean a lot of its scheme

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Speaker 1: to like, I don't think the running scheme and that's

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Speaker 1: why there's coaching changes helped the line and you know

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Speaker 1: it's one of the reason I don't like profitball focus

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Speaker 1: because you kind of look at their line. They're all

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Speaker 1: better in protection last year than run block. Well, the

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Speaker 1: ball came out super quick too, you know, and they

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Speaker 1: didn't and the run scheme didn't help them run block.

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Speaker 1: I think collectively they're better run blockers than those numbers

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Speaker 1: might show. I don't know if they're better in protection

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Speaker 1: than those numbers show. You know, we don't know me

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Speaker 1: to figure it out, you know, but he was he

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Speaker 1: held up well in protection, and I think you've got

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Speaker 1: a chance to be a really good masher. You know.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned that he's a personable, outgoing dude as he

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Speaker 1: was talking. I'm like, I bet him and Green are

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Speaker 1: gonna be buddies like they might be like the Castro

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Speaker 1: and Palty. They got that mentality, the same mental They're

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Speaker 1: gonna get along well. Yeah, absolutely off each other, well

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Speaker 1: hopefully for the next ten years. Right. Yeah, maybe you've

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Speaker 1: solved that issue with it with two mid round draft picks,

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Speaker 1: third and fourth round draft picks. But that's you know,

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Speaker 1: they're not short on talent either. Yeah, you're looking at

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Speaker 1: I mean, Garden Center everybody. You know, when you're going

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Speaker 1: into the draft. Are you gonna take a center first? No,

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Speaker 1: you don't have You don't have to those guys. Are

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Speaker 1: you know you can get good players. Everybody forgot that

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Speaker 1: The Steelers drafted Dotson in the fourth round last year. Yeah. Absolutely,

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Speaker 1: and really benefited from a good center draft. But that's

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Speaker 1: because the front office realizes, you know, he was a

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Speaker 1: good center draft. There's no running backs, there's no tight ends,

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Speaker 1: there's good centers. We can wait and be impatient. And

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Speaker 1: Kevin Colbert has done this a time or two. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: don't forget. He also dug up last year Alex Highsmith

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Speaker 1: at at the end of the third round. I remember

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Speaker 1: I kind of raised an eyebrow when they made the pick.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, wow, really yeah, I was just looking at

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Speaker 1: his looking at his numbers for last year, forty eight tackles,

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Speaker 1: two sacks, an interception, six quarterback hits. The production, however,

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Speaker 1: in the last five games after he replaced Bud Dupree

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Speaker 1: was twenty eight tackles, five quarterback hits, in a sack. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: in five games. I mean he he's you know, and

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Speaker 1: that says a rookie that again had no preseason, had

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Speaker 1: no preseason coming from a small school, you know, not

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Speaker 1: a normal thought. I thought it was gonna be kind

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Speaker 1: of a kind of like Dawson. You thought it was

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Speaker 1: gonna be kind of a red shirt season for both.

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Speaker 1: They're both small school guys. At this time last year,

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Speaker 1: I had a hard time envisioning away Dotson would see

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Speaker 1: the field. I mean, they had a lot of options,

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Speaker 1: and you know, it just shows how how things go

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Speaker 1: where high Smith, you hoped, yeah, maybe he turns into

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Speaker 1: a nice three in spot duty, got thrown in the

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Speaker 1: mix and exceeded expectations too. I mean again, this is

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Speaker 1: a chance to be a pretty good draft class. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I really think so. So let's hear what Alex high

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Speaker 1: Smith had to say today with the media. Hey, Alex,

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Speaker 1: a lot of the uh, the prognosticators in the draft

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Speaker 1: process were, at least nationally had the Steelers needing to

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Speaker 1: select an outside linebacker early. Uh. Did you take that

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Speaker 1: as like, Hey, what about me? I'm here? I played

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Speaker 1: last year? Uh and played? Well? How did you? How

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Speaker 1: did you look at that whole process? And then the

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Speaker 1: Steelers didn't take an outside linebacker early, obviously showing faith

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Speaker 1: in you. I mean, yeah, well, I mean I did

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Speaker 1: see some reports about that. You know that really just

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Speaker 1: gave me one motivation, you know, just be the best

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Speaker 1: that I can be and just contine to work harder. Um.

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Speaker 1: And so I think that it shows that, you know,

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Speaker 1: they do have faith in me to be able to

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Speaker 1: come in and you know it's just a's are in

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Speaker 1: this spot and earn this role. And so I really

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Speaker 1: just say, you know, it just gave me like one

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Speaker 1: motivation just work the harder. You know, what I did

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Speaker 1: see those reports coming out Tim Bends. A lot of

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Speaker 1: the things we're hearing about you during your time as

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Speaker 1: a starter once Bud went down, is that you're smart,

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Speaker 1: You're coachable, You're reliable and steady. What are the aspects

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Speaker 1: of your game that need to improve this year to

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Speaker 1: channel some of those uh benefits of your personality? What

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Speaker 1: else needs to grow as a player for you to

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Speaker 1: become the guy that can get sacks in big place

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Speaker 1: behind the line of scrimmage and some of the splash

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Speaker 1: plays needed at that position. Yeah, you know, I feel

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Speaker 1: like you can always just continue to work in my

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Speaker 1: mental game, you know, study more film and just having

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Speaker 1: the most i Q that can have. Um. Just one

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Speaker 1: thing I came into this auseason, you know, one d

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Speaker 1: was just to get stronger, you know, gain a few pounds,

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Speaker 1: but really just put on a lot of muscle stuff

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Speaker 1: that like, I've done that and I feel like I've

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Speaker 1: got a lot stronger. So it's being stronger in the

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Speaker 1: run game, being strong and pass rushing. Also just poshing

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Speaker 1: my moves, you know, poshing moves that I have right now.

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Speaker 1: So I felt like, you know, it's been a great

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Speaker 1: all season so far. You know, I'm ready for people

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Speaker 1: to see all that I've been working on prior. Yeah, like,

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Speaker 1: first of all, congrats, I think I just tell you

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Speaker 1: that you got engaged. That's awesome. Um, you mentioned, you

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Speaker 1: know that you wanted to put on some weight get stronger.

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Speaker 1: How much did you gain weight wise or muscle wise?

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Speaker 1: Is there a way to kind of quantify that? What

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Speaker 1: what you've been doing this offseason? Yeah, I mean I'm

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Speaker 1: gaining about you know, probably five three pounds sausing, but

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Speaker 1: I like it's a good um, you know, three pounds.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's around two fifty last year ever right

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Speaker 1: now for so I'm trying to maintain that right now

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Speaker 1: and just be at that. You know, I'm going to

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Speaker 1: camp this season right for Apollo. Yeah, how do you

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Speaker 1: handle the expectations of being a starter this year as

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Speaker 1: opposed to last year when you were sort of, you know,

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Speaker 1: thrust into that role after pointing out hurt. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 1: I'm just coming in and you know, with the expectation

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Speaker 1: of just mindset to just be the best that I

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Speaker 1: can beat. You know, I'm coming in and stepping into

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Speaker 1: this role, and so um excited and blessed to have

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Speaker 1: this opportunity, and so I just know I gotta go

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Speaker 1: in and make the most of you know, the same

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Speaker 1: thing happened to to me in college, you know, when

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Speaker 1: I didn't know starting my first couple of years in

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Speaker 1: college and up starting, um, you know, took advantage of

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Speaker 1: the opportunity. So I feel like, you know, when my

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Speaker 1: opportunity presented to me, you know, I'm only gonna take

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Speaker 1: advantage of it. So that's something of it that I've

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Speaker 1: been working for this all season. I'm just gonna continue

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Speaker 1: to work for these last couple months of this all season.

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Speaker 1: So I missed deciding, you know, I'm ready for the challenge.

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Speaker 1: Joe Rodder, what you know, what exactly did you learn

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Speaker 1: from last year? Were there ways he was able to

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Speaker 1: help you and show you the ropes of being a

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Speaker 1: you know, outside Yeah, but what was a great team that.

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Speaker 1: You know, I'm definitely gonna miss him MR and missing

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Speaker 1: being around the locker room, meeting him or right next

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Speaker 1: to each other in the locker room. So I'm definitely

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Speaker 1: gonna miss having him around. He he taught me a lot,

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Speaker 1: you know, just like I know I would say my interviews.

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Speaker 1: You know, I was blessed to be able to learn

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Speaker 1: from the best best pass rush doing the game we

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Speaker 1: know with him and t J. And so I'm just

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Speaker 1: learning him watching his film, you know, just talking about

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Speaker 1: moves with him. You know, he's someone who's polishing his moves,

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Speaker 1: you know, who knows how to rush the passage. So

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Speaker 1: that was really um what I was able to take

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Speaker 1: away from just you know, this is knowledge, you know

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Speaker 1: of of pass rushes. So I feel like I was

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Speaker 1: able to polish more some some more of my moves

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Speaker 1: by learning from him. Well, Grace Alex, so kind of

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Speaker 1: building off that. What's your relationship with t J been

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Speaker 1: like this spring as as opposed to last spring, when

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Speaker 1: you know you're drafted your virtual there's no in person

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Speaker 1: stuff at all, where there's not even a lot of

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Speaker 1: communication I'm just sort of curious, you know, how would

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Speaker 1: you describe your report with t J and what kind

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Speaker 1: of what did you guys do, if anything, in the

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Speaker 1: off season to sort of communicating try to build a

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Speaker 1: report that you have to carry on in the field. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean I haven't I haven't seen him, you know,

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Speaker 1: because he's been he's been training where he's training, a

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Speaker 1: training around training. But you know, we keep up a lot,

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Speaker 1: you know what we've we're both taking up golf. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's kind of an all season hobby, and so we

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Speaker 1: talked about that a lot. Um, So that was that's

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Speaker 1: that's pretty cool. You know, I know when he gets

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Speaker 1: backing trying to hit the hit the course sometime. But

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Speaker 1: you know, I'm excited to be able at home, you know,

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Speaker 1: take to fill with him this year and you know,

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Speaker 1: just to be alongside of him rushing the pastor So

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be exciting. I can't wait for it. Jeff

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Speaker 1: an Alice, you mentioned the improvements you want to make.

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Speaker 1: What were the biggest lessons you learned on field that

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Speaker 1: you carry over into this year. Um, the biggest lessons

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Speaker 1: you know, I'd probably say just to um, you know,

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Speaker 1: always FoST falling. Always always be ready and always prepared mentally. Um.

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Speaker 1: You know that's something I feel like, you know, separates

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Speaker 1: the goofferent and great in this league. You know, because

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Speaker 1: everyone's talented. Everyone's everyone's talent to be able to get

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Speaker 1: to the NFL. But you know, let's separates a good

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Speaker 1: from the great. Um. And it's a great for the

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Speaker 1: guys to study film and the guys who um, you

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Speaker 1: know what to do mentally. So I'm just gonna take

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Speaker 1: that just to another level this year, bust don't even more.

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Speaker 1: And just so that could be able to recognize formations

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Speaker 1: and that I helped me just to be able to

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Speaker 1: get out the ball faster. And so that's something that

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Speaker 1: I learned just being able to watch my film. You know,

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Speaker 1: I feel like, um towards it FL the first couple

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Speaker 1: of games, you know, when I came in from Bug,

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Speaker 1: you know, I was slot the ball at times because

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Speaker 1: I was seeing too much. But as a game starts

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Speaker 1: slowing down for me, you know, I was able to

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Speaker 1: process things easier and so, um, I feel like the

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Speaker 1: more rest of that get you know, the slow the

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Speaker 1: game is gonna come from me. And so that it

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Speaker 1: helped me just get off the ball faster, create more pressure,

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Speaker 1: and get more sex. Jenna Hard It's kind of along

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Speaker 1: those lines to just what advice now that you've gone

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Speaker 1: through this one time. Granted this is a different O

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Speaker 1: T S than this your um, what device are you

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Speaker 1: kind of giving to some of the new guys here

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Speaker 1: if any. Yeah, it's just you know, come in and

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Speaker 1: you know, just uh, just I work everyone. Just making

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Speaker 1: most of your opportunity. You know. Um, a lot of

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Speaker 1: people you know want to be in the position that

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Speaker 1: we're in the NFL. You know, we're blessed to be

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Speaker 1: able to play it again that we love for living

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Speaker 1: and do it for a living. And so I just

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Speaker 1: actually was on a Zoom call with him last week

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Speaker 1: and so talking to the the rookies and new guys,

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Speaker 1: and so I was told him coming to make the

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Speaker 1: most of your of your opportunity. You know. Um, the

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Speaker 1: average I think the average career career spanning the NFL

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Speaker 1: is like two or three years. So you gotta when

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Speaker 1: you when you get this opportunity, you gotta make the

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Speaker 1: most of it. So that's that's the main thing, just

401
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Speaker 1: pretty to just make the most of your opportunity. Just

402
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Speaker 1: coming in work, and um, just kind of try to

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Speaker 1: eliminate distractions, you know, that's what That's what heard. Guys

404
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Speaker 1: who you know who have talent who make in this league,

405
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Speaker 1: you know there the ones who um you know, have

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Speaker 1: the talent ones be really good, they don't make it

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Speaker 1: because they it's just it's probably some off the field

408
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Speaker 1: distractions and stuff like that. So m stay eliminating that

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Speaker 1: stuff and just coming in and just you know, focusing

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Speaker 1: you know on the task of hand, you know, testing

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Speaker 1: hand and stuff. Winning the Super Bowl here. That was

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Speaker 1: alex Hei Smith, as you heard, very motivated, serious kind

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Speaker 1: of yeah, well spoken to Yeah, has a plan, has

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Speaker 1: definitely has a plan. You heard him talk about how

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Speaker 1: he wants to work on his get off. We talked

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Speaker 1: about the quarterback hits that he had last year and

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Speaker 1: and and that's the one thing I would say about

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Speaker 1: him is that there were a lot of times where

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Speaker 1: he was close to the quarterback he just didn't get there,

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Speaker 1: just didn't quite get there. Um, you know, he said

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Speaker 1: he wants to study, uh, do more film study this

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Speaker 1: year to learn formations a little bit better and have

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Speaker 1: a better idea of what the offense is trying to do.

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Speaker 1: If he can do that, maybe that gives him that

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Speaker 1: extra half step that he needs to beat the offensive

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Speaker 1: tackle to a spot. It's a good point, you know.

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Speaker 1: I mean it took Bude a while to do those

428
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,600
Speaker 1: type of things. T J was really quick with it.

429
00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,520
Speaker 1: Um I thought one of his not weaknesses, but I

430
00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:44,840
Speaker 1: thought getting stronger was something he really need to do

431
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,600
Speaker 1: the day they drafted him. But as his strength is

432
00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,240
Speaker 1: a problem for him. He's not super quick twitch off

433
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,679
Speaker 1: the staff, and I think you can work on that

434
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,359
Speaker 1: a little bit because he is athletic. But I really

435
00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,920
Speaker 1: think to your point, learning what the offense is trying

436
00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,040
Speaker 1: to accomplish pre snap goes a really long way. You

437
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,720
Speaker 1: always think about that, like with ray Lewis and linebackers,

438
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,120
Speaker 1: but those edge guys too. I mean, if they're gonna

439
00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,400
Speaker 1: fan protection this direction for this reason, I can maybe

440
00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,120
Speaker 1: use an inside move here or you know, I mean

441
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,800
Speaker 1: different things like that. Yeah, and hey, he's gonna see

442
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,840
Speaker 1: a lot of one on one blocks, which of course,

443
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,800
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, that's just the reality of it.

444
00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,040
Speaker 1: He talked about watching the game against the Colts last year,

445
00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,280
Speaker 1: and you know they were chipping both he and t

446
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,680
Speaker 1: J Watt. Well, the reason for that is they had

447
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,400
Speaker 1: if you remember their left tackle was out in that game.

448
00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 1: Oh right, right right, So yeah, he got he got

449
00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,520
Speaker 1: some extra attention. But you know a lot of the attention,

450
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,160
Speaker 1: of course, is going to be on t J. Watt

451
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,000
Speaker 1: because you know he's he's the guys in the business

452
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,360
Speaker 1: if not number one. Um. Yeah, And and Bud benefited

453
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,600
Speaker 1: from that as well. And Bud was a handful one

454
00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,960
Speaker 1: on one. That's what made the Steelers defense so good

455
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,560
Speaker 1: when they had both buddon t J. At at full power,

456
00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,439
Speaker 1: you could probably chip one of those two or or

457
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:56,920
Speaker 1: help with one of those two. You can't help with both.

458
00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,520
Speaker 1: Its awful difficult with both without having a three men,

459
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,840
Speaker 1: you know, routes or three guys out keeping the back

460
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,000
Speaker 1: end at that end. And and then you're become pretty

461
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,720
Speaker 1: easy to defend. And now they caused problems up front

462
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: and starts with Hayward into it. And I'm really happy

463
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,719
Speaker 1: A Lou Lou is coming back as well. I have

464
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,040
Speaker 1: hoped for Roche to have a kind of a similar

465
00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,240
Speaker 1: rookie season to Highsmith. To be honest with you, maybe

466
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,760
Speaker 1: he progresses as the season goes on too and spells

467
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,600
Speaker 1: these guys, But I would expect a big step forward

468
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,000
Speaker 1: from Highsmith this year. Yeah, I mean this is year two.

469
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:29,960
Speaker 1: He didn't have O T s last year. None of

470
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,560
Speaker 1: these guys didn't any of this stuff. Yeah, um so yeah,

471
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,440
Speaker 1: you would expect them to be more ready, more prepared

472
00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,240
Speaker 1: for what they're gonna and they they both played. You know,

473
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,160
Speaker 1: we talked about the guys who didn't have preseasons last year.

474
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,120
Speaker 1: Uh you know how much they were? How much year

475
00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:51,080
Speaker 1: behind the eight ball? Um, these guys, you know, Dodson

476
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,880
Speaker 1: and Highsmith actually kind of got they get their feet

477
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,840
Speaker 1: wet last year. Yeah, more than probably was originally playing.

478
00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,439
Speaker 1: As we mentioned earlier in the show. And you wonder

479
00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,360
Speaker 1: I'm kind of scanning the draft class of my head too.

480
00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,520
Speaker 1: I think McFarland could really benefit from O T A's

481
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,520
Speaker 1: a lot of work in preseason. I know he's not

482
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,760
Speaker 1: the one great. I mean, there's not much pressure on him.

483
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,280
Speaker 1: I don't know if he he never You didn't draft

484
00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,600
Speaker 1: him to be a one ever, Right, He's not a steeler,

485
00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,879
Speaker 1: He's a chess piece. The chess piece. I expect him

486
00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,160
Speaker 1: to take a noticeable step forward. I like to pick

487
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:26,919
Speaker 1: when they made it. I think he's got an awful

488
00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,560
Speaker 1: lot of talent. You know, obviously Harris is going to

489
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,119
Speaker 1: be the guy, but if if you can if you

490
00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 1: can sprinkle in five carries of with with McFarland in

491
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,679
Speaker 1: with that, you know, if he gets what is that

492
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,520
Speaker 1: carries over the course of the season, right right, I

493
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,840
Speaker 1: mean the true number two, because he may break two

494
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:48,680
Speaker 1: or three of those. He might break two or three

495
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,200
Speaker 1: of them, right, develop as a receiver, become reliable in protection,

496
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,320
Speaker 1: that could be a heck of a one to punch for.

497
00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,400
Speaker 1: You know, the extent of both at rookie cont because

498
00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,680
Speaker 1: they're completely different runners, they absolutely are, but both don't

499
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:04,200
Speaker 1: have to leave the field in any situation. And again,

500
00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:05,760
Speaker 1: I think Harris is going to be the one, But

501
00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,760
Speaker 1: the rest of the backfield I don't have a lot

502
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,040
Speaker 1: of hope for, But I do for McFarland from that, Yeah, no,

503
00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,840
Speaker 1: I do as well. And that's why, you know, if

504
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,400
Speaker 1: they made some other changes, fine, But Harrison and McFarland

505
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,080
Speaker 1: are the guys that are gonna be on this team. Yeah,

506
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,159
Speaker 1: for sure, they're They're locked in the rest of it,

507
00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,520
Speaker 1: we'll see. I bet I would be shocked if McFarland

508
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,080
Speaker 1: doesn't gain the hearts of stealer Nation in the preseason. Yeah,

509
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,120
Speaker 1: you know that he looks good. And that's the thing

510
00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:38,159
Speaker 1: with running running backs, Um, while it is a position that,

511
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,680
Speaker 1: um you know, it's easy to pick up at the

512
00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,240
Speaker 1: NFL level because it's not really just running to the

513
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,360
Speaker 1: open you know, open home set up blockers and things,

514
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,600
Speaker 1: and there's more nuanced than people things. But you're right,

515
00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,200
Speaker 1: I mean history issue there. Candy can and do well,

516
00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:56,480
Speaker 1: but without a preseason last year, you know, he just

517
00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:59,160
Speaker 1: had no idea about protection. He's not the biggest back.

518
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,800
Speaker 1: How do you try trust? I mean that was true

519
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,560
Speaker 1: with Jonathan Taylor and Acres and Dobbins and all these guys.

520
00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,320
Speaker 1: How do you trust them? I think he's good, you know,

521
00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,280
Speaker 1: he's smart enough, and he does the right thing in

522
00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,439
Speaker 1: protection on the white board, but I've never seen him

523
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,480
Speaker 1: do it in a game. I can't just hope he

524
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,520
Speaker 1: picks up the blitz and Philip Rivers gets out of

525
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,920
Speaker 1: the way. And even last year in camp they did

526
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,520
Speaker 1: one day of backs on backers, right, and I can

527
00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,320
Speaker 1: remember even before that, I'm sitting in the stands computer

528
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:32,159
Speaker 1: at Heinz Field and they're going over which hole or

529
00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,879
Speaker 1: where the step for protection on certain plays with the

530
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,920
Speaker 1: running backs and they're walking through it and I'm like,

531
00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,320
Speaker 1: and they had to stop, and you know, talk about

532
00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,320
Speaker 1: it with McFarland a little bit. I'm very I'm I'm

533
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,200
Speaker 1: fairly certain. Much like Jalen Samuels a couple of years

534
00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,760
Speaker 1: ago when we when we talked to him at O

535
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,080
Speaker 1: T A s UH and we asked him if he'd

536
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,840
Speaker 1: ever done any protection in college, I'm pretty sure that

537
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,240
Speaker 1: the the answer for Anthony McFarland would have been no

538
00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,560
Speaker 1: as well. And they're always the best player on their team,

539
00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:59,639
Speaker 1: especially at high school level. If you're gonna throw the ball,

540
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,120
Speaker 1: you want that guy at least is a dump off option.

541
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:06,080
Speaker 1: And backs and backers is a wonderful drill. We all

542
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,080
Speaker 1: love it, the fans love it. And but you know

543
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,320
Speaker 1: who you're blocking, right, You know what I mean? I

544
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,600
Speaker 1: mean you can see if you can physically you can

545
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,639
Speaker 1: still get r U N N O F T the field.

546
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,040
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it could go really bad. But in the

547
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:23,040
Speaker 1: game against the Ravens, does that guy know who to block?

548
00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:24,960
Speaker 1: Let alone, if he can do it back and back,

549
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 1: or show me if you can do it when they've

550
00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,320
Speaker 1: got this six six guys in overloading the right side,

551
00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,120
Speaker 1: and four of those drop out at the last second,

552
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 1: and in the extra the extra guy comes from the left, right, right?

553
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,720
Speaker 1: Are you picking up across Ben's face and pick him

554
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,040
Speaker 1: up if you're on the right sidecar or whatever. You know,

555
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,879
Speaker 1: there's there's a mentality to it, and then there's not

556
00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,760
Speaker 1: always a cheat sheet. Ben can't always lean to you

557
00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:47,840
Speaker 1: and be like you got fifty two, you know, because

558
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:49,920
Speaker 1: things are happening quick and he's calling out audibles and

559
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,440
Speaker 1: whatnot to He's got to think about the logistics of

560
00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,920
Speaker 1: getting that play in the right guy's ear. He just

561
00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:57,520
Speaker 1: needs to know and we'll see. I would expect McFarland.

562
00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,880
Speaker 1: There was no excuses for me Farland not to this year. Yeah,

563
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,280
Speaker 1: but I'm looking forward to seeing this draft. I mean,

564
00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,920
Speaker 1: you get three starters right now out of this out

565
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,159
Speaker 1: of the draft class, that's an above average draft. And

566
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,920
Speaker 1: make it make it four without a first round pick.

567
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,240
Speaker 1: That's it. That's the amazing thing. Um, that's an above

568
00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,440
Speaker 1: average draft class. You look at a draft class, you'd

569
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,399
Speaker 1: like to get two starters out of a draft class.

570
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,080
Speaker 1: If you get three, that's above average. If you get

571
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,840
Speaker 1: four starters out of a draft class, yeah, that's excellent.

572
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,119
Speaker 1: That's excellent, and maybe they can get five contributors, you know,

573
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:30,840
Speaker 1: I mean they have three stars let alone. You know,

574
00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,280
Speaker 1: one of them making Fitzpatrick, who's a star. Another one.

575
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,280
Speaker 1: Another one is Chase Claypool, who's a potential star. Potential star.

576
00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:38,920
Speaker 1: I don't see him leaving the field too often this

577
00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,200
Speaker 1: year either, you know. I mean, even if a guy

578
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 1: like Brooks can be a top backup safety here right right,

579
00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,600
Speaker 1: if he can last the four years of his rookie

580
00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,040
Speaker 1: contract and you're happy he's on the team, and maybe

581
00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,760
Speaker 1: he moves on or whatever and spots starts here and there,

582
00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 1: that's cheap labor. I mean, that's the beauty of it is.

583
00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:59,600
Speaker 1: We're talking a couple of segments ago. Boy, the Steelers

584
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,040
Speaker 1: a load to with cap space coming up here after

585
00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 1: the season. Well, you wouldn't be if you were in

586
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,840
Speaker 1: the Patriots situation and you had to buy a bunch

587
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,360
Speaker 1: of you start up in your holes that you created

588
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,119
Speaker 1: because your draft picks don't hit. Yeah, I agree, beauty

589
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,320
Speaker 1: of the draft. But good to talk to those two

590
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,199
Speaker 1: young men. Uh here opening as the Steelers open up

591
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,800
Speaker 1: training camp, will see we'll play it back some more guys,

592
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:22,880
Speaker 1: that we get to talk to here over the next

593
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,800
Speaker 1: uh more, next couple of weeks. Yeah, a lot more

594
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:28,280
Speaker 1: of that moving forward, but that is going to do

595
00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,880
Speaker 1: it for this show. So for my partner Matt Williamson,

596
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 1: for Jacob Breck here on site keeping us on the

597
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,960
Speaker 1: air and playing back those interviews, I'm Dale Lally. We

598
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,200
Speaker 1: thank you for listening to this edition of the Drive

599
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,000
Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio.