1
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,320
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

2
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:14,760
Speaker 1: Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio. Welcome

3
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,599
Speaker 1: to the Drive. I'm Dale Lollly here with Matt Williamson

4
00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,440
Speaker 1: and Matt We are now under two weeks out from

5
00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,040
Speaker 1: the NFL Draft. I know how about it coming quick,

6
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,000
Speaker 1: love it, getting excited before the storm. This is like

7
00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:32,000
Speaker 1: the twelve days of Christmas now right now. I mean,

8
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,000
Speaker 1: don't get everything every day, you know, like we're like

9
00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,840
Speaker 1: just teases you until Christmas morning. Yeah, if we got

10
00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,680
Speaker 1: we got a gift every day. You know, I get seven.

11
00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,880
Speaker 1: Even there's a leaping or whatever, we feel a little

12
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,640
Speaker 1: bit better. But that's not the case. What people have

13
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,280
Speaker 1: to settle for is us talking about the draft once again.

14
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,480
Speaker 1: And I saw a thing today on NFL dot Com

15
00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,920
Speaker 1: by Greg Rosenthal. Does good work for NFL dot Com

16
00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,840
Speaker 1: and it's an a f C roster reset the calm

17
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,800
Speaker 1: from hierarchy heading into the draft. It's a good jumping

18
00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,280
Speaker 1: off point. Yeah, so I wanted to talk about this,

19
00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,200
Speaker 1: he says he has. He's the team's broken down into two.

20
00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:19,200
Speaker 1: I'm looking at your three for four different groupings. Okay, Um,

21
00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:24,200
Speaker 1: he has the bullies are the top grouping. Okay, I

22
00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,720
Speaker 1: can buy that there's some bullies in the FC. He

23
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,040
Speaker 1: only has two teams here, though, Bills and Chiefs or

24
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,760
Speaker 1: the Bengals in there, the Bills and Chiefs. And I

25
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,679
Speaker 1: don't know if I agree that the Chiefs are a

26
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,120
Speaker 1: bully right now? Yeah? Did we agree to start here?

27
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:40,760
Speaker 1: Do we agree the Bills are the best team in

28
00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,040
Speaker 1: the league. Yes, okay, And you throw von Miller in

29
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,360
Speaker 1: the mix and haven't really lost much and you know

30
00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:47,680
Speaker 1: that they'll add a little bit in the draft, but

31
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,040
Speaker 1: they're in good shape. Yes. I think Kansas City, this

32
00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,760
Speaker 1: is some of these great teams. And I kind of

33
00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,440
Speaker 1: put the Steelers in this too. I mean, once in

34
00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,240
Speaker 1: a while, you gotta say, let's take to step, let's

35
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,920
Speaker 1: take one step back so we can take two steps

36
00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,680
Speaker 1: forward in in the coming years. And I think that's

37
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,760
Speaker 1: exactly what we're seeing with the Chiefs. You know, the

38
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:16,359
Speaker 1: Chiefs have there since drafting Mahomes, their first pick has

39
00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,880
Speaker 1: been on average at like fifty five overall. You know,

40
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,720
Speaker 1: you traded next to first to get my Home. You

41
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,639
Speaker 1: traded the first for Orlando Brown. Like, they haven't had

42
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,000
Speaker 1: an influx of early talent and The only first round

43
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 1: pick they've had is Clyde Edwards Hilaire, which is either

44
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,399
Speaker 1: a buster or not living up to it, to say

45
00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,560
Speaker 1: the least. So I think that they realized, we don't

46
00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:42,440
Speaker 1: have any cheap middle class or our roster. We need

47
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,800
Speaker 1: to take that step back, and luckily last year we

48
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,000
Speaker 1: build ourselves an offensive line. So I just pulled up

49
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,640
Speaker 1: their picks. They've a dozen picks in this draft. I

50
00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,200
Speaker 1: mean thirty fifty, sixty two and two thirds, so they

51
00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,760
Speaker 1: have two picks in each of the first four rounds.

52
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,800
Speaker 1: So I think that's exactly what the team needs big picture,

53
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,120
Speaker 1: and that's why you pay my homes all that money

54
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,600
Speaker 1: to navigate these waters. But I don't think they're as

55
00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,120
Speaker 1: good as they've been. No, I don't think so either.

56
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,440
Speaker 1: I think they've they've lost quite a bit actually, and

57
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,959
Speaker 1: and didn't replace it in free agency for sure, and

58
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,960
Speaker 1: you know, maybe they think they can do so in

59
00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,600
Speaker 1: the draft with with those eight picks. That's why I think.

60
00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,200
Speaker 1: You know, when we're talking the other day about trade

61
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,040
Speaker 1: up partners or part partners for which the Steelers could

62
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,600
Speaker 1: trade back with, I think the Chiefs are high on

63
00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,560
Speaker 1: that list. Yeah, that's a good point. I mean they're not.

64
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,400
Speaker 1: They don't need they're on twelve roster spots to hand out.

65
00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,000
Speaker 1: You know, they could they could use a premium guy

66
00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,760
Speaker 1: if they you know, if they wanted to again, if

67
00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 1: they get down, they need a receiver. They need a receiver,

68
00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,600
Speaker 1: and I think the receivers are gonna go quick, right. Uh.

69
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,520
Speaker 1: They need a defensive back. Um, you know, so if

70
00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,000
Speaker 1: other pass rusher would another pass rusher, so they could

71
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,200
Speaker 1: certainly be a team to say, okay, we're gonna target this,

72
00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,120
Speaker 1: We're gonna go up and get this guy. Would give

73
00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,560
Speaker 1: up one of our first round picks and maybe you

74
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,760
Speaker 1: know a third Okay, you know that that that could

75
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,160
Speaker 1: make heard of at all known and they still have

76
00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,840
Speaker 1: six premium picks this year. M hm. My only reservation

77
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,640
Speaker 1: with what you said and path thresher doesn't apply here.

78
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,760
Speaker 1: Would the Steelers trade away from the receiver or defensive

79
00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,159
Speaker 1: back the Kansas City would be coming up to get. Yeah,

80
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,160
Speaker 1: that's the that's the questions. You know, that's the question.

81
00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:27,839
Speaker 1: But if you look at their drafts the last few

82
00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,880
Speaker 1: years to your point, um, yeah, since they took my

83
00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,080
Speaker 1: Homes their top draft pick in twenty eight, team was

84
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:41,680
Speaker 1: brilliant speaks. Yeah, right speech since my homes in twenty

85
00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:48,400
Speaker 1: nine team mcole Hardman, uh, Clyde Edwards, Hilaire, Nick Bolton.

86
00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,280
Speaker 1: I think Nick Bolton is a fine player. He might

87
00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,720
Speaker 1: be the best of that group. Oh, he definitely is, right, yea.

88
00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,440
Speaker 1: And only one of those the first round pick, and

89
00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,440
Speaker 1: it's a late one, you know, like eventually you need

90
00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,120
Speaker 1: to start bring and in rookie surplus. Yeah. I mean

91
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:04,880
Speaker 1: I just look at some of those other picks there

92
00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,320
Speaker 1: and it's there's not I mean that draft. Breenland speaks,

93
00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:15,040
Speaker 1: Derek Nandi, Dorian O'Daniel, Uh, Marnie Watts, Trayman's, Tremont Smith

94
00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:19,400
Speaker 1: and Khalil mackenzie. That's not a good draft. I mean,

95
00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,000
Speaker 1: I only know Dorian O'Daniel because he's from Cannon Cannonsburg. Um.

96
00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,000
Speaker 1: You know, he's just he's he's a special teams player

97
00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,800
Speaker 1: for them. That the twenty nineteen draft. McCole, Hartman, Won Thornhill,

98
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:36,320
Speaker 1: Kaitlin Saunders, Rashad Fenton, Darwin Thompson, nick I, Giletti, Griletti. Alright,

99
00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,240
Speaker 1: some of those guys are okay players, yeah, but they're

100
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,040
Speaker 1: not stars. And with the Chiefs. I think Andy Reid

101
00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,680
Speaker 1: that organization was smart enough to realize we can't count

102
00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,080
Speaker 1: on Mahomes, Tyreeke who might be losing a step in

103
00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,800
Speaker 1: a little hidden secret here, and Kelsey, who's what thirty

104
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,560
Speaker 1: three to lead us for the next ten years. Only

105
00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,240
Speaker 1: one of the three pieces is sustainable, right, right, That's

106
00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,039
Speaker 1: why you know when everybody looks, well, look at that.

107
00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:07,919
Speaker 1: Look at the draft the Chiefs had last year. They

108
00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,440
Speaker 1: got Bolton and Creed Humphrey. Okay, that's good what they

109
00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,800
Speaker 1: do the previous three years, right, they need another one

110
00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,159
Speaker 1: like that, hitting on first and second round picks, and

111
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,560
Speaker 1: they'll be back in the mix. And in the meantime,

112
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,680
Speaker 1: it's not like their rebuilds, a Jacksonville rebuild, you know,

113
00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,080
Speaker 1: it's just you know, and again they have a line.

114
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,599
Speaker 1: Maybe they'll run the ball a little bit more, get

115
00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,000
Speaker 1: teams out of those cover two that you know, those

116
00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,359
Speaker 1: deep shells that they saw se I just don't know

117
00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,720
Speaker 1: that they will run the ball more, because that's just

118
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,200
Speaker 1: on any reads, it's not in his d n A.

119
00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,279
Speaker 1: I was thinking, with one of those you know, eight

120
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,920
Speaker 1: picks in the first four rounds, maybe one of them

121
00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,800
Speaker 1: should be a back with power. They could certainly use

122
00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:49,680
Speaker 1: one of those, and Kareem Hunt was one of those

123
00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,400
Speaker 1: picks in one of those years, and of course got

124
00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,160
Speaker 1: himself released by the chief so they got a lot

125
00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,960
Speaker 1: out of him, and then he screwed it all up, right. Yeah,

126
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:00,680
Speaker 1: But I don't think that. I think there. I think

127
00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,000
Speaker 1: the Bills are on their own level right now. I

128
00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,000
Speaker 1: tend to agree, um, if I were, if I were

129
00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,159
Speaker 1: going to put somebody on the level with the Bills,

130
00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:14,120
Speaker 1: it might be the Chargers. That's interesting because I didn't

131
00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,440
Speaker 1: know we were gonna have this conversation. And just yesterday

132
00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,600
Speaker 1: I recorded a podcast Peacock and Williams and check it out,

133
00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,280
Speaker 1: where we did a power rank, just division by division,

134
00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,160
Speaker 1: and we were torn, you know. I mean, I didn't

135
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,720
Speaker 1: know who to put the top of the West. Originally

136
00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,160
Speaker 1: I put the Chiefs, or originally put the Chargers, And

137
00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:37,240
Speaker 1: as we talked through it, I reluctantly leaned towards the

138
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,560
Speaker 1: Chiefs just because Andy reads that division and that I

139
00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:42,960
Speaker 1: don't know if that's a good enough reason or not.

140
00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,560
Speaker 1: The Chargers are a less trustworthy organization than the Chiefs,

141
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,840
Speaker 1: But I mean that's a fine line. Yeah, I mean

142
00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,760
Speaker 1: I could I can see that both ways. But I

143
00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,400
Speaker 1: think I think on paper, the Chargers are a better team.

144
00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:01,000
Speaker 1: I agree, And I don't think Herbert's much behind Homes. No,

145
00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,560
Speaker 1: I think he's He's certainly in that same class. I mean,

146
00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,000
Speaker 1: you know, if you keep getting better and Mahomes is

147
00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,360
Speaker 1: coming off what by his version and not right here,

148
00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,720
Speaker 1: if you were going to rank those guys among the

149
00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,320
Speaker 1: league's quarterbacks, I think they're both on the top six

150
00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,640
Speaker 1: or seven, yes, grade, So you know, I think that

151
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:23,320
Speaker 1: that that gap is has not only closed, but I

152
00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,200
Speaker 1: think the Chief or the Chargers may have edged ahead

153
00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,760
Speaker 1: a little bit. Yeah, I think that's very possible. So

154
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,880
Speaker 1: to your point, the way that Rosenthal lays us out,

155
00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:34,800
Speaker 1: you would only have one bully, like I don't think

156
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,040
Speaker 1: you can call the Chargers a bully. I mean, right

157
00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,040
Speaker 1: right right now, I think the I think the Bills

158
00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 1: are in a class by their own. His next grouping

159
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,959
Speaker 1: is playoffs or bust. And in that group he has

160
00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:53,319
Speaker 1: the Ravens, the Chargers, the Bengals, the Broncos, and the Browns.

161
00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,560
Speaker 1: I guess I would have the same group. I don't

162
00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:01,480
Speaker 1: know they in that order. I don't know that I

163
00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,440
Speaker 1: haven't have the Browns in that group, and they they're

164
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,680
Speaker 1: just such an asterix with them. It all depends on

165
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,360
Speaker 1: the suspension. And even with that there there're still a

166
00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,840
Speaker 1: roster with holes in it. They are and without much,

167
00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,360
Speaker 1: with no capital to go to improve, Right, They're gonna

168
00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:22,400
Speaker 1: live with what they have. The only thing I will

169
00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,360
Speaker 1: fight you on with that is just the way he

170
00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:30,040
Speaker 1: phrased that category. If you trade for Deshaun Watson's playoff

171
00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,880
Speaker 1: of Boss, there's no doubt. But I'm looking at this

172
00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,080
Speaker 1: is the second tier of the right. And I don't

173
00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:37,760
Speaker 1: know that the Browns are in the second tier of

174
00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:39,280
Speaker 1: the a f C. I just don't. I don't know

175
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,160
Speaker 1: if the I don't quite frankly, I don't know if

176
00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,080
Speaker 1: the Broncos are in that group. It's a little ambitious too,

177
00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,840
Speaker 1: That's what I was thinking as well, Like Wilson's way

178
00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,440
Speaker 1: better than what they played with, But I don't know

179
00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,560
Speaker 1: that he's like I'd rather have Herbert or Mahomes or

180
00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:54,320
Speaker 1: Borrow that we were just talking about, you know, I

181
00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,600
Speaker 1: mean the Broncos haven't had a winning season since two

182
00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,520
Speaker 1: thousand fifteen, right, and you've got a new young hey coach.

183
00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,600
Speaker 1: You know, Like when when I did the position divisional

184
00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,560
Speaker 1: um power ranks. The more I thought through it, the

185
00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,920
Speaker 1: more value I gave the coaches, you know, Tom Win

186
00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:19,000
Speaker 1: Harbaugh Belichick read, you know, like the Chargers. Frankly, I'm

187
00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,560
Speaker 1: gonna say the Bengals, the Browns. They don't have that

188
00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,160
Speaker 1: cash a let alone Denver. Yeah, I mean I talked

189
00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,600
Speaker 1: to Bengals insider at the at the owners meetings, and

190
00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,720
Speaker 1: and this has been a guy who had not not

191
00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,000
Speaker 1: been sold on Zach Taylor in the first couple of

192
00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,240
Speaker 1: years there. And I asked some point blank. I said,

193
00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:38,840
Speaker 1: so you are now a little more sold on on

194
00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,720
Speaker 1: Zach Taylor as being the guy. But he said no.

195
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,240
Speaker 1: And he said no, he said, I don't know if

196
00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:45,920
Speaker 1: he's I don't know if he's that guy yet or not.

197
00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,760
Speaker 1: Everything fell perfectly for them last year, and you know,

198
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,760
Speaker 1: they didn't have many injuries. Um, they were got a

199
00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:55,840
Speaker 1: bounce or two in the playoffs. That's and that's what

200
00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,000
Speaker 1: he said. He said, they very well should have lost

201
00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,200
Speaker 1: the game to the Titans, right right. You know, he said,

202
00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,439
Speaker 1: you give up nine sacks in that game. The only

203
00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,200
Speaker 1: reason they won that game was because Ryan tanney Hill

204
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,000
Speaker 1: threw one to the other team or a couple of

205
00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,400
Speaker 1: the others, you know, to to their guys, otherwise they

206
00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,400
Speaker 1: lose that game. They got sacked nine times. Yeah, usually

207
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,480
Speaker 1: win when you get sacked nine times. But times have

208
00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,480
Speaker 1: also changed since then. And I said when the offseason

209
00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,360
Speaker 1: opened four thousand times I was going to kill the

210
00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,400
Speaker 1: Bengals if they didn't address their office. And they did that,

211
00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,440
Speaker 1: but they were There's still the team though. That set

212
00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,960
Speaker 1: their quarterback up to getting sacked nine times, like and

213
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:36,559
Speaker 1: it's also a little bit of a borrow weakness. He

214
00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,440
Speaker 1: needs to get the ball out and you have Joe.

215
00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:42,559
Speaker 1: Here's the thing. You have Joe Mixon. And that was

216
00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,240
Speaker 1: a close ball game. Why are you why is if

217
00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:48,520
Speaker 1: you look back at that Titans game, I believe like

218
00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,959
Speaker 1: seven of those sacks came in the second half. I think, so, yeah,

219
00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,600
Speaker 1: I'm almost positive in the game and in one score game,

220
00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,440
Speaker 1: you could have still been running the football. Doesn't reflect

221
00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,719
Speaker 1: well on Taylor protecting quarterback a little bit. So I'm

222
00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,640
Speaker 1: I'm not all in on the Bengals yet either. I

223
00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,120
Speaker 1: think the Ravens and Chargers are very solid teams. I

224
00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,000
Speaker 1: think the Bengals. I think the Bengals are a good team.

225
00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,600
Speaker 1: I don't know that they're a great team. Yeah, I

226
00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,199
Speaker 1: think I think the Broncos have a chance to be good.

227
00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,880
Speaker 1: They're improved, yeah, and doubt about that. And the Browns

228
00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,319
Speaker 1: do as well. If the quarterback can play this year,

229
00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,520
Speaker 1: if it's a four game suspension, I think it's playoffs

230
00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:30,120
Speaker 1: or bus. If it's a six games suspension, more than that,

231
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,920
Speaker 1: I can't. I can't imagine it being less than four

232
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:38,720
Speaker 1: more than less than six games, no way, no way.

233
00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,000
Speaker 1: Accusations against him not if any better on that round. Yeah,

234
00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,080
Speaker 1: So I I don't know. I mean, I think I

235
00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,959
Speaker 1: think they should belong in the next grouping. And if

236
00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,800
Speaker 1: you look at this grouping, there might be some teams

237
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,480
Speaker 1: that you look at that should be in that second grouping.

238
00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,839
Speaker 1: This is an interesting grouping, is my hunch. And he

239
00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,560
Speaker 1: calls he's the contenders. Here's what he says about this group.

240
00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,000
Speaker 1: First of all, in a conference loaded with difference making quarterbacks,

241
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,600
Speaker 1: most of this tears tears signal callers fall somewhere short

242
00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:17,200
Speaker 1: of transcendence. Okay, um, So this group includes the Titans,

243
00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:25,520
Speaker 1: the Patriots, Colts, the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Steelers.

244
00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,880
Speaker 1: That's the perfect tear to me, and I think, to me,

245
00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:38,600
Speaker 1: maybe even with Russell Wilson and DeShawn Watson, the Broncos

246
00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,560
Speaker 1: and Browns might be along in that group. They might,

247
00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:47,000
Speaker 1: they might. I mean, I know they weren't unbelievably exciting,

248
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,800
Speaker 1: but the Patriots, Raiders, and Steelers went to the playoffs. Yeah,

249
00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,720
Speaker 1: the Cults were better last year than the Browns. Right,

250
00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,160
Speaker 1: the Cults were better last year than the Broncos. I

251
00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:03,760
Speaker 1: think the Colts got noticeably better. I mean not just

252
00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,520
Speaker 1: the quarterback move, but you're also throw in the dock

253
00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,320
Speaker 1: way and now Stefan Gilmore, who they signed like an

254
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,679
Speaker 1: hour ago. They're a pretty solid team. You know, they

255
00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,120
Speaker 1: don't know the first round pick, but they they're not

256
00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,320
Speaker 1: far off. I don't mean I don't see many holes

257
00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,680
Speaker 1: on that roster. No, I don't either. One more weapon

258
00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,560
Speaker 1: would go a long way, But that's not really how

259
00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,280
Speaker 1: they play, you know, I mean it's gonna be the

260
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,120
Speaker 1: Taylor Show. Um what I was I mentioned how I

261
00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,400
Speaker 1: power ranked every division, Like I look at the difference

262
00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,840
Speaker 1: between Tennessee and Indie is being minuscule. Like if you

263
00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,000
Speaker 1: go look at the standings last year, you'll be like

264
00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,920
Speaker 1: one of these teams didn't miss didn't make the playoffs,

265
00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,280
Speaker 1: and the other one was the one seed. To me

266
00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,720
Speaker 1: that they're not. They're way closer than that. And I

267
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,120
Speaker 1: might even prefer the Coals. And there's a chance that

268
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,200
Speaker 1: the winner of that division is the one seed again

269
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,600
Speaker 1: this year. And there's nothing only one team or because

270
00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,800
Speaker 1: if you look at you look at the division for

271
00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:58,960
Speaker 1: the Bills, you look at the division for the for

272
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,800
Speaker 1: the Chiefs, the North and Western much Yeah, the South

273
00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,640
Speaker 1: is still a cakewalk relatively speaking. I mean, if if

274
00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,960
Speaker 1: Indie or Tennessee could go five and one or six

275
00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,240
Speaker 1: and o in their division, I mean they're gonna get

276
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:15,000
Speaker 1: the ten twelve wins, right, I mean yeah, And for

277
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,040
Speaker 1: Indie they're gonna be playing a second place schedule as well.

278
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,080
Speaker 1: Tennessee's gets the first place schedule. It's a difference is

279
00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,320
Speaker 1: a bigger deal. Now. It's a difference in three games

280
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,840
Speaker 1: three games, right, you know? So you know, I don't know,

281
00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:29,880
Speaker 1: I don't know that any of the I am about

282
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,600
Speaker 1: fighting Rosenthaal here. I don't know that I would call

283
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,920
Speaker 1: any of those teams contenders, and that might include the

284
00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,280
Speaker 1: Browns and Broncos. And I think that's the playoff the

285
00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,640
Speaker 1: playoff contenders. Yeah, I agree, they are playoff contenders. They're

286
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,920
Speaker 1: above average teams. Maybe everything breaks right and things go well,

287
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,640
Speaker 1: but I don't see super Bowl contenders there. Yeah. I

288
00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:53,600
Speaker 1: might be honest with you, I might even throw the

289
00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,920
Speaker 1: Bengals into that, maybe just because I just think the

290
00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,560
Speaker 1: division is going to be brutal this year. One thing

291
00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:02,720
Speaker 1: I know about the Bengals is they're gonna face more

292
00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,960
Speaker 1: hardship this year than last year, without a doubt, without

293
00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,440
Speaker 1: a coming. And typically when a team, a young team

294
00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,680
Speaker 1: has that kind of step forward pig jump forward to

295
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,720
Speaker 1: leap forward, they take a step back the next year.

296
00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,720
Speaker 1: That's a big look at the Browns. The Browns from

297
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,880
Speaker 1: two years ago, they were, oh my god, they're here.

298
00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,800
Speaker 1: They are the Browns have arrived. And then they tie

299
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,080
Speaker 1: for last into division last year. Yeah. Football Outsider calls

300
00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:31,040
Speaker 1: it the plexi last theory, flexica last principle, and it

301
00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,280
Speaker 1: goes back like thirty years that when one team is

302
00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,000
Speaker 1: gradually getting better and then they take this massively forward

303
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,920
Speaker 1: nine out often time and then take a all step

304
00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:45,560
Speaker 1: backwards and it's just it's just natural. Yeah, a little

305
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,960
Speaker 1: bit of bounces on your side that year and the

306
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,160
Speaker 1: Bengals got a lot of them. His final four teams,

307
00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,200
Speaker 1: you can guess season ones are the uphill battle to

308
00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,320
Speaker 1: the postseason. I wouldn't even call it that. I would

309
00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,960
Speaker 1: say no chance at the postseason. And and that's actually

310
00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,119
Speaker 1: three teams, the Jets, the Jaguars, and Texans. I would

311
00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,280
Speaker 1: produceton in their own tier. Of those three, like they're

312
00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,719
Speaker 1: no better than when we saw them last. It might

313
00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,640
Speaker 1: be signed in they might be worse. I at least

314
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,679
Speaker 1: least at least like what the Jets are doing. And

315
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,520
Speaker 1: the Jets have four picks and like the top forty,

316
00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,160
Speaker 1: you know, like there're some good things are gonna happen.

317
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,159
Speaker 1: The Jaguars went out and spent two fifty million dollars.

318
00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,480
Speaker 1: You can are you about, well, was it what money

319
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,680
Speaker 1: well spent? Probably not? But they also have the number

320
00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,359
Speaker 1: one overall pick in the draft, and they're gonna be

321
00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,240
Speaker 1: better now the Texas. The Texas have a couple of

322
00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,320
Speaker 1: high draft picks as well. They they'll get this, they'll

323
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,120
Speaker 1: get to add. But I don't trust any of those organizations. No,

324
00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,080
Speaker 1: not get it right. Like I was asked the other day,

325
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:55,240
Speaker 1: can what's different about the Jags this year? And the

326
00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,040
Speaker 1: Bengals last year, And it was a good conversation because

327
00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,119
Speaker 1: why can't Lawrence in year two be what Burrow was

328
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:09,240
Speaker 1: in year two? You know, like maybe you know, I

329
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,159
Speaker 1: mean Adan Hutchinson or Walker is not the same as

330
00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,200
Speaker 1: that in Jamaar Chase, neither of that in Christie Kirk,

331
00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:20,280
Speaker 1: you know, And could they do better in that division?

332
00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,560
Speaker 1: And was the coaching staff and the environment holding them

333
00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:29,680
Speaker 1: back that much? Probably, but things were dysfunctional there before

334
00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,480
Speaker 1: the head coach that was just debated more dysfunctional. It's

335
00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,240
Speaker 1: great history of winning just kind of moved it along

336
00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,639
Speaker 1: a little faster, right, And we don't know that the

337
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,879
Speaker 1: coaches in with the Jets, the Jaguars or Texans are

338
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,520
Speaker 1: gonna make anything's any better. No, I don't like the

339
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,480
Speaker 1: Jets moves. But I don't know if Robert Salt is

340
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,840
Speaker 1: a good football coach or not. No, No, we don't. Well,

341
00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,280
Speaker 1: I'm sure is a good court I know that Love

342
00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,600
Speaker 1: Smith's a pretty decent football coach. But does he have

343
00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,439
Speaker 1: to get me from point A to point B? But

344
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,440
Speaker 1: does he have anything to work with? I don't you

345
00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,240
Speaker 1: know that's he has the least to work within the league. Yeah,

346
00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,800
Speaker 1: like Anna and Houston's roster to me or not n

347
00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:15,159
Speaker 1: Felt caliber, No, I don't think so either. Um, but

348
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,199
Speaker 1: it's it's interesting if there are only three teams in

349
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,760
Speaker 1: that bottom tier in the a f C, it's how

350
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,000
Speaker 1: good the f is. Yeah, I mean, could the Steelers.

351
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,000
Speaker 1: Could the Steelers are Patriots, I mean the two most

352
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,760
Speaker 1: successful teams in the conference for the last decade or two.

353
00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,800
Speaker 1: They could end up as the twelfth seed, you know

354
00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:35,720
Speaker 1: what I mean? Like, that's how good the conferences. Let's

355
00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,840
Speaker 1: I want to ask you about that. That tire the

356
00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:43,240
Speaker 1: contenders tier. He has Titans, Patriots, Colts, Dolphins, Raiders, Steelers.

357
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,399
Speaker 1: That's not in alphabetical order. That's not in that's I

358
00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,639
Speaker 1: think that's in the order that he expects those teams.

359
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,320
Speaker 1: I think so too. Yeah, Steelers. If you're again we've

360
00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,800
Speaker 1: talked about this before, if you're looking at the Steelers

361
00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,920
Speaker 1: roster versus the Patriots roster, it's it's not even close.

362
00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,199
Speaker 1: It's sun close. I mean the Patriots, I might rather

363
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,880
Speaker 1: the Jets roster like that. To me, they're a bottom

364
00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,639
Speaker 1: five roster in this conversation. Yeah, and even like when

365
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,840
Speaker 1: I was power rank in the East, Patriots first, Dolphins,

366
00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,480
Speaker 1: was hard to me, but it was all on Belichick's shoulders,

367
00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:23,040
Speaker 1: you know, like, well, here's the thing, if love Smith

368
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:24,399
Speaker 1: was their head coach, I think they'd be in the

369
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,320
Speaker 1: bottom tier. Bill Belichick should be making the offensive play

370
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,880
Speaker 1: calls this year. We know Bill Belichick is a good

371
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,919
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator, a good defensive mind, when one of the

372
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,760
Speaker 1: best ever. Do we know that Bill Belichick should be

373
00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,240
Speaker 1: making offensive calls? Yeah? Right, I mean I don't know

374
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:48,520
Speaker 1: that that works. And be better if you're better chess pieces, right, yeah,

375
00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,919
Speaker 1: he done that. They don't have great offensive pieces. You know.

376
00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,320
Speaker 1: I had to take to say it. You know, like

377
00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,400
Speaker 1: I think Sea the Seattle's gonna bottom out. And I said,

378
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,399
Speaker 1: I'm only talking about this from a coaching perspective, like

379
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,600
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame type coaches. Could the Patriots bottom out,

380
00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,240
Speaker 1: it would be hard for me to see it because Belichick.

381
00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,280
Speaker 1: Because of Belichick, But boy, I could also write that

382
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,840
Speaker 1: script to four or five win team. We know that

383
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,080
Speaker 1: he does. He makes most of the defensive play calls

384
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,680
Speaker 1: to and he's gonna have Matt Patricia helping out with

385
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,879
Speaker 1: the offense. With the offense, with the offense like a

386
00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,600
Speaker 1: bunch of defensive guys you a bunch of defensive coaches coaching?

387
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,239
Speaker 1: What what do you think their offense is gonna look

388
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:39,200
Speaker 1: like this year? They're gonna run the football and which

389
00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,720
Speaker 1: isn't gonna lift everyone. I just don't know that they're

390
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,280
Speaker 1: a very good team. I don't know that the Dolphins

391
00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,159
Speaker 1: are a good team. Yeah, agreed. I mean not that

392
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,040
Speaker 1: the Steelers are set at quarterback. But no, no, I'm

393
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,800
Speaker 1: and Zach Wilson don't inspire a lot of confidence to me. No,

394
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,120
Speaker 1: not not at all. Um. You know, and I could

395
00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,320
Speaker 1: make the argument that Trabisky might be better them, both

396
00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 1: of those guys right now. I think that's possible. Yeah,

397
00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,640
Speaker 1: I could make that, you know, you know, the Raiding

398
00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:09,199
Speaker 1: notice of you better than them? You know, after the season,

399
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,720
Speaker 1: the Raiders at least have a quarterback. Yeah, the Raiders

400
00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,399
Speaker 1: are interesting because there's a couple of teams, the Raiders

401
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:20,320
Speaker 1: and Bikes really come to mind of we could tear

402
00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,360
Speaker 1: this thing down, sell off our thirty million dollar quarterback,

403
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,920
Speaker 1: new coach. We were good, not great, and both of

404
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,280
Speaker 1: them kind of just ran it back and decided to

405
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,119
Speaker 1: take a shot. And it probably won't pay off, but

406
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,560
Speaker 1: I bet that was a tough decision. For both those organizations. Yeah,

407
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,320
Speaker 1: no doubt, no doubt, but yeah, just interesting that with that,

408
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:45,200
Speaker 1: you know, the way that that that has perceived around

409
00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,760
Speaker 1: the league. I really do think it's the Bills and

410
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,879
Speaker 1: then everybody else in the FC. Yeah. I mean the

411
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,359
Speaker 1: Chiefs deserved some cash a for recent success, without question,

412
00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:00,320
Speaker 1: but they're not the same team and they showed words year.

413
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,879
Speaker 1: That's when people tend to overlook. Yeah, no, I agree.

414
00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,760
Speaker 1: I agree. We're gonna take a break. He is Matt Williamson.

415
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,719
Speaker 1: I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the drive here

416
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,560
Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio. When we come back, well we'll

417
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,080
Speaker 1: look at a mock draft that dropped today on the

418
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,400
Speaker 1: NFL dot Com. We'll do that when we come back.

419
00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:17,960
Speaker 1: Right after this