1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: your home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio. 3 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: I am Dale Ally here with Matt Williamson and our 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: special guest Tom Offerman. Today here is a little bit. Uh. 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: I think the possibility of rain maybe maybe held the 6 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: crowd back a little bit today. Maybe some people looked 7 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: at the uh, the forecast and said, you know what, 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna make a trip. Still a good still 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: a good crowd. Yeah, several thousand people here watching practice, 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: a lot of kids, a lot of kids. Yeah, school 11 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: still out at this point. And uh, why wouldn't you 12 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: want to come out here and say, actually, today is 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: a perfect day to come out and watch practice. If 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: you just watching, I'd prefer this than the degree day 15 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: like Tom, and we'd rather have it the other way. 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: But absolutely, Yeah, the Steelers just wrapping up a special 17 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: team session. Um, excellent environment though, excellent environment, and uh, 18 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: a great place to come out, get autographs, talk to 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: the players, do that all that kind of stuff, because 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: that's what this is about. And um, you know this 21 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: benefits of fans a lot. I mean mostly most teams 22 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: don't have enough situation at all, Like this, Yeah, absolutely. Uh, 23 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: Larry Ogan job he was asked about that yesterday what 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: he thought of coming out to a college campus like 25 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: and she said, well, this is all new to me. 26 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: You know, this would be my sixth year in the 27 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: league and I've never gone off off facility to outside 28 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 1: of the team facility. It's not money anymore, yeah, because 29 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: they spend so much money on the facility. Yeah, you 30 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: got to use them, but what you don't have then 31 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: but then they go home to their family. She's good 32 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: or bad, you know. I mean, so that's one of 33 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: the things that Mike Tomlin has talked about, uh with 34 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: this is like, hey, the practice time is the practice time, um, 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: but it's the time after practice where you got the 36 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: the young guys sitting out with on the stoop with 37 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: the old guys, or they're sitting out in the in 38 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: the main common area, you know, in the lobby, and 39 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: you get a chance to talk and and and tell 40 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: stories and and do all that kind of stuff that 41 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: that it's the bonding. You know. Cam Heyward brought up 42 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,399 Speaker 1: a bunch of board games for his guys to play. 43 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: If you're like, yeah, that's that's how he had decorated 44 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: his room from the ceiling, dripping water everywhere. So these 45 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: guys are a lot of these guys are are so 46 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: young that they probably never even played a board game 47 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: like if you play, like what the hell is that 48 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: I played that once on TV on the on like 49 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: Monopoly or something. Well, that's what Susian was saying on 50 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: when he joined the Blitz with Youler most before us 51 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: just eaves dropping in. You know, he loved coming back 52 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: here and feeling those same memories that you were kind 53 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: of describing. Those other guys talk about, you know, you 54 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: getting the golf cart and your race on the way 55 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: home from launching dinner and stuff like you pull a 56 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: prank on a roommate and stuff like that. You don't 57 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: get that, like you said, Matt, when you just show 58 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: up to the facility, claw out and go home to 59 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: your family and then you don't have to worry about 60 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: anybody else and telling you I am again the next morning. 61 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: Playing a prank on your wife or girlfriends doesn't go 62 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: as well, right, It's tend to frown on that. And 63 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:14,679 Speaker 1: you can look at it two ways. I mean, you 64 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: could sleep in your own bed, you know, you some 65 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: home cooking, you see your kids, you're happier human being. 66 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: But also there's distractions and there's people bugging you because 67 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: because your kids go out if you wanted to at night, 68 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: people want things from you. I mean you could potentially 69 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: get in more trouble. I mean you could go out, 70 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, those type of things too. So I mean 71 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: here it's just football and camaraderie. I mean that's the 72 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: only thing you're getting when you're a player. And what's 73 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: a better thing, whether it's two better things to add 74 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: to a player or a team going into an NFL season, 75 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: then getting better at the game and getting to know 76 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: each other better. Absolutely, So I think that's something that's 77 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: been missed and it's not a tangible thing like you know, 78 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: you can't well I cost him this many games or 79 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: that many wins or anything like that. Right, they've been 80 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: super Bowl champs if they would come here like because 81 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: everybody else was in the same boat. Yeah, but I 82 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: think it does benefit you in the long run. In 83 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: a season like this, when everybody else is having their 84 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: their camps at their facilities and that those kind of things, 85 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: and you're going off and doing something like this, I 86 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: think that's where you see the benefits. And some camps 87 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: don't have all the fans and you know, all that 88 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: interaction of course as well. You know, like for example, 89 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: when I was with the Browns, we just walked right 90 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: out back, just like it was any other practice day. 91 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: Didn't No one can't ended a right. I mean, just 92 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: walked right and you know, I mean that was fine. 93 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: It was convenient. You know, they were at their same 94 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: lockers and their same weight room and all that stuff. 95 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: And but then they went home at the end of 96 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: the day, just like it was in the middle of 97 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: the season. So I mean, you can make arguments good 98 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: and bad, but this to me is invaluable. I bet 99 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: if you drop some truth serum in these players drinks, 100 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: though more so than not, they'd lean towards This is 101 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: pretty fun. Like I get, you know, sucks sleeping on 102 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: a dorm room, bad sharing a room. But like there's memories, 103 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: no doubt that is made for almost every one of 104 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: these players. There will be made. Since a lot of 105 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: these players are new here at St. Vincent. These next 106 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: couple you probably noticed this, Tom, but you'll you'll definitely 107 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: notice it, you know, the rest of the the camp, because 108 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: the Steelers are kind of us to bring us legends, 109 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: you know, these guys that were here supersteel or seventies, 110 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: guys with four Super Bowl rings that are older men now, 111 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: and they come back here and you get us telling 112 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: their voice. It's a very fond memory. But it wasn't 113 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: an easy memory. Yeah, right, right, right right. I mean 114 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: some of that pain from the equation of these days though, 115 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: That's what I mean. It's so much different now. I 116 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: mean they're in an air condition, nuns aren't cooking right right, 117 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: right right, yeah. I mean so it's a little cushier 118 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: than it was back in the day too. It is 119 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: um as it should be. But as T. J. Wattson 120 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: when when he talked about it issue, he's like, look 121 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: not being here at that he called it the legendary 122 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 1: place because you see, I mean you could that's the 123 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: great thing about this. The Steelers have been here in 124 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: this nineteen sixty six um, and you think about, uh, 125 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: you know, all the great players who have practiced on 126 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: these fields, and and I can remember I was talking 127 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: about it, uh um chess pil and I kind of 128 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: walked over to the field yesterday to kind of get 129 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: a lay of the land here, and I was just 130 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: looking at just how this facility has changed over these. 131 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: I mean you used to be be able to. They had 132 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: just used the one field over here on the right 133 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: back when they first started here, it was just one 134 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: in the field and they had to the weight room 135 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: was set up in the corner, and I remember that 136 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of freeweights clanking around and James Harrison 137 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: been there or whoever Lloyd or they would have their uh, 138 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: they had media what they called media day, and media 139 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: day consisted of the guys. The players would line that 140 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: that the the hillside over there, you could walk up 141 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: from the field to the hillside and above looking over 142 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: the field, and so every player was was word and 143 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 1: off and all the papers and newspapers would send out 144 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: their photographers to get head shots, to take you know, 145 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: head shots. And then he talked to him until Merril 146 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: Hodge ruined that by by ripping Barry Foster for not 147 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: showing up for camp. That one. That was the end 148 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: of that. I told Meryl that when he was on 149 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: with us the last time we were camp in nineteen 150 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: I think Merrill was on with us, I said, Merril, 151 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: you ended media day here because he just went on 152 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: a tirade about Barry Foster not being here and how 153 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: it was selfish and it was, it was. It was 154 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: a monumental day. Uh. You know the Oklahoma drills that 155 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: used to take place over here on the on that 156 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: field and you'd stand up on again. We would stand 157 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: up on that hillside and watch and and uh, you know, 158 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: just so many memories out here. Um, you know, the 159 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: the great plays, great players, uhayers and coaches and owners 160 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: and the whole deal. And you know they've won six 161 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: Super Bowls coming to camp here and been and been 162 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: to two others, so it's a big deal. You mentioned 163 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: the the tent that used to be over there with 164 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: the free weights. Always got to kick out of it. 165 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: The guys would just throw their shoulder pads and helmet off. 166 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: But they're still got their football pants and cleats on 167 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: and they're throwing weights around old school and just kind 168 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: of after practicing for two hours. Yeah right right, and 169 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: we're already sweaty, we're right here. Let's just do a 170 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: bunch of benches or whatever. And I'm sure the strength 171 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: coach was over there helping them and whatnot, but just 172 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: kind of felt like it was on their own. I'm 173 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: gonna do curls today or whatever. The heck it was, 174 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: and you just heard a bunch of clanking and yelling, 175 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: and you know they still let their cleats on and 176 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: they're you know, they're their football pants on. You know how, 177 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: in your guys opinion, because of course you've been around 178 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: the block a lot longer than me, has training camps 179 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: value kind of lesson? Do you think? I mean, of 180 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: course there's still value there, but we're talking back in 181 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: the sixties and the early they had they had to 182 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: get in shape. Those training camps in the sixties were 183 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: over two months long. I think lessons probably the worst. 184 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: They were playing like like six to eight preseason games. Yeah, 185 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: I think of wrong word for me. Lesson just different now, 186 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: like you're expected now to come in and pass that 187 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: because you're not trying to. They don't even barely need 188 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: to stop watches, you know what I mean. There's no 189 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: right if you're not going to be around long. You 190 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: better have something physically wrong with you if that's the case, 191 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,960 Speaker 1: because otherwise you're in deep trouble. Or they're paying them 192 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: so much more, and you know their job is year round. 193 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: It's not exactly right, and there's so many other facilities 194 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: and people that you can hire outside the organization to 195 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: help you. But to your point, though, I mean, I'm 196 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: not even comparing to the sixties. I mean even the 197 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: Corrielle offenses or the Walshaw offenses that seemed very complex 198 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: for their day, they're not nearly as complex as these 199 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: play calls and you know, yeah, or the defensive you know, 200 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: different coverages they run. And so I think it's more 201 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: mentally taxing, not necessarily, you know, the mental anguish that 202 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: your body has to deal with, but more taking it 203 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: to the board, to the to the field is harder 204 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: now than it's. A physical box is already checked when 205 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: you show up here, Yeah, should show your piece and 206 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: keys check, you know, mentally playbook wise things like that, 207 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: Hey player X, your job is to show up here 208 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: physically ready. Yeah, we're not here to get you physically ready, 209 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: but we'll get you. Got a lot of other crap 210 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: we gotta get to. We can't worry. So I think 211 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: that's going here. You have a little more team drill here, Okay, 212 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: run here. Um let's see here, little motion left to right. 213 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: We were on the air before Pickens caught a nice 214 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: skinny post that in an area of the field that 215 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: was not you not thrown too very often last year. 216 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: It looks like, Na, you wanted to blow somebody upright 217 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: like that. He looked like he didn't care that there 218 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: was no shoulder pads on. I'm going through this defender. 219 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: I meant to say this earlier when we were talking 220 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: about the quarterbacks and play action and all that, And 221 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 1: this applies to people on the hillside watching one thing. 222 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna keep an eye on two is. And this 223 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: is especially true with Picket because pickets average time to 224 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: throw at pit was very long. He had the luxury 225 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: of holding the football. So if you're gonna run play 226 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: action and the half a second is going to tick 227 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: off even before you get in position to throw the football, 228 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: it needs to come out crisp and on time. You know, 229 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: here in these first practices, who cares hold it, make 230 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: the completion, make the right read. But three weeks from now, 231 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 1: if I was sitting here with a stopwatch, I want 232 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: that same route to come out half a second earlier, 233 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? That kind of stuff is 234 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: what needs to speed up the especially with Pickett. You 235 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: know the other guys are you know, conscious of it 236 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 1: as well, But I'm sure the quarterback coach the offensive 237 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 1: coordinator is going to be like, that's fine, but you're 238 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: sitting here verse air. You're not gonna have that time. 239 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: And you know, I would think this year that's something 240 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: that they're gonna be really cognizant of. They probably weren't 241 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: super cognizant of in the past. No, I think that's 242 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:51,079 Speaker 1: gonna yeah, you know, he goes when you get the 243 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: ball out as opposed to now you got Kenny Pickett 244 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: doing you or m Robiskie or or Mason Rudolph, and 245 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: these guys get to learn how to uh what this 246 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: coaching staff wants in those situations and throw with anticipation 247 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: and timing to the right guy and make quick decisions. 248 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: I think that's a big deal. Do you think that 249 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,839 Speaker 1: there could be a problem with Kenny Pickett? As far 250 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: as at Pitt he was and this is assuming Kenny 251 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: Pickett SE's playing time this year. At Pitt, he was 252 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,959 Speaker 1: so good at extending plays and maybe holding onto the 253 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: ball a little longer than he should have, but you know, 254 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 1: it paid off more times than not because he was 255 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: a great college quarterback and he had a lot of 256 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: good weapons on that pit team. Do you worry that 257 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: he might you know, get himself into some trouble early 258 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: because yeah, I'm gonna hold onto this ball. Oh wait, 259 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,119 Speaker 1: that defensive end is a lot faster than North Carolina's 260 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: defensive end last year. I'm on my mass now and 261 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: I've been sacked like that's just part of the learning curve. Um, Yes, 262 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: and it worries me, and that's something who have to 263 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 1: improve upon, as every rookie quarterback does without question. I mean, 264 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: this is better in the popcorn vendor's hand than trying 265 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: to make something happen. Yeah, but I can cite like 266 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: two recent examples though, Like Zack Wilson last year held 267 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: the football and even at b y U there wasn't 268 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: a real high level competition. He had a bunch of 269 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: twenties seven, eight, thirty forty year old blocking forum whatever, 270 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: so he could sit there and pat the ball and 271 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: then make these glorious throws. And he had a really 272 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: hard time adjusting to that last year with the Jets, 273 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: because not only is the speed of the game faster, 274 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: but his team is not as good as the opponent 275 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: either than the situation he's in. Burrow is the same 276 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: way in a way, though, I mean everyone blames the 277 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: Bengals O line for all Burrows sacks sacks absolutely or 278 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: as buch of quarterback stat as an O line stat 279 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: and Burrows ahold the ball guy. He made it work, 280 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, no one's gonna complain if Kenny 281 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: Pickett has a rookie year and second year like Burrow. 282 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: So but all in all the processing, the average time 283 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: to throw for picket is something really the monitor and 284 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: I would bet that's one of the things they're working 285 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: with him the most. Yeah, I mean, you have to 286 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: have it's something you've got to kind of coach out 287 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: of him, and that's I don't Yeah, I don't know that. 288 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: That's why I think, and you said this before I 289 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: met there, there's no such thing as an NFL ready quarterback. 290 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: Trevor Lawrence was as good at of a prospect that's 291 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: come out in the trust decade, and he was not 292 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: NFL ready. I mean his pick it more ready than 293 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: Leak willis, absolutely, But is he ready for what he's 294 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: gonna see the first time he walks out in the field. No, 295 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: and he won't be until he plays a few games 296 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: if he's lucky. You know, that's just the reality of 297 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: the situation. I've gotten a lot of that. Well, he's 298 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: he's twenty four. He was supposed to be NFL ready. 299 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: Tap the brakes, folks, that's not what this meant. And 300 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: they have another option there, you're gonna They're gonna start 301 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: the guy who's who's best suited to start and helped 302 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: him win football games right now and him come I 303 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: worried about five years from now. Him coming to the 304 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: league is a twenty four year olds eight three is 305 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: different than Nazy Harris coming to league is a twenty 306 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: four year old er. You know, I mean the running 307 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: back block starts now. I mean, if Pickett has a 308 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: successful career, whether it's he or elsewhere, whatever, he may 309 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: play until he's thirty eight. He could be right yeah, 310 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: without questions, so his clock doesn't have to start this instant. 311 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: It's funny to me down you're talking about the fans 312 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: that are like, oh, I should be starting now, he's 313 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: quarterback ready. They obviously get fueled by, you know, the 314 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: players like Zach Wilson that do start right away, Trevor 315 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: Lawrences started. No One ever seems to bring up the 316 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: guys that sit though and get that seasoning that end 317 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: up being well, the Mahomes is the Rogers, not that 318 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: those are two huge names. Typically when that happened, Typically, 319 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: when that happens, and those guys, you know, it is beneficial, 320 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: get that seasoning on their belt. Yeah, exactly, you don't 321 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: throw them in the fire and like to think, you know, 322 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: last year Trabisky is the best, a great example. That 323 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: guy at a one was a one year starter in 324 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: North Carolina. If he would have been drafted by this 325 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: Steeler team, he wouldn't have started a game. He would 326 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: have started. I mean, that's the beauty of ownership and Tomlin. 327 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: All these guys get thrust in the fire because they're 328 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: a bad team. They draft a quarterback, the heat from 329 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: the press and the fans and the ownership, even though 330 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: the poor kids not ready and so many quarterbacks careers 331 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: were ruined that way. And Trabisky deserves some blame obviously 332 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: for his early you know, not massive success. But boy, 333 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: he's a perfect example of he could have sat his 334 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: whole rookie year. I bet his career had been drastically different. 335 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: But you also saw out of him, you know, a 336 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: guy that yeah, he wasn't the main reason they went 337 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: twelve and four and won the division. But he was 338 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: a guy that you had on your team that helped 339 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: you win a division. He was he was the quarterback 340 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: of that team. I mean, you know, he went eleven 341 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: and he was a starter. I mean kind of a 342 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: big deal. So he obviously could cut it in the league. 343 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: Like he said, maybe he just needed a couple more 344 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: years of consistent coaching with a consistent system, and consistency 345 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: in the pieces around him to really start to blossom. 346 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: I mean, they didn't build around him like the Jets 347 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: paper Zach Wilson this year and draft Garrett Wilson and 348 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: signed all these other guys. You know, they just threw 349 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: him in the deep end and they're like, hey, number 350 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: two overall, pick, make us great. That's how they were 351 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: hoping it would turn out, right. I mean, no one 352 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: is a better example, like Dale said, than Lawrence last year, 353 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: and he was physically and mentally as ready as anyone's 354 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: going to be, and he's in a disaster zone. They're 355 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: picking first again this year. Yeah right? I mean I 356 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: mean this, if Aaron Rodgers was a Jag last year, 357 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: they may only win three or four more games, or 358 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: Brady or anyone challenge and no one's succeeding like it 359 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: was just dysfunctional, right right. At least he's got an 360 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: established head coach this year. And what's different about him too, 361 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: is he had to be the face of the organization 362 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: as a rookie because your coach is a Goog, you know, 363 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: the guy he has to be, right, he decided to 364 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: stay back in Ohio to visit his bar. I mean, 365 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: the twenty year old has to be the adult in 366 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: the room. I mean for a whole season. I mean, 367 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: that's too much to ask. He's trying to figure out 368 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: the game and he's got receivers run the wrong routes 369 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: and run into each other and do it. What a nightmare. 370 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: But pick it Sitting this year as a success for 371 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: the Steelers. If he didn't play one snap, if they're 372 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: able to sit him all year long, Yeah, yeah, absolutely, 373 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: that's a win. I mean, you don't played well to 374 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: That's what I mean. There's probably ramifications there that they're 375 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: probably competing for a playoff spot up until the end. 376 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: You don't love that. You get five costs controlled years 377 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: and one of them is gone before you know it. 378 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,120 Speaker 1: But if it makes him a better football player when 379 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: he sees the field, great, I mean they're taking two 380 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: bites at the apple here at dr Whisky and Picket. 381 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: If either one hits, it's a massive film run. And 382 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: if Rabisky kind of hits and say they go like 383 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: nine and eight but just miss out in the playoffs. 384 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: But he looked, okay, it's a very tradable contract. On 385 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: the second year, you're not gonna get a first round pick, 386 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: but maybe a fourth fifth round pick for Trubisky depending 387 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: on however, if you know pickets ready to come in, yeah, bro, 388 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: and or you've got two good guys and right, ye 389 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: do this all again next year Brady retires and the 390 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: Bucks they will give you a three for Trabisky. Who knows. 391 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: You know, a lot can change. Yeah, most definitely a 392 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: lot can change that. We're gonna take a break. Or 393 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: Trabisky is a stud and someone offers you a first 394 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: for Picket, you know, I mean, I'm not saying it's stud, 395 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: but I mean it's it's just good to have to commodity. Yeah, 396 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: there are all kinds of different options here. We're gonna 397 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: take a break. He is Matt Williamson, that's Tom Offerman. 398 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: I am lally. You're listening to the drive here on 399 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio, and we're going to have our ongoing 400 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: coverage here live from the Steelers training camp sessions here 401 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: at Chuck Nollfield. The team going through its first official 402 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: practice of season. We could call it that now this 403 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: is the season's this is official. But then we're gonna 404 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: take a break. We'll be back with more right after this. 405 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: Welcome back. I'm Dale Lally here with Matt Williamson and 406 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 1: Tom Opperman and Steelers. It looks like they're practicing a 407 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: little bit differently today than than they typically have in 408 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 1: the past. Um doin some position drill stuff now as 409 00:19:55,359 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: opposed to uh usually start practice. Yeah, yeah, quarter aac 410 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: centers change, you know, it's stretch and then they could 411 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: actually just be done. And this is just some it's 412 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: kind of hard to tell. I didn't know if they're 413 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: all working after it was get the impression that they 414 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: might be done, I meaning the fans off and all that. 415 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: So maybe they glorif I walk through than anything. Oh, 416 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: I see Billy hill Grove over the Voice of God 417 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: about that. But they got the judge machine out too. 418 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a little more organized than just 419 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: a couple of people doing their own thing. My way 420 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: Billy over here is who we can get Billy to 421 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 1: come on with it. Yeah, it doesn't seem like they've 422 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,959 Speaker 1: just completely said all right, do individual stuff or just 423 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: walk away and go into your dorm or anything that 424 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: they still have to be out there. It seems so 425 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 1: they might still be doing some team stuff later. Yeah, 426 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: I'm curious abou how they have this set up because 427 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: I I don't think team. I don't think every position 428 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: group is in their own I mean, like there's guys 429 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,479 Speaker 1: out there's a d lineman running streets right now, right. 430 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: I think it was just kind of doing their own thing. Yeah, 431 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: so I was told that this was going to be 432 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: a short practice today. I think, Ay, they want to 433 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: beat the storm. This is why we have it on site. Producer. 434 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: By the way, absolutely, I'm waving. Yeah, he's gonna go 435 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 1: get Billy. That's that's good stuff there, except he's where 436 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: he's going to get Billy and he's wearing a pen stage. 437 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 1: He might not know how Billy is to break him in. Yeah, 438 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 1: he's still he's on his way over now, we get 439 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: we get Billy over here, get my head set, we 440 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: get the extra extra one right stuff. Yeah, absolutely, professionals here, man, 441 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: we'll get Billy's thoughts on this opening practice here. Uh 442 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: the voice of God, Bill Hill Growth coming over to 443 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: join us here. But yeah, it does look like practice 444 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: is effect over here. So they did get done a 445 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: little early. They are done, but that's fine. There's a 446 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: lot of guys working on their own. Yeah, absolutely, as 447 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: there should be. Billy, how are you, my friend? Let's 448 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,679 Speaker 1: get the hand off like that. I thought it was 449 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: a Bill Coward coaching moment and practice was going to 450 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 1: restart and then all of a sudden it's over. Yeah, 451 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: were just saying how confused we were. We were like, well, 452 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: this is an early exit for the Steelers practice on 453 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: day one, but none of the players want to leave. 454 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: It looked like they're a lot there getting some work done. 455 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 1: That's what you want to see, Matt. Oh, you want 456 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: to see that. You have to drag these guys off 457 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 1: the field, especially at first practice. Yeah. Absolutely, So what 458 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: you see out there, Billy, would you like? Um? I 459 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: liked a couple of things that I saw, just remarked 460 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: Kenny Pickett. Now that's what he can do for you. 461 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: He broke out of the pocket and picked up positive yardage. 462 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: Next play, he throws it to what Trey Norwood picked 463 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: it or somebody on the defense picked it. And uh, 464 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: that's that's what happens when you're Yeah, absolutely rookie, You're 465 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: only as good as your last play. But that that's 466 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: for anybody. Yeah. Absolutely. You have a unique perspective obviously 467 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: on Kenny Pickett, with your your pit ties and whatnot. 468 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: What do you think Steeler fans are getting there? Uh? 469 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 1: Something you can't coach, you can't teach, you can't measure. 470 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: It's hard. Yeah, And uh, about a month and a 471 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: half ago, I had the opportunity to play golf with 472 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: Merle ha Uh in an event up in Indiana Country Club, 473 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: and we had plenty of time to talk. And you know, 474 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: he still works for the league, so he still has 475 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: access to all the footage and he watches a lot 476 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: of it. And I said, what about Kenny? He said, Um, 477 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: two things jump off the tape. He makes good decisions 478 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 1: and he's accurate. And I said, well, what about all 479 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: that stuff with mel Kiper and the experts saying that 480 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: Malik willis the kid from Liberty would go ahead of him? 481 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: He said, well, I watched a lot of tape on 482 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: Malik and he's a good quarterback with two exceptions. He's 483 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: not very accurate and he doesn't make good and well 484 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 1: you know then that and that's why he went six. Yeah, 485 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: it was just a weird draft that way with the quarterbacks, 486 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: because you don't typically see quarterbacks the top quarterbacks fall 487 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: into the third round like that. When everybody was talking 488 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: and and people said, well, I see that they weren't 489 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 1: supposed to be first runner guys. The league doesn't invite 490 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: those guys to the green room at the draft thinking 491 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: that they're going to go in the third round. And 492 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: Williston and uh, I believe I think it. Yeah, they were. 493 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: They were invited to the draft, so the league thought 494 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: that they were going to go first round, early second 495 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 1: round somewhere in that right. They don't want those guys 496 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: sitting there well in the day two. That's why gms 497 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: get paid much more than we do. Yeah, the money 498 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: that they make, because you know, they have to live 499 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: with their decisions, and if you don't make good decisions, 500 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: you don't live long. And that's just the nature of 501 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: the beast. And you know, I think and I as 502 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: a media person, yeah, I have my opinion, but I 503 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: defer to the people that get paid to make those decisions. 504 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: And if okay, I can question it, I can, you know, 505 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,360 Speaker 1: just be astounded. But in the meantime, that's who makes 506 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 1: a decision. And wait, we've seen great examples of gms 507 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: who made not only one, but two or three bad decisions. 508 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: I'm going back to the detro red Lions, the same 509 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: one with Matt Millen, you know, I mean the time again, 510 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: but uh, and I think I saw one this week 511 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: Kyler Murray. I hear, I mean, I don't know, but 512 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: I hear things like he doesn't necessarily get along with 513 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: his offensive line. What right? Kind of a big deal? 514 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: Those lookout blocks are devastating real quick. On Kenny again. 515 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 1: I mean, he may not be the next Ben Roethlisberger, 516 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer, eighteen year starter, all that stuff, But boy, 517 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: would it shock me if he was a flop. It 518 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: would shock me, It would really shock I saw enough 519 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: of him. Uh, And I saw him in the thing 520 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: about the hands fumblelitis. It's a joke. Probably the reason 521 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: that he felt to the Steelers. I bet it's scared. 522 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: I bet it scared the Saints and it scared the Panthers. 523 00:25:54,240 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: But you know, he I like his personality. I like 524 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: his uh maturity. And I go back when he was 525 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,640 Speaker 1: a freshman and they're playing Miami and it's I think 526 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: the score was I think pitt was ahead, and they're 527 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,639 Speaker 1: marching and they really need a touchdown to you know, 528 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,919 Speaker 1: get into double digits. And it's fourth and I thought 529 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: five at the twenty two yard line and Pikett called 530 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: the play and he told the running back and I 531 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 1: don't remember which running back it was, look, you and 532 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: me know that I'm going to keep it so you know, 533 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: you you you are the play call, and you're gonna 534 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: get a thick And he said, when I went to 535 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 1: the line of scrimmage and I saw where the safeties were, 536 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,159 Speaker 1: I wasn't thinking first down. I was thinking touchdown. And 537 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: darned if he didn't make the piline, you know. And 538 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,120 Speaker 1: I was a freshman. His football, like you, is pretty high. 539 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: Yeah it is. And and uh, you know, very mature 540 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 1: young man, good head on his shoulders and and and 541 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: gets it. And I think another quarter out there with 542 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: new Whisky and his wife out there with their with 543 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: their with their new that's a pretty cool scene there 544 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: with his teammates and their young kids. Yeah, pretty cool 545 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 1: and I think it's Mitch's job to lose. I don't 546 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: expect Kenny to play, but I saw again, I guess 547 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:20,199 Speaker 1: Vegas puts odds on everything that Kenny uh is the 548 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: odds on favorite to be offensive rookie of the Year. 549 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: And I felt, We'll wait a minute, is he gonna 550 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: play stuff to do that? And then I see that 551 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: the Browns are fourteen to want to win the Super Bowl. 552 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: They don't know who their quarterbacks, right, they're hoping they 553 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: got one. Yeah, that's all I mean. Yeah, you're trying 554 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: to get money on both sides, and exactly that's the 555 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: way that goes. That's what Vegas does. They don't care 556 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: who wins or who loses. They want you to bet 557 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: they didn't build those palaces out there losing money. I 558 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: once talked to a very stage man who said, Billy, 559 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: you know, there's a good reason that bookies drive Cadillacs 560 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: and spend winners in Florida because a lot of sports 561 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 1: fans think they can predict the future, and uh, we can't. Well, 562 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: let's talk about that bill. Because the over under for 563 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: this team is seven and a half wins. I think 564 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: it's I think it's like I don't know that i'd 565 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 1: make that bet. I would make two bets, and just 566 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: because the odds, i'd bet them to win the division, 567 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: you know, future props. I think another bet I know 568 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: i'd make right now. They won't finish last in that division. 569 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: They will not, but everybody's picking them. Yeah, yeah, I mean, 570 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 1: you know, you've been doing this almost as long as me. 571 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: I think I started. I started ninety three, you started, 572 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: I did, but I was here in talking about just 573 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: doing your current No, no, no, yes, what were you doing? Yeah? 574 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: You were here with your parents just like it's like 575 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: it's good. But I mean, you've seen this long enough 576 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: to know. I mean, I've there's been three losing seasons 577 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: in the last twenty nine years. That doesn't happen. That 578 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: doesn't happen by accident. It's it's the program, in the 579 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: in the just the the general feeling around that the 580 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: team and the culture helps build that as well. Culture 581 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: is a great word. Yeah. Um, Steelers fans are spoiled 582 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: and deservedly so. Uh four and twelve now four and 583 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: third team would be unthinkable. The worst we've seen a 584 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: six and ten six and ten was ninety nine. I 585 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: think I blocked that out of my memory. There was 586 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: seven and nine, six and ten, and then they got 587 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: a back right away went nine and seven and two 588 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: thousand and thirteen and three and two thousand one. It 589 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: wasn't they weren't down long. And yet you know, the 590 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: naysayers will point out their playoff record in the last 591 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: six times or whatever, and okay, yeah, but the fact 592 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,719 Speaker 1: that this team made the playoffs last year tells you 593 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: something about the culture. That was not a very good 594 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: football team. I mean, the fact they got in is amazing. 595 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: The smoking mirrors and losses and ties, and you know, 596 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: in the last two decades you could probably count on 597 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: one handed number of teams that finished dead last and 598 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: rush defense that made the playoffs. Oh, we had a 599 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: winning record, even it wasn't like the offense carried. Yeah. 600 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: I think Miles Jack is going to help that. And 601 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 1: I think you gotta keep Tyson healthy because they're not 602 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: real you know, they're not real deep there a matter 603 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: of fact, entirely on defense, they're not real deep anywhere, 604 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: especially in the secondary. But I think it will be 605 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 1: an improved defense, certainly against the run. Yeah, I think 606 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: there'll be much better on offense. Do you have enough weapons. Uh, okay, 607 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,239 Speaker 1: you can't let Naji touch the ball the number of 608 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: times you did last year, So you gotta find somebody 609 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: to carry some of that load. And that's one of 610 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: the questions. Who is it. We don't know, Uh, you know, 611 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: he might not even be in this camp the Oh yeah, 612 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: well that's true. Good point. It could be somebody from 613 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: outside that comes in. And because it's running back, you know, 614 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: running back. We've seen him sign running backs in the 615 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: past and that guy ends up starting the next week. Right, 616 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: if you were do you run right? You know this, 617 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: it's not a real difficult you know, they don't really 618 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: right now, if you run left, you run right, and 619 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: you get hit every place. You better be able to block. 620 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: And oh that's what I love about Maggie. He's willing 621 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: to be a good blocker. You know that play against 622 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: Cleveland last year, We're been through the touchdown pastor Friar 623 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: muth uh Myles Garrett is reaching for the ball. Then 624 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: all of a sudden he's not in the play. Nay 625 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: cleared him out. You mentioned culture, Billy, and I think 626 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: this environment St. Vincent's is a whole really contributes to 627 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: that too. We were talking about how unique that is. 628 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: I mean, do you agree that that helps build the 629 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: culture from practice number one on? You know, right, I 630 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: just talked to Carl Dunbar. He said, it's a blessing 631 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: to be back here. Talked to Father Paul. You know, 632 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: this is good. This is a good way of us 633 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: to kind of push COVID aside and look forward, you know, 634 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: And I think everybody feels that way. And you guys 635 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: were at the camp at the stadiums and it was nothing. 636 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: You're not close to the players. You don't hear the hits, 637 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,479 Speaker 1: you don't hear the yelling, and it was weird. And 638 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: this is a different nice to be back here. It's 639 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: a whole different vibe when you're in the stadium for 640 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:16,239 Speaker 1: the players even I mean you could see it. They 641 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: just you know, and even that they you know, they 642 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: had your classrooms all through the stadium and got you know, 643 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: it's just here. They're all in the same dorm, they 644 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: all have to go to the cafeteria, they're they're just 645 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: together twenty four hours a day for for three weeks, 646 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: with one exception. I talked to an assistant coach and 647 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: he said, it's the best office I ever had. Because 648 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: it's a luxury box best office I ever. Yeah, this 649 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 1: is I think this sets a tone for the season, 650 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: and uh it's it's it's a you get the fan support. 651 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: But more importantly, I think you get away from town, 652 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: away from downtown Pittsburgh, you get out here and you 653 00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: become more of a together unit. And I just think 654 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: that's very important, you know, team bonding. You hear the talking, 655 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: but it's true, especially with how young they are. You know, 656 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: this is a team that's transitioning to establish him. That 657 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: offense has no leader, right, I mean was talking about yesterday, 658 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: I got to be the leader because there is no leader, 659 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,719 Speaker 1: but they'll emerge pretty good choice. He looks like se 660 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: Kwon Berkley. Yeah, and even he isn't the starter or not. 661 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: I mean when I'm sitting here watching Kenny Pickett is 662 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: getting you know, swamped by kids, and he's he's signing 663 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: autograph after autograph, I mean, well, it takes it takes 664 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:39,239 Speaker 1: a heat off Mitch. He has obvious leadership traits. If 665 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: and when his time comes, you know, well sure for 666 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: this team, I hope it's later than sooner, absolutely, but 667 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,239 Speaker 1: you never know in this league, and you just never know. 668 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 1: In football because everybody's here by a play and if 669 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: things go wrong, your season could be done. Absolutely, but Billy, 670 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: we appreciate you stop him by. Was a pleasure to 671 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 1: talk with the voice of God. And my favorite is 672 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: when he when I get on the I get on 673 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 1: the tram at the airport. You know, if I said, 674 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 1: I see, I hear that the Dulcia tones of Bill 675 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: hill Grove, welcome to me to Pittsburgh. I gotta figure 676 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:20,280 Speaker 1: out a way to get a statue there, like Franco 677 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: and that other guy. That the other guy I was 678 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: like thirty years old to I knewho the other guy was. 679 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: Franco was five. We're gonna take a break. That was 680 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:36,320 Speaker 1: Bill hill Grove. Of course, the voice of the Steelers. 681 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 1: You always hear him on the broadcast and uh gets 682 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:42,760 Speaker 1: a plenty of play with that. Of course, that's Tom Offerman, 683 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: He's Matt Williamson and I am Dale Lala. You're listening 684 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,400 Speaker 1: to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. Steelers just 685 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: wrapping up their first official practice here of this training 686 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: camp two thousand two or twenty two. He's losing my 687 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: just buzzing and fans getting some autographs here doing all 688 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 1: that fun stuff. We'll get some guys on the field practicing, 689 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: doing all that kind of stuff. You're taking some catch 690 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: us some footballs over there is a Deante Johnson still 691 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: over there working product. Gettlet working. But we're gonna take 692 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: a break. We'll be back with more right after this. 693 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: Let's go play some ball. Always talking Black and Gold 694 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: football on SNR. Budweiser wants you to drink wise. And 695 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,280 Speaker 1: here's the thing. You are already drinking wise by designating 696 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: a driver or getting a ride home after a night out. 697 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,840 Speaker 1: That means the overwhelming majority of you choose to not 698 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: drink and drives to have fun. We'll make a plan 699 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: to get home safe, be a passenger and not the driver. 700 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: The good news is that most of you are already 701 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: making the right choice. But what would be even better 702 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: is for everyone to drink wise. Enjoy response Anheuser Busch 703 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: Budweiser Beer. St. Louis, Missouri. This is the Drive with 704 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:57,959 Speaker 1: Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on Home of the Black 705 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 1: and Gold SNR Steelers Nation Radio. Welcome back. I'm Dale 706 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: Lally here with Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman. This is 707 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers finishing 708 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: up their first official practice here at St. Penncent College. 709 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: Apparently a couple of minor issues here. Uh. Miles killer 710 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: Brew did not finish practice. He was dealing with would 711 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,000 Speaker 1: you say that was a little hip injine? And then 712 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: t D T D Moultrie, who's an outside linebacker trying 713 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,719 Speaker 1: to make this roster, dealing with some cramps. Uh. He 714 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: left this practice as well. But that's it for today. Uh. 715 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 1: Deante Johnson, however, guys did not participate in the team 716 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: portion of practice. Interesting especially after Tomlin's comments yesterday, Tomlin's 717 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 1: comments and this morning, Um, when Johnson talked, he said 718 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: that you know he he planned on practicing. Um, you know, 719 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: maybe the maybe his representatives got to him and said, hey, 720 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,239 Speaker 1: let's let's not let's not do anything here and see 721 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 1: what happens. He did stuff, He did stuff. I mean 722 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: I was watching he was out there work. Yeah, it's 723 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:09,080 Speaker 1: not like he's not out there doing anything. He broke away. Yeah, 724 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: once they once they went to eleven on elevens. He 725 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: did not do any of that. That's where you need 726 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 1: him the most, right, I mean, that's sure like this 727 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: new trio of wide receivers in and you're missing potentially 728 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,160 Speaker 1: your top dog. Yeah, and and that I guess we'll 729 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:22,840 Speaker 1: see where the pats come on. As I said, I 730 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: might putting looking too much into it for one practice, 731 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,720 Speaker 1: because it wasn't like he was just staying around doing nothing. 732 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 1: I can't remember exactly how t J handled his same way. 733 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 1: I mean he did. He did. He was out there 734 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: sweating and working. He did drills, position drills, and then 735 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 1: he didn't do any of the team stuff. He'd be 736 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: on the sideline, like doing individuals moves. The just more 737 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: likely to have someone step on here or whatever. There's 738 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: a lot more bodies around. You know. I wouldn't look 739 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: too much into it, but maybe there's a contract in 740 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: the works or who's to say. Yeah, I mean, we'll see. 741 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:53,879 Speaker 1: Maybe he's you know, trying to force you. He said 742 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: he'd like you know this morning, he said, look, I 743 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: I want to be here, this is where I want 744 00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: to be at, but I also want to be a leader. 745 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,320 Speaker 1: I've talked to the other guys who've been through this situation. 746 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: So he's talked to t J. Watt, he's talked to 747 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: make it Fitzpatrick, he's talked. He said, Cam Heyward as well, 748 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: who've been through these contracts situations just to kind of 749 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: get a feel for things and how, uh you know, 750 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,879 Speaker 1: how to approach this. He said, Look, I I want 751 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: to be a leader on this team. I want to 752 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: be you know, I'm the guy that the other receivers 753 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 1: look up to. They come and talk to me, they 754 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: asked me questions. Um, you know, yeah, I mean he's 755 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: an established guy. Um you know, coming off a hundred 756 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:34,320 Speaker 1: and seven catch season. There's only been four players in 757 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,400 Speaker 1: team history who have caught a hundred passes in a season, 758 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,720 Speaker 1: and he's one of them. Uh, the others being heines Ward, 759 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: Antonio Brown who did it I think five times, and 760 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 1: Juju Smith Schuster. Uh. You know, he said he wants 761 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 1: to match at least match those numbers catch wise from 762 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: last year, but improve on some of the other stuff. 763 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: Not as many drops, which I think he had five 764 00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:00,280 Speaker 1: or six last year, which was down from yeah stretch 765 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: of year before, half as many as he had the 766 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: year before. Uh, you know, increase that yard per catch 767 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:08,240 Speaker 1: that goes into the some of the play action stuff 768 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 1: that we talked about should help that. But he also 769 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:13,799 Speaker 1: talked about how this is a different receiving group than 770 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: last year's group, and that he feels like all these 771 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 1: guys can play all three spots. They can play on 772 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 1: either inside or outside. Uh, you know, the the ex receiver, 773 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 1: the WY receiver doesn't really matter because they all can 774 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:30,080 Speaker 1: can do it. And he says, I'm not saying anything 775 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 1: bad about last year's group, but they couldn't always do that. 776 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 1: When you broke the huddle, when Raymary McLoud was on 777 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 1: the field, you knew Raybaray McLoud was going to be 778 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 1: in the slot. Yeah, And frankly, Juju is not a 779 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: whole lot different. He's a type of player, but I 780 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,839 Speaker 1: mean he's he's a slot. He's a power slot. Do 781 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 1: you think Pickens can thrive in the slot? I feel 782 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: that was one more of an outside guy I could see. 783 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,439 Speaker 1: I've heard you talk about that before, Matt. You think 784 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: his is going to be outside? I mean, Deonte knows 785 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 1: better than I do he's in the position. Rooms. I 786 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:00,640 Speaker 1: just don't think Pickens is a slot, And in a 787 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: way I mean that as a compliment because I think 788 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 1: he's a traditional one X. You know, the guy you 789 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: draw up to be beat man coverage at the line 790 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: of scrimmage. You know, get a high portion of passes. 791 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,240 Speaker 1: I'm extremely high on him. Could he play in the slot, 792 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: of course he could, And Frankly, Deonte is not a 793 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:20,720 Speaker 1: super slot guy either, I mean, can he of course 794 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 1: they can line up all over the place and they 795 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:27,319 Speaker 1: probably will get slots, spots, snaps in the slot. But 796 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: I don't think that's the best usage for them, you know, 797 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 1: either one of them, especially Pickings. I think Pickings is 798 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: an outside guy, and you think slats into that slot 799 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,279 Speaker 1: a lot more smoothly than the other two. I think 800 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:39,360 Speaker 1: that's one of the biggest things to watch in camp 801 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 1: because if he can and he'll block, you know, that's 802 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:47,400 Speaker 1: what Juju brought to the CHA hasn't done here. I 803 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,759 Speaker 1: think it could really rejuvenize his career. Um, they have 804 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: other options, Miller, Austin, mean, some other guys that can 805 00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: do this lot stuff. But I think it's a golden 806 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: opportunity for Claypool that I hope he embraces and this 807 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,480 Speaker 1: do than say I'm a downfield, outside the numbers guy 808 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 1: and instead be more like a Travis Kelsey than you know, 809 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: Randy Moss, you know what I mean. Yeah, you see 810 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,000 Speaker 1: a lot of those bigger receivers, especially if things don't 811 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:17,440 Speaker 1: work out for them. Early there was something Antonio Golden Gandy, Yeah, Gandy, 812 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,879 Speaker 1: Golden Gandy, Golden, a couple of who's in the draft 813 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:21,439 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. I just saw a story 814 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: about him over the weekend. He's now going to transition 815 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,480 Speaker 1: to tight end. Yeah, you know, because they can do 816 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:28,600 Speaker 1: that because they have that size. Because again, yeah, it's 817 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: not much different being that tight end, you know, in 818 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,760 Speaker 1: the slot as opposed to being a wide receiver. People 819 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 1: get caught up in the T slash wide you know, 820 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,319 Speaker 1: w R next to there. They're all doing the same job. 821 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: Fire is gonna lae up in the slot of fair 822 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 1: amount this year for sure. Detached, Yeah, I would think so. 823 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 1: So I think we'll see a lot of bodies there. 824 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,719 Speaker 1: I think their best approach, if it works out this way, 825 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: is Deonte and Pickens on the outside, claypool in the middle. 826 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: Because one thing that has changed a little bit with 827 00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: the slot world. Everyone thinks of Welker's and Edelman's is 828 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: slot and that's great. They're they're really hard to defend. 829 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: You give a shifty guy like that a two way 830 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,440 Speaker 1: go right off the ball, that's really, really hard to defend. 831 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: That being said, those guys aren't very fast, you know, 832 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:13,680 Speaker 1: like they don't get down field, they don't run a 833 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,760 Speaker 1: vertical seam route, you know, forty yards down the field, 834 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: and they don't block anybody. So the league is going 835 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:24,799 Speaker 1: towards these wide receiver tight end you know, hybrids, Gasecki's 836 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: guys like that that will at least get in the 837 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,920 Speaker 1: way a linebackers. They're not Mark Brunner blockers. Claypool I 838 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 1: think fits that really well. But they can get down field. 839 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,879 Speaker 1: They can also take the hit from a linebacker better 840 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:38,880 Speaker 1: than a welker. I mean, Welcer gets hitting the teeth 841 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 1: by you know, Ray Lewis. That's not so great. You 842 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: know where Claypool and those guys can hold up a 843 00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:45,640 Speaker 1: little bit better. It's also one of the reasons why 844 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,960 Speaker 1: and because of the short so many short passes to 845 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: take us all the way back around the something we 846 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: talked about earlier in the show. Slot receivers drop a 847 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 1: lot more passes because Welcome and Pan and Allen lead 848 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 1: the league in drops last year. Because we get hit 849 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:02,960 Speaker 1: by big people in traffic. You know, it does meybe 850 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 1: their hands are bad of the most shorehanded receiver in 851 00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:07,720 Speaker 1: the NFL leads the league just because of the product 852 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,040 Speaker 1: of the Bayeah. It's all about volume as well. I mean, 853 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 1: if you're thrown a hundred and seventy passes, yeah, you're 854 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: probably gonna drop a cup. Right. The guys that don't 855 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,360 Speaker 1: get targeted don't don't leave the league and dropped. But 856 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:20,279 Speaker 1: I think that applies to the Aante too. I mean 857 00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:24,120 Speaker 1: in terms of he demands targets, targets are earned. He 858 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:29,719 Speaker 1: absolutely demands targets, and his targets have been contested or 859 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 1: you know, middle of the field danger zone. You know, 860 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:35,719 Speaker 1: I've said this a lot, like when's the last time 861 00:43:35,760 --> 00:43:38,760 Speaker 1: he saw Deante Johnson just run an old school out route, 862 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:40,680 Speaker 1: catch the ball, get pushed out of bounds. Like that 863 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: part of the offense hasn't been there. He's getting hitting 864 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:45,600 Speaker 1: the over the middle and everyone knows where the ball 865 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 1: is going. You're gonna drop more balls that way. Yeah. 866 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:50,879 Speaker 1: So it's gonna be interesting to see how that part 867 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:53,480 Speaker 1: of the offense, how that part of this competition continues 868 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:56,200 Speaker 1: to develop. And and you know, is there a room 869 00:43:56,239 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 1: for an Anthony Miller in that conversation, a guy that's 870 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 1: more of a true slat um. You know, depending what 871 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,160 Speaker 1: kind of slot corner you get, right, might you might 872 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:07,399 Speaker 1: get the big safety that Anthony Miller, you know, jukes 873 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,080 Speaker 1: him out of his shoes time and time again. Or 874 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 1: some some teams like the Bills will go guard slots 875 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: with linebackers. Well that might be a Miller game, you know. 876 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,280 Speaker 1: But if you're getting Hilton or a five seven type 877 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 1: corner around, Yeah, so there's more off creating matchups. Yeah. Yeah, 878 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:27,280 Speaker 1: so I think that that's gonna be something that's definitely 879 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: gonna be interesting to watch here as this camp goes on. 880 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:32,759 Speaker 1: We're gonna take another break, guys, you know, we're two 881 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: hours long line right along, but we'll be back with 882 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,160 Speaker 1: our number three here finishing off the show. He is 883 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,879 Speaker 1: Tom Offerman, that's Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lala. You're 884 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:46,239 Speaker 1: listening to the drive here from Steelers training camp. The 885 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:50,760 Speaker 1: Steelers finishing up their first official practice session here today 886 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,520 Speaker 1: just a few minutes ago. Uh So we'll keep you here, 887 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: give you all the updates when everything that's going on. 888 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,080 Speaker 1: Continue to do that here as we take you through 889 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:02,400 Speaker 1: the five o'clock hour. Um, lots of good stuff. Yeah, 890 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,480 Speaker 1: short practice, but joining us there in that previous segment 891 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:09,000 Speaker 1: as well, but we'll be back with more right after 892 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:09,160 Speaker 1: this