March 25, 2025 • 23 mins
Labs and Tom get right into this week’s questions
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Steelers still playing the waiting game in regards to Aaron Rodgers,
but we did find out that he visited the Steelers
this past Friday, had about a six hour meeting in labs.
How did that meeting go? I mean, was there anything
on the menu lunchwise? I'm sure it was a fun
time for.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
You, Right, I wasn't invited. Yeah, well because of.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rogers, right, he was like, I don't want that Labriola there.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, he's afraid, you know of the competition from this
podcast to his podcast, naturally, you know that one. You know,
it's mainly because of you. I mean, let's be honest.
I mean, you know you, Pat McAfee. I mean, you know, seriously,
(00:57):
it's not even a competition.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I know, it's apples and orange.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well, let's get into this week's podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Let's get into this week's questions, because, like I said,
we're all still waiting around for Aaron Rodgers to make
his decisions. So nothing really new to update there. Our
first question today comes from Russ Polone from Trinidad, Colorado.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
What's the subject.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It's quarterback. So well done, Russ.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
We always love to kick things off with a quarterback
related question, and Russ is asking about Mason Rudolph. Should
we give Mason Rudolph the keys to the car draft
a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We can maybe developed and spend some money on our defense.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
You know, that's that sounds good. Let me say that.
You know, but you know, the whole draft of quarterback
we can develop concept. You know, that's not as easy
as it sounds, or as easy it is to just
write it, and you know, hope that it happens, you know,
(01:57):
because I think a lot of other teams might be
looking to do the same thing. And you know, there's
a lot of competition for quarterbacks. We've seen that in
the past several drafts. And you know that's a big
thing about the actual drafting of the players. I mean,
you can do all of your due diligence and get
these guys ranked in the right order and you know,
(02:18):
all of that stuff, but you still need some luck
in terms of being able to pick the guy that
you want when your turn comes, and you know, it's
not just so easy. We'll move up and get them.
You know, people will say well, then you've got to
find somebody who wants to move back. What's the cost
(02:39):
of doing that? You know, and you need you only
have so many picks, and you have needs that you
want to address through the draft, you know, beyond just
the one thing. So, as I said, you know, it
sounds good, but it's not necessarily as easy to execute
as it might be to you know, say that that
(03:01):
is what the plan should be now looking ahead here,
I think that if the Steelers have their druthers, the
plan for twenty twenty five would be. You know, yes,
you have a veteran guy you sign. Maybe it's the
guy that you know you were talking about when we
(03:22):
started this podcast. Maybe it's not. I don't know, but
you want someone like that approven NFL starter Mason Rudolph
would serve as your veteran backup and a guy who
you know you wouldn't be afraid to go to. If
the guy you signed to be the starter either doesn't
(03:44):
perform up to expectations or he gets injured, and then,
you know, maybe if things work out in terms of
you know, drafting a quarterback, you can develop where it
comes to a point in the draft where you think
you know, it's a good time to pick this individual,
(04:05):
whoever it might be. That guy is available, you like
his potential, you know, and all that kind of stuff.
You know, maybe that's how it works out. Maybe it's
Skyler Thompson. I don't know now. In terms of spending
money on the defense, you know, I think that there
(04:26):
are certain things that you need on defense that you
might need to draft, and that's number one in my
mind is defensive lineman. I just don't think you can
add you know, the kind of top of the depth
chart defensive lineman you're looking for at a reasonable price.
(04:47):
And yes, there might have been a couple out there
in this past free agency period, but there was a
lot of bidding on those guys and the prices just
went through the roof for players that you know, may
have had a good couple of years leading up to
their free agency, or maybe even guys like the interior
lineman from Philadelphia had a great playoff, looked really good
(05:10):
in the Super Bowl. You know, is that just one
game or is this guy really worth the money that
he was commanding on the open market. You know, sometimes
shopping for players on free agency is just too cost prohibitive.
I mentioned defensive line, and hey, let's look at cornerback too.
(05:32):
You know, maybe you want to find a long term,
you know, starting caliber cornerback to put off as a
Joey Porter junior. Well, the Houston Texans signed Derek Stingley
junior three years, ninety million dollars. So that's not exactly,
you know, a bargain kind of position to add via
(05:55):
free agency either. You know, sometimes the best way to
do it is in the draft. And you know that's
how you I think reinforced some of those defensive positions
that Russ is talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Bo Jackson from Buckhorn, New Mexico. Seems like we are
on a Merry go round ride with quarterbacks. Wow, two
quarterback questions right out of the gate. You gotta love
this podcast. I thought we would be able to get
justin fields, but now we are waiting on Aaron Rodgers
or Russell Wilson. But what is your opinion of Mason Rudolph.
I know he is not a powerhouse, but there's a
(06:34):
lot less drama there.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, I mean, okay, more Mason, you know, and I
get it. Mason Rudolph will be thirty years old before
training camp opens this July And another thing to remember
is Mason Rudolph was an unrestricted free agent after both
the twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three seasons, and
(06:57):
he was out there, no tag, you know, no compensation
necessary in terms of, you know, being an unrestricted free agent,
and he didn't get any offers that either paid him
like a starter or you know, were for to be
a team starter. And you know, Steelers fans at one
(07:23):
point they wanted Mason Rudolph benched uh and then in
twenty twenty three they thought he was the savior. And
the reality for Mason is probably somewhere in between. I mean,
this guy is a he's a legitimate NFL quarterback. I
think his role, his future in the league is as
(07:43):
a backup. And that's you know, there's nothing wrong with that.
You know, backup is a real role in the NFL,
and those guys you can have a long career and
make a lot of money doing that. So you know,
I'm not I'm not ripping Mason Rudolph saying he's a backup.
That's his that's kind of his niche now in the NFL.
(08:06):
It's it's reality. It seems to me that he has
somewhat come to peace with that. And I think Mason Rudolph,
you know, he if he, as I said, he'll turn
thirty before training camp opens, he could go five six
more years in the NFL making decent backup money. And again,
(08:31):
I mean, it beats doing podcasts with me, you know
what I mean in terms of paying the bills. So
that's that's just what I think of Mason Rudolph. He's
a guy who I think that you could count on
to as an NFL team. You could count on him
to go in for you, maybe as he did in
(08:53):
twenty twenty three over you know, a three, four, maybe
five game span, he could give you winning play. But
I think if you're looking for someone to start seventeen
games for you and it's Mason Rudolph, I don't know
that you're gonna get the kind of results that A
you want or B that you expect.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
There's no way Eric Smith from Woodbridge, Connecticut can make
it three in a row regarding Mason Rudolph, can't it.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I think you might be wrong about that.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Oh I am, because he wants to know what do
you think about the signing of Mason Rudolph.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You kind of talked about it a little bit there, but.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
He has shown that given the Steelers' style of play,
he can win games while protecting the football. I think
it's a sneaky good signing that can pay off if
Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson isn't signed, or if one
of them or someone else is signed and then gets hurt.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, that's kind of what I just talked about in
the previous question by Bo Jackson. And let me say
one last thing about Mason Rudolph or I think about him.
Let me say this. Let's pretend that Mason Rudolph is
is either the backup or you know, he ends up
(10:07):
starting a lot of games, a bunch of games in
twenty twenty five. Now he's got a two year contract,
so he would be also here so far in twenty
twenty six. And if you add a young guy, a rookie,
I think Mason Rudolph would serve as a mentor and
do it willingly. I think he has a good perspective
on the sport, on playing for the Steelers, on being
(10:32):
a quarterback in Pittsburgh, a lot of things that he
could pass on to a younger guy and do so willingly.
And maybe who knows, maybe if Mason had gotten a
little of that his first couple of years in Pittsburgh,
maybe things work out differently for him. But you know,
(10:53):
maybe not either so, but yeah, I think Mason Rudolph
could serve as a mentor in addition to what he
would give the Steelers on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Dean Florio from Allentown, Pennsylvania, what are your thoughts on
acquiring a pure fullback? I see less and less of
this position being utilized on most NFL teams.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Okay, NFL teams have grown very reluctant. I believe to
committing a roster spot to a full back, you know,
a pure fullback, as Dean refers to it, and those
roster spots to a fullback usually aren't given out unless
that guy can contribute more than just serving as elite
(11:35):
blocker for the running game. Because, let's face it, if
a player is nothing more than a league blocker for
a running back, opposing defenses will know what's coming every
time he's on the field and then they react to
that accordingly, and he's not as effective as you know,
you might think he might be. So I think that nowadays,
(11:59):
in order for team to commit one of its fifty
three roster spots on a full back one of its
forty six game day spots to a fullback. That guy
has to either be a legitimate threat as a receiver
or a core special teams player, or both, in addition
to being able to be a lead blocker for the
running back.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Raymond Chase on from Kanyatville, Pennsylvania, with US trading this
year's second round pick in the deal that brought wide
receiver DK Metcalf, is there any way to try to
get back in the second round?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Sure, I mean, you know, and again it's one of
those things that we can talk about here on March
twenty fifth, and you know, come up with a lot
of different ways. But I think that, you know, those
kinds of things have to be done in the moment.
And because I don't see a team, well, let me
(12:57):
say this, let me say it this way. I think
the Steelers best chance to get a second round pick
for George Pickens would have to be on draft Day
during that round because I don't think a team's going
to give you a pick now for him, because there's
(13:19):
so much kind of hanging in the bounce, you know,
George Pickens is going into the last year of his
rookie contract. So let's just say Team X says to
the Steelers, we'll give you our second round pick for
George Pickens right now, Okay? Done? Not What if George
Pickens doesn't want to sign a contract extension with that team,
(13:42):
so then that team gets a one year rental for
a second round pick. That's a very very high price
to pay for that. So you know, a lot of
these things again, you know they make sense in conversation,
but there's moving parts that have to be worked out
out for the team. In my opinion, for the team
(14:03):
that would be giving up the pick, and that would
one of them. To me, I'm not giving up a
second round pick for George Pickens unless I know I
can sign it. So that would be something you know,
you'd have to work out, you know, with the Steelers
permission or however that works out. And I'm just speculating there,
(14:24):
because you need to talk to him or his agent
or both and get a feel for what he's looking
for in a contract extension and if you're willing to
pay that, and if you are, maybe the trade gets made.
If you're not, then the trade probably doesn't get made.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Eric Weaver from Chardon, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Up to this point in free agency, the Steelers have
had a number of their higher profile players James Daniels,
Dan Moore, Junior Justin Fields, Najie Harris, Dante Jackson sign
with other teams. Russell Wilson is still up in the
if he'll be re signed by the Steelers or another team.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
With having all of those players sign.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Elsewhere, is this a good start for the Steelers to
pick up compensatory picks in the twenty twenty six NFL Draft.
Does the trade for DK Metcalf factor into that formula?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Okay? Compensatory picks are awarded based on a formula that
takes into account the number of unrestricted free agents signed
and the size of those contracts that you signed these
guys for, versus the number of unrestricted free agents you
lose and the size of the contracts that those guys
(15:39):
signed for. Okay, Now, DK Metcalf was acquired in a trade,
so he doesn't count either way, and the compensatory draft
pick formula neither would Aaron Rodgers just as another example,
because Aaron Rodgers was cut by the Jets. So you know,
just like last year. When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson,
(16:03):
he didn't factor into the compensatory draft pick formula for
this year because he was cut by the Broncos. So
guys who were cut or and then you sign them,
or guys you are acquire in a trade, those don't count,
And the same thing goes the other way. You know,
(16:25):
if you cut a guy, let's just pretend which didn't happen.
But let's just pretend Dan Moore got cut. Okay, if
Dan Moore gets cut and then signs that eighty point
five million dollar contract, that doesn't give the Steelers any
credit for him the compensate in the compensatory draft pick
formula because he was a He wasn't an unrestricted free agent,
(16:48):
he was a street free agent. So okay, all of
that said, I don't know what the compensatory draft picks
are going to be in twenty twenty six. I'm not
about to get into that kind of speculation here on Tuesday.
As I mentioned, today is Tuesday, March twenty fifth. That's
that's that's twelve months away.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
They even had twenty five draft yet.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I mean, right, and who knows. I mean, if Tom
Offerman hits the power ball. I might not even be
doing this, but that's right.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Next year, that's right, because you'll get half.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Because oh I thought you were just going to hire
me to be your butler.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Oh perfect, that works too.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Okay, or babysitter. Now you don't want me to do that.
I think you like it.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
You can endanger the kid. Yeah, come on, all right.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Our last question today comes from Sean Delaney from Gardner, Massachusetts.
For over a decade, defensive linemen were judged primarily by
their ability to pressure the quarterback. Run stuffing big men
like Casey Hampton were dismissed as two down players and
having limited value. With the running game seeming to grow
in importance, has the nose tackle position come back into fashion.
(17:58):
Any discernible difference between them in today's interior lineman?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Okay? I mean, you know, Steelers fans loved to refer
to Casey Hampton and players and a player like and
an absence of a player like him as being you know,
the genesis of all the difficulties stopping the run. Casey
Hampton was a very good run stuffing nose tackle. But
(18:25):
let's not forget he entered the NFL in two thousand
and one. The way offense was played in two thousand
and one was first and second downs were primarily running downs.
Teams didn't routinely throw the ball forty plus times in
a game unless they were so far behind in the
score that that strategy was dictated. So therefore there was
(18:48):
some real value in the two down run stuffing nose tackle.
You had him on the field for the first two downs,
then on third down and seven or six or eight,
whatever it might be, you took them out and played
your pass defense, and offenses were somewhat cooperative in that
they played along with that line of thinking. Well, then
(19:12):
that changed in two thousand and two when in the opener,
the Steelers opened in New England against the defending Super
Bowl champion Patriots. So that game was going back and forth,
you know, and it was kind of going the way
(19:34):
games went, and the Patriots were not having much successful
moving to football. And so then there was a period
from like late in the first quarter to maybe or
maybe it was from the early in the second quarter
into the third quarter or whatever it was, the Patriots
(19:56):
passed the ball like twenty three straight times. Didn't it
quit quit even trying to run the ball quit trying,
and so then you know that had some success. The
next week, the Steelers played the Oakland Raiders rich Gannon
I think he threw fifty three passes that game, and
(20:18):
things just changed then in terms of how offense was
game planned and executed. You know, and Tom Brady another guy.
You know, he he won his first Super Bowl in
two thousand and one, but the guy still was developing
as a quarterback. And Brady went through several seasons where
(20:41):
you know, he's making quick decisions, getting the ball out
of his hands consistently in less than two and a
half seconds. The outside pass rush couldn't get to him,
so you had to figure out something else otherwise he'd
pick you apart. The New York Giants showed you that
in their two Super Bowl wins over New England that
the way to neutralize Brady was to get quick pressure
(21:04):
on him up the middle and do it by only
rushing four. They beat him twice. Okay, so now you're
starting to see offenses first adapted to the run, stuffing
two down those tackles by throwing the ball on what
used to be typical run downs, and then the defenses
(21:28):
adjusted to that strategy by not having run stuffing those
tackles in the middle of the line, in the middle
of their defensive line, because you had to get that
pressure on the passer. So it's not that you would
abandon or you know, pretend that that stop in the
run didn't matter. But those guys also had The interior
(21:51):
defensive lineman also had to be able to get to
the quarterback or at least pressure him get around his feet,
which we quarterbacks hate. And that's the way you have
to play now, because I'm here to tell you. If
it becomes known that your interior defensive lineman cannot rush
(22:13):
the passer you put him in the game, the offense
will throw the ball. And it goes the other way.
If your interior defensive linemen are only pass rushers and
are not sturdy against the run, when the offense sees
them in the game, they will run the ball. And
(22:34):
it doesn't matter the area of the field, it doesn't
matter what the score is, it doesn't matter any of
that stuff. Offenses are no longer bound by traditional thought
processes of what they should do and when they should
do it, and so that's why you cannot have one dimensional,
two down players on your defensive line.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
That'll do it for us by this week. On asked
and answered, thanks as always for giving us a listen.
We'll be back next week. Maybe we'll know where Aaron
Rodgers wants to play, if he wants to play, or
maybe we won't. I wouldn't hold your breath out there.
It could happen today, it could happen in a month.
We're dealing with a madman. Labs, I think that's fair
to say, right, he is.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
A unique individual.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
That's such a more professional way to say. That's why
you're the best for Bob Labriola. I'm tom op from them.
We'll talk to you next week. On Axton answered,
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Steelers still playing the waiting game in regards to Aaron Rodgers,
but we did find out that he visited the Steelers
this past Friday, had about a six hour meeting in labs.
How did that meeting go? I mean, was there anything
on the menu lunchwise? I'm sure it was a fun
time for.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
You, Right, I wasn't invited. Yeah, well because of.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rogers, right, he was like, I don't want that Labriola there.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, he's afraid, you know of the competition from this
podcast to his podcast, naturally, you know that one. You know,
it's mainly because of you. I mean, let's be honest.
I mean, you know you, Pat McAfee. I mean, you know, seriously,
(00:57):
it's not even a competition.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I know, it's apples and orange.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well, let's get into this week's podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Let's get into this week's questions, because, like I said,
we're all still waiting around for Aaron Rodgers to make
his decisions. So nothing really new to update there. Our
first question today comes from Russ Polone from Trinidad, Colorado.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
What's the subject.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It's quarterback. So well done, Russ.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
We always love to kick things off with a quarterback
related question, and Russ is asking about Mason Rudolph. Should
we give Mason Rudolph the keys to the car draft
a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
We can maybe developed and spend some money on our defense.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
You know, that's that sounds good. Let me say that.
You know, but you know, the whole draft of quarterback
we can develop concept. You know, that's not as easy
as it sounds, or as easy it is to just
write it, and you know, hope that it happens, you know,
(01:57):
because I think a lot of other teams might be
looking to do the same thing. And you know, there's
a lot of competition for quarterbacks. We've seen that in
the past several drafts. And you know that's a big
thing about the actual drafting of the players. I mean,
you can do all of your due diligence and get
these guys ranked in the right order and you know,
(02:18):
all of that stuff, but you still need some luck
in terms of being able to pick the guy that
you want when your turn comes, and you know, it's
not just so easy. We'll move up and get them.
You know, people will say well, then you've got to
find somebody who wants to move back. What's the cost
(02:39):
of doing that? You know, and you need you only
have so many picks, and you have needs that you
want to address through the draft, you know, beyond just
the one thing. So, as I said, you know, it
sounds good, but it's not necessarily as easy to execute
as it might be to you know, say that that
(03:01):
is what the plan should be now looking ahead here,
I think that if the Steelers have their druthers, the
plan for twenty twenty five would be. You know, yes,
you have a veteran guy you sign. Maybe it's the
guy that you know you were talking about when we
(03:22):
started this podcast. Maybe it's not. I don't know, but
you want someone like that approven NFL starter Mason Rudolph
would serve as your veteran backup and a guy who
you know you wouldn't be afraid to go to. If
the guy you signed to be the starter either doesn't
(03:44):
perform up to expectations or he gets injured, and then,
you know, maybe if things work out in terms of
you know, drafting a quarterback, you can develop where it
comes to a point in the draft where you think
you know, it's a good time to pick this individual,
(04:05):
whoever it might be. That guy is available, you like
his potential, you know, and all that kind of stuff.
You know, maybe that's how it works out. Maybe it's
Skyler Thompson. I don't know now. In terms of spending
money on the defense, you know, I think that there
(04:26):
are certain things that you need on defense that you
might need to draft, and that's number one in my
mind is defensive lineman. I just don't think you can
add you know, the kind of top of the depth
chart defensive lineman you're looking for at a reasonable price.
(04:47):
And yes, there might have been a couple out there
in this past free agency period, but there was a
lot of bidding on those guys and the prices just
went through the roof for players that you know, may
have had a good couple of years leading up to
their free agency, or maybe even guys like the interior
lineman from Philadelphia had a great playoff, looked really good
(05:10):
in the Super Bowl. You know, is that just one
game or is this guy really worth the money that
he was commanding on the open market. You know, sometimes
shopping for players on free agency is just too cost prohibitive.
I mentioned defensive line, and hey, let's look at cornerback too.
(05:32):
You know, maybe you want to find a long term,
you know, starting caliber cornerback to put off as a
Joey Porter junior. Well, the Houston Texans signed Derek Stingley
junior three years, ninety million dollars. So that's not exactly,
you know, a bargain kind of position to add via
(05:55):
free agency either. You know, sometimes the best way to
do it is in the draft. And you know that's
how you I think reinforced some of those defensive positions
that Russ is talking about.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Bo Jackson from Buckhorn, New Mexico. Seems like we are
on a Merry go round ride with quarterbacks. Wow, two
quarterback questions right out of the gate. You gotta love
this podcast. I thought we would be able to get
justin fields, but now we are waiting on Aaron Rodgers
or Russell Wilson. But what is your opinion of Mason Rudolph.
I know he is not a powerhouse, but there's a
(06:34):
lot less drama there.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, I mean, okay, more Mason, you know, and I
get it. Mason Rudolph will be thirty years old before
training camp opens this July And another thing to remember
is Mason Rudolph was an unrestricted free agent after both
the twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three seasons, and
(06:57):
he was out there, no tag, you know, no compensation
necessary in terms of, you know, being an unrestricted free agent,
and he didn't get any offers that either paid him
like a starter or you know, were for to be
a team starter. And you know, Steelers fans at one
(07:23):
point they wanted Mason Rudolph benched uh and then in
twenty twenty three they thought he was the savior. And
the reality for Mason is probably somewhere in between. I mean,
this guy is a he's a legitimate NFL quarterback. I
think his role, his future in the league is as
(07:43):
a backup. And that's you know, there's nothing wrong with that.
You know, backup is a real role in the NFL,
and those guys you can have a long career and
make a lot of money doing that. So you know,
I'm not I'm not ripping Mason Rudolph saying he's a backup.
That's his that's kind of his niche now in the NFL.
(08:06):
It's it's reality. It seems to me that he has
somewhat come to peace with that. And I think Mason Rudolph,
you know, he if he, as I said, he'll turn
thirty before training camp opens, he could go five six
more years in the NFL making decent backup money. And again,
(08:31):
I mean, it beats doing podcasts with me, you know
what I mean in terms of paying the bills. So
that's that's just what I think of Mason Rudolph. He's
a guy who I think that you could count on
to as an NFL team. You could count on him
to go in for you, maybe as he did in
(08:53):
twenty twenty three over you know, a three, four, maybe
five game span, he could give you winning play. But
I think if you're looking for someone to start seventeen
games for you and it's Mason Rudolph, I don't know
that you're gonna get the kind of results that A
you want or B that you expect.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
There's no way Eric Smith from Woodbridge, Connecticut can make
it three in a row regarding Mason Rudolph, can't it.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I think you might be wrong about that.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Oh I am, because he wants to know what do
you think about the signing of Mason Rudolph.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You kind of talked about it a little bit there, but.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
He has shown that given the Steelers' style of play,
he can win games while protecting the football. I think
it's a sneaky good signing that can pay off if
Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson isn't signed, or if one
of them or someone else is signed and then gets hurt.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, that's kind of what I just talked about in
the previous question by Bo Jackson. And let me say
one last thing about Mason Rudolph or I think about him.
Let me say this. Let's pretend that Mason Rudolph is
is either the backup or you know, he ends up
(10:07):
starting a lot of games, a bunch of games in
twenty twenty five. Now he's got a two year contract,
so he would be also here so far in twenty
twenty six. And if you add a young guy, a rookie,
I think Mason Rudolph would serve as a mentor and
do it willingly. I think he has a good perspective
on the sport, on playing for the Steelers, on being
(10:32):
a quarterback in Pittsburgh, a lot of things that he
could pass on to a younger guy and do so willingly.
And maybe who knows, maybe if Mason had gotten a
little of that his first couple of years in Pittsburgh,
maybe things work out differently for him. But you know,
(10:53):
maybe not either so, but yeah, I think Mason Rudolph
could serve as a mentor in addition to what he
would give the Steelers on the field.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Dean Florio from Allentown, Pennsylvania, what are your thoughts on
acquiring a pure fullback? I see less and less of
this position being utilized on most NFL teams.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Okay, NFL teams have grown very reluctant. I believe to
committing a roster spot to a full back, you know,
a pure fullback, as Dean refers to it, and those
roster spots to a fullback usually aren't given out unless
that guy can contribute more than just serving as elite
(11:35):
blocker for the running game. Because, let's face it, if
a player is nothing more than a league blocker for
a running back, opposing defenses will know what's coming every
time he's on the field and then they react to
that accordingly, and he's not as effective as you know,
you might think he might be. So I think that nowadays,
(11:59):
in order for team to commit one of its fifty
three roster spots on a full back one of its
forty six game day spots to a fullback. That guy
has to either be a legitimate threat as a receiver
or a core special teams player, or both, in addition
to being able to be a lead blocker for the
running back.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Raymond Chase on from Kanyatville, Pennsylvania, with US trading this
year's second round pick in the deal that brought wide
receiver DK Metcalf, is there any way to try to
get back in the second round?
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Sure, I mean, you know, and again it's one of
those things that we can talk about here on March
twenty fifth, and you know, come up with a lot
of different ways. But I think that, you know, those
kinds of things have to be done in the moment.
And because I don't see a team, well, let me
(12:57):
say this, let me say it this way. I think
the Steelers best chance to get a second round pick
for George Pickens would have to be on draft Day
during that round because I don't think a team's going
to give you a pick now for him, because there's
(13:19):
so much kind of hanging in the bounce, you know,
George Pickens is going into the last year of his
rookie contract. So let's just say Team X says to
the Steelers, we'll give you our second round pick for
George Pickens right now, Okay? Done? Not What if George
Pickens doesn't want to sign a contract extension with that team,
(13:42):
so then that team gets a one year rental for
a second round pick. That's a very very high price
to pay for that. So you know, a lot of
these things again, you know they make sense in conversation,
but there's moving parts that have to be worked out
out for the team. In my opinion, for the team
(14:03):
that would be giving up the pick, and that would
one of them. To me, I'm not giving up a
second round pick for George Pickens unless I know I
can sign it. So that would be something you know,
you'd have to work out, you know, with the Steelers
permission or however that works out. And I'm just speculating there,
(14:24):
because you need to talk to him or his agent
or both and get a feel for what he's looking
for in a contract extension and if you're willing to
pay that, and if you are, maybe the trade gets made.
If you're not, then the trade probably doesn't get made.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Eric Weaver from Chardon, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Up to this point in free agency, the Steelers have
had a number of their higher profile players James Daniels,
Dan Moore, Junior Justin Fields, Najie Harris, Dante Jackson sign
with other teams. Russell Wilson is still up in the
if he'll be re signed by the Steelers or another team.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
With having all of those players sign.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Elsewhere, is this a good start for the Steelers to
pick up compensatory picks in the twenty twenty six NFL Draft.
Does the trade for DK Metcalf factor into that formula?
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Okay? Compensatory picks are awarded based on a formula that
takes into account the number of unrestricted free agents signed
and the size of those contracts that you signed these
guys for, versus the number of unrestricted free agents you
lose and the size of the contracts that those guys
(15:39):
signed for. Okay, Now, DK Metcalf was acquired in a trade,
so he doesn't count either way, and the compensatory draft
pick formula neither would Aaron Rodgers just as another example,
because Aaron Rodgers was cut by the Jets. So you know,
just like last year. When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson,
(16:03):
he didn't factor into the compensatory draft pick formula for
this year because he was cut by the Broncos. So
guys who were cut or and then you sign them,
or guys you are acquire in a trade, those don't count,
And the same thing goes the other way. You know,
(16:25):
if you cut a guy, let's just pretend which didn't happen.
But let's just pretend Dan Moore got cut. Okay, if
Dan Moore gets cut and then signs that eighty point
five million dollar contract, that doesn't give the Steelers any
credit for him the compensate in the compensatory draft pick
formula because he was a He wasn't an unrestricted free agent,
(16:48):
he was a street free agent. So okay, all of
that said, I don't know what the compensatory draft picks
are going to be in twenty twenty six. I'm not
about to get into that kind of speculation here on Tuesday.
As I mentioned, today is Tuesday, March twenty fifth. That's
that's that's twelve months away.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
They even had twenty five draft yet.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I mean, right, and who knows. I mean, if Tom
Offerman hits the power ball. I might not even be
doing this, but that's right.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Next year, that's right, because you'll get half.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Because oh I thought you were just going to hire
me to be your butler.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Oh perfect, that works too.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Okay, or babysitter. Now you don't want me to do that.
I think you like it.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
You can endanger the kid. Yeah, come on, all right.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Our last question today comes from Sean Delaney from Gardner, Massachusetts.
For over a decade, defensive linemen were judged primarily by
their ability to pressure the quarterback. Run stuffing big men
like Casey Hampton were dismissed as two down players and
having limited value. With the running game seeming to grow
in importance, has the nose tackle position come back into fashion.
(17:58):
Any discernible difference between them in today's interior lineman?
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Okay? I mean, you know, Steelers fans loved to refer
to Casey Hampton and players and a player like and
an absence of a player like him as being you know,
the genesis of all the difficulties stopping the run. Casey
Hampton was a very good run stuffing nose tackle. But
(18:25):
let's not forget he entered the NFL in two thousand
and one. The way offense was played in two thousand
and one was first and second downs were primarily running downs.
Teams didn't routinely throw the ball forty plus times in
a game unless they were so far behind in the
score that that strategy was dictated. So therefore there was
(18:48):
some real value in the two down run stuffing nose tackle.
You had him on the field for the first two downs,
then on third down and seven or six or eight,
whatever it might be, you took them out and played
your pass defense, and offenses were somewhat cooperative in that
they played along with that line of thinking. Well, then
(19:12):
that changed in two thousand and two when in the opener,
the Steelers opened in New England against the defending Super
Bowl champion Patriots. So that game was going back and forth,
you know, and it was kind of going the way
(19:34):
games went, and the Patriots were not having much successful
moving to football. And so then there was a period
from like late in the first quarter to maybe or
maybe it was from the early in the second quarter
into the third quarter or whatever it was, the Patriots
(19:56):
passed the ball like twenty three straight times. Didn't it
quit quit even trying to run the ball quit trying,
and so then you know that had some success. The
next week, the Steelers played the Oakland Raiders rich Gannon
I think he threw fifty three passes that game, and
(20:18):
things just changed then in terms of how offense was
game planned and executed. You know, and Tom Brady another guy.
You know, he he won his first Super Bowl in
two thousand and one, but the guy still was developing
as a quarterback. And Brady went through several seasons where
(20:41):
you know, he's making quick decisions, getting the ball out
of his hands consistently in less than two and a
half seconds. The outside pass rush couldn't get to him,
so you had to figure out something else otherwise he'd
pick you apart. The New York Giants showed you that
in their two Super Bowl wins over New England that
the way to neutralize Brady was to get quick pressure
(21:04):
on him up the middle and do it by only
rushing four. They beat him twice. Okay, so now you're
starting to see offenses first adapted to the run, stuffing
two down those tackles by throwing the ball on what
used to be typical run downs, and then the defenses
(21:28):
adjusted to that strategy by not having run stuffing those
tackles in the middle of the line, in the middle
of their defensive line, because you had to get that
pressure on the passer. So it's not that you would
abandon or you know, pretend that that stop in the
run didn't matter. But those guys also had The interior
(21:51):
defensive lineman also had to be able to get to
the quarterback or at least pressure him get around his feet,
which we quarterbacks hate. And that's the way you have
to play now, because I'm here to tell you. If
it becomes known that your interior defensive lineman cannot rush
(22:13):
the passer you put him in the game, the offense
will throw the ball. And it goes the other way.
If your interior defensive linemen are only pass rushers and
are not sturdy against the run, when the offense sees
them in the game, they will run the ball. And
(22:34):
it doesn't matter the area of the field, it doesn't
matter what the score is, it doesn't matter any of
that stuff. Offenses are no longer bound by traditional thought
processes of what they should do and when they should
do it, and so that's why you cannot have one dimensional,
two down players on your defensive line.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
That'll do it for us by this week. On asked
and answered, thanks as always for giving us a listen.
We'll be back next week. Maybe we'll know where Aaron
Rodgers wants to play, if he wants to play, or
maybe we won't. I wouldn't hold your breath out there.
It could happen today, it could happen in a month.
We're dealing with a madman. Labs, I think that's fair
to say, right, he is.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
A unique individual.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
That's such a more professional way to say. That's why
you're the best for Bob Labriola. I'm tom op from them.
We'll talk to you next week. On Axton answered,
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