July 29, 2026 • 46 mins
The guys catch up on what took place during the offseason and chat about what to look forward to this camp.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is live coverage of twenty twenty six Steelers Training
Camp or the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
Easy to Drink, easy to enjoy, and brought to you
in part by your neighborhood Ford Store Creator, Pittsburgh Community
Food Bank, First National Bank. Let's Get Started Member FDIC
(00:22):
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Visit Donzappliances dot Com guaranteed lowest prices, free next day delivery,
CGR Wholesale and Hossa's Steak and Seahouse hass is Is Hospitality.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
And thank you very much for being with us. From
the trobe inside the locker room with Max Starks. I'm
Rob King here on the Student's Audio Network, and we're
just kind of going through some of the topics that
are big topics here at training camp, and we've talked
about out, you know, the head coaching change with Mike
Tomlin steps away, Mike McCarthy takes his place, Aaron Rodgers
(01:07):
is signed to a one year deal, and then the
contract extensions for Chris Boswell, Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington. How
these guys you're going to be utilized what it means
for the team. I think also another topic for me
is Broderick Jones cleared to play. I wasn't sure if
that was gonna happen. They talked about some encouraging news
(01:27):
in the spring about whether he might be available, and
then Joey Porter Junior, Jalen Ramsey Dante Kent on the
pup list. You feel badly for Dante Kent, who obviously
had injury problems a year ago. It is it's hard
to make the team and hard to be able to
do something when you're not out there practicing. Jalen Ramsey,
the news is good, very promising. They said they're gonna
(01:48):
be smart with him with his knee injury. They expect
him to be ready for the beginning of the season.
And so your thoughts on all those that those you
know guys, because especially Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Junior, and
Jalen Ramsey know disrespected Dante Kent are expected to potentially
be big parts of what this team does this year.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, no, I mean, where do we begin? I think,
Jalen Ramsey, I don't think anybody's really worried about the
health of him. I think that you know, if he
doesn't play at all in the preseason, I don't think
anybody's gonna be worried as long as he's ready for
Week one, and I think that's the priority with him.
And we know what he can do. We know what
he's done, we know his versatility, and we know that
(02:28):
this guy can dislodge a human from a football in any.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Moment, right, so.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Very much, very big moment. We needed that. But you
don't worry about him. Dante Kent is more intriguing because
you don't really know what you have with him yet.
You have a lot of potential, a little bit of production,
but a lot of questions. So you want him healthy
for this part of it so you can see what
(02:55):
he can do. You don't want it to turn into
another Corey Trice junior situation, right whereas you keep stringing
it along potential, potential, potential and you've lost years in
the process.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So him getting healthy's going to be important. We know
what Joey Porter is.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I don't think anybody's worried about Porter's Island going up
for sale anytime soon. So he'll be, you know, as
long as he's ready by the beginning of the season,
let the back or whatever it was. Calm down the
flare up that happened yesterday. There's no rush because he's
a proven commodity. Progerick Jones another interesting one because he's
shown us spurts, he hasn't shown us the consistency, which
(03:33):
is why he's kind of in this situation.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
And with a coach that has.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
A history of being very, very finite on details, he's
an over preparer. The details matter to him and the
merit that's based on those on a daily basis, Will
Projick rise up his level to meet that expectation or
we continue down the same path and then you lose
(04:01):
an opportunity to compete for a job. That's really what
it is, because it's not about the talent, it's not
about the athleticism, it's not about the physicality. It's the
maturity and the mental capacity that's in question. And with
a coach like Mike McCarthy, can he unlock that because
of his consistency, because of the way that he goes
(04:23):
about things. Will that bring Brodick along? And if he does,
yay for the Pittsburgh Steelers, right, because now you have
tons of options at the offensive line, or if he
gets left by the wayside, it's darn. We just lost
a first round draft pick that never saw the potential
that we expected him to be. He never came to
fruition and now we'll be looking for a tackle in
(04:46):
next year's draft if it doesn't work. So a lot
weighs on how well Broderick assimilates to this new system
and how he progresses the neck. Obviously, there's there's no setbacks.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
He's here.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
He he wasn't on the pupp List, he wasn't on
the NFI list or anything else. He is a full
participant and you can't miss him because he has lime
green cleats on. So if you're ever wondering where Broderick
doses is looked for some lime green cleats on a
three hundred pound man, you'll find him really quickly.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
But that's gonna be the biggest question.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It's the mental and maturity aspect, because the other parts
are there, but the mental controls the physical.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Did you have an injury?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I know you you last year talking about your I
think your neck injury is similar to with Sante Samuels.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Correct, Yes, C four C five cervical fusion. Is it
at all similar to what Prodrick.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It is similar to what Broderick had, but of course
technology is a lot better than when I had it
done over a dozen years ago, and so I mean
I played three years after it, right, So like Sante like,
you'll come back and play and.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
There shouldn't be anything.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
The things you worry about is obviously compartment syndrome right
above and below because of a fusion, and just making
sure that you do not have any nerve damage.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
That's going to be the key thing.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But I think as far as from a playing thing,
he shouldn't be apprehensive with play.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
He'll wear probably a collar now around the top of
his neck. I wore one even when I got injured, right.
I wore a dolphin collar when I played, but I
had to switch to the bull collar. So I mean,
you might have to change that aspect of it. But
as far as his performative issues, it shouldn't have any
significant impact on his physical attributes that he brings to
(06:26):
the table.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
You know, when you think about the offensive line, I
want to step back and ask you a question about
second chances and opportunities for players. But you know, when
you think about Fautanu, I think the expectation is that
he's going to make the switch seamlessly to left tackle,
he and Mason McCormick flopping over on the other side,
and both guys playing that guard and tackle position on
(06:48):
the left side. Zach Fraser is a known commodity. A
lot of interesting possibilities at right guard, beginning with Spencer Anderson,
but then you signed brock Hoffman, who was very.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Successful from the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
You have Jennings Dunker you took in this year's draft,
and then at right tackle you've got Roderick Jones, Dylan Cook,
Maxahnachre your first round pick on paper. And I know
there's some projection involved here because you know a Hana
chore and then you know even uh, you know Jennings
Dunker and then projecting the left side is going to
(07:22):
be fine. But there's a chance at this offensive line
and this is by design, not by happenstance, is is
going to be and can be a really really good
unit and hopefully not very long, not too far distant future.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
No, absolutely, I mean you have you have the great groundwork,
and I think you have some great pieces that are
already there. I mean, the only key departure you had
was Isaac Ciamalu from that offensive line, but the other
pieces are still there. It's about the right combination and
Mike and Mike talked about this in his press conference.
Don't pay attention to the starting five. Pay attention to
(08:02):
the two or three combinations in this process, right, because
they're going to be switching guys from side to side.
But it's the combinations that matter. He's looking for the
right combinations on a side. So we can project to
Troy and Mason might be the left, but maybe if
you move Mason back to the right, if Troy stays
to the left, or do you move them back to
(08:24):
the right if you like what you're seeing from another
pair on the left? How do we get to those
top five? He said that was the key thing. You
can't focus on the names and where they are at
the five is where the combination lies and how they
do on that. So that's what makes that even more intriguing,
is that we can slate that because that's what the
(08:44):
spring was. But what he just laid out was nothing's guaranteed.
It's the combinations that look the best to me.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That is fascinating to me. So let me just make
sure that. I wonder if people listening would have the
same question. So let's just say, okay, you have to
let's let's just concentrate on the right side and assume
that Faltano and McCormick for now are going to stand
on the left side. Are you saying then, like, let's
say personnel decisions are close and you're not really sure,
(09:15):
for example, at the right tackle, which of the three
you like best, but you like a combination, And then
we're just gonna say names here you really like, you know,
you're you're kind of set on Spencer Anderson and the
way he works with Dylan Cook is really it's impressive.
Does that give a Dylan Cook an edge? And does
it give conversely, could have given Spencer Anderson an edge?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Ed?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Right, God, I'm just using names. I mean, it could
be exactly shift any of those names in there that
you want. I never thought about it in those terms
that that it could be a package deal that tips
the balance one way or the other as to why
a player is playing. Yeah, because he wants the combination
and how well they fluidly work together.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
But then you also have to.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Think, even though Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu who might
be the left side, they might feel good, but Zach
might work better with Mason on the right right versus
the left. That could also play into us. So it's
really combination. That's why he was saying two to three
combinations across the board is what could could sigualy. So
(10:15):
then is it Mason might work better with Maxianachuur versus
Dylan Cook on the right side, but he works better
with Troy on the left. And then if it's Spencer,
Spencer does great on the left, but maybe he does
it better with Broderick Jones than he does right with
Troy Fontano. So I mean, there's so many different ways
we can chop this, and like you said, brock Hoffman,
(10:37):
maybe Brock works better with there over Dylan Cook and
Broderick Jones if if it is the right side. But
you're also gonna give Broderick left tackle snaps because if
you want, if he's not going to start, he needs
to at least be swing capable, and he would be
your best swing outside of that, because the tour is
not a swing tackle and Dylan Cook did that, but
like you said, he's more natural and left, and that's
(10:59):
what he spends so much time at the right, so
you're trying to develop that swing capability.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
But projects already played both right.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
And started multiple games at each position, so he would
be a logical swing guy.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
If he's not going to be a starter.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
For you, So I'm gonna go ahead and knock on
wood because I don't think And we've talked about this
in the past, like we we have told people the
last couple of years, you more than me because you're the.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You're there, you're the analyst. I'd have done it too,
do it.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
But like you know, like you were pointing out and
Wolf as well a couple of years ago. Hey, keep
an eye on this Dylan Cook, you know, keep an
eye on him, and he's just kind of on the periphery,
and then all of a sudden he's there. Having said that, boy,
this offensive line group, I mean, knock on wood. It
stays healthy, already knocked on wood. But it is again
(11:47):
some of its projection, quite a bit of its projection
front of his projection, right right.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
You got a rookie.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You got a rookie in han a chore, and we're
seeing Dylan Cook what he can do potentially as a
first year starter. What's project gonna Jones gonna do off
the next side? Off the neck end. You've moved your
starting right side to your left side. You have you know,
con Spencer Anderson handled the right guard position. Would it
be Hoffman? You could also play center? But I mean
we are talking about a Jennings Zunker. We're talking about
(12:13):
a lot of guys. Ryan McCollum is a backup center.
They they are, in my opinion, they are. They cannot
keep all of the quality offensive lineman they have in camp,
and there are very few teams around the NFL that
can say.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
That talent will not be the issue with the offensive. No,
it won't.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It will not be talent. It will just simply be
health and continuity. Those are the two things that you
have to worry with this line. It is not talent,
it is not skilled, it is not experience. It's gonna
be health and continuity. That's what's gonna be the differentiator
for this group. There might be some experience in there.
(12:52):
If I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Unk are playing.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
As I look at it, I don't see how Dunker
makes it into that interior group as a starter.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
As it stands right now.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Now, obviously we can go through injuries, gameplay performance that ianichure.
You're gonna have to put him in at some point
to get him in there because of the pure raw
talent and skill, and he has to get experienced necessary.
But if you're going with the rest of the field
outside of those young guys, a wealth of experience that
(13:30):
wasn't here three four years ago, right, because Spencer Anderson
was a rookie, Progerick Jones was a rookie, right, Zach Fraser,
Mason McCormick were rookies.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Well, now they're vets.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yep, they're veterans now, and they've played a lot of football.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Games so far in their careers.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Nobody's really sacked except for Broderick, right, Mason and Zach have,
barring injuries, have played every opportunity they've had an opportunity
to do it right. So I think that's something you
kind of take stock him saying, okay, feeling good, Troy,
right outside of injury has played as well, So there's
(14:07):
a lot of room for improvement. I think there's a
lot of a lot of good things to hang your
hat on with this group.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
If you just look at the man to man. You know,
when you can put together those three words talented young veteran,
that's what every team wants man talented young veterans, and
the Steelers have that along that offensive line. It brings
to mind another question about competition on the roster that
we're going to get to when we continue from with
(14:34):
Trobe Steelers Camp twenty twenty six, Saint Vincent College. He's
Max Stark's, I'm Rob King, and you're in the locker
room here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
This is Live Covery Jump Out twenty twenty six Steelers
Training Camp or the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
Easy to drink, easy to enjoy, and brought to you
in part by your neighborhood Ford Store Reader, Pittsburgh Community
Food Bank, First National Bank. Let's get started. Remember FDI
(15:05):
C West Shore Home we Modeling reimagined by Leecom Digital,
Dons Appliances. If they said Dons Appliances dot Com guaranteed
lowest prices, free next day delivery, CGR Wholesale and B.
Hass Is Steak in Seahouse. Haws is his hospitality.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And welcome back to the trope.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
In the locker room. Max starts at the greatest analogy.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It's like first day of school, Kevin's in your pals
all summer and you're.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Like, hey man, how you doing, what's going on? What's happening?
You know exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
So that's that's how we're feeling. We we're excited to
be here in the trope. I love by the way,
our broadcast position looked out over the three practice fields
in front of us, right above the bleachers. If you've
ever been here in the press box, there's a field
over to the right is a brand new Yeah. Then
last center they're working out it last year, and if
you're over there and check it out.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I know, and they did. They did the mobility workout.
Wasn't a conditioning test. Mobility workout over there yesterday, So
I'm I'm ecstatic. I already talked to Father Paul.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
He's like, it's like, Mage, Yeah, you can go in
and run around on the turf.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
He's like, and if and if I'm not there just starting.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I'll catch up. I'm like, but yeah, I love Father Paul.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
But yeah, but but that facility is supposed to be spectacular,
So I'm going to go take a look at it.
Over the next couple of days, I will report back
my findings. Uh for the indoor because in the years past,
right it rains out here, then you got to go
to the little gym, right, and then you can't really
get work done. Well, now you have an indoor facility.
Now it sucks for fans they can't go in there,
(16:41):
but the team can still get the work in. They
couldn't go in the gym either, they couldn't go exactly exactly,
so but they'll still get full practice capabilities. I think
that's kind of the next step evolution. And we even
talked about it off air. The cabana in between fields
down there on the field really nice.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
If you come out here, it's right.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
By the old scoreboard and uh, it's uh it simply
it looks like a tiny house.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, it's a tiny house.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Clubhouse and uh, I will gather it has it actually
has a side porch though, side porch and it yeah,
and a little.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Chairs out there.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
I mean, you can get all of your all of
your summer vibes there.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
And I believe that's mister Rooney sweet. So mister Rooney
wants it.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
It gets built and it looks amazing and I hopefully
we'll sneak down there one of these days and get
to get to see the creature comforts of that. But yeah,
a couple of additions to Saint Vincent since the last
time we were here last year.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
It's just such a great place. It's so neat to
be out here again. Talking a little bit about the
history here. And you know, all of the Super Bowl
champion teams in Steel's history, all the best teams, most
of the Hall of Famers, there's a couple of exceptions,
most of them practiced out on this field of getting
these fields, getting ready for their Steelers season. It's just
(17:57):
a It's a magical historical place. It just is is great.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
So we've been talking a little bit about, you know,
again reacclimating you and us and everybody to what went
on during the Steelers offseason, a very very busy offseason,
historical offseason. When you think of Mike Tomlin stepping away,
Mike McCarthy being the head coach, and how infrequently that
(18:22):
happens in Steelers history, you know, three three changes after
Chuck Nole was hired in nineteen sixty nine. Three changes.
It's it's incredible. Aaron Rodgers re signing with the team,
the contract extensions to Boswell, Herbig and Washington, Broderick Jones
being cleared, Joey Porter, Jalen Ramsey, and Dante Kent on
(18:44):
the pup list, So lots going on. We talked a
little bit about no tackling in camp. Look, Mike McCarthy's
been around for a long time, and he talked about
the technology he us and you know that you can
strap equipment on each guy and talk about you know,
how she's moved around, and the and the you know,
these guys have GPS things that are of course, you know,
(19:04):
tied into medical, all the medical things, heart rates and
all these other things that they can they can look at.
But interesting that there is no hitting and it's not
uncommon that there's no hitting. In fact, Look, you know
touch and Wolf and you earlier in your career would say, hey,
you know crime your river about people talking about camps.
(19:26):
You had double sessions back, you had physical hitting back.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
In the day.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Most teams now, I would venture to say, we talked
about most teams don't go away for camp. I would
venture to say most teams don't do much, if any hitting.
I think that you know, Mike Tomlin was still known
for physical quote unquote physical camps, even though they're far
different than what physical camps used to be back in
the day. Yeah, but most teams don't do a whole
(19:54):
lot of hitting.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
No, they don't do a lot of hitting.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And that's something that when you're talking about getting into
the current times, you know, when you talk to the
NFL PA and yeah, those guys would come out and yeah,
I was I was a part of the PA, and
so I'd see the ambassadors come out, Lester Arshambo and company,
and they're just you see them like writing the demerits, right, Oh,
(20:18):
oh that was too much. That was to then get
the rundown. They're like, you know, we go to talk
to coach t every year and he says, all right,
all right, I'll take it into consideration. He just it
just just goes by the wayside.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Right, So it was something that they've.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Just kind of understood what that meant. But they also
got the utility because a lot of those former the
guys that are for the PA, working those ambassador positions
and also working as team reps, they were guys that
did the same exact thing that they're now trying to
call in fractions.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
So they're a little bit looser because they know that
it's a necessity, it's a tool.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
You can't play a contact sport and not have contact,
right you know, now to the degree of that contact
is what they're trying to limit.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
But at the same.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Time, to play football, you know, to play football, yes,
to play football, and you know, can you take it out, yes,
there's aspects you can take out of it, but the
collisions are going to happen regardless because it is and
I take that back, I should preface this.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
This is a collision sport.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Not a contact sport exactly, right, Is this is a
collision line right, yes, so so you so you have
to have collisions to play in a collision sport.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
It's incidental.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And like you said, he'll go everything but the takedown
to the ground, which I think that's what people associate
the true tackle. But you still wrap, form and fit
and everything else. And in practice today there were yellow
pads out there with the dummies and you know, in
front of the pads where guys could launch, make the
contact roll through, and like you said, GPS tracking technology
(21:49):
allows you to feel the force factors, the speed, you
have all a brevy of data that we didn't have
available to us back in the day that's now available now,
So you kind of evolve the way that you look
at the game and how you prep for the game.
And like I said, Mike McCarthy referenced this, he ran
his team into the ground with the physicality and the
(22:09):
tackling and everything his first year in two thousand and six,
and ever since he's been ever evolving and changing to
get the best efficiency out of his players, but also
the longevity out of your players. Absolutely, because now versus
back in the day, you have seventeen regular season games
right one less preseason game that veterans you're not screaming
because they didn't play in him anyways, but now you
(22:31):
have more of meaningful football that's being played and is
playing played later into January than he used to be.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I remember when it was like January first or second,
that was it. That was the latest year we're going
to play a game.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Now it's second week of January before you end the
regular season and then get into playoffs the third week
of January right leading into middle of February Super Bowl.
So there's so many differences with this game now that
you have to be open minded. You have to be
willing to adjust to make sure that you can protect
(23:02):
your players from themselves sometimes versus just for the sake
of getting a drill done.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You know, I hadn't thought about this in these terms.
And maybe I'm just pointing out a singular outlier in
Derrick Henry, but you talk about you know, he's constantly
breaking records of you know, the most yardage for a
player at a certain time of his career. And you
do wonder, Yes, the nature of the game has changed. Yes,
the running back position has changed. You know, fans who
(23:29):
are old enough will remember, you know, when Earl Campbell
was playing for the Oilers, right, he had a full back,
two tight ends, like I think Ken Burrows was the
only ken Burrows, the only guys split out. You know,
Dan Paserini unders center. Everybody knew that Earl was going
to get the ball thirty five times a game. There's
a lot of there's a lot of combat there and
so what happens the early well, his body breaks down.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
But you do wonder, you know, this extra two.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Or three weeks of not hitting, you know, you know
a little bit less maybe in the preseason. Whether that
helps a guy's longevity or whether Derek Henry's just a
freaking nature Maybe both are true.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I think both can be true at the same time. Yeah,
freak of nature, and he's also getting his body protected more. Yeah,
breeds this type of longevity in success and a lot
of carries now might be twenty five carries in a
game as opposed to thirty five carries in the game, and.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
That's that's you know.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I mean, I think the most I've seen him was
what thirty one, and that was like once, and that
was like a bad like either rain or snow game
where you're supposed to carry the ball more than then
you're passing it. But you're right, I mean, twenty five
is that norm. That's heavy carry load for a running
back now, especially if you don't have that true second back,
(24:42):
Like he's a true bell cow and they have change
up guys to come in and give him a spell,
but he's he's still a true bell cow, and bell cows,
you know, you do that, you do twenty five over
seventeen weeks. You know, maybe there's a couple of weeks
where it's a little bit below that and maybe you
have a couple above, but you're averaging. I mean we're
talking about what what is that four hundred and thirty
(25:05):
carries a year, and that's not including the passing.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Touches, right, and you're getting that many fewer hits nowadays,
if you're getting the ball less frequently. So and the
game the game has changed. It's just a different game.
Like you said, you know, more guys out in space now.
Maybe you have a running back who comes in. Dave
Meggett was an early guy that when he played for
the Giants. But the game has changed and there's more spread,
and there's there's fewer grinded out and let's go.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
But there's also less thirteen personnel twenty two personnel.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Here's the other thing too.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Not only is there less hitting in camp, there's less
hitting in practice. And again Mike McCarthy pointed out this morning, Hey,
the PA has something to do with that, you know, NFLPA.
But you know, think about all those hits, right, So
you're if you're Earl Campbell and we're just you know,
just throwing things out there is you know, maybe he's
getting thirty carries a game and somebody else is getting twenty.
Well that's over seventeen game season. That's one hundred and
(25:57):
seventy less hits you're taking, which, by the way, adds
up to you know, like forty fewer hits or whatever
that you're taking, Plus you're not taking those hits in practice,
and you're not taking those hits in camp. Hopefully that
will allow more longevity for players. Hopefully that will allow
for longer term life health for these players as well.
But as it stands now, in as smaller picture, as
(26:19):
we zoom back in on the Steelers, you know, what
is happening here is different than what happened before. We're
just going to see a lot of things that are
different than what happened before. With Mike Tomlin, well, it
remains to be seen whether it's better or worse, right, yeah,
or the same yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Or the same I mean, and I think, you know,
the biggest thing is how we get to competition periods
is also another big one. You're not going to see
as many team periods scripted throughout. It's going to be
more concise, whereas a lot of emphasis is on the
individual period time, a lot of individual at the beginning
of the practice today and that you kind of condensed
(26:59):
and had an area of emphasis today was two minute
drill that was really one of two competitive periods that
they had against each other. Everything else was off It
was offense and offense, defense and defense, and then it
went to individual groups for a majority of this acclamation
practice today, So you didn't even really see that much
team competition periods as in years past.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
No backsen backers, no seven shots, but different drills. Right,
we saw this cutting drill where all the receivers and
defensive backs were cutting.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
And as we're watching the field be replaced on that.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Spot at a lot of big men cutting very quickly.
And then other drills where guys were you know, had
had a ball and we're running around cones and then
and then squaring off against each other, you know, quickness
drills and then the ability to you know, shift from
side to side. Just different drills and it's fun. You know,
it's still football, but there's different ways to try to
(27:53):
get to what you want to be, uh, you know,
something that's going to maximize the potential in your team,
and and some coaches will do it one way, and
we're seeing already in these drills that Mike McCarthy's going
to do it differently than we saw under Mike Tomin.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
I mean, and you should expect that from an established
head coach, that he has his own system. When you're young,
you're impressionable, and you haven't done it before, you're probably
gonna lean on the experience of vEDS that hey, how
do things go back here? But Mike McCarthy, he's done
it to great success at two other franchises. His system
(28:30):
I think kind of works, so he can he can
impart his system and you know, quote unquote without touching
on traditions, you know everything else be darned right. I
know what it takes to win games, and this is
how my teams are prepared and we've had a lot
of success to it.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So we're going to do it this way. It might
not be what you're used to, but it's what I'm
used to.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
And I've seen what the results are. I've ran the
test and you know the different stress tests around this.
So we're gonna do it this way until otherwise proven.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I think one of the one of the beautiful things
in sports is that everybody who's competing in sports is
after the same thing, and that is victory. But turn
on a golf tournament. One guy's driving the ball three
hundred and eighty yards. The other guy's getting up and
down or maybe making putts or the other Maybe one
guy can't put maybe one guy is deadly inside eighty yards.
(29:20):
In tennis, one guy's a serve and voy, or one
guy's a baseliner. Baseball, you might be stealing bases or
hitting home runs, or pitching or defense. The ultimate goal
is the same, but the way to get there can
be very different. And the way the Steelers are going
to get there this year is going to be different
and it's gonna be fun to watch Max.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
It is and Mike McCarthy said this, At the end
of the day, I'm weighed on production and victory.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
That's right. That's it. That's it.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Everything else I don't care, right, I want to be
productive and I want to win.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
That's all we care about at the end of the day. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You know, style points don't matter in the NFL. It
matters in college. That's why you kind of get in college.
It has to be a.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Style point thing. There's a committee that reviews it. You know,
they put up the signs.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
They tell you if you got a ten or seven
point two It's very subjective like ice skating, but here
brass tacks, wins, losses, and how much you did of
both of those in the process, right, how many points
you gave up, how many points you you you earned,
how many yards you gave up, how many yards you
(30:26):
know you know you actually gained. Those are only metrics
because those usually tell who won the game if you
win in those categories.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
So he's production and victories. That's it. So much fun.
Can't wait.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It's been fun getting back here with Max Starks. We
still have one more seven week to go, so much
to talk about. Uh, that's good because we have we
have three weeks to do it.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Yeah, we do.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
We have twenty one or twenty more practices and between
there is a couple of them. We got two of them. Yeah, yep,
can't before we break, can't we only have one game?
Speaker 4 (30:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Right, but can't wait to delve into this stuff. Still
much more to come here because it was a fascinating
and very busy offseason for the Steelers. We're gonna get
to more of that when we continue in the locker
room here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
This is live coverage of twenty twenty six Steelers Training
Camp on the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, and brought to you
in part by Pennsylvania One Call Systems Dial eight one
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(31:34):
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the Black and Gold Score. In twenty twenty six, Clearview
will donate five hundred dollars to the Light of Life
Mission Listen CLEARVIEWFCU dot org and by iron Workers Local
(31:54):
Union Number three. We don't go to the office, We
build it.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Come back in the locker room with Max Starks On,
Rob King. As you said, two thirds of your broadcast team.
Missy Matthews will be joining us throughout the course of
the season. By the way, we get uh, you get
the occasional contribution from from in the locker room. Cub
reporter Schaefer King unpaid reporter. But during the commercial break
(32:21):
he texted me Shamar Stewart was carted off to Bengals Field.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Oh that's that's a bummer for that. That's a bummer.
That's a that's a first round pick.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Now, you know, obviously we don't know the extent or anything,
but it has to be a bummer when you're in
training camp. I mean, think about what happened Nick Gordon
down down in Carolina. They lost him for the year
playing in a wet practiceble. That's crazy, and he has
such a great year last year, but this is that
time of year.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
It is.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You know, you say, if a guy's gonna get injured,
he's gonna get injured. But you know, we don't know
the extent, but yeah, that is definitely breaking news for
a defense that is trying to build something to just
be complementary to its offense.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Yes, right, yeah, not even be great.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
No, it's like, just can't you be good enough to
just give us a one point advantage by the end?
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Honestly, Like, I mean I don't, and I think the
world of the Bengals offense.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
I mean, it's it's incredible everything about it. You know.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
There I think frankly like sort of you know, mediocres average,
like low end average would be probably enough to turn
that team into They're gonna be scary. They can always
beat you because they just.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Have you know, they have Joe Burrow and all that
offensive talent, right, can always beat you if your offense
isn't doing well, right, but their defense just has to
give up.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
One less point than your offense scores and.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
That and I would even say, just don't be below average.
I think that that's really it. Like you can you
can be sub par, right, you know, par being Yeah,
you could be subpar, but just don't be below app Yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
You're in that group of you know, like let's say,
okause of fifteen sixteen is you know, average defense in
the NFL. You know, if you can be within four
or five spots at twenty twenty first at twenty just twenty,
that would be good enough to make that a frightening
that frightening that could potentially be a division winning absolutely
(34:28):
if their defense was top twenty. Well, you know, and
what's interesting with them is, you know they make the
trade for Dexter Lawrence, right, and you know, and I'm
a I'm a really really big believer in the power
of stars and what they can do, how they can
help a team. You know, they also have Jonathan Allen,
(34:48):
you know, who's long but a very solid player. But
if those guys can bring if Allen can bring and
we'll talk more about the Bengals and stuff, but if
you can bring stability and Dexter Lawrence can bring that
star power to the defensive line. You know, Now, does
that make Boy Mafey who you just signed, a better
guy coming off the edge? Does that make Miles Murphy
a better guy coming off the edge? And then does
(35:09):
that help DJ Turner, who's already an emerging star at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
And Dak Hill on the back end.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Does it help that linebacking corp that maybe is not
the strength of the team be better. I'm a big
believer that these stars we've seen that with TJ. Watt
can have a great impact on the guys around them.
And I think that's what you're hoping when you go
out and get these veteran guys. If there's solidity and
maybe even in the case of Dexter Lawrence more than
(35:35):
many maybe anybody else, and again, follow what they gave
up for him, and that'll tell you what they think
about him.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
They think a lot about.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Him, you know, Kenny have that sort of trickle down
effect around the rest of the roster.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
But it's not good.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
When you're when one of those you know, your former
first round pick from a year ago is carted off
the field. And again we don't have any other information
other than that, and don't expect to till today or
possibly tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
At the earliest. And you know, you think, hey, we
signed Boye Mafe. We want to add to this with
losing a Trey Hendrickson, But now you're already down. You know,
you went from a trio of possibilities to a duo
of possibilities, right, and you've short changed kind of the
depth of that edge rushing combo.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Right.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
We talked about the guys on the interior, Well, you've
never really had true interior guys. So now you hit
these guys and now you can actually start building the
depth of that interior. But ye had to lose Schamar
Smith Stewart, who you had high expectations for coming into
year two after he was kind of doing his solidarity
thing last year with Trey Hendrickson and you know, holding
off on signing. You were hoping that year two he
(36:39):
would come on and be a focal point because you
don't no longer have a traditor. You need a new
Tray Hendrickson. And could he have stepped into that role,
but we'll obviously wait to see what the extent of
it is. Hopefully, you know, it's one of those that's
not a season ending type of injury, but carding off
doesn't help that too much. So you hope it's maybe
one thing where he can, you know, start out to
(36:59):
see in on the injury, on the injury reserve, the
short term one, not the long term I ar, and
get back sooner than later, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
And it brings to mind what I wanted to circle
back and get to before we head out of here
today about Broderick Jones. And again we're just scratching the
surface of what happened in the offseason and and we're
gonna continue to talk about that and follow the big
storylines here in camp as well here inside the locker room.
But you know, you're hoping Shamar Stewart and Miles Murphy,
you know, you know, boy mo Off, he's gonna play
a lot, you know, can you provide competition? You're you know,
(37:30):
Mike Tomlin used to say iron sharpens iron, right, and
you're looking for guys who want to compete. And as
I look at this roster, and we talked about this
a little bit. But now it's here. So a coach
comes in and is it going to you know, is
it gonna put somebody in a in a bad you
(37:51):
know position that who's an established art No, of course
not Cam Hayward gonna.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
Play, you know, Uh t J.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Watt's gonna play, Aaron Rodgers are gonna play, you know,
Zach Fraser's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
We know that.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
But there's gonna be guys I think affected one.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Way or the other.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
For example, you know, Mike tom Win and I'm just
you know, coming up with the name here.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Connor Hayward is no longer on the roster.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
You know, the more you watch Connor Hayward play, the
more you got an appreciation for what he could do.
And and Mike tom on a staff value the guy
who could come in and help you in a variety
of ways. Well, we don't know how players like that
are gonna be viewed on a new staff. So there's
gonna be guys at the edges of the roster or
the fourth or fifth receiver position, third running back position,
offensive line whatever. They're gonna be competing for jobs, maybe
(38:31):
in a different way because there's a new staff evaluating
what they want out of a certain guy. They may
want a guy who does one thing well versus a
guy who does five things pretty well, for example. So
but but it brings to mind that there are some
guys on this roster who have, you know, draft pedigree.
They're gonna have to fight to make the roster or
(38:54):
make an impact on this roster. And that can do
nothing but strengthen your roster. And I'm thinking about and
I'll just name a few guys. I'm sure there's more
in the roster. We were talking about Broderick Jones. Well,
now you got a first round pick at left tackle.
You just spent a first round pick on a guy
who could play right tackle. Dylan Cook finally got an
opportunity to show what he could do. That's pretty good,
(39:16):
Brodrick Jones. He could have to fight and compete for
a job. They believe in him because they drafted him
in the first round and he started for this team.
But that's the position he finds himself in. That's a
position maybe Roman Wilson finds himself in. There's been a
lot of raving about how how good he looked in
OTAs and what a good offseason he had. Caleb Johnson
is in that kind of position. How does he go
(39:37):
out and say, look, I know you got Caydenwigen and
I know you got you know, you know Rico Daddle
in the offseason, But hey man, I belong on this team.
I'm gonna go show you I belong on this team.
And there's some guys like that. I just think that
does nothing but make your roster stronger.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
You know, competition brings the best out of people, and
that's always what Mike Tomlin was trying to do, right,
Two dogs, one bone. That's type of mentality. That's the
same thing that's being here, except for these guys. How
I've been doubted or been quote unquote seemingly replaced. I
mean I can sit there and look at it and
I can feel all of those tensions because I remember
(40:20):
what it was like year after year to have someone
drafted to be your replacement, and you have to go
out there and you have to fight for everything. You know,
you eat what you kill. And I had to go
out there year after year and just prove my value
and prove them by worth. I mean I was drafted
the third round, so it's not like it was a
huge investment. I wasn't a first rounder or anything. But
(40:41):
you know, the following year, Trey Essis gets drafted in
the third round, following year Willie Column get drafted in
the fourth round. Then third round is Tony Hills, and
on and on. My entire career, we're always drafting offensive
lineman and I'm right there at that third round position,
and we uee guys getting drafted at or a little
bit behind where you were. You have to worry and
so but it brought the best out of me. I
(41:01):
look forward to that competition because I had trusted myself,
I have faith in my skills, and I also wasn't
gonna run from it. I'm going to help every guy
be the best that they can be so that when
I beat them, there's no excuses.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yes, and here's the other thing too, and you say
that too, and and you know, just by competing, you're
helping them be the best they can be. But one
of the things that I absolutely love about being up
here is seeing those veteran guys. After practice. A couple
of years ago, it was Sutton working with the defensive backs,
(41:35):
the young defensive backs. I saw James Daniels working with
Mason McCormick after practice again and again and again. Here's
a guy who's clearly been drafted to take your place,
and what are you doing. You're working with him exactly,
I mean, I just you know, And then of course
McCormick wound up having to play because of injury James
Daniels exactly. So I love that part of it because
(41:59):
it it is truly your livelihood on the line out here.
Now it might be your position with this team, maybe
your livelihood is extended with another team, but I'm sure
as a player, look, the business makes you paranoid. You're
looking for approval from coaches. You've been looking for approval
from coaches your entire life. You're out here as a
(42:21):
professional on a grown man. You still need approval to
make the team. And yet you've also got to find
it within you to help the guy who is trying
to knock your approval down.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
You're trying to he's trying to affect your approval rating.
You know, yeah he is.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
And but also you know there may come a time
where I get injured. I need to make sure I
can trust this guy to keep the standard r exactly.
So it's such a delicate fine line, because you have
to plan for the worst case scenario while also trying
to put yourself in the best case scenario at the
same time. It's like, if I go down, I need
(42:56):
to trust the guy behind me knows what to do, right,
and and you have to have that faith and confidence.
But you know, that's what I think also makes it
special is that you have guys that are willing to
put that aside for the betterment of the team, right,
the greater good of the organization, versus individual selfish goals
that want to be accomplished and attained in the process.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
And again, I do think there's going to be a
lot of competition, and I think it's going to be
it's going to do nothing but make this team better.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
Absolutely, no, I completely agree.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
And I think this collection of ninety men out here
on this field that will eventually get whittled down to
fifty three, fifty three plus plus sixteen. I guess we
have to say with the practice, quit right allocations. But
it's going we're going to see the best of what
they have to offer out here on these fields and
of course in these preseason games when given the opportunity.
(43:51):
And that's what's gonna make this team better is that
you are bringing your best between these white lines every
single day for these twenty one practices out here, plus
the three preseason games to find out who that final
cut crew is going to.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Be, and we're going to see it all the way through.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
The good thing is there's no early cut period, right,
There's only one cut at the end yep. So you
have ninety guys with the same opportunities to go out
there and make a name for themselves within the time
twenty four competition opportunities available to them.
Speaker 4 (44:23):
It is.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
It is so much fun to be back here with
you Max, so much fun to be at Saint Vincent College,
and you know the journey. We're reminded when you talk
and of course you stay out here. I'm going back
and forth with the other job responsibly it as I have,
but you know, to be in here and you know you,
you know, on a daily basis for me to see
(44:45):
you know, scouts and coaches and other guys around and
be reminded that it is a you know, what we're
seeing out here today. This isn't the beginning of It
is the beginning of putting this twenty twenty six season
in motion. But it started in OTAs and before that,
it started with scouting these players and putting these players together,
(45:05):
and the meetings that they all have, and the pro
personnel people and all this stuff that involves with the team.
But it does feel like you're in the starting blocks
when you get out here to Saint Vincent College, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (45:17):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (45:19):
This is when you know falls upon us right summers ended.
This is the prep for fall right now, and no
better way than day one here out in Latrobe, at
Saint Vincent College in the valley, in the Laurel Valleys
out here, beautiful scenery and I cannot wait for us
(45:41):
to continue to dive into this conversation except first day
of school nerves out of the way and we'll just
have first week of school nerves for the next couple
of days.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Great team, and my friend back together with you again.
He's Max Starks. I'm Rob King. We have Matt Williamson
and west Uhler coming up next to drive the drive.
Max and I thank you for being with us in
the locker room here on the Steelers Audio Network
This is live coverage of twenty twenty six Steelers Training
Camp or the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
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Speaker 2 (00:44):
And thank you very much for being with us. From
the trobe inside the locker room with Max Starks. I'm
Rob King here on the Student's Audio Network, and we're
just kind of going through some of the topics that
are big topics here at training camp, and we've talked
about out, you know, the head coaching change with Mike
Tomlin steps away, Mike McCarthy takes his place, Aaron Rodgers
(01:07):
is signed to a one year deal, and then the
contract extensions for Chris Boswell, Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington. How
these guys you're going to be utilized what it means
for the team. I think also another topic for me
is Broderick Jones cleared to play. I wasn't sure if
that was gonna happen. They talked about some encouraging news
(01:27):
in the spring about whether he might be available, and
then Joey Porter Junior, Jalen Ramsey Dante Kent on the
pup list. You feel badly for Dante Kent, who obviously
had injury problems a year ago. It is it's hard
to make the team and hard to be able to
do something when you're not out there practicing. Jalen Ramsey,
the news is good, very promising. They said they're gonna
(01:48):
be smart with him with his knee injury. They expect
him to be ready for the beginning of the season.
And so your thoughts on all those that those you
know guys, because especially Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Junior, and
Jalen Ramsey know disrespected Dante Kent are expected to potentially
be big parts of what this team does this year.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, no, I mean, where do we begin? I think,
Jalen Ramsey, I don't think anybody's really worried about the
health of him. I think that you know, if he
doesn't play at all in the preseason, I don't think
anybody's gonna be worried as long as he's ready for
Week one, and I think that's the priority with him.
And we know what he can do. We know what
he's done, we know his versatility, and we know that
(02:28):
this guy can dislodge a human from a football in any.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Moment, right, so.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Very much, very big moment. We needed that. But you
don't worry about him. Dante Kent is more intriguing because
you don't really know what you have with him yet.
You have a lot of potential, a little bit of production,
but a lot of questions. So you want him healthy
for this part of it so you can see what
(02:55):
he can do. You don't want it to turn into
another Corey Trice junior situation, right whereas you keep stringing
it along potential, potential, potential and you've lost years in
the process.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
So him getting healthy's going to be important. We know
what Joey Porter is.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I don't think anybody's worried about Porter's Island going up
for sale anytime soon. So he'll be, you know, as
long as he's ready by the beginning of the season,
let the back or whatever it was. Calm down the
flare up that happened yesterday. There's no rush because he's
a proven commodity. Progerick Jones another interesting one because he's
shown us spurts, he hasn't shown us the consistency, which
(03:33):
is why he's kind of in this situation.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
And with a coach that has.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
A history of being very, very finite on details, he's
an over preparer. The details matter to him and the
merit that's based on those on a daily basis, Will
Projick rise up his level to meet that expectation or
we continue down the same path and then you lose
(04:01):
an opportunity to compete for a job. That's really what
it is, because it's not about the talent, it's not
about the athleticism, it's not about the physicality. It's the
maturity and the mental capacity that's in question. And with
a coach like Mike McCarthy, can he unlock that because
of his consistency, because of the way that he goes
(04:23):
about things. Will that bring Brodick along? And if he does,
yay for the Pittsburgh Steelers, right, because now you have
tons of options at the offensive line, or if he
gets left by the wayside, it's darn. We just lost
a first round draft pick that never saw the potential
that we expected him to be. He never came to
fruition and now we'll be looking for a tackle in
(04:46):
next year's draft if it doesn't work. So a lot
weighs on how well Broderick assimilates to this new system
and how he progresses the neck. Obviously, there's there's no setbacks.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
He's here.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
He he wasn't on the pupp List, he wasn't on
the NFI list or anything else. He is a full
participant and you can't miss him because he has lime
green cleats on. So if you're ever wondering where Broderick
doses is looked for some lime green cleats on a
three hundred pound man, you'll find him really quickly.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
But that's gonna be the biggest question.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It's the mental and maturity aspect, because the other parts
are there, but the mental controls the physical.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Did you have an injury?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I know you you last year talking about your I
think your neck injury is similar to with Sante Samuels.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Correct, Yes, C four C five cervical fusion. Is it
at all similar to what Prodrick.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It is similar to what Broderick had, but of course
technology is a lot better than when I had it
done over a dozen years ago, and so I mean
I played three years after it, right, So like Sante like,
you'll come back and play and.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
There shouldn't be anything.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
The things you worry about is obviously compartment syndrome right
above and below because of a fusion, and just making
sure that you do not have any nerve damage.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
That's going to be the key thing.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
But I think as far as from a playing thing,
he shouldn't be apprehensive with play.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
He'll wear probably a collar now around the top of
his neck. I wore one even when I got injured, right.
I wore a dolphin collar when I played, but I
had to switch to the bull collar. So I mean,
you might have to change that aspect of it. But
as far as his performative issues, it shouldn't have any
significant impact on his physical attributes that he brings to
(06:26):
the table.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
You know, when you think about the offensive line, I
want to step back and ask you a question about
second chances and opportunities for players. But you know, when
you think about Fautanu, I think the expectation is that
he's going to make the switch seamlessly to left tackle,
he and Mason McCormick flopping over on the other side,
and both guys playing that guard and tackle position on
(06:48):
the left side. Zach Fraser is a known commodity. A
lot of interesting possibilities at right guard, beginning with Spencer Anderson,
but then you signed brock Hoffman, who was very.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Successful from the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
You have Jennings Dunker you took in this year's draft,
and then at right tackle you've got Roderick Jones, Dylan Cook,
Maxahnachre your first round pick on paper. And I know
there's some projection involved here because you know a Hana
chore and then you know even uh, you know Jennings
Dunker and then projecting the left side is going to
(07:22):
be fine. But there's a chance at this offensive line
and this is by design, not by happenstance, is is
going to be and can be a really really good
unit and hopefully not very long, not too far distant future.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
No, absolutely, I mean you have you have the great groundwork,
and I think you have some great pieces that are
already there. I mean, the only key departure you had
was Isaac Ciamalu from that offensive line, but the other
pieces are still there. It's about the right combination and
Mike and Mike talked about this in his press conference.
Don't pay attention to the starting five. Pay attention to
(08:02):
the two or three combinations in this process, right, because
they're going to be switching guys from side to side.
But it's the combinations that matter. He's looking for the
right combinations on a side. So we can project to
Troy and Mason might be the left, but maybe if
you move Mason back to the right, if Troy stays
to the left, or do you move them back to
(08:24):
the right if you like what you're seeing from another
pair on the left? How do we get to those
top five? He said that was the key thing. You
can't focus on the names and where they are at
the five is where the combination lies and how they
do on that. So that's what makes that even more intriguing,
is that we can slate that because that's what the
(08:44):
spring was. But what he just laid out was nothing's guaranteed.
It's the combinations that look the best to me.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That is fascinating to me. So let me just make
sure that. I wonder if people listening would have the
same question. So let's just say, okay, you have to
let's let's just concentrate on the right side and assume
that Faltano and McCormick for now are going to stand
on the left side. Are you saying then, like, let's
say personnel decisions are close and you're not really sure,
(09:15):
for example, at the right tackle, which of the three
you like best, but you like a combination, And then
we're just gonna say names here you really like, you know,
you're you're kind of set on Spencer Anderson and the
way he works with Dylan Cook is really it's impressive.
Does that give a Dylan Cook an edge? And does
it give conversely, could have given Spencer Anderson an edge?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Ed?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Right, God, I'm just using names. I mean, it could
be exactly shift any of those names in there that
you want. I never thought about it in those terms
that that it could be a package deal that tips
the balance one way or the other as to why
a player is playing. Yeah, because he wants the combination
and how well they fluidly work together.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
But then you also have to.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Think, even though Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu who might
be the left side, they might feel good, but Zach
might work better with Mason on the right right versus
the left. That could also play into us. So it's
really combination. That's why he was saying two to three
combinations across the board is what could could sigualy. So
(10:15):
then is it Mason might work better with Maxianachuur versus
Dylan Cook on the right side, but he works better
with Troy on the left. And then if it's Spencer,
Spencer does great on the left, but maybe he does
it better with Broderick Jones than he does right with
Troy Fontano. So I mean, there's so many different ways
we can chop this, and like you said, brock Hoffman,
(10:37):
maybe Brock works better with there over Dylan Cook and
Broderick Jones if if it is the right side. But
you're also gonna give Broderick left tackle snaps because if
you want, if he's not going to start, he needs
to at least be swing capable, and he would be
your best swing outside of that, because the tour is
not a swing tackle and Dylan Cook did that, but
like you said, he's more natural and left, and that's
(10:59):
what he spends so much time at the right, so
you're trying to develop that swing capability.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
But projects already played both right.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
And started multiple games at each position, so he would
be a logical swing guy.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
If he's not going to be a starter.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
For you, So I'm gonna go ahead and knock on
wood because I don't think And we've talked about this
in the past, like we we have told people the
last couple of years, you more than me because you're the.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You're there, you're the analyst. I'd have done it too,
do it.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
But like you know, like you were pointing out and
Wolf as well a couple of years ago. Hey, keep
an eye on this Dylan Cook, you know, keep an
eye on him, and he's just kind of on the periphery,
and then all of a sudden he's there. Having said that, boy,
this offensive line group, I mean, knock on wood. It
stays healthy, already knocked on wood. But it is again
(11:47):
some of its projection, quite a bit of its projection
front of his projection, right right.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
You got a rookie.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You got a rookie in han a chore, and we're
seeing Dylan Cook what he can do potentially as a
first year starter. What's project gonna Jones gonna do off
the next side? Off the neck end. You've moved your
starting right side to your left side. You have you know,
con Spencer Anderson handled the right guard position. Would it
be Hoffman? You could also play center? But I mean
we are talking about a Jennings Zunker. We're talking about
(12:13):
a lot of guys. Ryan McCollum is a backup center.
They they are, in my opinion, they are. They cannot
keep all of the quality offensive lineman they have in camp,
and there are very few teams around the NFL that
can say.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
That talent will not be the issue with the offensive. No,
it won't.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It will not be talent. It will just simply be
health and continuity. Those are the two things that you
have to worry with this line. It is not talent,
it is not skilled, it is not experience. It's gonna
be health and continuity. That's what's gonna be the differentiator
for this group. There might be some experience in there.
(12:52):
If I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Unk are playing.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
As I look at it, I don't see how Dunker
makes it into that interior group as a starter.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
As it stands right now.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Now, obviously we can go through injuries, gameplay performance that ianichure.
You're gonna have to put him in at some point
to get him in there because of the pure raw
talent and skill, and he has to get experienced necessary.
But if you're going with the rest of the field
outside of those young guys, a wealth of experience that
(13:30):
wasn't here three four years ago, right, because Spencer Anderson
was a rookie, Progerick Jones was a rookie, right, Zach Fraser,
Mason McCormick were rookies.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Well, now they're vets.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yep, they're veterans now, and they've played a lot of football.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Games so far in their careers.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Nobody's really sacked except for Broderick, right, Mason and Zach have,
barring injuries, have played every opportunity they've had an opportunity
to do it right. So I think that's something you
kind of take stock him saying, okay, feeling good, Troy,
right outside of injury has played as well, So there's
(14:07):
a lot of room for improvement. I think there's a
lot of a lot of good things to hang your
hat on with this group.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
If you just look at the man to man. You know,
when you can put together those three words talented young veteran,
that's what every team wants man talented young veterans, and
the Steelers have that along that offensive line. It brings
to mind another question about competition on the roster that
we're going to get to when we continue from with
(14:34):
Trobe Steelers Camp twenty twenty six, Saint Vincent College. He's
Max Stark's, I'm Rob King, and you're in the locker
room here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
This is Live Covery Jump Out twenty twenty six Steelers
Training Camp or the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
Easy to drink, easy to enjoy, and brought to you
in part by your neighborhood Ford Store Reader, Pittsburgh Community
Food Bank, First National Bank. Let's get started. Remember FDI
(15:05):
C West Shore Home we Modeling reimagined by Leecom Digital,
Dons Appliances. If they said Dons Appliances dot Com guaranteed
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Hass Is Steak in Seahouse. Haws is his hospitality.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And welcome back to the trope.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
In the locker room. Max starts at the greatest analogy.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
It's like first day of school, Kevin's in your pals
all summer and you're.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Like, hey man, how you doing, what's going on? What's happening?
You know exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
So that's that's how we're feeling. We we're excited to
be here in the trope. I love by the way,
our broadcast position looked out over the three practice fields
in front of us, right above the bleachers. If you've
ever been here in the press box, there's a field
over to the right is a brand new Yeah. Then
last center they're working out it last year, and if
you're over there and check it out.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I know, and they did. They did the mobility workout.
Wasn't a conditioning test. Mobility workout over there yesterday, So
I'm I'm ecstatic. I already talked to Father Paul.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
He's like, it's like, Mage, Yeah, you can go in
and run around on the turf.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
He's like, and if and if I'm not there just starting.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I'll catch up. I'm like, but yeah, I love Father Paul.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
But yeah, but but that facility is supposed to be spectacular,
So I'm going to go take a look at it.
Over the next couple of days, I will report back
my findings. Uh for the indoor because in the years past,
right it rains out here, then you got to go
to the little gym, right, and then you can't really
get work done. Well, now you have an indoor facility.
Now it sucks for fans they can't go in there,
(16:41):
but the team can still get the work in. They
couldn't go in the gym either, they couldn't go exactly exactly,
so but they'll still get full practice capabilities. I think
that's kind of the next step evolution. And we even
talked about it off air. The cabana in between fields
down there on the field really nice.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
If you come out here, it's right.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
By the old scoreboard and uh, it's uh it simply
it looks like a tiny house.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, it's a tiny house.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Clubhouse and uh, I will gather it has it actually
has a side porch though, side porch and it yeah,
and a little.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Chairs out there.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
I mean, you can get all of your all of
your summer vibes there.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
And I believe that's mister Rooney sweet. So mister Rooney
wants it.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
It gets built and it looks amazing and I hopefully
we'll sneak down there one of these days and get
to get to see the creature comforts of that. But yeah,
a couple of additions to Saint Vincent since the last
time we were here last year.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
It's just such a great place. It's so neat to
be out here again. Talking a little bit about the
history here. And you know, all of the Super Bowl
champion teams in Steel's history, all the best teams, most
of the Hall of Famers, there's a couple of exceptions,
most of them practiced out on this field of getting
these fields, getting ready for their Steelers season. It's just
(17:57):
a It's a magical historical place. It just is is great.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
So we've been talking a little bit about, you know,
again reacclimating you and us and everybody to what went
on during the Steelers offseason, a very very busy offseason,
historical offseason. When you think of Mike Tomlin stepping away,
Mike McCarthy being the head coach, and how infrequently that
(18:22):
happens in Steelers history, you know, three three changes after
Chuck Nole was hired in nineteen sixty nine. Three changes.
It's it's incredible. Aaron Rodgers re signing with the team,
the contract extensions to Boswell, Herbig and Washington, Broderick Jones
being cleared, Joey Porter, Jalen Ramsey, and Dante Kent on
(18:44):
the pup list, So lots going on. We talked a
little bit about no tackling in camp. Look, Mike McCarthy's
been around for a long time, and he talked about
the technology he us and you know that you can
strap equipment on each guy and talk about you know,
how she's moved around, and the and the you know,
these guys have GPS things that are of course, you know,
(19:04):
tied into medical, all the medical things, heart rates and
all these other things that they can they can look at.
But interesting that there is no hitting and it's not
uncommon that there's no hitting. In fact, Look, you know
touch and Wolf and you earlier in your career would say, hey,
you know crime your river about people talking about camps.
(19:26):
You had double sessions back, you had physical hitting back.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
In the day.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Most teams now, I would venture to say, we talked
about most teams don't go away for camp. I would
venture to say most teams don't do much, if any hitting.
I think that you know, Mike Tomlin was still known
for physical quote unquote physical camps, even though they're far
different than what physical camps used to be back in
the day. Yeah, but most teams don't do a whole
(19:54):
lot of hitting.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
No, they don't do a lot of hitting.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
And that's something that when you're talking about getting into
the current times, you know, when you talk to the
NFL PA and yeah, those guys would come out and yeah,
I was I was a part of the PA, and
so I'd see the ambassadors come out, Lester Arshambo and company,
and they're just you see them like writing the demerits, right, Oh,
(20:18):
oh that was too much. That was to then get
the rundown. They're like, you know, we go to talk
to coach t every year and he says, all right,
all right, I'll take it into consideration. He just it
just just goes by the wayside.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Right, So it was something that they've.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Just kind of understood what that meant. But they also
got the utility because a lot of those former the
guys that are for the PA, working those ambassador positions
and also working as team reps, they were guys that
did the same exact thing that they're now trying to
call in fractions.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
So they're a little bit looser because they know that
it's a necessity, it's a tool.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
You can't play a contact sport and not have contact,
right you know, now to the degree of that contact
is what they're trying to limit.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
But at the same.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
Time, to play football, you know, to play football, yes,
to play football, and you know, can you take it out, yes,
there's aspects you can take out of it, but the
collisions are going to happen regardless because it is and
I take that back, I should preface this.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
This is a collision sport.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Not a contact sport exactly, right, Is this is a
collision line right, yes, so so you so you have
to have collisions to play in a collision sport.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
It's incidental.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And like you said, he'll go everything but the takedown
to the ground, which I think that's what people associate
the true tackle. But you still wrap, form and fit
and everything else. And in practice today there were yellow
pads out there with the dummies and you know, in
front of the pads where guys could launch, make the
contact roll through, and like you said, GPS tracking technology
(21:49):
allows you to feel the force factors, the speed, you
have all a brevy of data that we didn't have
available to us back in the day that's now available now,
So you kind of evolve the way that you look
at the game and how you prep for the game.
And like I said, Mike McCarthy referenced this, he ran
his team into the ground with the physicality and the
(22:09):
tackling and everything his first year in two thousand and six,
and ever since he's been ever evolving and changing to
get the best efficiency out of his players, but also
the longevity out of your players. Absolutely, because now versus
back in the day, you have seventeen regular season games
right one less preseason game that veterans you're not screaming
because they didn't play in him anyways, but now you
(22:31):
have more of meaningful football that's being played and is
playing played later into January than he used to be.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I remember when it was like January first or second,
that was it. That was the latest year we're going
to play a game.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Now it's second week of January before you end the
regular season and then get into playoffs the third week
of January right leading into middle of February Super Bowl.
So there's so many differences with this game now that
you have to be open minded. You have to be
willing to adjust to make sure that you can protect
(23:02):
your players from themselves sometimes versus just for the sake
of getting a drill done.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You know, I hadn't thought about this in these terms.
And maybe I'm just pointing out a singular outlier in
Derrick Henry, but you talk about you know, he's constantly
breaking records of you know, the most yardage for a
player at a certain time of his career. And you
do wonder, Yes, the nature of the game has changed. Yes,
the running back position has changed. You know, fans who
(23:29):
are old enough will remember, you know, when Earl Campbell
was playing for the Oilers, right, he had a full back,
two tight ends, like I think Ken Burrows was the
only ken Burrows, the only guys split out. You know,
Dan Paserini unders center. Everybody knew that Earl was going
to get the ball thirty five times a game. There's
a lot of there's a lot of combat there and
so what happens the early well, his body breaks down.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
But you do wonder, you know, this extra two.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Or three weeks of not hitting, you know, you know
a little bit less maybe in the preseason. Whether that
helps a guy's longevity or whether Derek Henry's just a
freaking nature Maybe both are true.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I think both can be true at the same time. Yeah,
freak of nature, and he's also getting his body protected more. Yeah,
breeds this type of longevity in success and a lot
of carries now might be twenty five carries in a
game as opposed to thirty five carries in the game, and.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
That's that's you know.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I mean, I think the most I've seen him was
what thirty one, and that was like once, and that
was like a bad like either rain or snow game
where you're supposed to carry the ball more than then
you're passing it. But you're right, I mean, twenty five
is that norm. That's heavy carry load for a running
back now, especially if you don't have that true second back,
(24:42):
Like he's a true bell cow and they have change
up guys to come in and give him a spell,
but he's he's still a true bell cow, and bell cows,
you know, you do that, you do twenty five over
seventeen weeks. You know, maybe there's a couple of weeks
where it's a little bit below that and maybe you
have a couple above, but you're averaging. I mean we're
talking about what what is that four hundred and thirty
(25:05):
carries a year, and that's not including the passing.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Touches, right, and you're getting that many fewer hits nowadays,
if you're getting the ball less frequently. So and the
game the game has changed. It's just a different game.
Like you said, you know, more guys out in space now.
Maybe you have a running back who comes in. Dave
Meggett was an early guy that when he played for
the Giants. But the game has changed and there's more spread,
and there's there's fewer grinded out and let's go.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
But there's also less thirteen personnel twenty two personnel.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Here's the other thing too.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Not only is there less hitting in camp, there's less
hitting in practice. And again Mike McCarthy pointed out this morning, Hey,
the PA has something to do with that, you know, NFLPA.
But you know, think about all those hits, right, So
you're if you're Earl Campbell and we're just you know,
just throwing things out there is you know, maybe he's
getting thirty carries a game and somebody else is getting twenty.
Well that's over seventeen game season. That's one hundred and
(25:57):
seventy less hits you're taking, which, by the way, adds
up to you know, like forty fewer hits or whatever
that you're taking, Plus you're not taking those hits in practice,
and you're not taking those hits in camp. Hopefully that
will allow more longevity for players. Hopefully that will allow
for longer term life health for these players as well.
But as it stands now, in as smaller picture, as
(26:19):
we zoom back in on the Steelers, you know, what
is happening here is different than what happened before. We're
just going to see a lot of things that are
different than what happened before. With Mike Tomlin, well, it
remains to be seen whether it's better or worse, right, yeah,
or the same yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Or the same I mean, and I think, you know,
the biggest thing is how we get to competition periods
is also another big one. You're not going to see
as many team periods scripted throughout. It's going to be
more concise, whereas a lot of emphasis is on the
individual period time, a lot of individual at the beginning
of the practice today and that you kind of condensed
(26:59):
and had an area of emphasis today was two minute
drill that was really one of two competitive periods that
they had against each other. Everything else was off It
was offense and offense, defense and defense, and then it
went to individual groups for a majority of this acclamation
practice today, So you didn't even really see that much
team competition periods as in years past.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
No backsen backers, no seven shots, but different drills. Right,
we saw this cutting drill where all the receivers and
defensive backs were cutting.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
And as we're watching the field be replaced on that.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Spot at a lot of big men cutting very quickly.
And then other drills where guys were you know, had
had a ball and we're running around cones and then
and then squaring off against each other, you know, quickness
drills and then the ability to you know, shift from
side to side. Just different drills and it's fun. You know,
it's still football, but there's different ways to try to
(27:53):
get to what you want to be, uh, you know,
something that's going to maximize the potential in your team,
and and some coaches will do it one way, and
we're seeing already in these drills that Mike McCarthy's going
to do it differently than we saw under Mike Tomin.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
I mean, and you should expect that from an established
head coach, that he has his own system. When you're young,
you're impressionable, and you haven't done it before, you're probably
gonna lean on the experience of vEDS that hey, how
do things go back here? But Mike McCarthy, he's done
it to great success at two other franchises. His system
(28:30):
I think kind of works, so he can he can
impart his system and you know, quote unquote without touching
on traditions, you know everything else be darned right. I
know what it takes to win games, and this is
how my teams are prepared and we've had a lot
of success to it.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So we're going to do it this way. It might
not be what you're used to, but it's what I'm
used to.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
And I've seen what the results are. I've ran the
test and you know the different stress tests around this.
So we're gonna do it this way until otherwise proven.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I think one of the one of the beautiful things
in sports is that everybody who's competing in sports is
after the same thing, and that is victory. But turn
on a golf tournament. One guy's driving the ball three
hundred and eighty yards. The other guy's getting up and
down or maybe making putts or the other Maybe one
guy can't put maybe one guy is deadly inside eighty yards.
(29:20):
In tennis, one guy's a serve and voy, or one
guy's a baseliner. Baseball, you might be stealing bases or
hitting home runs, or pitching or defense. The ultimate goal
is the same, but the way to get there can
be very different. And the way the Steelers are going
to get there this year is going to be different
and it's gonna be fun to watch Max.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
It is and Mike McCarthy said this, At the end
of the day, I'm weighed on production and victory.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
That's right. That's it. That's it.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
Everything else I don't care, right, I want to be
productive and I want to win.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
That's all we care about at the end of the day. Right.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You know, style points don't matter in the NFL. It
matters in college. That's why you kind of get in college.
It has to be a.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Style point thing. There's a committee that reviews it. You know,
they put up the signs.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
They tell you if you got a ten or seven
point two It's very subjective like ice skating, but here
brass tacks, wins, losses, and how much you did of
both of those in the process, right, how many points
you gave up, how many points you you you earned,
how many yards you gave up, how many yards you
(30:26):
know you know you actually gained. Those are only metrics
because those usually tell who won the game if you
win in those categories.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
So he's production and victories. That's it. So much fun.
Can't wait.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
It's been fun getting back here with Max Starks. We
still have one more seven week to go, so much
to talk about. Uh, that's good because we have we
have three weeks to do it.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Yeah, we do.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
We have twenty one or twenty more practices and between
there is a couple of them. We got two of them. Yeah, yep,
can't before we break, can't we only have one game?
Speaker 4 (30:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Right, but can't wait to delve into this stuff. Still
much more to come here because it was a fascinating
and very busy offseason for the Steelers. We're gonna get
to more of that when we continue in the locker
room here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
This is live coverage of twenty twenty six Steelers Training
Camp on the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, and brought to you
in part by Pennsylvania One Call Systems Dial eight one
one before You dig SNT Bank People Forward Banking by
(31:34):
Kalucy Chevrolet, serving the Pittsburgh area for over one hundred
and eight years. Clearview Federal Credit Union. For every touchdown
the Black and Gold Score. In twenty twenty six, Clearview
will donate five hundred dollars to the Light of Life
Mission Listen CLEARVIEWFCU dot org and by iron Workers Local
(31:54):
Union Number three. We don't go to the office, We
build it.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Come back in the locker room with Max Starks On,
Rob King. As you said, two thirds of your broadcast team.
Missy Matthews will be joining us throughout the course of
the season. By the way, we get uh, you get
the occasional contribution from from in the locker room. Cub
reporter Schaefer King unpaid reporter. But during the commercial break
(32:21):
he texted me Shamar Stewart was carted off to Bengals Field.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Oh that's that's a bummer for that. That's a bummer.
That's a that's a first round pick.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Now, you know, obviously we don't know the extent or anything,
but it has to be a bummer when you're in
training camp. I mean, think about what happened Nick Gordon
down down in Carolina. They lost him for the year
playing in a wet practiceble. That's crazy, and he has
such a great year last year, but this is that
time of year.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
It is.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You know, you say, if a guy's gonna get injured,
he's gonna get injured. But you know, we don't know
the extent, but yeah, that is definitely breaking news for
a defense that is trying to build something to just
be complementary to its offense.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Yes, right, yeah, not even be great.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
No, it's like, just can't you be good enough to
just give us a one point advantage by the end?
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Honestly, Like, I mean I don't, and I think the
world of the Bengals offense.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
I mean, it's it's incredible everything about it. You know.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
There I think frankly like sort of you know, mediocres average,
like low end average would be probably enough to turn
that team into They're gonna be scary. They can always
beat you because they just.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Have you know, they have Joe Burrow and all that
offensive talent, right, can always beat you if your offense
isn't doing well, right, but their defense just has to
give up.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
One less point than your offense scores and.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
That and I would even say, just don't be below average.
I think that that's really it. Like you can you
can be sub par, right, you know, par being Yeah,
you could be subpar, but just don't be below app Yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
You're in that group of you know, like let's say,
okause of fifteen sixteen is you know, average defense in
the NFL. You know, if you can be within four
or five spots at twenty twenty first at twenty just twenty,
that would be good enough to make that a frightening
that frightening that could potentially be a division winning absolutely
(34:28):
if their defense was top twenty. Well, you know, and
what's interesting with them is, you know they make the
trade for Dexter Lawrence, right, and you know, and I'm
a I'm a really really big believer in the power
of stars and what they can do, how they can
help a team. You know, they also have Jonathan Allen,
(34:48):
you know, who's long but a very solid player. But
if those guys can bring if Allen can bring and
we'll talk more about the Bengals and stuff, but if
you can bring stability and Dexter Lawrence can bring that
star power to the defensive line. You know, Now, does
that make Boy Mafey who you just signed, a better
guy coming off the edge? Does that make Miles Murphy
a better guy coming off the edge? And then does
(35:09):
that help DJ Turner, who's already an emerging star at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
And Dak Hill on the back end.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Does it help that linebacking corp that maybe is not
the strength of the team be better. I'm a big
believer that these stars we've seen that with TJ. Watt
can have a great impact on the guys around them.
And I think that's what you're hoping when you go
out and get these veteran guys. If there's solidity and
maybe even in the case of Dexter Lawrence more than
(35:35):
many maybe anybody else, and again, follow what they gave
up for him, and that'll tell you what they think
about him.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
They think a lot about.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Him, you know, Kenny have that sort of trickle down
effect around the rest of the roster.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
But it's not good.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
When you're when one of those you know, your former
first round pick from a year ago is carted off
the field. And again we don't have any other information
other than that, and don't expect to till today or
possibly tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
At the earliest. And you know, you think, hey, we
signed Boye Mafe. We want to add to this with
losing a Trey Hendrickson, But now you're already down. You know,
you went from a trio of possibilities to a duo
of possibilities, right, and you've short changed kind of the
depth of that edge rushing combo.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Right.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
We talked about the guys on the interior, Well, you've
never really had true interior guys. So now you hit
these guys and now you can actually start building the
depth of that interior. But ye had to lose Schamar
Smith Stewart, who you had high expectations for coming into
year two after he was kind of doing his solidarity
thing last year with Trey Hendrickson and you know, holding
off on signing. You were hoping that year two he
(36:39):
would come on and be a focal point because you
don't no longer have a traditor. You need a new
Tray Hendrickson. And could he have stepped into that role,
but we'll obviously wait to see what the extent of
it is. Hopefully, you know, it's one of those that's
not a season ending type of injury, but carding off
doesn't help that too much. So you hope it's maybe
one thing where he can, you know, start out to
(36:59):
see in on the injury, on the injury reserve, the
short term one, not the long term I ar, and
get back sooner than later, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
And it brings to mind what I wanted to circle
back and get to before we head out of here
today about Broderick Jones. And again we're just scratching the
surface of what happened in the offseason and and we're
gonna continue to talk about that and follow the big
storylines here in camp as well here inside the locker room.
But you know, you're hoping Shamar Stewart and Miles Murphy,
you know, you know, boy mo Off, he's gonna play
a lot, you know, can you provide competition? You're you know,
(37:30):
Mike Tomlin used to say iron sharpens iron, right, and
you're looking for guys who want to compete. And as
I look at this roster, and we talked about this
a little bit. But now it's here. So a coach
comes in and is it going to you know, is
it gonna put somebody in a in a bad you
(37:51):
know position that who's an established art No, of course
not Cam Hayward gonna.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
Play, you know, Uh t J.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Watt's gonna play, Aaron Rodgers are gonna play, you know,
Zach Fraser's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
We know that.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
But there's gonna be guys I think affected one.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
Way or the other.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
For example, you know, Mike tom Win and I'm just
you know, coming up with the name here.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Connor Hayward is no longer on the roster.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
You know, the more you watch Connor Hayward play, the
more you got an appreciation for what he could do.
And and Mike tom on a staff value the guy
who could come in and help you in a variety
of ways. Well, we don't know how players like that
are gonna be viewed on a new staff. So there's
gonna be guys at the edges of the roster or
the fourth or fifth receiver position, third running back position,
offensive line whatever. They're gonna be competing for jobs, maybe
(38:31):
in a different way because there's a new staff evaluating
what they want out of a certain guy. They may
want a guy who does one thing well versus a
guy who does five things pretty well, for example. So
but but it brings to mind that there are some
guys on this roster who have, you know, draft pedigree.
They're gonna have to fight to make the roster or
(38:54):
make an impact on this roster. And that can do
nothing but strengthen your roster. And I'm thinking about and
I'll just name a few guys. I'm sure there's more
in the roster. We were talking about Broderick Jones. Well,
now you got a first round pick at left tackle.
You just spent a first round pick on a guy
who could play right tackle. Dylan Cook finally got an
opportunity to show what he could do. That's pretty good,
(39:16):
Brodrick Jones. He could have to fight and compete for
a job. They believe in him because they drafted him
in the first round and he started for this team.
But that's the position he finds himself in. That's a
position maybe Roman Wilson finds himself in. There's been a
lot of raving about how how good he looked in
OTAs and what a good offseason he had. Caleb Johnson
is in that kind of position. How does he go
(39:37):
out and say, look, I know you got Caydenwigen and
I know you got you know, you know Rico Daddle
in the offseason, But hey man, I belong on this team.
I'm gonna go show you I belong on this team.
And there's some guys like that. I just think that
does nothing but make your roster stronger.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
You know, competition brings the best out of people, and
that's always what Mike Tomlin was trying to do, right,
Two dogs, one bone. That's type of mentality. That's the
same thing that's being here, except for these guys. How
I've been doubted or been quote unquote seemingly replaced. I
mean I can sit there and look at it and
I can feel all of those tensions because I remember
(40:20):
what it was like year after year to have someone
drafted to be your replacement, and you have to go
out there and you have to fight for everything. You know,
you eat what you kill. And I had to go
out there year after year and just prove my value
and prove them by worth. I mean I was drafted
the third round, so it's not like it was a
huge investment. I wasn't a first rounder or anything. But
(40:41):
you know, the following year, Trey Essis gets drafted in
the third round, following year Willie Column get drafted in
the fourth round. Then third round is Tony Hills, and
on and on. My entire career, we're always drafting offensive
lineman and I'm right there at that third round position,
and we uee guys getting drafted at or a little
bit behind where you were. You have to worry and
so but it brought the best out of me. I
(41:01):
look forward to that competition because I had trusted myself,
I have faith in my skills, and I also wasn't
gonna run from it. I'm going to help every guy
be the best that they can be so that when
I beat them, there's no excuses.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yes, and here's the other thing too, and you say
that too, and and you know, just by competing, you're
helping them be the best they can be. But one
of the things that I absolutely love about being up
here is seeing those veteran guys. After practice. A couple
of years ago, it was Sutton working with the defensive backs,
(41:35):
the young defensive backs. I saw James Daniels working with
Mason McCormick after practice again and again and again. Here's
a guy who's clearly been drafted to take your place,
and what are you doing. You're working with him exactly,
I mean, I just you know, And then of course
McCormick wound up having to play because of injury James
Daniels exactly. So I love that part of it because
(41:59):
it it is truly your livelihood on the line out here.
Now it might be your position with this team, maybe
your livelihood is extended with another team, but I'm sure
as a player, look, the business makes you paranoid. You're
looking for approval from coaches. You've been looking for approval
from coaches your entire life. You're out here as a
(42:21):
professional on a grown man. You still need approval to
make the team. And yet you've also got to find
it within you to help the guy who is trying
to knock your approval down.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
You're trying to he's trying to affect your approval rating.
You know, yeah he is.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
And but also you know there may come a time
where I get injured. I need to make sure I
can trust this guy to keep the standard r exactly.
So it's such a delicate fine line, because you have
to plan for the worst case scenario while also trying
to put yourself in the best case scenario at the
same time. It's like, if I go down, I need
(42:56):
to trust the guy behind me knows what to do, right,
and and you have to have that faith and confidence.
But you know, that's what I think also makes it
special is that you have guys that are willing to
put that aside for the betterment of the team, right,
the greater good of the organization, versus individual selfish goals
that want to be accomplished and attained in the process.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
And again, I do think there's going to be a
lot of competition, and I think it's going to be
it's going to do nothing but make this team better.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
Absolutely, no, I completely agree.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
And I think this collection of ninety men out here
on this field that will eventually get whittled down to
fifty three, fifty three plus plus sixteen. I guess we
have to say with the practice, quit right allocations. But
it's going we're going to see the best of what
they have to offer out here on these fields and
of course in these preseason games when given the opportunity.
(43:51):
And that's what's gonna make this team better is that
you are bringing your best between these white lines every
single day for these twenty one practices out here, plus
the three preseason games to find out who that final
cut crew is going to.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Be, and we're going to see it all the way through.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
The good thing is there's no early cut period, right,
There's only one cut at the end yep. So you
have ninety guys with the same opportunities to go out
there and make a name for themselves within the time
twenty four competition opportunities available to them.
Speaker 4 (44:23):
It is.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
It is so much fun to be back here with
you Max, so much fun to be at Saint Vincent College,
and you know the journey. We're reminded when you talk
and of course you stay out here. I'm going back
and forth with the other job responsibly it as I have,
but you know, to be in here and you know you,
you know, on a daily basis for me to see
(44:45):
you know, scouts and coaches and other guys around and
be reminded that it is a you know, what we're
seeing out here today. This isn't the beginning of It
is the beginning of putting this twenty twenty six season
in motion. But it started in OTAs and before that,
it started with scouting these players and putting these players together,
(45:05):
and the meetings that they all have, and the pro
personnel people and all this stuff that involves with the team.
But it does feel like you're in the starting blocks
when you get out here to Saint Vincent College, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (45:17):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (45:19):
This is when you know falls upon us right summers ended.
This is the prep for fall right now, and no
better way than day one here out in Latrobe, at
Saint Vincent College in the valley, in the Laurel Valleys
out here, beautiful scenery and I cannot wait for us
(45:41):
to continue to dive into this conversation except first day
of school nerves out of the way and we'll just
have first week of school nerves for the next couple
of days.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Great team, and my friend back together with you again.
He's Max Starks. I'm Rob King. We have Matt Williamson
and west Uhler coming up next to drive the drive.
Max and I thank you for being with us in
the locker room here on the Steelers Audio Network
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