HR1: Live from OTAs

Matt Williamson and Wes Uhler kickoff coverage from the final OTA practice of 2025!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and GOLDNR Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Steelers Nation Radio. The sun is shining. It's
an early edition, special edition of the Drive. You hear
the more things are underway. That means you better be
out on the field right now, not jogging down, not
by the touch line. You better be ready to go
because it is once again Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network live here on location for OTA's day

(00:45):
number six, six out of six Matt ye last year.
And it's another much like yesterday and Tuesday. It's another
warm early morning here pushing eighty degrees already feels like
one of.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Those stickier you can kind of see, you know, in
the fog.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
And the haze, and you know, some of that dreaded
humidity that we get here in the Pennsylvania region, especially
this time of year, when you know, before the last
few days, it felt like it rained for every day
for about two weeks straight. Uh. There is some rain
in the forecast today, but not not until well into
the afternoon, So I don't think we will have to
deal with any of that here Matt, it'll be another

(01:22):
one of these, I think, hot kind of high energy
practices as the guys are, you know, looking at the
final opportunity here before they get a few days off.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Yeah, I really thought yesterday's was the most spirited, and
that makes pure be like, well, what do we do
in the other one?

Speaker 4 (01:39):
That's not what I meant. I mean, it's like just watching.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Team drills yesterday, and again they don't have pads on,
they don't of helmets on, they're not blocking, you know,
all that stuff too. But it was fast paced, good football,
I thought yesterday more so so. I mean the young
guys I think are starting to acclimate to the speed
of the game and what's expected of them. And again
there's only been five of them in books and they're
not doing rigorous stuff.

Speaker 4 (02:02):
But still you can see progress.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, you absolutely can. And there's listen, I think there's
some real world ties to that too. Everybody, everybody knows you.
You don't walk into work every day completely gung ho
it's the best day ever. Let's go attack this, let's
go attack this day. There's also some of this process,
and it's funny. I feel like we continue to use
like the school analogy for this, but it's it's a
very similar kind of your same calendar every year type

(02:28):
of routine when you're you know, when you're tenth grade,
students come in for the first couple weeks of school.
You're not instantly hitting the ground running on all the
new stuff you're going to learn that year. Of course,
you're reinforcing a little bit of what you learned the
previous year. You're kind of building back up that base
since you've been gone for a few months. Yeah, and
I think that's part of it too. Some of that

(02:50):
is just naturally, there's there's a little bit more of
I don't want to say acclimation, but like a ramp
up period.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, I think you're one hundred percent right.

Speaker 3 (02:58):
I mean, part of it is you can't do calculus
unless unless you've done algebra. You can't do algeba unless
you've done arithmetic.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
And if you have, if you haven't done algebra for
three or four months, you're not gonna jump round.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
And that's your point too, like let's refresh a little
bit of what we did two years ago too.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
And they'll definitely do that at camp.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
I mean, after next week, these guys are going to disappear,
and of course they'll work out, and of course they'll
do football stuff.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
They might even get together in Florida or something like that.
And uh, as we've got Dan, do we golf? Dale?
Dale's off today, not feeling great, not feeling great. Yea
veterans day. He's earned it, he's earned day.

Speaker 4 (03:37):
He's put money in the back.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yet Steelers in a row with Dale on the sideline.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
I wondered he should be back then.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
Coming over here yelling at us, wondering where Dale is.
That's what we love being on site here too.

Speaker 4 (03:49):
And hey, that's the boy off that golf in no way, man, that's.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
What that is. Because I heard him say golf. I
didn't know. Yeah, that's funny. Danny Smith, of course, the
well known high character yelling at our at our table
here as we get underway on day number six. But yeah,
you're you're you're absolutely right when you have that time off.
I think that's something everybody can relate to, even Matt.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
You and I like you need the time off.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
We'll take one week vacations away from away from what
we do, to go to Hilton Head or to go
to the Outer Bank, so wherever people go and then
you come back in that first Monday or Tuesday, it's
kind of like, wait, where do I plug my head
set in?

Speaker 4 (04:27):
Right?

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Wait? Okay, what do we normally talk about on Thursdays?
That's when we do a Twitter segment and you know.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Like these three guys got signed around the league, or
there's an injury or so, you know whatever.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Everybody does that when they're away from work for a week,
you know, let alone a few months or or five
six weeks at a time like these guys are. So
I think it's that's part of the when you're finally
seeing what feels like the energy full till all the
way to eleven.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
Yep, exactly.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
And I talk about the league and they're so smart
with how they market things, and there are a few
things though that once you get there, they're not as
exciting as they.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
Have about to be.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
OTA's is one of them. Like everyone's like, oh, they're
back at it football. Yeah, and that's true. But all
these reporters that are going to be here have to
write something about every day that they're here, and there's
not that much just to really go away and then
next week will be so much crazier, you know, mandatory
mini camp. It's not so much crazy, it's a baby.

(05:26):
And then you get the training camp and rightfully, so
there's that acclamation period, like where you said you've been away.
We're not going to just jump into two days backs
on backers, you know, beat the crap out of each other.
But that acclamation period's a little bit more like this
than it is the dog days of August. And then
I always say this, the most overrated thing on the
NFL calendar is the Hall of Fame game. They're like, oh,

(05:49):
we're playing real football teams against teams, and then you
watch for like two series, like, I don't know anybody
out here.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
It's a couple and it's mostly guys who might be
lucky to make a practice score.

Speaker 4 (05:59):
Right right, right.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
I mean those guys at the extra preseason game, they're
just kind of letting the bottom of the roster guys
fill it out.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
You know, I mentioned absolutely, absolutely a couple of things
that I mentioned there. It is another special edition of
The Drive. An absence here our guy Dale Lawley taking
another much earned veteran's day just to get himself back healthy.
And if you all listen to the show on Tuesday,
he was struggling with his voice and everything. So just
taking another day off. You'll have myself and Matt.

Speaker 4 (06:28):
Kind of a job requirement to be able to talk.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Kind of a job requirement to be to be able
to speak. Yes, And so we want Dale to to
rest up and get right because you can't be you
can't be playing injured this time of year because by
the time we get to the real thing, you'll have
nothing left. But we are hoping maybe Rob King will
jump on with us at some point for a few minutes.
We will have a player guest, as we always do
their practice. They've been awesome. Nick was great, We've had Faltanu,

(06:53):
We've had Betton, We've had some we've had some some
really good Jaylen Warren as well too. You know, again,
guys are going to play a prominent role in how
this team succeeds this year. He was a lot. We
could have probably, yeah, done another another segment with him,
So we will have it's usually about twelve ten, twelve
fifteen ish, a few minutes after practice concludes that we

(07:15):
will have a player interview with you here as well too.
And since this is a special edition of The Drive,
it's a different time it's a little bit of a
different format, and of course you've got this Yuler JABBRONI
here hosting, but it is a Thursday, Matt. I did mention,
you know, Twitter questions and things like that a few
minutes ago.

Speaker 4 (07:33):
I've been doing Twitter Thursdays consistently.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
That's what I was going to say. I know you
guys do Twitter Thursdays. Those who listen to you know
the blitz with motes and I. We do Twitter segments
regularly as well too, at least a couple of times
a week. So if you've got Ota related questions for
Matt and I remember no specifics about what they're doing
here on the field, but we can share obviously general
observations and then any bigger picture questions you might have

(07:57):
this time of year. If you want to get at us,
we will get to the tweets here today on the
show as well. You could find me at Wesley Yuler, Matt,
of course you all already know at Williamson NFL. A
question that I have for you, not a Twitter question,
but a Wesley question. You know, there's certain times a
year where we can all sit down here at the

(08:18):
microphones and we don't have to have much conversation about
what we're talking about that day. When we come in
on a Monday and the Steelers one on Sunday or
they lost on Sunday, there's plenty to talk about, more
than when it's a Friday and you're getting ready to
play the Chicago Bears on Sunday. We all know what
we're talking about. There's not a lot of mystery there.

Speaker 4 (08:36):
But at times, and really during the season, becomes kind
of ground.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
Because Monday, you're recapping the game, Tuesday final thoughts on
the game, and you get Mike Tomlins press conference, right,
and then yeah, Wednesday, Thursday, practice reports start coming out.
You start turning the page and previewing the upcoming opponent.
This time of year met little transparency for the audience.
I gotta do a little bit more dig in, all right,
a little bit more content.

Speaker 4 (09:01):
It is.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
So I was sharing this with you before we went
on air, but you know, I'm sitting down here. I
got down here about a half an hour before the show,
and I'm scrolling through different article you know, local stuff here.
What are people talking about? Nationally? What are people talking about?
And one thing that I noticed, no matter where you go,
is you will find an article talking about a certain
player looking to take a step forward after their rookie

(09:21):
season looking too. We talk about this a lot, right,
You're either getting better, you're getting worse. There's so much
in between that dreaded sophomore slump versus the sophomore step forward.
We've seen both. We all know examples of both. Every
website I go to. Now, Matt, it's bo Nick's striving
for that successful second year step, Jayden Daniels and the
Commanders looking to avoid that sophomore slump. A lot of

(09:44):
different articles about that. So thirty thousand foot view here
to start, obviously, But when I say, you know, guys
who are looking to build upon their rookie season take
a step forward and not have that dreaded sophomore slump,
where does your mind go? Where do you start? Where
does that begin? What does that look like?

Speaker 4 (10:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (10:02):
I mean, so you mentioned the Commanders, and to me,
that's a real easy place to start. I mean, Jaden
Daniels had a remarkable rookie season.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Ben Roethlisberger for most wins ever for a rookie.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
Yeah, I mean, and it wasn't smoking mirrors. I mean,
it was good, high quality football from the neck up,
with his feet, with his arm et.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
Cetera, et cetera.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
And he was second pick of the draft, so I
mean a shock, but I mean obviously was a high
pedigree guy. But we were saying the exact same things
about C. J. Stroud a year ago, who was a
second pick in the draft with the Texans. I mean,
both those teams when they drafted those quarterbacks that high
were bad. There wasn't much infrastructure there obviously, and we

(10:46):
all thought man Stroud's gonna be one of the best
players in the league.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
Won a playoff game is rookie season.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
Yeah, And frankly, I'm not worried about him, but just
remember progress isn't linear. I mean, I mean Dan Stroud
did not take a step. Yeah, I mean he he
had an okay second year. Like if I'm the Texans,
I'm not the slicet bit worried about him. I was
more worried about his protection and things. But it wasn't
like he just put the stamp on it, like I'm

(11:11):
at the Joe Burrow level.

Speaker 4 (11:12):
This is easy boom. I'm there, you know. So maybe the.

Speaker 3 (11:16):
You know, the cart before the horse could be applying
to Daniels and some of these guys that.

Speaker 4 (11:20):
Had a lot of early, early super success.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
And let's not forget what do you think the Eagles
giants in Dallas defensive coordinators.

Speaker 4 (11:29):
Are doing right? You know, it's not figuring out exactly
what you know.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Here's where he had success, here's who we're going to
try and make him play left handed next time we
see him.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
One hundred percent. Man, we did this one little thing
and he didn't love it. Let's do it ten more times.
You know, it's exactly so. And injuries obviously, but this
league happened so quick, and someone like Roderck Jones, I
think is a perfect, perfect example, is like this to
bring up to the Steelers. I know he's on his
second year, but he's to the point already where they

(12:00):
have to have a pick up the fifth year option,
yes or no. Here after this you got to make
that decision of his long term future here basically, and
it seems like he just got here.

Speaker 4 (12:10):
You know.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
So a lot of these rookies kind of like you mentioned,
I mean, you're a shark. I mean, if you stop swimen,
you die. I mean, and you got to keep getting
better because everyone around you does. And when you look
at the Steelers class, it's interesting because even the first
round pick, you didn't get a ton of snaps out
of them because of injuries the right right, and so

(12:32):
you would think all those guys are ahead of the
incoming rookies the class after them, because they have been
in the facility, they understand what's expected of them, spent
more time in the weight room, and all.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
The Troy Fount when he was on with us, talked
about how it might have been injured last year, But
I was in every meeting, every position meeting, team meeting, learning, studying,
preparing as if I were going to be starting that weekend.

Speaker 3 (12:54):
But if you're him or Logan Lee or unfortunately we
already saw it with Watts or Roman Wilson, if this
year doesn't go well, the league doesn't wait for you,
not at all. I mean, especially if you're in the
mid round area. I mean Feltlano maybe is somebody that
they would wait for if he happened to get injured
or you know, have a setback or whatever. But you're

(13:16):
a fifth round pick in your first two years are
kind of a wash. Best of luck, dude.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
And and that's another one of those inside baseball to
use that reference that that I know a lot of
the sports fans will get out there. You know, that's
an old nerdy baseball TV show that really kind of
changed how the game was covered. It wasn't the headline
type drama conversations. It was real in depth what's this
picture due from his four seam to his two sea?

Speaker 3 (13:43):
Like there wasn't much of it back then, you know, right, right,
exactly exactly right.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
I knows stuff basically for baseball, you know where for
now I think, you know, kind of like an inside
look at the you know, the whole not for long
thing like you and Dale, I think it was. Last
week made a joke about how people scream about the
Steelers development of quarterbacks. Right this is and again the
quarterback can always be its own conversation. But I think

(14:07):
in general for everybody is their development that has to
happen from the coaching staffs at this level, absolutely, but
also a lot of that is your own onus. A
lot of that is on the guy you are. At
the National Football League, there are only so many moments
where the coaches have time to really hands on coach
you through technique and all the different things. Because as

(14:28):
you love to say on Wednesday and Thursday, they don't
have time to do that. They're getting ready to beat
the Ravens.

Speaker 4 (14:33):
No, right, exactly.

Speaker 3 (14:34):
I mean there's a lot less fundamentals coaching, you know,
that kind of stuff they're expected to have when you're here.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
I mean, you played obviously a few years of high
level varsity football, and then most of these guys played
at least a few years of high level college football.
So yeah, you have to coach them up, you have
to develop them, but there's also an expectation of Again,
a lot of that is on your own personal work
ethic in your time that you dedicate to go above
and beyond.

Speaker 4 (15:01):
One hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (15:02):
And again that comes back to you know, scouting backgrounds
and things like that too, like the you know what,
I think there's three hundred and fifty six players drafted
every year. It's eight times thirty two, whatever that is.
I think it's three fifty six. But how many of
those if you read or write a scouting report for them,
raw needs work? You know, a lot more than half
a ton, right, I mean, this guy's a project. Small

(15:24):
school guy, didn't play football until a senior year of
college or you know he's from Africa or Australia or
something like that in Germany. Yeah, right right, And you know,
superstar talent first roundability, but you draft them a fourth
round and you develop them. Well that sounds great until
they get here and you're like, well, how much time

(15:45):
do I have to do that?

Speaker 4 (15:46):
He doesn't even know the basics, you know. And so
every staff's different.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
Everyone has to realize their ability to develop talent's different.
Their time and dedication to it is different, and a
thousand percent to your point, the young man also has
to be very devoted to it as well, not like
I'll try this football thing and see how goes.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
There's a reason why we talk about those guys, the
mencas and the abs with the insane over the top
above and beyond work ethic and dedication and film study
and taking care of the Craziest thing to me is
I think the I think people would like jaw drop
if they knew just one in one season the amount
of money that some of these guys, out of their

(16:28):
own pockets spend on their.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
Body times a thousand, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:31):
I mean it is six figures, easily pushing over half
a million. If you've got a personal chef, a personal trainer,
massus taking care of yourself, Like Motz talks about that
all the time. He's like, I would have to really
because you know, he wasn't Mika Fitzpatrick making twenty million
dollars a year. He's like, I really had it, Like, Okay,
I really want to invest in myself and in my body,

(16:52):
but I have to make sure I'm not spending all
my money like these guys spend a lot, the ones
that hang in the league for eight, nine, ten plus year,
they are investing not only their time, their money, their energy,
all these things into getting to that one percent.

Speaker 4 (17:08):
No doubt.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
And I think James Harrison's one of the more obvious
examples around here.

Speaker 4 (17:13):
He was pretty public with it, but him and he
had an extra puncturist and things like that too, that were.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
That at that time weren't necessarily you know, common.

Speaker 4 (17:21):
Oh right right right ahead of the curge.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
Jerry Rice had his ballroom dancing instructor right like that.
That was not a normal thing back then.

Speaker 3 (17:29):
And sometimes they fly these guys to wherever they're at,
you know, their chef, their personal trainers, Like I have
all the respect to the world for NFL strength and
conditioning staffs obviously, but frankly, I from what I understand,
their jobs are kind of secondary for these dudes because
they all have their personal trainer that they're paying out

(17:49):
of their pocket.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
And again, they've got dozens and dozens of people to
take care of, right.

Speaker 3 (17:53):
Like next door, I think it's a little more player
specific set, you know, Like, Okay, Johnny, we're trying to
bulk you. We were doing a lot of this yesterday.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
You're eighteen nineteen, we know your red shirting.

Speaker 3 (18:07):
We want to turn you into an offensive tackle, but
you're two hundred sixty five pounds.

Speaker 4 (18:10):
Our goal is to put a ton of weight on you,
a good weight. For these guys, it's.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Like one of them might just be like I got
to get to next week, or I'm trying to get
as much out of my career.

Speaker 4 (18:19):
As I possibly can, or boy, i've had a knee
for ten years, or one more contract, right, one more
contract exactly.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
And the thing that's even crazier, and it's become really
common now and it wasn't a couple of years ago.
And that's why I also think quarterback accuracy has drastically
well take one step back, Like when I was scouting
twenty years ago. Everyone in the world's like, well, if
you're not accurate in college, you can't be accurate here, right,
I mean, it's gonna.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
Be harder, And that makes people so sad. That about
Josh Allen when he was coming out of y hoping.

Speaker 4 (18:49):
And they were kind of right. He was all over
the place the first two years.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
That was a big issue.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
Yeah, and Anthy Richardson's going through it now. I mean,
Dak Prescott hurts. A lot of these guys have gotten
more accurate at the NFL level, which is like, how
is that possible? I mean, it's harder. But the thing is,
to me, that's all about these personal quarterback coaches and
biomechanics and things that are way over my head. But
I mean way advances in technology that you're your plant

(19:17):
foot is two inches to the left, and every time
you do that, Anthony, the ball goes sailing, you know,
you know, like and so going repeatable mechanics, right, golf
swing's a great way of putting it. Brady looks the
same all the time, even you know, repeatable mechanics is
the way I look at it. And man, and some
of the guys never get it. But you know, a

(19:40):
mill Row or someone like that. It should be doing
that constantly.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
Right now, you know, Yeah, and it is. That's so,
there's our there's expensive. It's it is, it is. I'm
sure you talk to any of these guys and it
is not cheap. It is not cheap. And that's just
you know, that's one element. That's the coach. Then you
got the you know, then you got the nutritionist or
the trainer. You got your act personal like right right,
absolutely might even have your own creation and like a
lot of these guys have their own chefs.

Speaker 4 (20:05):
Right, they're not driving through Mconalds on the way home.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
The only Ocho Cinco, I think, was the only one
who was was able to get away with that, because
there are exceptions to every rule. We have to get
to a break. But a couple more things on this
conversation that I want to get to with Matt as
we roll along here. Plenty more to come on day
number six of OTAs. Remember we will get to your
Twitter questions at some point today as well too, So
get those in now, you knuckleheads. As we roll along

(20:29):
here in the backyard of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the UPMC
Rooney Sports Complex on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
Back on the Drive here on the final days of OTAs.
We got our usual ten to one schedule today with
a player appearance in the early noon hour. We also
reminder will be here next week, same time, the same place.
It will be many camp right as we as we say,
is a little bit different. I mean, it is capital

(21:16):
M mandatory for these guys that are under contract. And
while the on field portion there's not a ton of changes,
there's a lot more that they do in the facility
here in terms.

Speaker 4 (21:26):
Of meetings and things like the scene stuff.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
Behind the scenes stuff ramps up as well a lot too.
That's one thing that Motes talks about as well. Like
from a visual standpoint, a ton doesn't change when you
switch them in a camp, but inside those walls it
certainly does.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yeah, I think it's even a thousand times better than me.
But I think it's a little more regimented. It's a
little more like the season. This is how we do
things during the season. Exactly right now, exactly warm up
for that the preseason for the season in a way
in terms of practice time and all those Doude things
you have.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
All kind of meticulously thought out as we shared.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
And plus I'm excited to seek a cap and Watt
and the guys that I have no problem if they're
not here, but they will be here for mandatory mini camp,
you know, and.

Speaker 2 (22:06):
We will be here again, same exach schedule we've had
these last two weeks Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday from ten until
one right here on your twenty four to seven Home
of the Black and Gold, also simulcasting on nine to
seventy Fox Sports Pittsburgh, and the horn goes off for
a new period. Continue what we were talking about there, Matt,
just young guys in development and that that kind of

(22:27):
general conversation that we had. We mentioned and it's I know,
it's kind of low hanging fruit, but it's also it's
one of those topics that football fans like to talk about,
is always quarterbacks, right yeah, courfront, and we kind of
like mentioned guys like you know you you talked about it,
Jayden Daniels, and I mentioned a Bo Nixon there, yeah
as well too, we talked about c. J. Stroud and
his really successful rookie season and last year that wasn't

(22:50):
a disaster, but wasn't the stepping forward that everybody I
think expected it. You know, I think people were thinking, Okay, here,
this guy's gonna be a perennial top five quarterback, right,
you know, for the next decade. It and it obviously
wasn't that type of lift off. To use a rocket
ship analogy for him this past season. Young quarterbacks in
the NFL right now.

Speaker 4 (23:09):
Mm hm.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
So you know, the guys that have been drafted in
the last two or three years, if you were starting
a franchise Madden video game style, you got the first
overall pick, who you going with?

Speaker 4 (23:23):
I mean it's still Mahomes and all. Yes, those guys,
but I don't think they count. I mean you're talking.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
About the guys guys still on the rookie contract.

Speaker 4 (23:29):
Yes, I still think it's Daniels. I mean, yeah, I am.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
I don't know that I'm gonna expecting him to take
another step forward this year. Although they put more around him,
they put it really invested in his offensive line. They
grabbed the Deebo Samuel. I think they're gonna be a
very offensive heavy football team, which is great, which what
what exactly what you want to do around that guy?
But I'm really impressed with him from the neck up
to processing. You know, even his early starts were pretty

(23:58):
obvious that if your first read's aren't there, maybe go
to two, but just run it, you know.

Speaker 4 (24:03):
And then by the end of season it was way
different than that.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
He's moving everybody around, he's feeling blitzes, you know, all
that good stuff. So to me, he still stands alone.
Stroud would probably be next. Still, I still think he's
a high quality pocket passer, accuracy processing type dude. Then
I really am impressed with last year's class overall. I

(24:29):
mean that those six that were drafted, I don't have
really any reservations about. But I'm smart enough to realize
that the year that Lawrence came out, there was five drafted.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
The year Baker came out with like Allen and Rosen
and Jackson and those guys, there were five drafted. They're
not all going to hit. Yeah, I mean, I know
of the sixth lit in a couple of years. Yeah,
I mean, he was a total washout.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
And what's funny is the Lawrence class, Lawrence lance Fields Jones.
I mean it's not looking great. You know, everyone's a
you know, quarterback class. So this rookie class does look
historic after one year. And I'm really excited about JJ
McCarthy because the situation he's going in because he's the
one we didn't see, is really favorable. We saw what

(25:14):
Darnold did there, so I think he'll be a quality
player in that system.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, yeah, some good some good wide receivers to work with.
What are we yapping about right now? Matt's favorite young.

Speaker 4 (25:26):
Quarterbacks quarterbacks are on the league.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
Yes, Pat Fryar is our favorite young quarterback in the
National Football League. Asking us what we're yapping about here? Yeah,
I think you're like, I think that is that is
maybe the perfect nest there in Minnesota.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
I think it might be the best one out there
to put Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, So I'm excited to
see how that goes. Chicago to me is so interesting
because certainly in your lifetime, but really in my lifetime.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
And had very good quarterback play.

Speaker 4 (25:53):
The worst the worst, I mean the worst, I mean horrible.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
I mean Jay Cutler might be the second best quaresquarterback
in franchise history. Yeah, he was obviously a capable starting
NFL quarterback.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
But there's so many first rounders after first rounders, and
mister Bisky was one of them, and after a while
you have to kind of right, oh yeah, I mean
if you're them, you might have to be like, it's
not you, it's me, you know, like is this I
know it's windy and the field conditions aren't great, but
that's not enough to be like every quarterback we ever draft,
right thinks you know, So.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
Those are the conditions in Buffalo too, and Jost good, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (26:28):
I mean, is it just an owner organizational thing that
they don't bring them along properly?

Speaker 4 (26:33):
Like after a while, you can't be like it's just
bad luck.

Speaker 3 (26:36):
And I wonder with Caleb Williams, now you go get
the best offensive mind that was available in Ben Johnson,
who's who's perfect for him and is as important to
me is they got a new guard, a new center
and new guard. I mean, they rebuilt the entire interior
the line, so he kind of and in the first
two rounds.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
They've got some high pedigree guys at the tackle position
over the last couple of year as well. Yeah, and
Darnell Wright was what overall.

Speaker 4 (27:05):
So like Minnesota, that might be a really.

Speaker 3 (27:10):
Great environment for a young quarterback, at least on paper,
but it never has been in Chicago history, you know,
fifty years. After a while, there's some teams, the Bears,
the Jets, you know, the Browns. After a while, you
go be like, maybe it's you guys. You know, matter
who you take, it doesn't work out.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Yeah, No, I I think that is a fair point.
I want your opinion too, along the lines of this
conversation of Bryce Young.

Speaker 4 (27:34):
You know.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, you mentioned in the last segment, which I was laughing.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
At before we do, Drake May's I'm infatuated Drake Many. Yeah,
I mean from the last year class.

Speaker 4 (27:42):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (27:43):
Yeah, yeah, let's go through You're right, let's go through
the last year class too. So Daniels would be one
May would be to would be too. Yeah, I mean
I think he played with the worst and I was
gonna say, he's got the opposite of the good nest.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
Absolutely, he had a terrible nest. He went as his
nest was on fire, and this was even true at Carolina.
Everything went as.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
He watch him at UNC.

Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yeah, way to the world on his shoulders, and he's
immensely talented. I'm sure he'll have there'll be some roller
coaster because he's not getting a ton of help.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
But I would take Drake May, Like, hey, what would
Steelers give up for Drake May right now? Whatever you want?

Speaker 1 (28:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, I like if they could get that kind of
guy in next year's draft. Oh baby, you know so
I amn't really high on that last year's class Pennix
as well, you know, I mean he.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
Is a gunslinger, not yes, I mean he may end
up being Jameis Winston.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
For better or worse, because he is aggressive and he
will chuck it and he's got a great arm, and
he is fast, but he doesn't play like a great athlete.

Speaker 4 (28:42):
He's a pocket passer, but he's fun. He sure is.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
I like all those guys, but I would definitely go
Daniels May off the off the top two.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
Nix is another one that when he came out, I
thought he's.

Speaker 3 (28:58):
That he that he would be that guy we talked
about yesterday, the Levis area of early second round, you know,
and history shows those dudes don't usually work out. But
to me, it's just a hand in glove fit. With
Sean Payton, you know that he's such a quick processor.
They throw the backs a lot. He's a way better
athlete than people realize. And like Pennix, like Daniels, he

(29:21):
was a six year guy that played a ton of
college football level. Yeah, and I'm sure you could help
me chime in with this too.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
Like the more football.

Speaker 3 (29:31):
I'm definitely a believer the more football you play at college,
the more starts you get.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Totally, especially at that position.

Speaker 3 (29:37):
At that position, I'm just talking quarterbacks. I mean that's
an old parcels things from the eighties. But now with
the money they're getting.

Speaker 4 (29:44):
Why come out. Yeah, I mean I was shocked at
some of these guys taking a pay cut.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
I was shocked at when you came out to be
to be a seventh round pick.

Speaker 4 (29:53):
He's taking a pay cut to do it.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
He's taken a huge pay cut. Could have easily had
some big tenor SEC team that would have paid him
for five, six, seven million.

Speaker 3 (30:01):
I mean if he goes to a Rutgers or a
pit or you know somewhere, well he would he'd get
an opportunity to beat the man the money.

Speaker 2 (30:10):
Money and then maybe, you know, maybe then the next
year you're a first or second round pick.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
Seventh and going in the seventh. I mean, he probably
thought he was going to fifth. But still that's not
a good business decision, you know. But so I do
think that's appealing. And boy, we're gonna have a lot
of these conversations between now and next year's draft.

Speaker 4 (30:28):
The guys were looking in front of us.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
But there's a lot of quarterbacks on next year's draft.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
It does look good, but a couple of guys that
are busted.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
And it doesn't mean this is the only reason, but
like I'm talking about former Steelers like Haskin and Haskins
and Trubisky, they hardly played any college football, you know.
I mean they're like one year starters or ten year
ten starts, eleven starts. You know, that's a lot different
than baunet, Nicks and Penix. And it used to be
such a negative that I remember when I was next door,

(30:57):
you know, Flacco left pit.

Speaker 4 (30:59):
You know, boy, he just doesn't want to compete. Well
now it's like if you talk to scouts, they're.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
Like, well, I get to talk to the Auburn people
and the Oregon Peach Daniels.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
You got Arizona State and LSU. Yeah, I mean Caleb Williams, Oklahoma,
and USC.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Cam Ward was at three of them and successful at
every level, more successful each time. But I look at
it too, like if you show the ability to switch
big schools and adapt, you could probably adapt to the NFL.

Speaker 4 (31:26):
Quicker, you know what I mean? Did you go to
a totally new environment and if.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
Your bone and you're at Auburn where it was more
of a not you know, I'm not saying Auburn was
running Iowa's offense. Yeah, it was much more pro style
than when he goes to Oregon in a complete spread
them out type thing. And you have and you have
success in both offenses right right.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
Right, and a lot more later, you know.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
I mean, like if he would have came out without
going to Oregon, it wouldn't have been he would have had.

Speaker 2 (31:49):
A uners like Michael Pennix. Michael Pennix led Indiana football
to their best season they had had in generations until
last year. Yeah, you know, winning nine games. When he
did that at Indiana was.

Speaker 4 (31:59):
Unhar unheard of him change the program.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
That's like Ohio State losing nine games in a season.

Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yeah, yeah, you know, and then he.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
Goes to Washington and takes them to a National.

Speaker 4 (32:08):
Championship Games runner up for the highst winners, and you know.

Speaker 2 (32:12):
We lost the National Championship Game to Georgia. Like, uh,
there's a lot more data points that you can take
from all those different people that worked with them throughout
their collegiate times.

Speaker 3 (32:22):
Yeah, and Shuck's a bit of an extreme example with age,
and like Brandon Weedon was twenty eight when he came out.
But frankly, if the Steelers draft the twenty five year
old quarterback next year or twenty four year old quarterback
next year, I almost prefer that to the twenty year
old if he's been playing football for three more years
or whatever.

Speaker 2 (32:40):
It is crazy like cam Woard multiple schools, Jackson Dart
multiple schools, Tyler Shock multiple schools, Jayln Milroe was whole time.

Speaker 4 (32:47):
Tyler Shuck has four degrees.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
They're called doctors. Dylan Gabriel multiple schools, even should Or
Sanders multiple point, multiple schools, Kyle McCord multiple schools, Will
Howard multiple Schoolsley Leonard multiple scores.

Speaker 4 (33:01):
Pretty much the way you just did.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Everyone pretty much all of them except for Jaln Milroe
went to multiple schools. And if we went down the
year before it'd be the same thing. But Drake may
would be like the one exception who who stayed at
the same school.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
Becoming pretty common.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
It is becoming very common. And Matt, that's like, that's
not going anywhere. And I know that that is one
thing that I think some traditionalists, certainly from a college standpoint,
but even from an NFL standpoint, like I don't you know,
I don't want to see guys jumping around. You know,
I get it, and I get that too, But yeah,
that's that's not going away. In fact, it's it's only
going to continue.

Speaker 3 (33:35):
I mean, as people know, and I mean you'd be
heartbroken if WVU recruits this quarterback, develops him. He turns
into like a Heisman runner if Major Harris would have
left before his great.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
Year, even like a Jordan Addison situation with with that
next stor you developed that guy. He wins the Polittanical
and it's not like he was a five star recruit
coming out. You did all the hard work, you did,
all you did, all the all the hard work. He
wins the Bolittanikoff Trophy and then and then he's on
the much money he's off usc for for for a
nice a nice well weather upgrade and financial upgrade there

(34:06):
at Southern California. Uh yeah, I do think we're getting
closer to there being parameters around that in college where
the guys are gonna have to make commitments like, Okay,
if you're gonna get this, you know, three million dollars
from us, there's gonna have to be a two year
contract involved, you know, and different things like that. It
should and I think, you know, that is something that
is in the house right now being discussed by you know,
real people with law degrees and and things like that,

(34:29):
and what they can and can't implement around contracts and
the same thing that they do in the professional sports
leagues that has now obviously infiltrated the college games as
well too. Last one, before we go to break, I
did want to get your thoughts on Bryce Young. We yeah,
you said in the previous segment when we were talking
about development, and I laughed because Arthur Motes says this
all the time too. Development's not always linear. Sometimes you

(34:51):
take them times you take three steps forward and then
step back, and then you take two steps forward and
then three steps back, and then you take five steps
forward and maybe a step back. But as long as
that development is still linear, that is, or not linear.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
But but Uppert cheer start making money as long as
you're on a upper shill going up, Now, that's what
you want.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
I think Bryce Young kind of he's a good example
of like this progress has certainly not been linear. No,
but I think there's still a lot there to like
there is.

Speaker 3 (35:15):
And one says one thing too before we get to him,
is I do think the state of the young quarterbacks
in the league it's pretty rich and fruitful. They won't
all hit and a lot of them will go backwards
or get an injury or you know, get replaced or whatever.
We know that a lot of bad things in store
for some of these names he brought up. But I
do think the you know, the first year contract quarterbacks

(35:37):
around the league is a pretty rich crop. And it's
certainly a talented crop. And it's a Mahomes influenced playmaking crop.
It's not drew bledsoe just dropping back. But you know,
when these guys are athletes and they're playmakers. As for Young,
I'm always going to be very prejudiced against his size,
and I think it will hurt him now and all

(35:59):
the time. It still hurts Russell Wilson, you know. I
mean there's the things they don't see. There's you know,
speaking of big pocket passers, I mean Ben's ability to
shrug off Terrell Suggs and be a big roa tree Josh.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
Allen take a HELOADI not a fist of the face,
right and.

Speaker 4 (36:15):
Keep on ticking like that.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
Stuff matters as well as you know, playing seventeen plus
games year after year, can your body hold up as
much as the two hundred and forty pounds six y
five guy. So that always worries me with the young
and that's why I like Stroud better than I'm coming
out to be honest. But I give him a ton
of credit and people rave about him from the neck
up and you can see it. He's a really quick

(36:37):
process or two he'll throw over the middle, even though
he is a shorter guy. And I thought he was
going to a disaster organization and they look that way.
And frankly, this is another conversation new owners, which new
owners doesn't happen off it, but like Tepper's kind of
a new owner. Yeah, and absolutely he didn't make his
money doing football. I think he was just shiny new

(36:58):
thing let's go get that shining, you know, like they're
just very reactive organization. But these past couple of years
they've invested in no line and stuff around Young, and
they had the worst defense on the planet last year
because they put all their resources on offense, which was
smart because the only thing that matters is right right,
you gotta know. And when he got benched, he should
have because he was a disaster. And then he comes

(37:21):
off the bench and he learned, you know. I mean
it was like I think he looked himself in the
mirror and realized, Okay, that was good for me, a
little bit of pressure off my shoulders to a much
lesser degree that happened to Richardson last year. He got
benched and came back and looked better than before. I mean,
I think he's far from being out of the woods,
but I think Young's pretty much out of the woods.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
You know.

Speaker 4 (37:41):
I think he'll be a top twenty quarterback now.

Speaker 3 (37:43):
Is that he's a viable starter in the Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
and improving rapidly. And again neck up is his assets.
He has a lot of playmaker to him as well.
He says they have a lot of physical traits.

Speaker 2 (37:54):
He's got the he's got the brain. Yeah, you just
wish he had the body as well too. Then he
then he then he would have the potential to be out.

Speaker 4 (38:00):
And every day when he wakes up, he's going to
be five eleven.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know that's not gonna change unfortunately. You know, around
that eighteen nineteen year old mark, you don't.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
Do much no growing, So I wonder you get wider,
just not taller. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
Are they happy with him? I mean, they gave up
a lot to trade up. Are they going to give
him a contract when that time comes.

Speaker 2 (38:21):
Because it's the same thing that you were saying with
with Roger Jones. They're getting close to having.

Speaker 3 (38:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, these things are coming soon, you know.
But he is improving, and I give him credit that
he's not a washout bust that he looked like for
a while there, you know. But he'd be lower on
my list than some of those names of the guys
from last year. Yeah, or at least take the yeah
of who I'm if you could throw one on the
Steelers right now, you know what I mean? He might
be my eighth or ninth choice of the right of

(38:46):
the first year or you know, first round guys from
you know, first year contract.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
The right right, right, yeah, Well, Schuler Matt Williamson, it's
a special edition of the Drive here on the final day,
day six of OTA's as it is another clear, hot
and humid, beautiful June day here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on
the south side. We will close down the first hour
when we return. It is a special edition of the Drive.

(39:11):
You are listening to Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold car Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
Back on the Drive as it is our number one
of three here today on day six of the STEELERSTA phase.
This is the final day of OTAs before that mandatory
mini camp begins next week. West Shuler, Matt Williamson with
you here. Our buddy Dale LOLLI getting another much deserved
veterans day off, but he is optimistic that he will
be back in ready to roll next week as well. Matthew. Interesting,

(40:03):
you and I in our you know, and I peeled
back the curtain on this for for everybody too. We
you know, had a few minutes of conversation about like,
all right, what exactly do we want to tell We're
at the end of the week. You know, we got
to come up with some content pieces here, and one
of the things we said was that we would go
around the division today. I will tease that now. We'll
do that in the next hour. But we got a
few minutes here, and I think this kind of transitions nicely.

(40:25):
ESPN just posted ranking the NFL's most likely worst two
first teams for the upcoming season. Ok So, since the
NFL went to the eight to four team division format
in two thousand and two, so about twenty three years ago,
twenty five teams in those twenty three years have gone
from worse to first in their division in a single season.

(40:46):
Guessed same here. Yeah, yeah, none last year, but in
twenty twenty three. The Texans are the most recent examples.
And stroud stuff the relevance that we were just talking about. Yep.
So they rank all the eight teams that finished last
in their division in their likelihood to bounce back from
that by winning their division. Number one on their list,
not a huge surprise. I don't think it's the San

(41:07):
Francisco forty nine ers.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
Yeah, I was said the Niners. I thought they were fourth.
I wasn't sure, but I mean they just thinking about
draft war.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
They were six and eleven last year.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
Crushed by injuries, but they lost a lot in free agency.
What's really weird to me, and people might be shocked
by this that I do think Cole Shanahan's a good
head coach, and I think he's a great offensive mine
play designer, all those things. I think that reputation is
very warranted. But he's been the head coach of the
Nine or the Niners now for eight years. He has
eight seasons in the books. Half of them he's won

(41:37):
double digit game. The other half he's.

Speaker 4 (41:40):
Lost double digit game.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
It's feast fan.

Speaker 4 (41:42):
It's all or nothing with that team, and part of
it's like an.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
NFC championship game or it's top ten.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
Packs and they've been to Super Bowl and they're right,
I mean, but then they think Bosa second overall the
next year, and you know, so it's real feasts or famine.
And I think a lot of that's because the roster
is so top heavy. They don't have a lot of
middle class.

Speaker 2 (41:58):
When you lose, when you lose mc affrey and I
you can Trent Williams.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
I mean, all of a sudden, we don't know nothing,
we don't have you know, the middle class guys. But
still they're capable of winning double digit games again.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
And they also have, according to f P I, the
easiest schedule in the National.

Speaker 4 (42:14):
Yeah, and it's by far, sorry sorry, but it's by
far the easiest. And their travel is not bad.

Speaker 3 (42:21):
They have some travel stuff that works in their some
rest stuff that works in their advantage. So yeah, I
think they should be first on the list. I would
probably pick the Rams right now though in the division. Okay, yeah,
I mean I'm not sure I'm picking any of these
teams right now, but likelihood to go worse the first sure.

Speaker 4 (42:37):
And they're also a winning organization.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
Absolutely no, absolutely, uh via Las Vegas. They do have
the best odds to win the division, but just ahead,
just ahead of the Rams, I'm.

Speaker 4 (42:46):
Sure because of the schedule.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Number two on the list is the Chicago Bears.

Speaker 4 (42:52):
That's the toughest division in the league to make, which.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
Is yeah, with some teams and the Packers and the
Lions and the Vikings that have been winning double games
consistently for a.

Speaker 4 (43:01):
Long time, really well coached team.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
Could you see one of them taking a step back
this season, of.

Speaker 3 (43:06):
Course, but all three, all three to the point where
where the Bears can go past them. I mean, I'm
not saying they shouldn't be second on the list, because
going worse to first is hard, you know, And we're
gonna have some the ones at the bottom of the
list are gonna have even.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
Up here, right, We'll see, like what the teams at
the bottom of this list.

Speaker 3 (43:21):
Yeah, I mean, I guess if the conversation were was,
of the eight teams that came in last in their.

Speaker 4 (43:27):
Division, who's the most improved. Maybe the Bears are number
one there.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
Yeah, you know, fair, it's fair, and if we talk
about coach and roster additions and draft and all that.

Speaker 4 (43:39):
But I also think something's missing with that organization. I mean,
they got to prove it to me.

Speaker 3 (43:43):
And Johnson is a really good offensive mind, like Shanahan,
but first time head coaches usually don't do well.

Speaker 2 (43:49):
It's a hard job, it absolutely is. There's there's certainly
some some learning curve there too.

Speaker 3 (43:54):
I probably would still pick them. I would probably still
pick them fourth in that division, I think so. But
I think it's the best of vasion Letely, they could
be right.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
I mean they could go eight to nine, yeah, and
yeah still be fourth in that division. Patriots number three
after going four and thirteen last year. A lot of
it is the belief in Drake.

Speaker 4 (44:13):
May Yeah, I get that.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
And they've done a lot to their roster anyway, and
they've done a ton to their roster. They've had a
lot of draft picks, they spent more money in free
agency than anyone.

Speaker 4 (44:25):
I rave about the quarterback.

Speaker 3 (44:28):
But if you were to look at this through the
opposite lens, what first place team is most likely to
run it back as the number one?

Speaker 4 (44:37):
I'd picked the Bills, Yeah, because.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
I just think that the other three is struggling.

Speaker 4 (44:43):
So that's what also works. The Patriots advantage is, yeah,
yeah they won.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
You got ticked on one team, right, two? Three?

Speaker 3 (44:49):
Like they could be better than the Jets, they could
be better than the Dolphins. They're trending the right way.
I'm not sure those two teams are. But can you
knock off the Bills?

Speaker 2 (44:56):
Probably not?

Speaker 4 (44:57):
Probably not.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Yeah, that's a pretty tough, tough.

Speaker 4 (44:59):
Josh Allen injury for that to have top.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
Dog UH Saints at number four. And I think a
lot of that is just because the NFC South is
a weak division, but you think, I.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
Think the Bucks are one of the most underrated organizations
going Every year they seem to win the division a
wild card, right, I mean, they made the Brady move
not that long ago, won a Super Bowl. Well coached,
they spend money, you know, they revitalize Baker, they take
a lot of real high character guys. They're not easy
to knock off the podium in the South because I mean,

(45:35):
I don't think Carolina and Atlanta is great, but I
think the Saints might be the worst team in the league.

Speaker 4 (45:40):
And they're probably they're they're hitting the reset button big,
big time.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
I mean, they don't have a lot of talent to
begin with, They've maxed out their credit cards. They're probably
going to start a second round rookie quarterback. You know,
they would not be third for me.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
No, or fourth, but but still yeah, yeah, because third
was the was the Patriots. Fifth is the Titans. And
this is interesting one to me because they are at
a you know, rock bottom starting over type situation if
you will, just pick of the draft and right, But
I also don't think they're in a crazy intimidating division either.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
Right, could they get past the Jags and Indie possible
Ward wins Rookie of the Year and you find out,
I mean, you know, you got a guy there. Maybe
they overspent on Dan Moore, good for him, but they
now actually have an offensive line because of their two
off seasons worth of addition. So that makes all the
sense in the world. I just don't know if they're

(46:31):
a talented enough team to win any division.

Speaker 2 (46:33):
Yet you know they're they're still really optimistic, they're still rebuilding.
Similar conversations are going to be had about all these
teams that we're getting too. Yeah, sure, Las Vegas at six,
though they I might have had them a little bit.
The division is such a thing. But of a lot
of these teams that we mentioned, I think we might
like there, at least the ones that are in the

(46:54):
bottom half of this list. What they're working with, I
love what I know. You're a big Geno Smith fan.
I mean, don't have to talk to me about my guy,
right right.

Speaker 3 (47:02):
They might be my favorite offseason because when you think
about the important things.

Speaker 4 (47:07):
They add Brady to the ownership group, which even late in.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
Al Davis's life, wasn't what it was in the seventies
and eighties, and you know what I mean, like they
that was a problematic area. A new GM who I
think is really really good from the Bucks organization, Pete Carroll,
who's probably a Hall of Fame coach. Then they go
get the highest paid offensive coordinator in NFL history from

(47:31):
Ohio State, and then they get a quarterback who's a
legit dude. So like the five most important things in
any organization all got way better, you know. So they
still have a lot of holes. I mean, I mean
they're back seven on defense is terrible, but gent is
going to get them all time right right right right.

(47:52):
The defensive line that gets Wilkins back, and you know
he was a high priced guy. That's a good front.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
Like the Raiders are one of those. If they were
in the right division, I think could could be pretty
high on this list.

Speaker 4 (48:02):
Yeah exactly. But are they going to be the Chiefs?

Speaker 2 (48:04):
You know?

Speaker 4 (48:05):
I mean the Chiefs are like five and one or.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
Six and h were a playoff team last year.

Speaker 4 (48:10):
Just look at the coaches not division now.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
Barball now too in LA there's three or four Hall.

Speaker 4 (48:15):
Of Fame coaches not division and they all have quarterbacks now,
and that's just a tough ass.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
I think it's kind of a similar to the Bears conversation.
If you're asking me, do I think that team's improved, Yes,
very much so, but that's not going to be enough
in their division.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
It's one of the few offseasons where I'm like, now
I understand what the Raiders are doing. A lot of
times I'm like, I don't get what this is do
at all, and it's been.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
Right besides moving to Vegas, right, Number seven is the
New York Giants. Of course, in the division with the
Ranning Super Bowl champion Eagles, they only have a three
point three percent chance of winning their division according to Vegas.
Tough schedule, not a ton of talent. They have tough divisions.
I mean, both teams that were in the NFC Championship
Game last year are in their division.

Speaker 3 (48:55):
Right, So even if it's just Russell Wilson all year,
they'll be better at quarterback. It's not the Veto and
those type of dudes. And their best offensive lineman missed
almost the entire year. Thomas Neighbors is going to be
a star. Their defensive front is awesome, you know, with
Lawrence and now Abdul Carter, they're good. Yeah, and they

(49:16):
just don't get the credit, and they'll get a chance
to rush the passer with leads and things like that.
And I actually think their defense will be in the
top half of the league. So they're another team I
think definitely improved, even if Dart doesn't do anything. But
I'm sure at some point he's gonna get out there
and you can at least see what he does. It's
just the schedule looks so horrific, And are they really
gonna beat the Eagles?

Speaker 4 (49:35):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (49:36):
Like I could see the Washington taking a step back
and not being even a playoff team, but they were
final four team last week, as you mentioned, and Dak
Prescott comes back, we might be looking at none.

Speaker 4 (49:48):
Worse the first this year.

Speaker 2 (49:49):
We might legit chances right.

Speaker 4 (49:53):
All right, because we're gonna get the AFC North here.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
Last and dead last. This will warm everybody's heart, just
like to see them at the bottom the barrel.

Speaker 4 (50:00):
Yeah, the Cleveland.

Speaker 2 (50:01):
Browns, who have just a two point seven percent chance
of winning their division according to Vegas, just a nine
point eight percent chance of making the playoffs, and the
current favorite to land the first round draft pick or
the first overall draft pick part of me here in
Pittsburgh about ten months from now.

Speaker 4 (50:17):
Oh man, that can be added to some drama here.
I think the Saints are next.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
I knew it was the Browns or Saints or the
odds on favorite to get the first overall pick, but
the Browns have a much suffer schedule. Giants have the
toughest schedule in the league. The Browns is the second worst.
You know, so not a lot of favors there.

Speaker 4 (50:34):
What's your guest.

Speaker 3 (50:35):
They got Gabriel, they have Sanders, they have Kenny, and
they have Flacco. And I guess Watson's back throwing. But
I don't say yeah, I'm going to operate that he
never plays, at.

Speaker 2 (50:46):
Least not in September. Right, if they're a disaster, do
they throw him in around Halloween time?

Speaker 4 (50:52):
Maybe?

Speaker 3 (50:53):
So, Like my question is, how many quarterbacks do you
bet they start this year? I would yeah, And that's
even if everyone's healthy. I mean, that's like pooling guys
gets hurt week one, you.

Speaker 2 (51:08):
Know, because I think we will see both Kenny and Flacco.

Speaker 3 (51:11):
Yeah, I think Flacco starts the season, but he's a
wild card and he's so old, you know, what do
you gain him by doing that, that one's gonna be
clamoring for one of the rookies to get out there sooner.
And they actually gave something up for Kenny. They didn't
just pick him up for right, and they see something.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
An important angle to the Browns discussion too, is they
are not a team starting over with the first year
head coach, no his hot and so if it's okay,
Joe Flacco and Kenny pickt are going to give me
the best chance to win, to go five hundred. Yeah,
that's that's where I'm gonna go.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
And they just invested in Miles Garrett where they could
have traded him and really blew the thing up. Correct,
You know, they're they're living in a tough world. And
they do have the Jags first round pick next year
and their pick, and so.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
That could be another top ten, top twelve.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
Yeah, the two really early picks, you know.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
But then by here Pittsburgh, man, that would be a set.

Speaker 4 (52:01):
That's pretty crazy.

Speaker 3 (52:02):
You thought about the Browns getting first overall pick here
in the North Shore. You know, Okay, you ready for
this too, but they should be last.

Speaker 2 (52:07):
Imagine like ten months from now, I'm gonna paint you
a hypothetical drafts happening over on the North Shore. Yea,
Browns have the first pick and they take Penn State
quarterback Drew Aler first. Overall, all the conflicting feelings and
emotions there the Steelers and the Browns, And wouldn't that

(52:28):
wouldn't that be a scene about ten months from now
across across the river. But yeah, I'll go with three three,
three different starters, maybe maybe four who uh you know,
end up we end up seeing four of those guys
someone you know, like halfway through a game. Dylan Gabriel
goes in type of thing. Yeah, but three different starters.
I'll go with this season, I.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
Bet at least three quarterbacks throw passes this year at least,
and I might get even set the line at three
and a half.

Speaker 2 (52:53):
I think that's fair. That's a good way to put it. Starters.
Maybe I'll go three, but guys that are going to
throw meaningful passes A well meaningful that's a I guess
we interpreted or could throw real passes in games. I'll
go three and a half.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
What could screw us up, though, is what if they
don't keep all four? You know, like most teams don't
keep someone keep two.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
I mean sure. I mean to me, that made it.
It's so weird.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
We talk about this a lot, you know, like how
do you allocate snaps in this environment in next week
in mini camp, in training camp. The Browns make no
sense to me with how they allocate their quarterback snaps
because it black On needs the least. But he wasn't
with the team last year, and he's your opening day starter.
He needs to throw to Judy and the Joku and

(53:33):
all those guys.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
Like you said you gave up some stuff for Picket,
you want to see him. Absolutely got two rookies that
you want to see, right, why do you draft two?

Speaker 4 (53:40):
You know, like how do you get all those guys
the work they need?

Speaker 3 (53:43):
And meanwhile you're probably setting yourself up to take one
with the first overall pick next year too, Like it's
it makes no sense to me. And I know we'll
talk more stuff around the league, but the fact that
they didn't draft an offensive lineman crazy is just malpractice.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
Let's uh, we'll stay with that. We'll stay with the
AFC North when we return for the second hour of
the show special edition of The Drive, West Shuler and
Matt Williamson here on location for the final OTAs practice
at the upmc rooney Sports Complex On Steelers Nation Radio
on the Steelers Audio Network,