HR1: Live from Training Camp

Wes and Matt react to the Steelers' victory on Saturday and lead into today's practice.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Iheartradios live coverage. I'm not twenty twenty five Steelers training camp.
He's presented by FedEx where now meets next and also
brought to you by First National Bank, by Kalucy Chevrolet,
iron Workers Union Number three, by Easy Home Exteriors, by
SNT Bank, we Max Select Realty, by Tons Appliances, the

(00:27):
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
and by us Steel.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation, and welcome back to the campus
at Saint Vincent College. Here another beautiful day in Latrobe, Pennsylvania,
for what is already matt Our penn Ultimate, our next
to last practice here on campus.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
That happened quickly, yep. I always like to quote MoES.
It's not the last training camp practice, but it is
our version of Channing camp and in the second the
last one at Saint Vincent. And so there is a buzz.
The weather is wonderful, as you mentioned, We've got a
game to talk about. That's pretty cool, you know, and
let's roll.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Absolutely it looks like it'll be a non padded practice
for the Steelers here today.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Shocked me a little bit. It was a minor disappointment
I thought we might see some banging, but I assume
tomorrow along those.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Tomorrow will be along those lines. But I'm with you.
I thought maybe because you know, you're allowed to have
too in a row. Yeah, it's kind of the the
way this it's collectively bargained in the CBA. Two padded
practices you can have back to back, but then on
the third day you have to do non padded I
was hoping that we'd get too in a row here
to kind of close us down for camp.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
But I guess Thursday is going to be a very
physical time.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
I would imagine Thursday against the Bucks is going to
be a very physical day. So it kind of makes sense,
you know, ease off of a Monday, physicality, Tuesday, ease off, Wednesday,
physicality Thursday, ease off Friday, and then preseason game on Saturday.
And this is matt Man. This is like the time
of year that it all happens very quickly, doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, all of a sudden, all sudden, right like bo Okay,
we got this practice, I drive home, We got to
unpack our stuff, you know, we go. We already had
a preseason game. The other one's coming pretty darn soon. Yeah,
you know, I don't know. I don't know how people
cover other sports, you know, like once a week. It
seems like games come fast, you know, let alone five

(02:16):
a week in hockey or baseball or whatever. But I
guess you don't prep for the next one like you
do in correct NFL obviously, and not that people were
prepping a lot for preseason, No, no, absolutely not.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
But yeah, it always strikes me how quickly that happens,
as to like, after this week we're gonna have the
home preseason game. Then it'll be that kind of quick
turnaround for the Thursday preseason game.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
And Jack or in Carolina.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Part of me so, what like thirteen days from now,
twelve days from now, the Steelers will be playing their
final preseason game and then be awkward.

Speaker 4 (02:45):
Yeah, it's very quick how it all happens.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
I saw it was a little break before the regular season.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yes, right, like the football Ireland guys were posting the
college football season starts.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
In two weeks in Ireland.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, Kansas State and Iowa State are playing in Ireland
to open up the college football season.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, it's at the other so they have kind of
two big stadiums in the Dublin area. The one is
obviously historic Croke Park, which you know is built in
the eighteen hundreds and has been remodeled a bunch of
times since then. But where the Steelers will host the
Minnesota Vikings a little over a month from now and
then I think it's called Aria Stadium, which is newer,
I think, only built within the last five years or so,

(03:22):
where they do like that's where Florida State and Georgia
Tech played a college football game there last season. So
that's where the college football game will be again. Not
the same place that we will be, same stadium that
we will be in late September. But yeah, it all
starts happening really quick, really fast around this time of year.
And this is it in terms of the public portion
of training camp here on the campus of Saint Vincent College.
You got today and you got tomorrow, and then that

(03:44):
will be it for the twenty twenty five Steelers training
camp slate. Matt, we got these Steelers twenty five preseason
slate underway this past Saturday night down in Jacksonville. Man,
A lot of times I think preseason games could be
very boring. I'm not gonna lie to you, Sure but Saturdays,
I don't think was thirty.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
One to twenty five.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, a lot to deduce for the offense, for the defense. Heck,
we saw Cam Little knock down a seventy yard field goal.
There was a lot happening on Saturday night.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah. I mean, if you had no horse in the
race and you just turned it on. The seventy yard
field goals the thing everyone's talking about. And Travis Hunter
played both sides of ball, like, oh, okay, you know
that really is going to happen. But really, from a
Steeler perspective, I would really have to pick knits for
that to gone any better. To be honest with you,
I mean, they sat, as most people know, but I

(04:36):
think the number was eighteen. I heard Max Stark saying
that eighteen non injured players, like he didn't count McCollum
or high Smith who weren't going to play. Yeah, exactly.
That truly got rested, and obviously none of those guys
were in harm's way, and they still had really good
quarterback play. I thought, you know, coach Tomlin mentioned a
few times highly they didn't shoot themselves in the foot,

(05:00):
didn't have any procedural errors all in all. I mean
it was a very clean play game. I you know,
I have a word document open as the game goes on,
and probably three different times I kept writing, really good
tackling performance by the Steelers, you know, which is kind
of rare for the first time he actually play a
real game. Saw the second string O line out there,
a bunch you saw, you said, really good quarterback play,

(05:22):
and some guys that aren't household names made their case
a little stronger, you know, so I thought it was
a highly successful outing.

Speaker 4 (05:29):
I did as well too.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
You had a couple of lead changes in there as
well too, which I think is always good for preseason game,
you know, like, all right, we're playing with the lead now,
all right, we're trailing. Now, how are we gonna attack
and adapt? And kind of most importantly, doesn't seem like
it seems like you escaped that stadium with no real injuries.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Of not I buried the lead. Yeah you're you're under sounds.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Like Cameron McCutcheon was the only one, and he was
actually waived by the team this morning. But other than that, man,
no harm, no foul, a lot of rook. He's got
some good work.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
Man.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Jack Sawyer played a ton as we see him kind
of patrol in the middle of the field here.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Absolutely, there was a couple even so they sat the
big dogs, as we know, but like the next level
of big dog, you know, like game Well started the game,
but I think he only played like four snaps, so
they got a lot of those dudes out quickly as well.
But Sawyer and Leal, I mean, you had three outside
linebackers out in this game. But those guys played deep

(06:29):
into this game. Harrimon, the first round pick, basically played
all of three quarters, you know. So there were a
couple guys, and that's not a unique thing for Tomlin.
He did this with Roderick Jones. There's been some rookies
that they like that he will play a lot to
make sure they're in shape. I think, in my opinion,
you know, just get a ton of reps in a
hot environment, et cetera. Wasn't hot. I mean it wasn't

(06:50):
crazy hot.

Speaker 4 (06:50):
It wasn't crazy hot, but it was steamy.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
It was typical Florida. Yeah, it was.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yeah, it was that you know, classic Florida. Had kind
of been raining on and off all day and so
it was humid, it was it was sticky and steamy.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Out there. Okay, I'm sure they noticed, you know, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
Oh absolutely, I mean you should have seen Max.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Max was dying in the press box and he was like,
I thought this was going to be easier than being
on the sideline.

Speaker 3 (07:13):
Air conditioning, this sort of suspect.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
Well, no, we always we open up the windows completely
the booth, you know, because you got to be able
to hear. And so yeah, I mean it's not quite
as bad as being down on the field, but it
was still it was still pretty humid up there in
the booth, no doubt.

Speaker 4 (07:29):
But yeah, it was fun.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
Man.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
We got you know, we had Ramone Foster on the broadcast.
It was a lot a lot of fun listening to
him and Max go back and forth and talking about
the offensive lineman and the defensive lineman. And I think
we all came away impressed by and it's mad. It's
what you like to see, Like, we want to see
the guys build upon what we're seeing. A practice here,
how about another?

Speaker 3 (07:47):
So sounds like your side of things. Max's sweating side
was a success. It was.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
Listen, the first game is always a little bit of
a it's always a little anxiety. I'm sure, right, because yeah,
you haven't haven't. You know, you haven't done that in
six or seven months, particularly starting on the road, right, Like,
it's not our our press box, it's not our booth,
it's not our you know, stadium engineers and people like that.
At Akershur Stadium, it's a it's a different organization, different

(08:16):
booth all that stuff. But yeah, we made it in fine,
had very little issues. I had to go ask somebody
to turn one of the internet ports on in our
broadcast booth because again it was their first, you know
event of the season.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
You described that last week. How sometimes you walk into
a venue and it's like you gotta de winnerrize it.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
The first preseason game is always like did they remember
to turn the internet on it here? Because they've had
it turned off, you know for the last six months
or whatever. But yeah, very smooth, very good. Uh you
should have seen, man, the candy bar that they had
there in the Jacksonville It was incredible.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
The big old king size every type.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
Of candy and gummy and snack you name it, plus
a self serve soft serve ice cream machine. Yeah, with
all the accouterments, you know, sprinkles and chocolate chips and oreos.
He also you'll laugh at this. He had one of
his buddies or maybe family members who came to the
who came to the game and brought him four pounds

(09:12):
of BUCkies beef jerky, which for those for those it's
a lot of jerkey for those who are unfamiliar to BUCkies.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
Is like special about BUCkies.

Speaker 4 (09:23):
Sheets are wa on steroids.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
Okay, so if you know what sheets is, if you
know what is, it's like imagine if they made it
with a Walmart.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
That's what BUCkies.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
Wow, Okay, there gas stations, but they look like shopping centers.
They have a hundred gas pumps, Matt, and you go
inside and they have like smoke pits. They have a deli,
they have they have like they have like three different
places to eat inside the restaurant.

Speaker 3 (09:47):
Alone, Like sheets is pretty impressive, Like sheetsoids, I mean
you know what I mean. It's it is.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
It is sheets on steroids. And I had never been
to one. I still haven't technically been to one, but
Max had one of his family members.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
Drop us off as a Florida I'm sure this is
like they're all over the.

Speaker 2 (10:03):
Place, like in Florida and Texas, and you know, Tennessee,
all those all those Southern states, they're a big thing.
And so Max had four pounds of beef jerky up
in the in the booth as well too, which was delicious,
by the way. So it was a lot happening, a
lot of good stuff going on, and kind of right
back to it in the in the preseason game and
all that. And another guy I came away pretty impressed

(10:26):
with Matt was why a black. I thought, Yes, we've
seen him start to put it together out here on
the practice field, and that's the progression.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
I went to Amazon to see if I could dig
it up. That is now it's cave.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
No, it's like like, let's go Bucks, like.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
Okay, and that that that bagged you should that bagged
jerky is delicious.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
But like the one Max, the one that Max bought
was like fresh cut Matt. It was wrapped up like
it was a deli meat like it was wrapped up.
It was wrapped up in like waxed paper, like they
hawked it off the impression in front of it. But
the prepackaged stuff, that's what I've had in the past
that like my family members from Tennessee will always bring
to vacations and stuff.

Speaker 4 (11:07):
It's really good.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
It's still good too.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
It's it's it's kind of like you know how we
get the Saint almost cocktail sauce. Yeah, yeah, it's still
very good when you get it, but it's it's not
quite the same, but it's still very good. It's it's
it's better than most of what we can get.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
So there's a jerkey I get on Amazon. I love,
I forget what it's called, but you can't get it
around here. But I'm always going for another.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
I'm a big jerky guy.

Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, yeah, it's a good it's a good easy convenience
ordering that.

Speaker 4 (11:30):
But man, why a black scene?

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah? It was great.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
The progression from what we've seen here in practice, which
has been impressive, and then putting it together in his
first opportunity in stadium with the Steelers. I thought that's
a very encouraging sign for his progress and his rookie season.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Absolutely, there's a lot of names we could bring up,
but that's a good place to start. I mean, he
eats up space, but he also pushes people. I don't
think you're ever going to get a ton of pass
rush from him, but I joked with Mike Pursuda in
the postgame show, because a couple people ask about them
when they call it in. I'm like, that dude's swam
pass every practice. He probably will today, eating up double teams,

(12:05):
hard to move, he makes plays. It sounds like I'm
ripping on Casey Hampton, but Hampton was pretty much a
phone booth player. Black will like Chase plays outside the numbers,
and I mean as a lateral agility to him. I
think he's definitely a keeper. And Mike and I were
just kind of scanning our very initial you know, fifty

(12:27):
three man roster, sure, and I think he's like the four,
you know, like if you were to kind of rank
the value of the D lineman, there's the top three
that everybody knows. But then I think he's kind of
first guy off the bench. Yeah, he really.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
I think you're right, And man, that would have surprised
us all kind of, I think with our preconceived notions
of what he was.

Speaker 3 (12:47):
Yeah, we drafted him. There's a lot of competition on
the D line.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
There's a lot of competition on the D line. There's
a lot of NFL experience on that on that point,
you know, like even even outside of that big three,
which is still relatively young. When you when you get
past Cam Hayward right right right, you know, benting into
his third year and Derek Harman obviously getting ready to
go for his rookie season. But there's a lot of
veteran NFL experience behind those kind of you know, the

(13:10):
top three dogs.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
But I think you're right.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
I think in practice and I think in that first
preseason game, he's he'd be my number FO. He'd be
my you know, to use an NBA analogy, he'd be
my sixth man off the bench.

Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:20):
Right, when I went to the when I went the
sub for the first time.

Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yeah, I mean not in throwing downs, I mean not
a third and ten, but right right right, in terms
of just first and ten. I need to breather, get
your butt out there, right.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
And then I thought, too, Matt, I mean, it's it's
hard to not mention. I thought the varsity level quarterback
play that the Steelers got from both those guys, both
those guys on Saturday night.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah, I mean my biggest takeaway was, well, Skyler Thompson
should be thrilled because I think he put enough on
tape that he assured himself an NFL.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
Paychecks this year, and I think that's a great way
to put.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
It, and I even brought it up. I mean, you
know the Steelers are going to keep three. Now, I've
heard people ask, well, what of how goes on? Ir?
Would they keep Skyler? I'm like, well, I don't think
that's gonna happen because I think there's still a chance
Howard plays that third preseason game, so he keep that
door open. So I think that's not really a possibility.
But assuming you keep Howard Rudolph Rogers, they never keep

(14:16):
a fourth one. But the practice squads are big enough
that I would consider it, right right, Like, yeah, I
mean that doesn't mean he wouldn't get plucked throughout the year. Now,
he could get plucked after cuts anyway. But the problem
with that if you're the team doing the plucking is
you got to take a quarterback ready immediately. You know,

(14:36):
maybe you do like the tape, but he doesn't know anything,
you know, film rooms and yeah, so I don't know
that anybody would pick him up immediately after cuts off
waivers and I think I might stick him on the
practice squad. But my point is for him, congratulations to him,
because someone at a minimum is going to have him
on the practice squad and he's gonna make money this
year as an NFL player, just off that game alone.

Speaker 4 (14:58):
Yes, I completely agree with you on.

Speaker 3 (15:00):
That two minute drill, you know.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah, And I hesitate like I saw a lot of
people kind of reacting of like, hey, maybe the Steelers
could get a Day three draft pick for Skyler Thompson
if he's able to stack together another one or two.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
So I also think that he said and done on
that stuff because.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
Teams look at it and they go, all right, well,
the Steelers they're obviously keeping Aaron Rodgers, They're obviously keeping
Mason Rudolph, and they just drafted Will Howard a few
months ago. We don't have to trade for this guy.
We'll be able to get him.

Speaker 3 (15:23):
Well, we'll fight with the other teams, and it probably
isn't that man fight with which the same with the
same situation with the punter.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
And I was just gonna say, it's the conversation that
you and I had about Wait min and Cam Johnson,
who I thought both looked very good on Saturday Night
Boom and some some kicks out as well too.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
I'm on the pregame show, Jerry Dulac asked me, He's like,
can you remember, And I hadn't thought of him this light.
He's like, can you remember there being no position battles
really up for grabs right now with a team in
early August, except for maybe punter and fun. I'm like, wow,
that is pretty crazy. And really when you start looking

(15:59):
at the fifty three, there's not that many roster spots
that are available. I mean, like the depth is pretty
well as we saw in that game, the depth is
really good on this team, and they're basically know who's
going to pretty much make the team. I mean, yeah,
there might be an injury here and there, or there's
three or four spots that are still up for grabs,
but there's really no starter spots out for grabs, that's

(16:22):
for sure.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
No, it feels like of the fifty three, like forty
some might be solidified already, you know, exactly, might have
been pretty close to being solidified when we even got here, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (16:31):
To campus two and a half weeks ago. So I'm
with you. They might have won too many corner they
might have won too many detackle types, you know that.
But then they're gonna cut a good player, you know, right.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
Sure, I think they are absolutely gonna cut a couple
good players before, you know, on both sides of the
ball whenever we do get that initial fifty three man roster, certainly.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
And your point about weight man, he's going to be
one of the thirty two punters. I don't know if
the Steelers could squeeze draft pick out of him or not.
And I don't think that's a competition. It's not his fault,
but I just think Johnston's except.

Speaker 4 (17:00):
I agree with you on that.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
I think he's gonna he has done enough to show
that he is, heck, one of the best thirty two.
He might be a top twenty punter in the National
Football League. Yeah, I think he will be scooped up
about the second that the Steelers make those roster moves.

Speaker 3 (17:15):
Here before too much longer.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
Scanning the field in front of us Matt as a
practice underway warm ups going on right now after some
walkthrough stuff. Alex high Smith remains out. Don't see don't
see Calvin austin the third either. Good news though, we
got Jayleen Ramsey back out there today after a couple
of good days off. For number five. He is about
the forty five yard line right now at the back

(17:39):
of the stretch line if you see him there going
through the motions. So we'll get to see Jayalen Ramsey
for the first time.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
Since nineties out there.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
What Tuesday, he had two in a row that he.

Speaker 3 (17:48):
Was off before the games, which shocked me a little.
But I mean, my take on him, and maybe I'm
just being optimistic, is I think he's been the best
player here. He's great him and that doesn't mean Watt
stinks or anything much or Cam of course, and TJ
is out there by the way, and I just thought
they figured I've kind of seen enough of Ramsey, Like

(18:12):
there's a lot of Quez. We mentioned that the corner
room is deep. They need to figure out Trice Bishop Pierre.
I think only two of those three can make the team.
So why have Ramsey out there clogging up, you know,
first team reps when other guys need it, And maybe
he would tweak something and that would be terrible. But
I think they just know that he's a star.

Speaker 2 (18:33):
I think you are absolutely correct, and I think we've
seen that here throughout the first two weeks or so
practice and don't really need him to prove too much
in this setting or certainly obviously in a preseason game
setting as well too, But yeah, we'll have a.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
I think it's noteworthy with there. I don't see Cam
Hayward out there. I think he's in the bucket hat
on the forty five.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
I think you are correct.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
That sure looks like him, right.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
That bucket hat has been his look too when he's yeah, yeah,
when he hasn't practiced out here to this point. We
will have a continued attendance report for you is as
they kind of break off here and we get a
better look. But that looks to be the gist of
it right now. I do see well late, hold on,
let me let me make sure I thought I was
gonna say, I do.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
Oh, no, I do.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
Joey Porter Junr is down there on the sideline as
well too as him walking yep as his sleigh. So
could have full hands on deck, all hands on deck
for the Steelers secondary and what looks like, again a
a pretty full practice participation here from those that are available.
But will continue to bring you the details of that
as we roll along. I also, Matt, when we come

(19:38):
back from break here, you know we saw I think
an impressive touchdown catch and then a dunk from from
from Tell Washington on Saturday. I got a Darnell Washington
question for you that we'll get to in this hour
as well too. As we roll along, so some more,
some final preseason observations, preseason game number one observations, and
we'll obviously paint the picture for practice for you here

(20:00):
as things get rolling along. We got a bunch to
get to today here on this Training Camp edition of
the Drive West Shuoler and Matt Williamson high atop Chuck
Nolefield as practice is getting ongoing in front of us
here on this Monday afternoon.

Speaker 4 (20:14):
It's all part of.

Speaker 2 (20:14):
Our ongoing training camp coverage on Steelers Nation Radio, on
the Steelers Audio.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
Network, Iheartradios Live Coverage job Dot twenty twenty five Steelers
Training Camp is presented by FedEx where Now meets Next
and also brought to you by bud Light, Independence Health
System by Pennsylvania One Call System, by Live Casino, Calciente

(20:41):
Pizza and Draft House by Tom's Appliances, South Hills Auto, Laurel,
Highlands Visitors Bureau, Wemax Select Realty, the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop,
and by us steel.

Speaker 2 (20:55):
Back on Campus here on a lovely Monday in Letro,
pennsylvan As we are coming down the home stretch of
this twenty twenty five training camp before here Pittsburgh Steelers.
You always know when the first preseason game rolls around
that you're getting close to the end of the public portion. Yeah,
of training camp here, as Matt joked about in the
first segment, as Motes would always remind us, training camp

(21:17):
isn't over for these guys, all right, they just move
back to the South Side facility. It's not like suddenly
things get easier.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
Good crowd, but not crazy. I mean, guys think it's
a week day and yeah, the hills aren't full.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
And I will say, like these are typically the quietest
days on campus.

Speaker 3 (21:32):
Some people are going back to school and yeah, like
I know a lot of my buddies and my son's
buddies are like going off the college today, and you know,
things like that starting to come around to you.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
Know, absolutely, I think it's kind of like the end
of summer vacation season for everybody.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, you know, people are going back to school.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
It's just tougher on a Monday and Tuesday as opposed
to maybe on a Thursday and Friday. If you take
a long weekend or something like that. And I think Matt,
like everyone kind of gets that fix in that first
preseason game, you know, like the junk the chunkies and
the diehard's got to get out here in the first
like two weeks. But once that preseason game hits, I
feel like a lot of people feel like, all right,

(22:10):
you got that first taste, you got that that football
craving gone on.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
They'll deliver it to me. I don't have to go
get it, you know, live exactly.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
Right, exactly right. And one thing that got delivered was
a Darnell.

Speaker 3 (22:22):
Washington slam dunk boom.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
One handed slam after the Steelers opening drive touchdown. Impressive
drive led by Mason Rudolph and company capped to Darnell
Washington with a touchdown pass, and Matt I wanted to
as we see the tight ends working right in front
of us, here is things get going. I wanted to
ask you this because I was doing some this morning

(22:47):
Max and Kinger, you know I produced there in the
locker room show. They were asking me to look up
some Darnell Washington numbers for them from his first two seasons,
and one thing that kind of caught my eye, and uh,
you know, I wanted to save for our talking purposes
obviously and not share with them.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
Yeah, you could do their own work.

Speaker 4 (23:06):
They could do their own work, exactly right.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
I did just order that jerky by the way.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
By the way, did you did you go with the
variety pack or did you get.

Speaker 3 (23:14):
There was like a twelve? I'm kind of a plain
boring dude, but I did get the garlic one you mentioned.
There was like there's a steakhouse one that seemed like
is as close to boring as usual. And then there
was like a hickory one that I went for.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
Okay, hickory is really good.

Speaker 3 (23:28):
They should be there when I get back from Max.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Max brought a cherry maple one or was it good?
And I'm with you too, I'm kind of a plain
Jane when it comes yeah with that stuff.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
I'm like that with wings too. I always get buffalo.

Speaker 4 (23:38):
Yeah right, yep.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
I am now gonna have to order some BUCkies jerky
off of Amazon. I'm gonna have to tell my wife
that we can get BUCkies on Amazon.

Speaker 3 (23:47):
Gold Rush is the one I have been hitting, which.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
Okay, oh yeah, yeah, I'll be interested to know your
take on the BUCkies versus gold Rush. We'll have to
We'll have to break that down at some point, Washington. Yes,
his first season in the National Football League ten targets Okay.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
Yeah, wow, not many? Now I knew was low, but
I would have taken higher than that.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
Slash year twenty five targets nineteen receptions on twenty five targets.

Speaker 3 (24:11):
Okay, real quickly, Let's remember his first year was not
with Arthur Smith, correct, which is if they weren't as
tight end centric of a team. But still he was
the third round rookie, you know, okay, absolutely? Would you
say it was his second year twenty five?

Speaker 2 (24:25):
So ten targets to twenty five okay, seven receptions to
nineteen receptions, So he more than doubled both of those
numbers from his first to second season. What's that look
like this year? What would you set the over under
for targets? And then I guess from there we could
talk about receptions and everything else. But ten to twenty
five to what in terms of targets in his third.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
Season isn't exactly what you asked.

Speaker 2 (24:49):
Oh, this is when we get the good stuffs. Kids,
get your notebook ready. This will be on the test years.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
Well, I think all those numbers will go up, without question. Sure,
but the tight end pie also will get wide or
we'll get bigger, of course, but it still can't get
ridiculously huge. I mean, you're gonna share targets obviously with
three other tight ends, namely Friarmouth and Smith, of course.
But where I'm going with this, and this isn't what

(25:15):
you ask me, is I guarantee his average depth of
target those two years, because I mean even last year
he caught a very high percentage of his targets because
they weren't very far downfield. It wasn't a high degree
of difficulty. But they'll start there. I bet his average
depth of target goes up exponentially. Like that doesn't mean

(25:37):
he still won't catch the three four yard flare, run
over a safety and get you six or seven on
a bootleg or a rollout. Sure that's still gonna be there.
But as we saw with this, and we've definitely seen
it Saint Vincent's, they're gonna get him downfield, you know.
And I definitely think that some red zone stuff, some

(25:57):
throws into the end zone. It's been some think we've
seen a lot of with them, So I bet his
percentage of passes that he catches of his targets goes
down because the higher degree of difficulties to be downfield.
More fifty targets thirty two catches, I.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
Was gonna literally five touchdown. I think my over under
would be close to fifty. Yeah, maybe forty eight and
a half forty nine and a half.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
Something that's not easy to get to. I mean he's
got his targets. I mean he's definitely gonna block. He's
gonna pass block on a pass play, definitely more than
Friar Muther Smith because he's really good at it. But
I don't know how you don't. I don't know how
you put that genie back in the bottle. I mean,
he's such a weapon, and he might not be as
fast as those other two tight ends. I would say

(26:44):
he's not as quick or as twitchy. He's also fifty
pounds heavy. It's funny he catches the touchdowns like sixty
six sixty two to sixty two sixty.

Speaker 4 (26:54):
You haven't seen him late, maybe maybe two years ago.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
Right, I think they might have been his combine numbers,
but who knows. And his first step or two isn't
the twitchiest you've ever seen. But by about step three,
step four, he starts rolling. He can run. I mean
his top speed is still pretty high. So I definitely
think you'll see him more down the scene, more targets

(27:17):
in the end zone and into the end zone. I
don't know how you don't at least throw them three
ish a game.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
You know, I think that's about.

Speaker 3 (27:27):
That's right kind of where it came to fifty, and
that would try to break it down per game three
or four, right in that range. Three and a half
is time seventeen, you know, something in that neighborhood, assuming
health gets too to about fifty, and I think they'll
be high target. I mean again, some of them will
be premium targets into the end zone, and I think
they'll be further downfield than they've been for sure those

(27:49):
first three years.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
And I think a lot of first down receptions for
him to sea.

Speaker 3 (27:53):
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
Like so that first season, right, seven receptions he had
on ten targets, Four of those seven catches were for
first downs.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Really okay, last year.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
Nineteen receptions on twenty five targets. Nine of his nineteen
receptions were for first down.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
First downs I mean, and you.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
Talked about a touchdowns he has last year, yet.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
He had that one touchdown? Was it in Denver?

Speaker 2 (28:13):
I want to say where he had the touchdown early
on the season, I believe, But I mean you mentioned
the receiving yards per target for him as well too.
His first year was six point one yards per target.
That's not average.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
Reception, you know, right right per target?

Speaker 4 (28:28):
Right per target?

Speaker 2 (28:29):
Eight last year, so it jumped up from six point
one to eight. Would you expect that to maybe closer.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
To ten over slightly over? Yeah, I would say double digits. Yeah, yeah,
I mean I think that's fair. And no, don't think
I'm divulging any trade seekers because we actually just saw
it on you know, the in the game. But I
bet we see three or four routes today. Who knows
he gets the ball where he's ten, fifteen, twenty yards
downfield when the ball is thrown. I mean we see

(28:55):
it every practice where it's not just turn Yeah the
bootleg that we saw so often last year and it
was successful, but it was pretty boring, you know, or
just five yards downfield, turn around and box a guy out.
A lot of them are him on the move? Yes,
rumbling down the field, and I think we'll see more
and more of that. I absolutely he's a very unique player.

Speaker 4 (29:18):
He is, he's and.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
That's what we like about that tight end room. I
know you and I have discussed this. I think everybody's
discussed this. You got a lot of different types.

Speaker 3 (29:25):
Yes, I think that's on purpose by the way I
mean him and Connor, Hey, we're doing like they played
a samposition or same sport.

Speaker 2 (29:30):
Correct and then move is a different type John who's
a different type that I think to me is going
to be a lot of fun to see what the
deployment and the usage looks like over the course of
a seventeen game regular season.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
And we've talked about this a fair amount. So if
they come out in just twelve personnel, let alone thirteen,
did they get base did they get Nickel? Most teams
in a very generic world counter twelve nowadays with Nickel
because there aren't many true blocking tight ends in the league.
Most tight ends are receiver for but defending Friarmuth and Washington,

(30:06):
which is twelve, is a lot different than defending John
New and Fryarman totally, which out of twelve. You know,
if you're just gonna be We're always gonna be base
against twelve. We're always gonna be Nickel against Bay. Okay,
well we're gonna give you a different week. It's gonna
be different twelve. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
Yeah, yeah, And that to me is and I think
you and I, honestly everything is cyclical this time of year,
but I think you and I had a similar discussion
like the first one of the first couple weeks of camp,
or one of the first couple of days part of
me of camp, one of the first shows we did together,
where part of the difficulty of the AFC North right
is you might go to Cincinnati one week and you

(30:39):
got to take on Burrow and Chase and Higgins in.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
That dynamic highly eleven personnel team.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
Catchers, highly eleven personnel pass catchers, dynamic offensive playmakers that
they want to throw the ball and stretch the field with.

Speaker 3 (30:53):
Yeah, I think they led the league in past times.
You know, are definitely in past percentage.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
I mean, Burrow and Chase had a historic season and
Jamar Chase won the Triple Crown and they still went
nine and eight because that's how bad their defense was.
They had three losses this year where they scored thirty
eight or more points. So that has never happened before
in NFL history. So you have a team in an
offense that's built like the Bengals. You go to Cincinnati

(31:16):
one week and then the next week you come back
home to Achrocer Stadium, and here come to Baltimore Ravens
with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry and everything that they
do on offense. My hope is that that's the Steelers
kind of match up.

Speaker 4 (31:30):
Oh no, how are we gonna handle this?

Speaker 3 (31:31):
What do we do?

Speaker 1 (31:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (31:32):
Is all the different things that they'll be able to
do with their twelve personnel, and how you can't just okay, well,
when the Steelers, we're in twelve, here's how we're gonna
defend it. No, it's got to be when they're in
twelve A. This is how we defend it. When they're
in twelve B, this is how we defend it. When
they're in twelve C, this is how we defend it.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
And thirteen right yeah, actually right again. They play the
most thirteen of anyone in the league. Just want to
double check this because I actually tweeted it a day
or so ago. So the Bengals neutral pass rate is
basically when the games you're not losing by fourteen, you know,
like when the game's close and you basically have the
option to run or throw too much. I mean the
game is still a neutral I think it's still a

(32:09):
one score game. Well, they threw the ball sixty three
percent of the time. Is their neutral pass rate. The
second closest is fifty seven. I mean, like way more
than any other team. And I don't have it handy,
but I'm almost certain the Ravens are thirty first or
thirty second on that list, or first if you want
to go the other way, even just run past percentage

(32:32):
in a neutral situation, which is most of the game
unless you're getting blown out or blowing somebody out. Obviously
gonna run more with a big lead. Couldn't be any different,
and their styles of offense couldn't be any different. And
Bengals tight ends are Giseki, who's like a volleyball player
slot receiver, not Recard or Cohler or these bigger body dudes.

(32:53):
And we did talk about it a little bit last
week that if you look at the best offenses in
the league, they have something that's a little unique with them.
You know, one exam I mean the Ravens are very
obvious and their used to ACRD is really unique. But
like the Bills, they led the league in six offensive
line sets by a wide margin last year. It's just

(33:13):
something else to prepare for, as if preparing for Lamar
and Allen isn't paying the butt enough. But they do
something that most teams don't do. It's like, Okay, here
comes a knuckleball pitcher. I only see them once a
while or whatever. But if it's I think the Steeler
tight end usage, to your point, could be that calling
card for them. You know, it's something that's just a

(33:34):
little harder to prepare for than Joe average offense.

Speaker 2 (33:38):
If you don't have the unicorn quarterback, Yeah, you gotta
have something in that regard, right, Yeah, yeah, Yeah, that's
what makes that's what makes Buffalo's offense so difficult to defend,
is they have the unicorn quarterback and they kind of
have that different calling card.

Speaker 3 (33:49):
And their Baltimore has a very unique offense and the MVP,
you know.

Speaker 2 (33:54):
Exactly right, exactly right, And that's where I know we'll
get into, uh, some of Mike Sando and the Ethel
Quarterback Annual Club later on.

Speaker 4 (34:02):
But that's one of the things I found interesting in
reading that.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
I haven't ready yet. I just cut and paste it
and send it to you. I haven't got a chance
to look at even the list, so I'm excited.

Speaker 4 (34:10):
They have Mahomes is their number one quarterback yep.

Speaker 2 (34:13):
And then right on his tail is like is like
Allen and Lamar and Burrough And kind of their point
was like those guys have so many more additional things
in their offense that Mahomes doesn't have. Yet he's still
you know, like I know, I didn't I didn't lay
that out the best way, But like they said, Josh
Allen is more difficult to prepare for than Patrick Mahomes.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
I can understand that, and I wouldn't disagree.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
With But Mahomes is still number one, basically, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
I do think that gap has gotten a little more narrow.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
That they say the gap is never it's the fourth
straight year that they've had Mahomes number one, but that
the gap has never been more narrow. With that, the
only other quarterback, if Mahomes does it next year and
is the top Sando's QB rankings again next year, the
only other quarterback that's ever been number one five years
in a row.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
The Rogers, Aaron Rodgers, I remember him dominating it when
they started to come out.

Speaker 2 (35:03):
Yeah, so it's that is It is funny how that works.
And I think that's another thing that you and I
have talked about, how like Aaron Rodgers was the most
gifted passer of the football that we had ever seen
until yeah, maybe Patrick Maholds.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
You know, I'm curious where he is on the list,
and we'll get into it later, but I am curious where.
You know, there's a lot of them are the same
voters that had him four years in a row as
a champ. I wonder what kind of respect they still, right, Yeah?

Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, and then you you also from Warren Sharp unearthed
some some interesting numbers about best quarterbacks in the final
four minutes of each half. Yeah, that I want to
get into with you. Some good stuff there to like
from Aaron Rodgers. But yeah, I came away, Listen. I
think I was already confident in the Steelers quarterback depth
going down to Jacksonville, but hey, I feel good about
it even more so even more so now.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yeah, I don't know if Thompson will even be a Steeler,
but good for him and to me. That also reflects
well on the coaching staff. I mean, things were very clean.
They're not going to dig in and figure out how
the best way to beat Jacksonville's coverage streams or their
blitzes or whatever. But it's still you could tell that
this group as a whole has been practicing, they're getting better.

(36:05):
That both quarterbacks were very efficient. They knew where to
go with the ball. It wasn't just a lot of
you know, wing it type things. I mean, it was
all within the structure of the offense. But I do
think reflects well on Arthur Smith and the coaching staff.

Speaker 2 (36:17):
Yes, I am completely with you on that, Matt. I
do believe in about five minutes or so here, we're
gonna have a little seven shots as you see the
defensive line starting to head this way.

Speaker 4 (36:25):
So let's take our break now.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
We'll bring you all the action as practice will pick
up when we return on the other side. West Jeweler
Matt Williamson Training Camp edition of the Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
Network Iheartradios live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers
training camp. He's presented by Fadex. Where now meets next
and also brought to you by bud Light, Independence Health System,
by Pennsylvania One Call System, by Live Casino, Caliente Pizza

(36:58):
and Draft House, by Tom's Appliances, South Hills, Atto, Laurel
Highlands Visitors Bureau, we Max Select Realty, the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro Shop, and by us Steel.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
Seven shots underway and for the second time in three plays,
another batted pass.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
I think I was intercepted by a big deal that.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Was intercepted by Was it Keanu Benton getting underneath that one?

Speaker 3 (37:27):
I think louder Milk is the one that swatted it,
and think that's Benton. But it's really tough with the
Jersey rolled up situation, exactly like we've been.

Speaker 4 (37:34):
Saying throughout campus. Yeah uh TJ.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
Watt got his hands and deflected a pass on the
previous rep and then once again there the interior causing
some mayhem. First rep was a nice Aaron Rodgers. The
DK metcalf in the corner of the end zone. Darius
Slay just couldn't get turned around.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
It was a great.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Throw, really threaded a needle.

Speaker 4 (37:53):
Yeah by Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
As Mason Rudolph strikes back here and finds Scotty Miller
toe tapping near all. Yeah, I think he did as
well too, so that would make it two to two
tie here in our observations. But Matt, we continue to
see man this defensive group, they just have a knack
for batting down and getting their hands on football.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
So phenomenal, I mean, really are And I think the
number is Cam Hayward led the league last year with
eight of them. I don't think anybody else had more
than five. Steelers had the most in the league. And
even now you're getting like louder Milk and of course
Black that are doing this with consistency out here. It's
it's crazy. I mean it's it's really a They result

(38:34):
in a lot of interceptions, let alone incompletions, of course
they do. I don't know if he got in. I
don't think so.

Speaker 2 (38:40):
A little bit high from Mason Rudolph looking for Scotty
Miller in the back of the end zone.

Speaker 4 (38:43):
Credit to Miller, he went up and got got it.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
I mean the offense he got in, I'm not sure
if I don't.

Speaker 4 (38:48):
Think he did either.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
It looked like his feet landed on the line there,
but a heck of an effort to go up and
get that one from Scotty Miller. That would have been
an impressive catch from DK Metcalf And that was that
was a high one that he brought in, but it
kind of threw off his his center of gravity there
and I do think his feet came down on the
white lines.

Speaker 4 (39:03):
That's what it looked like from up here.

Speaker 2 (39:06):
As Skylar Thompson will check.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
In, Pete is the second team left tackle.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
Yes, good eye by you, as he got a lot
of work Saturday night down there in Jacksonville as well too,
as you would expect.

Speaker 4 (39:21):
Snap back to Thompson looking.

Speaker 3 (39:23):
Over the middle.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
A little hot bear right off the hands of them.
I believe that was sermon that that was for Yes,
as UH it's been it's been a good it's been
a good kind of UH.

Speaker 4 (39:37):
I think back and forth.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
Seven shots here so far for for for both units.

Speaker 4 (39:44):
Let's see looks like.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
Also, according to our journalists and reporters, the UH trainers
are looking at Darius Slay's foot and ankle down there side,
so we'll keep an eye on that.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
UH.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
As Thompson will continue to operate from the shotgun. He's
got Laman to his right in the backfield, and Connor
Hayward now will move in motion from right to left.
Thompson looks left, throws back right, good pass rush. Good
job by him to just kind of get that one
out of there too, and and and give Let's see.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
I believe that was like gangs.

Speaker 4 (40:17):
There a chance they sure were.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
And defense wins this right.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
As I think the defense will win this one. Yes,
close though, I would say, yeah, but yeah, I'm gonna go.

Speaker 1 (40:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:33):
I guess it would depends on Miller got in or not.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
Exactly right, exactly right, But the first.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
Rep was definitely an offensive win in a really nice
row by Rogers.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
It sure was, sure was.

Speaker 2 (40:43):
I'm trying to see here now if I can see
Sleigh up. He is still over on the sideline with
his helmet off now and walking a little gingerly, not terribly. Yeah,
it looks like he's just favoring his foot and ankle
a little bit.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
I wonder if But they're not tending to them. They're
not tending to wrapping it or icing it or anything
like that at the moment, so correct, I wouldn't be
shocked if this day is done, though.

Speaker 2 (41:08):
Yeah, that's what exactly what I was getting ready to say.
He's kind of jog jogging on it, jogging now a
little bit, and doesn't look to be in too bad
of spirits. And I guess we'll see.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
No one's even around him right now. No one seems
super worried about it.

Speaker 2 (41:20):
So yeah, so if he it looks like he might,
is he walking back out to the field or is
he going to stay on the sideline. But regardless that
hopefully just a little just a little knocking something nothing serious.

Speaker 3 (41:30):
He got stepped on. I don't know. I didn't see
it happened.

Speaker 2 (41:32):
Right, It might have might have happened on that corner
of the end zone play there as well. Kenneth Gainwell
with a good move to get around.

Speaker 3 (41:39):
Oh we got this drill going on here, the tackle
at one side of.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
One one of our favorite drills, the along the sideline tackle.
As Yeah, a good rep by Kenneth Gainwell on Peyton
Wilson and Cole Hulk be able to get a hand
on Trey Sermon there in front of us.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
It wasn't a ton of snaps I mentioned in the
first period or the first segment that Gainwell did start
the game at running back. It was not Johnson. He
was out there for four or five snaps right off
the bat, and then they got them out.

Speaker 2 (42:04):
That was the one thing Matt and I guess, hey,
it's one preseason game, right and maybe you maybe we
just kind of looking for something to nitpick out on
a night when I think it went mostly well for
the Steelers. But it wasn't a ton of the run game,
but both no, both sides. Both teams had the same
exact six six.

Speaker 4 (42:21):
Six rushing yards.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Sweet, but it was not magnafique for either for the
Steelers in the run game. Is that something that you
could start to be concerned about or still too.

Speaker 3 (42:33):
Early a little It's funny because the two nitpicks I
had about the game were the two things I've been
harping on like crazy in the offseason was yards per carry,
get that up, yep, and get to SAX numbers. And
they had zero and I think they only had two
quarterback hits, you know, So the two things I want
and expect and will be critical if they do not

(42:56):
improve didn't. But everything else in the game was pretty good,
so I'm not going to go crazy on. And then
obviously Cam Watt, you know her Big high Smith didn't
play but still I look at this defensive front and
be like, there's still some good pass rushers out there,
and Sawyer and lea Al played deep into the game. Yeah,
get a sack, you know. And I didn't love the

(43:17):
running game. No, I didn't think Johnson was great. I
didn't think the blocking was great, particularly the second team
O line. Protection was much better than run blocking.

Speaker 4 (43:26):
Yeah, protection I thought was good, was encouraging.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yeah, agreed, Just two point six yards per carry for
the Steelers.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
Not where you want to be.

Speaker 2 (43:35):
No, No, eight carries for twenty yards for Caleb Johnson.

Speaker 3 (43:41):
Okay, but it wasn't I didn't se him get a
lot of yardage on his own or like that.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
Right, and again one game and again, as we always
say that defenses certainly a little bit further ahead of
the offenses in this process here, without a doubt.

Speaker 3 (43:57):
But I'll go back and listen to it. But did
Max have any O line notes on Today's show with
Rob On today's show, the backup O line was kind
of I was.

Speaker 2 (44:09):
Gonna say he I think I think he was encouraged
by the backups, Okay, and what we saw in that
performance there.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
I kind of felt for Sharping because with McCullum mouth.
You were asking the guard to be a center, yes, okay,
which isn't ideal.

Speaker 2 (44:23):
And he talked a little bit about how there were
some no fumbles or muffs or anything, but it wasn't
clear there was a couple couple not so good quarterback.

Speaker 3 (44:31):
Yeah, we agree on that that he talked about seventy one.
Aiden Williams played a ton and I didn't really even
know who he was before the game, So I'm excited
to watch him today and tomorrow, especially tomorrow and Pads.
Is that a bump up for him or was that
because center was out so you had to move a guard,
so he was you know what I mean? Right? Yeah,
Cook played a lot.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
Cook played a lot, Ester played a Lotester played a lot, right,
Pete played a lot, played out played a fair amount
as well too.

Speaker 4 (44:57):
Yeah, Stephen Jones played a night.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
Even played a ton of right tackle. The Pete note
was Cook was the backup left tackle, and then Pete
came in at some point. But then Cook came back
in and the way that PURSUITO and I just kind
of speculated, I think Pete's still getting into football shape totally.
I mean, he only played fifty seven snaps with the

(45:21):
Raiders last year.

Speaker 4 (45:22):
You know, so one practice out here, in.

Speaker 3 (45:24):
One practice even then, he'd pulled him out too. Yeah,
but he was he didn't play yeah anything. I have
not seen him string a lot of snaps together. And
now I'm not implying he's like fat and lazy. I
just think he hasn't played football much lately, and in
the heat. I just think he's getting into football shape.

Speaker 4 (45:41):
And that's a real thing, folks, it is.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
I don't care how well these guys take care of
themselves throughout the offseason.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
It's different.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
Even the ones who are in the best tip top
physical shape still need some adjustment.

Speaker 4 (45:52):
Time out here.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Absolutely, being a good shape is different than being in
football shape and doing it out in the heat and
in the elements and in these.

Speaker 3 (45:58):
Conditions, protecting in such an unnatural uh. You know, movement
for a human being is a lot different than exercise,
bike or swimming or whatever you're doing for conditioning.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
I think the best example, and I think people can
relate to this, Matt, because I think we all when
we were younger, like everybody went through a wrestling phase
right where you whether it's your brother or your cousins
or your siblings or your sisters, you know, like whatever, like.

Speaker 4 (46:23):
Kids like the wrestle.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
Oh yeah, yeah, you remember how that was. Like you
go wrestle somebody for thirty seconds and you are dog tired,
or box or one go box, go box for sixty
seconds and you are dog like. You might be able
to go outside and run three or four miles at
a good pace.

Speaker 3 (46:38):
Right. That doesn't mean I was never super athletic, but
I could play hoops all day long, every day. But
if I were to like box for one dead, one
ring or one round, I'd fall over.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
Yeah yeah, like that hand to hand combat stuff.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
That you got to get into shape.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Dealing with resistance from another human being is a completely
different animal than just being a good card, you know,
shape that I think people often Okay, well, these guys
they all take care of themselves. They can all go
out and run and condition and all that.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
And we've had this conversation many times. But obviously the
best reflection is your boy, Zac Frasier that if you
can wrestle, though, you can do it out here totally
like they're a different animal. Have I told you that?

Speaker 4 (47:18):
Zach Fraser's high school wrestling.

Speaker 3 (47:19):
Records two and like Alvin Nueva used to say, you know,
football practice was the easiest day part of my day
when he was in the army, know right, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
Which is funny but also definitely true.

Speaker 3 (47:30):
I'm sure they actually laugh a little bit. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
One hour in the books, two more hours to go
here as a practice, continuing to roll along in front
of us will.

Speaker 4 (47:38):
Bring you more of that as we go along.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
We've got plenty to get into today as we've got
some quarterback tiers and some final observations from Saturday night
down in Jacksonville as well. Also, it's a it's one
of those bonus uh you know, hour type shows here
doing the three hour shows during training camp. So you
know where to get at us on Twitter if you
got any questions if you want to get involved as
well too at Williamson NFL at Wesleyuler is where you

(48:01):
can find us on X find us on Twitter, Hour
in the books, two hours to go, West Schuler and
Matt Williamson Training Camp. Edition of the Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network