March 21, 2025 • 42 mins
It's the main topic of conversation and Matt and Dale spend the majority of hour one breaking down the current state of the quarterback situation and all possible scenarios as Aaron Rogers reportedly met with the team early on Friday.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
He 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 (00:16):
And welcome to the Drive, Happy Friday. I am Dale
LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and Matt Aaron Rodgers. Yeah,
visiting the Steelers today, and I know we talked about
this earlier in the week a lot, but this tells
me that Aaron Rodgers has come to the conclusion that
(00:38):
he's not going to retire.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yeah, I would assume, so, I think that's safe to say.
You don't bother doing this, and maybe he takes another trip,
who knows what happens, But I would think he's dialed
into play football and made that decision, which, again, he
has the right to take his time. I mean, he's
earned that, he's good enough. The teams will wait. We'll see.
I think it's kind of exciting though.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, we'll see how where this goes from here. But
Aaron in town today, visiting with Mike Tomlin, talking about
maybe the direction of things, and that's the problem. It's
one of the reasons why the Steelers have put forth
the rule or change proposal regarding.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Free agency yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That Their proposal is that the teams can have a
have contact at least one phone call or a video
call with a player in the legal tampering period, because
right now you're not allowed to talk to the player.
You're only allowed to talk to the agent, and the
agent talks to the player. But it's kind of like
a buffer, a little phone call game that you do
(01:43):
in grade school. Tell this guy and then it goes
down the line.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I'm sure not only do do the Steelers have
questions for Rogers and personality fits and want to hang
out with them like they would a draft prospect, but
he probably does for them too. Yeah, what's just going
to look like?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, you know what, what's what are your plans with
your vision here?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, right?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
How does this work? And so? And then there's just
the whole personality thing. You can you know, Mike, Mike
Toma loves Aaron Rodgers looked. They winked at each other
in a field. I don't know if they've ever had
an actual conversation.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I don't know if they broke bread together or had
lunch or hung out for more than five minutes or
shake hands after a game. Who knows.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You know, I saw him at the Pro Bowl right
years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Or some banquet or event or whatever. But that doesn't
mean that they're close or you know, have a working
relationship obviously.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
In the same way that I mean they brought in
Russell Wilson last year.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, once he became a free agent and and you know,
you talk to him and it wasn't a way to
other offers and then he.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I was kicking that around in my cranium too, like
did he come in and sign that day or was
there no.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
There were That's when the phone calls went out to
you know, Cam Hayward and TJ. Watt and micka Fitzpatrick.
When and he talked to those guys about it. Maybe
the same thing happens this weekend, Yeah, yeah, and we
get some kind of conclusion early next week sometime.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Would it shock you if Rogers went to New York
over the weekend or you know, checked out the Giants
or anything like that too.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Although you know, he maybe knows a little bit more
a he knows the town.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I assume he has a house resident. It's the same stadium, yeah, yeah,
so that's an easier visit. Yeah, and could go under
the radar without people noticing too. He's not walking through
the Pittsburgh International Airport either, you know, past Franco.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
But yeah, so that's where we're at with that. You know,
the offer remains on the table. He'll decide what works
best for him, and the Steelers will decide. You know,
if he just said, well, I'm thinking about the Giants offer,
they can decide whether they want to up their offer
or whether no, that's our offer, that's what we're sticking with,
and pivot somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I mean, what's clear is there's obviously mutual interest, you know,
which has been bandied about. But I mean the fact
that he's on a plane and got here. He's serious
about the Steelers, Steelers curious about him. Maybe it does
get done over the weekend and he just decides that's
what I want. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I could see him taking another couple of days and
decide which opportunity offers him the best chance sure of success.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, yeah, and what he was looking for.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
For Rogers, who you know, quite frankly had a losing
season last year with the Jets. I would think team
success is very pretty relevant.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Right, chances of playoffs.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
This is not a guy who's lost a lot during
his career.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
No, I'm much like the Packers. I mean over the
his lifespan as an NFL player. The Giant success versus
Steelers success is polar opposite. Let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I want to I want to dig into this a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I was thinking about this art selves and Lawrence Taylor
Long Gon Long.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
When people talk about, well, the Steelers, they've been in
no man's land since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and you hear
nausee hear has come out and say, well, you know,
we didn't really have a there were no leaders on
that offense when you know after Ben. First of all,
Ben was there. Ben was the leader of the offense.
One of the reasons they drafted Nauji Harris is because
(05:09):
they viewed him as a leader. So if if you
were lacking leadership on that team, Naugy, look.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
At the mirror.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You were supposed to be that guy. You were supposed
to be what the offense was built around. You were
the guy. You were the first round running back that
was supposed to be the identity of the team.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
You know, they were going to be young.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If the team didn't have an identity that kind of
falls back on you, part of the guy touching the
ball three hundred times every year, you know, a third
of their offensive touches basically went to Nagy Harris, you
were the identity and you you didn't create enough there
to make that the identity.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
And that was one of the allures of him coming
out was considered a leader in a very say it's a.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Bad guy, the team captain heading into a second year. Yeah, yeah,
and that wasn't after that.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I'm looking now because I retweeted it and you mentioned
the touches and he's he accounted for two hundred ninety
nine touches last year. I mean that's almost eighteen touches
per game that are open.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Especially at the third of your offense.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
You know, if you if you run just over one
thousand plays, thirty percent of your offense went through nausey hairs.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Right, that are going to go elsewhere elsewhere, And you
hope you even run more plays this year. So maybe
that's eighteen nineteen plays a game that aren't going in
his hands.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Anyways, where I was going with this, you mentioned the giants,
who's there, who's been there quarterback since and Eli Manning's
not even a a.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh no, Ben was around later than Eli.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Right, But what I'm saying is Eli Manning was their
quote unquote franchise quarterback. What has their plan been since
since Daniel Jones? Was they took a swing at Daniel Jones? Yeah,
you know, look at the people.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
They extended him when they shouldn't have his way.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
But well that's where they stay there, right, you know
the Colts. After Luck retired, you take a bunch of
different swings. You take a you know, you reach it
for for Anthony Richardson. You could even go to the
let's say Denver and Manning was only there a few years,
but he was there quote unquote franchise guy.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
He was like grabbing Rogers now, right, But.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
After he retired, they went nine seasons without making the playoffs.
Was not winning a playoff game without making the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, there's a lot of packs and Lynch and a
lot of search in there too for a franchise that
in our lifetime won a lot of games, like the Giants,
but I mean the Giants.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
But he wants to bring up the Packers model. Well,
they had they had Brett farre and then they drafted
Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, he was the twenty fourth pick in
the draft.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I don't think they planned on it, but sit in
the green room forever and whatever it was.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This guy's too good for us to pass.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah yeah, I mean we're gonna grab him.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
And quite frankly, I don't know if we know yet
about Jordan Love. No, they're happy with I don't know
if he's a franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
He's not far of a Rogers at this point, clearly,
let alone.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
He's closer to being Derek Carr than he is those guys.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean they're happy with him, and
he's encouraging, but that doesn't mean that they've hit three
in a row.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Look at what's happened to the Patriots since since Brady
left them. Oh yeah, they've been in a bad football team.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
No question, like the worst in the league.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Right, this is what this is. You know, when I've
heard the people say, well, the Steelers have turned into
the Browns. No, they haven't turned into the Browns. The
Browns brown pretty sick. And the second the draft, they yeah,
they've drafted quarterback after quarterback and failed on it. Yeah yeah,
And then when they had one in Baker Mayfield, who
might have been the guy they decided they wanted to
(08:50):
go in a different direction and go for watching. Right,
that's not where the Steelers are at right now. The
Steelers are in that area where post franchise quarterback having
a franchise quarterback. And it's again, I just went through
like five examples of teams who had a franchise quarterback,
and you know, you don't just fall into the next one.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
What would be interesting and could be one of your
like five for Fridays And it's definitely a better project
for you to do than me. But pull up. All
the Hall of Fame quarterbacks are soon to be Hall
of Fame quarterbacks. What's the winning percentage of the five
years after they retired? And some of them will even
be bad there last year Eli is a great example
or whatever. But I bet it's pretty poor. It's post
(09:34):
always bad post Manning's bad with Denver, you know, I
mean a lot of these dudes. You're too good to
draft the new one and you've been relying on this player,
so you weren't gonna, as we went through earlier in
the week, even your second round pick on a quarterback
that's going to sit there and you live for today.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
And somebody can say, well, what about the Ravens did
it with Flacco? They drafted you know, they.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Drafted Laos on the same level.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Is not that guy, right? You know that was always
the joke in pitback. Well, Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
He's elite. Blah blah blah blah blah, elite. Oh he wasn't. No,
he's a good player. He's a borderline pro bowler in
his best days. He's but never going to the Hall
of Fame. He's not even going to get on the ballot,
you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean he's below
Matt Ryan and those type.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Look at the Saints since Breeze retired.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I was thinking about them too.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Like this is not something, this is not uncommon, But
it doesn't make you the Browns.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
No, No, that's a different world.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
The Browns have never had that guy.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I mean, like the Bears have never had that guy, right.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I mean there's a lot of some franchises just haven't.
The Jets haven't had a good quarterback since Joe Namath, right, Yeah,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
They tried with Rogers and injury and age and other
things gotten away too. But sometimes it's not you, it's me.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Look how long it took the Bills, the Buffalo Bills
between Kelly and Allen went twenty years, not just not
making the playoff or not winning a playoff game, not
even making the players didn't make the playoffs for two
decades after Jim Kelly retired, a.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Really long time, right, Like I mean, post post Marino
wasn't great, and you know all those dudes.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
It's it's it's unarguable. The Packers are the outlier, and
they fell into Rogers in the Rogers. Yes, it wasn't
a situation where they said, oh, we're going to go
get Aaron Rodgers, because if that were the case, they
would have traded up to get.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Him, right, they wouldn't have waited twenty I think they tried.
I think love was much more of a planned thing. Yeah,
Rogers was Why is he sitting there? Why is he
sitting there? I mean again, I was in the war
room that year. That was the years with the Browns,
and we had the Browns had a higher grade on
Rodgers than Alex Smith, who went first. Overall, maybe they
did too, maybe ten teams did, but they just didn't
(11:39):
have the need or the stones to pick them.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And you know, even for the Steelers at that point,
Ben Roethlisberger's twenty eight years old. You're not drafting Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
No, No, that one's not even a consideration. Yeah, right,
Neither were the Giants or Chargers or right SATs.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
There were a lot of teams that had gotten their
quarterback early in that decade. They're like, okay, you know, yeah,
so it's not uncommon for teams to go through this.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
It is uncommon, as to go from far of the
Rogers uncommon. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The other thing that is uncommon is for your team
in three of the four seasons since you've had that guy,
to make the playoffs. Right now, I understand people want
playoff wins. I get it. Everybody wants playoff wins. But
look what, you know what happened to the to the Patriots,
(12:29):
They've not been close to a playoff team again. After
Kelly retired, the Bills went twenty years without even making
the playoffs. When Manning left the Broncos, they hadn't made
the playoffs until last year. Yeah, I mean, even like
that's the The Steelers are actually an outlier in that regard.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Even like a borderline Hall of Famer, like I don't
think Matt Ryan gets in, but he had a really
good career run MVP. Unfortunately Arthur Smith inherits end of
year Ryan, and then until maybe now you know, I
mean there's a four year stretch, three year stretch that
was nasty at the quarterback position and.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Starting Marcus Mariota coming out of the out of the gate.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
We gotta go to Ritter and you know, I think
there was a Heinikey stretch there somebody like him too.
End of career Ryan. I mean, there's a lot of
them that are really rough. I mean, no question about it.
There was another example I thought I don't remember, but
you know, it's to go Hall of Fame or franchise guy.
Franchise guy is pretty.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It doesn't happen the mister Yoda Mantle, right, it just
doesn't happen. And in between that, you have to try
to get your bridge quarterback. They tried to do it
with Mitch Trubisky. He wasn't necessarily the bridge quarterback. They
drafted Kenny Pickett. They thought he was going to be
the long term answer until he lost his mind. Yeah, yeah,
(13:45):
he got that was a benching. That bench that was
a bench he got bench for for Mason Rudolph. You
know they they field didn't get benched, which fields didn't
get better? That's where I went with that. Yeah, you know,
they tried it last year with use Wilson, another Bridge quarterback,
and you try to continue to take bites out of
the apple, you know, signing Aaron Rodgers this year? Is
(14:10):
it really what you're doing is you're just saying, okay,
we we saw what looked like with Russell Wilson. It
was okay.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, yeah, it was good for a while until it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Until it wasn't. We're gonna try something different again this year.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
And I still believe Rodgers is a better football player
than Wilson today, and I have a feeling they do too,
or they wouldn't, or they wouldn't be waiting.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
My only question with Aaron Rodgers, and I've said this before,
is the off the field stuff. Is he going to
still do the McAfee show. Is he gonna is he
going to show up at OT? I don't even care
about I could care less about his political views.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I doesn't care about.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
That doesn't affect me one way or the other. He's nuts.
You don't know him. There's a lot of nuts, trust me.
I talked to a lot of guys. You have no
idea what their political views are or what they believe
in or whatever. It doesn't matter. I could care less
about that. What I care is is Aaron Rodgers going
to be in Is he going to be there at Otash?
(15:05):
Is he going to be at Mini campus and not Egypt?
That's what I care about.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And if things go bad too, I don't need to
hear about every little detail on McAfee for the world
to know. There's things that should be behind closed doors,
that should be kept in the family business.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
That being said, the Steelers have kind of dealt with
that on a lesser level with Roethlisberger.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Oh yeah, yeah, mostly post his career.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Well even like he had his Tuesday radio show. Yeah yeah,
and he would say whatever on his Tuesday radio show
and people, well, did you hear what Ben said today
on his Tuesday radio show? Through this guy under the buster?
He said this about the offensive coordinator or that, like.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And everyone on the planet has a podcast in a voice.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah they all do. Some guys have better a better
filter than others. So the McAfee that doesn't even bother me.
No right to me, it's is he going to be
there in the off season? Is he going to work
during training camp to to be what he needs to
be for this football.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
It's just all about priorities. To me, being the best
quarterback for the Pittsburgh theis priority number one other than
his family, religion, and you know that whatever it is,
it's most important to him his life as opposed to
his brand, you know, or you know, being a public
spokesperson or becoming the next Jeopardy host or whatever. That
needs to be second mind. Ye. I mean it doesn't
(16:23):
mean to go away, but it needs to not be
ahead of being the quarterback of the Pittsburshi.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And that's likely the conversation that went that took place
between Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers today. Look, if you're here,
you're buying into this. You're buying into this. Yeah, we're
not here for what we want. We can't have one
foot in and one foot out. I saw what happened
with the Jets and you can that's a.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Very lenient organization that doesn't have Frankly the backbone to
do enough about.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Robert Saler was not going to put his foot down.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
It comes back to ownership.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
He went out, he was he was enabled in New York.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Oh yeah, you want Randall Cobbyers around.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Oh wait, you want the Fante Adams. We're gonna We're
gonna go get DeVonta Adams. Sure, Like, you need to
know you're not the GM area. You're not the GM here.
We're not bringing in your your hand picked offensive coordinator
who couldn't coach the you know, and got fired midway
through the season last year. No, we're not doing that stuff.
If you're here, you're here.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I mean Denver did that the first year with Russell
Wilson too, Like he got his own parking area and
his own office. Like no, no, no, you're just part of
the team. You're part of the team right right, You've
got a locker next to whoever, and you're gonna show
up every day and we're gonna do this right yeah.
And if by chance you're two and six eight games in,
I don't need your tune to change or you know,
all of a sudden, I'm backing out of my commitment.
(17:39):
You know, that's the kind of stuff you need to
work on. Now and have a trust.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, that's where we're at with the Aaron Rodgers situation.
So we'll see what happens maybe by Monday when we
come back on the air.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I mean, it's certainly encouraging news for those that want
Rogers to be.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
We're just some resolution to this whole thing. Right Anyways,
He's Matt Williamson. I am Dale. You're listening to the
Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Now, I'll be back with more right after.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
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 (18:22):
Welcome back on Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson
and Matt turning the page here from the previous segment.
Let's let's talk a little bit about Shadoor Sanders. Okay,
Shadoor Sanders, the big twelve Pro day was yesterday. He
chose not to throw there, fine and gonna have his
(18:44):
own private throw. Says that's fine. Yeah, he's not alone
in that. But he did do some interviews and he
was asked about some of the evaluations going on of
his game right now, and he said it's a lot
(19:05):
of critics. It's a lot of haters, but we know
what to do. We know how to handle that in
every way, so we remain happy. Is this guy talking
about is he talking in the Royal Wei here?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Does he think? It? Sure? Seems like his camp and
dad and there.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Is so okay. If it's not the Royal Wi where
he thinks he's the king of something and we give you,
grant you permission to do this, then it is his
quote unquote camp which includes his father. Oh, no doubt,
which is one of the things that teams are concerned about.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Yeah, so some of his earlier quotes from a month
or so ago, and he went to the Shrine Bowl
and didn't participate just to kind of talk to teams
and all that, which is weird because he's too good
for the Shrine Bowl but didn't go to senior bl
blah blah. Think these were at the Shrine Bowl and
he basically said, Hey, all you need to know about
(19:57):
me is I turned around or we or I don't
know what word. He used two programs that were down
and out. First of all, the first one, I give
him all the credit in the world.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
And also Travis Hunter was the number one freaking recruit
in the country.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
And he went to Jackson State. I'm like, you guys
should probably win some games there, you know. I give
them credit. I give Dion credit for going to a
historically back college and making a name for it and
helping that whole atmosphere. But when you're elite recruits and
Travis Hunter at Jackson State, you should win something.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
You should win some games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yes, yeah, Now Colorado is a different story. They were
really down and out, but I don't know that they
like or all of a sudden in the top ten program.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Didn't transform them as much as his dad transformed him.
Brought in a whole bunch of recruits, brought in a
whole bunch of transfers.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah, First that went on TV a lot. They were
on TV a lot. And before that you saw some
of the team meetings and you heard some of the
stuff like He's just like, none of you guys going
to be here because I'm bringing a whole new group
of guys.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Yeah. Yeah, and didn't bring me enough time in, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Bring him enough. But he brought him in enough to
be competitive.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah, And I think Sanders is a good quarterback prospect,
a good quarterback prospect. I mean he's going to be
a first round pick. He's going to be a starter
at some point, whether succeeds or not. Hunter is the
special one.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Hunter was the special player.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
That was the special one that never leaves feat.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
He was the unicorn.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Yeah, went in doubt. Let's throw it to him, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like, you got twenty two starters on a team and
he was two of them.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, yeah, and the best two yeah, and Sanders was
number three.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I mean, I don't think it's Manzel to Mike Evans,
you know, but someone made the other.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Watch some of the throws that he made. He was
just throwing the ball up and letting Travis Hunter go
get it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yeah. I mean, I think that's a spectacular superstar player
that if one of the two ends up in the
Hall of Fame, I'm betting on Hunter. That would be
my guest too, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
And so I here's the problem. Dion the Dad is
long known to be a guy who doesn't handle criticism.
Well oh yeah yeah when he's in the Atlanta Braves
locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I didn't say he's a draft cross, but he was
the same age he went he was playing for the Braves.
I know you're talking about they win.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
That they beat the Pirates to go to the World Series.
He wasn't a great baseball he was not. He was
an average baseball player.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Gets forgotten, right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
He went out of his way to dump multiple buckets
of water on Tim McCarver because Tim mccar who broadcasted
the game, because Tim McCarver said was critical.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Of him as a baseball player, which was sound like
it was pretty damn petty.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
This is who this guy is. This is the guy
who when he didn't like one.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
To those highlights. It's not a good look for no,
not at all. Mccarver's a legend at this point. You know, he.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Banned reporters from the Colorado from Colorado press conferences and
games because they were critical of the program. This is
not a guy. This is a guy who has very
very thin skin.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah yeah, and he's been the best at what he's
done for a long time. But I mean, he's the
one the best football players ever seen.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
But he wants no criticism whatsoever. You're a quarterback in
the NFL, yeah there's going to be criticized.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
To play for the New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
They're going to be criticism. Ye people were people are
going to pick your game apart in the pre draft process.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Mahomes is getting it now right because he lost the
Super Bowl, Right, the guy's overrated. I don't know it. Man.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
We may have a plan, we may know how to
handle it in every.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Way, but Josh Allen m he might not do it.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
We might not do it real well. Yeah, because if
if I'm judging from the way his father has handled criticism,
Dion doesn't handle criticism.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Well right right right, And they're all involved, they're intermingled.
I mean, it's not just my dad's like this. So
I'm like this. I mean, obviously they're a team team
saying right now, yeah, which I get. I mean the
Mannings did this. I mean I get it. This is
the first time the always did that. Yeah, I get itspects,
but it does.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Raise some concerns about if I'm the team drafting him,
I better have a pretty damn solid backbone as a headcat.
It's almost like the Aaron Rodgers thing. You're gonna have
to put your foot down with him stulf.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he has many pelts on the wall.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah, he didn't have the He's not a Hall of
Fame player like Aaron.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
With millions in the bank. And Rogers could say I'm
done and walk away, and you know, fine, but Sanders
is still trying to write the book.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I'm sorry, you're not coming in here. And and Dad,
he's not calling the head coach on Monday and saying, hey,
why did we why did we throw that on third
and four and we could have run it?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, and this this is in eighth grade where my
kid needs to play, and blah blah blah. I mean,
all that stuff's out the door. And you wonder his
shador ever been coached by other one, anyone other than Dad.
I don't think so. I don't think he's ever had
a head coach.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
You think his high school coach wasn't the one that
I don't even know it was. And Dion, I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
I'm sure his high school coach was very happy to
have him.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
He was very happy to have him. But when Dion called,
he picked up the phone.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you know. I mean Dion might
be given back to the high school or whatever as
he should. I again, there's something wrong. This is different.
This you're pro now, but this is the first time
that he's going to have a different head coach. It's
not related to him. Yeah, you know that's going to
be difficult. Dice question. It's dicey. So what from what
I understand and I wasn't in the meetings, but several
(25:27):
people have reported this or insinuated that Sanders meetings at
the combine, Let's say he had ten of them. I
have no idea he had. I don't think he probably
had more than that, probably had more than that. I mean,
I'm sure he chose to show up to them. Yes,
apparently most of them. He came across very disinterested. And
(25:48):
the way that it was phrased was we didn't get
the impression that he cared if we liked him or not.
You know, like you sit down an interview like this,
don't really carefult want this job.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Raph This is a job interview, right, But there was
a couple that he did and because they were the
higher picks, it's the.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Giants in the Browns. Supposedly or two of them where
no bad reports out of that conversation, you know, So
I don't know if they're hand picking where they're wanting
to get there trying is they're trying to persuade teams
that might take them not to Does he just want
to be the highest pick he possibly can for prosterity
money wherever? I mean, I wouldn't think the Giants and
(26:29):
Browns are your desired landing spots of quarterback needy teams.
But if you just want to be the highest pick
you possibly can be, well, those are your best options.
And I think he's gona end up at one of
those places.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
I think so as well, and I just don't know
how well it's going to work out.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I wouldn't buy that stock. I always look at quarterbacks
like stocks, you know, Like I mean like, if he
lands in one of those two spots, I don't think
I'm investing in that stock at the current cost, you
know what I mean. Yeah, it's like chances of that
working out are less than ideal for the second or
third overall pick.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
In the draft to me, now we have heard some
stuff that you know, his floor would be the Steelers
at twenty one. I do think that Mike Tomlin has
again the pelts on the wall, right right right, tell
Dehon to go sure jumping them on.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
And I think you might tell Rogers to go jump
in the man, right, I mean right. I mean that's
this organization is going to be different that way, you know,
and I think that's a good thing. So we open
the show with the Rogers talk. If Rogers decides in
five minutes or over the weekend, I'm going to be
a Steeler signs a two year deal. Are you out
(27:40):
of round one completely on quarterbacks?
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Yeah, I'm not using it.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I think I am too.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Even with Sanders, I just don't love I don't I
don't like any of these guys at twenty one, right right.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I just tell him We've had lots of dark conversations
this week, and I don't think either one of us
is given up twenty one for Dart and Frankly at
this point, if you if Rogers is in house, especially
if it's more than a one year deal, it's to
your deal either way. I think that's I'd consider it
round three. With how they're at now.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
I'm willing to take a bigger swing at a guy
with higher upside who isn't maybe he doesn't play a
down this year, Yeah the mill Jalen Milroe right right
right now?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah, he doesn't.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He doesn't see the field at all, or maybe just
a package here and there. But he has the higher
upside from some of these other guys. Some of these
guys I just don't see the upside. Yeah, it could
be solid NFL quarterback, They could be bow Nicks. Well
I think is a a good Yeah, yeah, I think.
But I think his ceiling is to be the Kirk Cousins. Yeah,
(28:38):
the fourteenth best quarterback early.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm still interested in McCord in
the fifth or sixth. I mean backup types, you know
that maybe a strike gold with but I'm even more
interested in a mill Row that could just sit niny,
nothing from him, no pressure. If you're two and thirteen,
he still doesn't even get in the game, you know,
no matter what.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
And it's never going to be two and thirteen.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
But people who say that just haven't been paying attention, right,
I mean, the Steelers haven't as a franchise, haven't won
fewer than six games since like the mid eighties.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
And I meant to say this last segment we were
talking about post Roethlisberger, because it's been several years now.
I put a graphic out on a chart on Twitter,
A couple of weeks ago over the last decade, the
only team with the better record in the regular season.
In the regular season, I know they're on a playoff wins.
I mean, I've been here too, We're aware, right, it's
the Chiefs. I mean, they's the second best. And there's
(29:34):
a lot of different quarterbacks a lot, right, right, the
second best winning percentage in the regular season over the
last decade to be said for that.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yeah, so that includes Duck Hodges right right, right, includes
Mitch Trubisky.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
End of career. Wasn't wonderful for Ben you know what
I mean, right, I mean, it wasn't him in his
prime lighting them up and they put a bunch of
stuff in the bank. It's consistent wins like the Patriots
are still on that list, but fading really really fast
or at the end, you know. But I would be
out on quarterbacks all together in round one the minute
Rogers signs.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
This year this year, because I don't like I just don't. Yeah,
I just don't see anybody that's going to be worth
that pick.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I'm not reaching on Dart just because.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Unless unless and again I've just talk poorly about Sanders here,
but I still like him. Enough as a prospect that
if he were there at twenty one, okay, yeah, I
would be a strong consideration.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I would probably be out of it at this point too,
just because imagine the circus that could ensue, Well, it
would be a circus Sanders, Rogers, Rudolph and not the
Rudeolph's going to cause problems. But that's if you.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Think he's a potential franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
That's the thing is, I don't know that he is.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I don't know that he is either, right, all right,
I think he's a starter. Yeah, I think his ceiling
is toua yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Yeah, yeah, that to me, that's not worth passing on
Kenneth Grant or you know, something like that or not
hear yet that was not a round pick.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
But I think if that were the case and he
were available at twenty one, be interested in coming up
to twenty one.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Yeah, And that's why I don't even think he'll get
that far. If he gets to nineteen twenty, the team
that didn't get him early is you know, the Browns
or Giants or somebody like that, the Raiders. Somebody that
has an older quarterback is going to be aggressive. Yeah,
wish me fine. By me if he falls off the
board in nineteen, I'm not holding my breathro him to
get to twenty one.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Yeah, you know, so that's where I'm out on Shador Sanders.
I think he's got some warts and their kind of
self inflicted boards.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I mean, I mentioned even the Mannings and the Lways,
and people need not remember that Elway was such a
better prospect though. I mean, like if you s mel
Kuiper even was a better prospect, right, And I mean
Peyton was a good prospect, but like people forget half
the league wanted Leaf. Half of the league win a Peyton.
He was not a luck you know. I mean Elway
(31:50):
was a slam dunk. He's lebron.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
He was the number one pick.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
He had way more power.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Yeah, in twenty different drafts.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Yeah, yeah, no question. I mean, like melsaid, that's I've
heard mel Kuiper say, it's the highest grade he's ever
given a quarterback coming out. Yeah. Okay, that's a pretty
good company since nineteen eighty or whatever.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yeah, So anyways, let's get to another break. He is
the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly, and this is
the drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I
will be back with more right after this.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
At least he is the Drive with Dale Lolly and
Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of
the Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And we are back. I'm Dale Lolli and he is
Matt Williamson, and well, Matt, we spent a lot of
time talking quarterbacks here and apparently I don't even know
where this happened at, but somewhere I just saw something
tweeted about it that Jeremy Fowler went out on something
in front.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Of the show, and I like, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's good.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Guy said that, Well, you know, the Steelers even if
they sign Aaron Rodgers, that doesn't take them out of
the quarterback market this year. They could still take one,
you know, on day two or by the end of
day two, or you know, they could they could take
one next year. And people look at just like it's news.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah right, I don't think it is.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
That's not news. You don't have quarterback. I mean, shigning
forty two year old Aaron Rodgers doesn't take you out
of the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Especially from a year from now. I mean to me,
I just said five minutes ago I think I'd be
out of the quarterback market at twenty one. Yeah, and
I feel pretty strong about that. That doesn't mean I'm
not all over the rest of the class, or hey,
I might give you a future first to go get
whoever we love next year. At this time when we're
talking drafts, I mean, like that's what they've This isn't
(33:44):
the answer for the next deck No, right, right right.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
We're looking at the wrong way. The NFL, as I
said before, is a year to year league at this
point unless you've got the guy, right and if you
don't have the guy, you're going year to year trying
to set yourself up to get the guy, Which goes
back to the comp picks that we've talked about.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
All right, right, right, they got a lot of amma.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You've got all your ammo next year, and if you
have to make a big move to go up and
get a quarterback that you you think is the next
Patrick Mahomes, you think is the next Josh Allen, you're
positioned to go do that because you've got a lot
of extra ammunition in next year's draft, and you know,
if you have to also trade away a future first, Okay.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
If it's for that type of picture.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
If it's that guy, if you've identified that guy.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
And frankly, i'd love to see how I'm going to
assume Rogers is a Steeler. I mean, that's not an
assumption we can make. But for argument's sake, if they
win twelve games in two playoff games, Aaron Rodgers, maybe
I'm not using a first round pick on a quarterback
next year. I mean, I know he's not going to
be here for five right, but if you're looking at
it like man, if they only have one more receiver,
(34:51):
they might be the best team in the league. Well,
then maybe I would push my chips in in a
non Steelers like way. If Rogers is one of the
best players in the league, you know, let's see how
the season goes. Yeah, but it's never a bad idea
to me. It's the McCord's or the Shucks or the
you know. I mean, if you got one of those dudes,
see what they look like a camp and go. But
(35:14):
I'm not in the first round market this year, but
I probably will be next year.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Look at how Tampa Bay handled this with Tom Brady
as an example. They got Brady when he was going
into his age forty three season.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
It was that later. Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Yeah, so he was even older than Aaron Rodgers. And
I understand Tom Brady's eating all the avocado ice cream
and the specials. They come right, right, But Rogers is
a better thrower of the football.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Oh, he's more talented. More. Brady would tell you that, right.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, the pieces were in place. You had Chris Godwin there.
It was pretty good, Evins.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
If he was a good team, he replaced Winston.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Folks had turned the ball over forty times to previous.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I think that was the thirty thirty year, right through.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Thirty interceptions and he lost ten fumbles. He turned over
forty times just at the quarterback position.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
And Brady wisely had a lot of suitors and looked
at this team like they just drafted Tristan Wurfs. They
got a defensive minded head coach, kind of a quarterback. Away,
I can maybe convince Gronk to come with me. You
know see what I'm saying, you know right, see what
you're saying.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
There. Brady comes out and throws forty touchdown passes and
twelve interceptions, throws for forty six hundred yards. He hadn't
thrown for forty six hundred yards were more than forty
six hundred yards since twenty fifteen, and he herds thrown
forty touchdown passes since two thousand and seven, when he
threw fifty.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
And if you remember, the first ten eleven twelve games
weren't great. I mean it wasn't terrible. They weren't the
worst team in the league. He wasn't a bad player.
They had a very late late bye week and they
kind of had to come to Jesus moment where what
I like to do and what you guys do a
little bit of oil and water. We need to get together,
(37:01):
and they said, Tom do your thing.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
That's because Arians offense was just let's drop back and
chuck it deep. Yeah time and Tom again, Yeah right
right right.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
I was forget trying to remember who the offense coordinator was,
and that adds up one hundred. I mean, Brady's gonna
dissect you by death.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
By a thousand twel Arians got fired here, Yeah, yeah,
because all that, it's all he wanted to do. The
quarterback is getting killed.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
And I don't know what the Bucks lost again, I
know they didn't in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Yeah, I mean, if you look at that season, what
do he gets sacked that year.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Looking game by game, there's a clear delineation from what
I remember of post By. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I mean even at that he still only got sacked
twenty one times because he's Tom Brady and he's just
going to get rid of the football.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
But sacks are quarterbacks stat.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Yeah, they are a quarterback stat. And you know you
look at the So I understand if that, if that's
what you think you're trying to recapture here or trying
to do.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I get it, I get it right.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Right. The Bucks were not a Super Bowl team with
Jamis Winston.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I don't eve think they were a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
They weren't. Yeah, they weren't. They went seven nine, they
were right, five hundred went seven and nine with the
same talent, and they took and plucked Tom Brady and
put him in the middle of.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
That at the similar age of Rogers.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
To your point, they went eleven and five and won
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Yeah, you'll take it.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
And they had a lot in place, not saying that's
what's gonna happen with Aaron Rodgers, right, But I understand
why you would you would.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
I understand why he's in town and you're talking to him.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
This this was twenty twenty. This is not ancient history. No,
this is modern football.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
This is the way that you know, this is George
Blanda did it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
It's the same reason the Jets tried to take this one.
The problem is is the Jets didn't have the same
pieces in place, and.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
It kind of looked like they did and they gave
up some good stuff a ton to get him, a
ton to get him too.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
That's like, this is this is signing a guy much
like you know, Tampa Bay. Did you signed him as
a free agent?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Yeah, yeah, give him money. That's he's got a lot
in the bank. He's not gonna be the highest paid
quarterback in the league. He's not going to destroy your cap.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
No, it makes all the sense in the world to me, right, Yeah,
And I could see why it's attracted to him, and
so I guess you.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Know, I'm not gonna stand here and say again my
only concern, my biggest concern. I've said this from day
one is the off the field stuff of Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
You didn't worry about that with Tom Brady, No, No,
I mean, obviously he does commercials and things like that,
but it was never what's his priority? Number one, just
to be a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Be a quarterback and when Yeah, we'll see how that goes.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I think it's super intriguing if it does actually happen, though, Yeah,
I certainly will make well of a lot to talk
about when people talk about, you know, this Steelers aren't
being aggressive enough.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
What's more aggressive than this?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Yeah, that's a pretty aggressive move. I mean, I thought
last year was aggressive, but it also was nice because
the costs were so great. You got a gift that
fell in your lap. Let's try it, and we kind
of and they kind of did do it, and they
did do it with Wilson. But what if it was
just a better version of Wilson? Yeah, you know what
I mean, Like Wilson had a presence in camp and
(39:58):
you know, locker room and leader and all that kind
of stuff, and there's immediate respect, you know. I mean,
he's not trubisky, off the scrap heap type of guy.
I mean, these guys, this guy's got again up in
the Hall of Fame, right, Rogers is definitely in the
Hall of Fame, you know. Yeah, so well you're Pratt Fryarmouth.
Like I've been in League for a while. But I
wouldn't mind getting huddle with Aaron Rodgers all the time.
(40:19):
I mean, let's go.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
You know, right, he's gonna throw the tight end the ball.
Well that too, Yeah, that's gonna happen. That's gonna happen, right,
I mean I made Tyler Conklin a thing.
Speaker 3 (40:28):
Yeah, yeah, I mean he's had a lot of them.
I know, By the way, for our purposes, training camp
would be a blast. I mean everything would be a
little more elevated, you know.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
I just if this does happen, there's the league because
one of the big rooms, one of the three teams
the Steelers could play in Dublin is Green Bay.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Ah. Okay, they're gonna play him anyway.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
You're gonna play him one way or the other. Does
the league want to do that and make that, you know,
Green Bay versus Pittsburgh at ten o'clock in the morning
on Sunday or do they want that as a Monday
night game?
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I would say, what the do the International Games get
more views than a typical one o'clock I mean they're
a standalone I know, but they're weird times. Yeah, I
don't know if they get great ratings or just good
ratings everything. I have no idea I thought it was
good as a Sunday night or that one would get
pretty good. Yeah, really big. I don't think he played
(41:20):
He didn't play the Packers last year. I don't think.
I mean the year before, if they were on the schedule,
you think they played him. But that's scream Sunday.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Night or to me, yeah, or Monday night football or whatever.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
It may be standalone game of some sort.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Yeah, but well, and again, Dublin will be a standalone game.
Do you want to do that? Like the media crush
on that, people like all the networks will be well, oh,
we got to send somebody to Dublin now.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Oh yeah yeah. If they weren't playing on originally.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Yeah we weren't. We weren't going to send somebody to Dublin.
But now we're going to send the whole crew.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
No, that could be cool. That could be cool. Now
I'm rooting for it, I absolutely am.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Anyways, let's get to another break. That's going to do
it for our number one of the drive here on
the Steelers Audio Network, Matt and I'll be back with
our number two right after this
He 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 (00:16):
And welcome to the Drive, Happy Friday. I am Dale
LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and Matt Aaron Rodgers. Yeah,
visiting the Steelers today, and I know we talked about
this earlier in the week a lot, but this tells
me that Aaron Rodgers has come to the conclusion that
(00:38):
he's not going to retire.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yeah, I would assume, so, I think that's safe to say.
You don't bother doing this, and maybe he takes another trip,
who knows what happens, But I would think he's dialed
into play football and made that decision, which, again, he
has the right to take his time. I mean, he's
earned that, he's good enough. The teams will wait. We'll see.
I think it's kind of exciting though.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, we'll see how where this goes from here. But
Aaron in town today, visiting with Mike Tomlin, talking about
maybe the direction of things, and that's the problem. It's
one of the reasons why the Steelers have put forth
the rule or change proposal regarding.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Free agency yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That Their proposal is that the teams can have a
have contact at least one phone call or a video
call with a player in the legal tampering period, because
right now you're not allowed to talk to the player.
You're only allowed to talk to the agent, and the
agent talks to the player. But it's kind of like
a buffer, a little phone call game that you do
(01:43):
in grade school. Tell this guy and then it goes
down the line.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I'm sure not only do do the Steelers have
questions for Rogers and personality fits and want to hang
out with them like they would a draft prospect, but
he probably does for them too. Yeah, what's just going
to look like?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, you know what, what's what are your plans with
your vision here?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, right?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
How does this work? And so? And then there's just
the whole personality thing. You can you know, Mike, Mike
Toma loves Aaron Rodgers looked. They winked at each other
in a field. I don't know if they've ever had
an actual conversation.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I don't know if they broke bread together or had
lunch or hung out for more than five minutes or
shake hands after a game. Who knows.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You know, I saw him at the Pro Bowl right
years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Or some banquet or event or whatever. But that doesn't
mean that they're close or you know, have a working
relationship obviously.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
In the same way that I mean they brought in
Russell Wilson last year.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, once he became a free agent and and you know,
you talk to him and it wasn't a way to
other offers and then he.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I was kicking that around in my cranium too, like
did he come in and sign that day or was
there no.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
There were That's when the phone calls went out to
you know, Cam Hayward and TJ. Watt and micka Fitzpatrick.
When and he talked to those guys about it. Maybe
the same thing happens this weekend, Yeah, yeah, and we
get some kind of conclusion early next week sometime.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Would it shock you if Rogers went to New York
over the weekend or you know, checked out the Giants
or anything like that too.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Although you know, he maybe knows a little bit more
a he knows the town.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
I assume he has a house resident. It's the same stadium, yeah, yeah,
so that's an easier visit. Yeah, and could go under
the radar without people noticing too. He's not walking through
the Pittsburgh International Airport either, you know, past Franco.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
But yeah, so that's where we're at with that. You know,
the offer remains on the table. He'll decide what works
best for him, and the Steelers will decide. You know,
if he just said, well, I'm thinking about the Giants offer,
they can decide whether they want to up their offer
or whether no, that's our offer, that's what we're sticking with,
and pivot somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I mean, what's clear is there's obviously mutual interest, you know,
which has been bandied about. But I mean the fact
that he's on a plane and got here. He's serious
about the Steelers, Steelers curious about him. Maybe it does
get done over the weekend and he just decides that's
what I want. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I could see him taking another couple of days and
decide which opportunity offers him the best chance sure of success.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah, yeah, and what he was looking for.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
For Rogers, who you know, quite frankly had a losing
season last year with the Jets. I would think team
success is very pretty relevant.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Right, chances of playoffs.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
This is not a guy who's lost a lot during
his career.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
No, I'm much like the Packers. I mean over the
his lifespan as an NFL player. The Giant success versus
Steelers success is polar opposite. Let's talk about that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I want to I want to dig into this a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I was thinking about this art selves and Lawrence Taylor
Long Gon Long.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
When people talk about, well, the Steelers, they've been in
no man's land since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and you hear
nausee hear has come out and say, well, you know,
we didn't really have a there were no leaders on
that offense when you know after Ben. First of all,
Ben was there. Ben was the leader of the offense.
One of the reasons they drafted Nauji Harris is because
(05:09):
they viewed him as a leader. So if if you
were lacking leadership on that team, Naugy, look.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
At the mirror.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You were supposed to be that guy. You were supposed
to be what the offense was built around. You were
the guy. You were the first round running back that
was supposed to be the identity of the team.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
You know, they were going to be young.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
If the team didn't have an identity that kind of
falls back on you, part of the guy touching the
ball three hundred times every year, you know, a third
of their offensive touches basically went to Nagy Harris, you
were the identity and you you didn't create enough there
to make that the identity.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
And that was one of the allures of him coming
out was considered a leader in a very say it's a.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Bad guy, the team captain heading into a second year. Yeah, yeah,
and that wasn't after that.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I'm looking now because I retweeted it and you mentioned
the touches and he's he accounted for two hundred ninety
nine touches last year. I mean that's almost eighteen touches
per game that are open.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Especially at the third of your offense.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
You know, if you if you run just over one
thousand plays, thirty percent of your offense went through nausey hairs.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Right, that are going to go elsewhere elsewhere, And you
hope you even run more plays this year. So maybe
that's eighteen nineteen plays a game that aren't going in
his hands.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Anyways, where I was going with this, you mentioned the giants,
who's there, who's been there quarterback since and Eli Manning's
not even a a.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh no, Ben was around later than Eli.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Right, But what I'm saying is Eli Manning was their
quote unquote franchise quarterback. What has their plan been since
since Daniel Jones? Was they took a swing at Daniel Jones? Yeah,
you know, look at the people.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
They extended him when they shouldn't have his way.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
But well that's where they stay there, right, you know
the Colts. After Luck retired, you take a bunch of
different swings. You take a you know, you reach it
for for Anthony Richardson. You could even go to the
let's say Denver and Manning was only there a few years,
but he was there quote unquote franchise guy.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
He was like grabbing Rogers now, right, But.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
After he retired, they went nine seasons without making the playoffs.
Was not winning a playoff game without making the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, there's a lot of packs and Lynch and a
lot of search in there too for a franchise that
in our lifetime won a lot of games, like the Giants,
but I mean the Giants.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
But he wants to bring up the Packers model. Well,
they had they had Brett farre and then they drafted
Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, he was the twenty fourth pick in
the draft.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I don't think they planned on it, but sit in
the green room forever and whatever it was.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This guy's too good for us to pass.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Yeah yeah, I mean we're gonna grab him.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
And quite frankly, I don't know if we know yet
about Jordan Love. No, they're happy with I don't know
if he's a franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
He's not far of a Rogers at this point, clearly,
let alone.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
He's closer to being Derek Carr than he is those guys.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean they're happy with him, and
he's encouraging, but that doesn't mean that they've hit three
in a row.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Look at what's happened to the Patriots since since Brady
left them. Oh yeah, they've been in a bad football team.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
No question, like the worst in the league.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Right, this is what this is. You know, when I've
heard the people say, well, the Steelers have turned into
the Browns. No, they haven't turned into the Browns. The
Browns brown pretty sick. And the second the draft, they yeah,
they've drafted quarterback after quarterback and failed on it. Yeah yeah,
And then when they had one in Baker Mayfield, who
might have been the guy they decided they wanted to
(08:50):
go in a different direction and go for watching. Right,
that's not where the Steelers are at right now. The
Steelers are in that area where post franchise quarterback having
a franchise quarterback. And it's again, I just went through
like five examples of teams who had a franchise quarterback,
and you know, you don't just fall into the next one.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
What would be interesting and could be one of your
like five for Fridays And it's definitely a better project
for you to do than me. But pull up. All
the Hall of Fame quarterbacks are soon to be Hall
of Fame quarterbacks. What's the winning percentage of the five
years after they retired? And some of them will even
be bad there last year Eli is a great example
or whatever. But I bet it's pretty poor. It's post
(09:34):
always bad post Manning's bad with Denver, you know, I
mean a lot of these dudes. You're too good to
draft the new one and you've been relying on this player,
so you weren't gonna, as we went through earlier in
the week, even your second round pick on a quarterback
that's going to sit there and you live for today.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
And somebody can say, well, what about the Ravens did
it with Flacco? They drafted you know, they.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Drafted Laos on the same level.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Is not that guy, right? You know that was always
the joke in pitback. Well, Joe Flacco is a franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
He's elite. Blah blah blah blah blah, elite. Oh he wasn't. No,
he's a good player. He's a borderline pro bowler in
his best days. He's but never going to the Hall
of Fame. He's not even going to get on the ballot,
you know what I mean. Yeah, I mean he's below
Matt Ryan and those type.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Look at the Saints since Breeze retired.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
I was thinking about them too.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Like this is not something, this is not uncommon, But
it doesn't make you the Browns.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
No, No, that's a different world.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
The Browns have never had that guy.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
I mean, like the Bears have never had that guy, right.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
I mean there's a lot of some franchises just haven't.
The Jets haven't had a good quarterback since Joe Namath, right, Yeah,
you know, and.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
They tried with Rogers and injury and age and other
things gotten away too. But sometimes it's not you, it's me.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Look how long it took the Bills, the Buffalo Bills
between Kelly and Allen went twenty years, not just not
making the playoff or not winning a playoff game, not
even making the players didn't make the playoffs for two
decades after Jim Kelly retired, a.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Really long time, right, Like I mean, post post Marino
wasn't great, and you know all those dudes.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
It's it's it's unarguable. The Packers are the outlier, and
they fell into Rogers in the Rogers. Yes, it wasn't
a situation where they said, oh, we're going to go
get Aaron Rodgers, because if that were the case, they
would have traded up to get.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Him, right, they wouldn't have waited twenty I think they tried.
I think love was much more of a planned thing. Yeah,
Rogers was Why is he sitting there? Why is he
sitting there? I mean again, I was in the war
room that year. That was the years with the Browns,
and we had the Browns had a higher grade on
Rodgers than Alex Smith, who went first. Overall, maybe they
did too, maybe ten teams did, but they just didn't
(11:39):
have the need or the stones to pick them.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
And you know, even for the Steelers at that point,
Ben Roethlisberger's twenty eight years old. You're not drafting Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
No, No, that one's not even a consideration. Yeah, right,
Neither were the Giants or Chargers or right SATs.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
There were a lot of teams that had gotten their
quarterback early in that decade. They're like, okay, you know, yeah,
so it's not uncommon for teams to go through this.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
It is uncommon, as to go from far of the
Rogers uncommon. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The other thing that is uncommon is for your team
in three of the four seasons since you've had that guy,
to make the playoffs. Right now, I understand people want
playoff wins. I get it. Everybody wants playoff wins. But
look what, you know what happened to the to the Patriots,
(12:29):
They've not been close to a playoff team again. After
Kelly retired, the Bills went twenty years without even making
the playoffs. When Manning left the Broncos, they hadn't made
the playoffs until last year. Yeah, I mean, even like
that's the The Steelers are actually an outlier in that regard.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Even like a borderline Hall of Famer, like I don't
think Matt Ryan gets in, but he had a really
good career run MVP. Unfortunately Arthur Smith inherits end of
year Ryan, and then until maybe now you know, I
mean there's a four year stretch, three year stretch that
was nasty at the quarterback position and.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Starting Marcus Mariota coming out of the out of the gate.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
We gotta go to Ritter and you know, I think
there was a Heinikey stretch there somebody like him too.
End of career Ryan. I mean, there's a lot of
them that are really rough. I mean, no question about it.
There was another example I thought I don't remember, but
you know, it's to go Hall of Fame or franchise guy.
Franchise guy is pretty.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It doesn't happen the mister Yoda Mantle, right, it just
doesn't happen. And in between that, you have to try
to get your bridge quarterback. They tried to do it
with Mitch Trubisky. He wasn't necessarily the bridge quarterback. They
drafted Kenny Pickett. They thought he was going to be
the long term answer until he lost his mind. Yeah, yeah,
(13:45):
he got that was a benching. That bench that was
a bench he got bench for for Mason Rudolph. You
know they they field didn't get benched, which fields didn't
get better? That's where I went with that. Yeah, you know,
they tried it last year with use Wilson, another Bridge quarterback,
and you try to continue to take bites out of
the apple, you know, signing Aaron Rodgers this year? Is
(14:10):
it really what you're doing is you're just saying, okay,
we we saw what looked like with Russell Wilson. It
was okay.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, yeah, it was good for a while until it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Until it wasn't. We're gonna try something different again this year.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
And I still believe Rodgers is a better football player
than Wilson today, and I have a feeling they do too,
or they wouldn't, or they wouldn't be waiting.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
My only question with Aaron Rodgers, and I've said this before,
is the off the field stuff. Is he going to
still do the McAfee show. Is he gonna is he
going to show up at OT? I don't even care
about I could care less about his political views.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I doesn't care about.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
That doesn't affect me one way or the other. He's nuts.
You don't know him. There's a lot of nuts, trust me.
I talked to a lot of guys. You have no
idea what their political views are or what they believe
in or whatever. It doesn't matter. I could care less
about that. What I care is is Aaron Rodgers going
to be in Is he going to be there at Otash?
(15:05):
Is he going to be at Mini campus and not Egypt?
That's what I care about.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And if things go bad too, I don't need to
hear about every little detail on McAfee for the world
to know. There's things that should be behind closed doors,
that should be kept in the family business.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
That being said, the Steelers have kind of dealt with
that on a lesser level with Roethlisberger.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Oh yeah, yeah, mostly post his career.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Well even like he had his Tuesday radio show. Yeah yeah,
and he would say whatever on his Tuesday radio show
and people, well, did you hear what Ben said today
on his Tuesday radio show? Through this guy under the buster?
He said this about the offensive coordinator or that, like.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And everyone on the planet has a podcast in a voice.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah they all do. Some guys have better a better
filter than others. So the McAfee that doesn't even bother me.
No right to me, it's is he going to be
there in the off season? Is he going to work
during training camp to to be what he needs to
be for this football.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
It's just all about priorities. To me, being the best
quarterback for the Pittsburgh theis priority number one other than
his family, religion, and you know that whatever it is,
it's most important to him his life as opposed to
his brand, you know, or you know, being a public
spokesperson or becoming the next Jeopardy host or whatever. That
needs to be second mind. Ye. I mean it doesn't
(16:23):
mean to go away, but it needs to not be
ahead of being the quarterback of the Pittsburshi.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And that's likely the conversation that went that took place
between Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers today. Look, if you're here,
you're buying into this. You're buying into this. Yeah, we're
not here for what we want. We can't have one
foot in and one foot out. I saw what happened
with the Jets and you can that's a.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Very lenient organization that doesn't have Frankly the backbone to
do enough about.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Robert Saler was not going to put his foot down.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
It comes back to ownership.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
He went out, he was he was enabled in New York.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Oh yeah, you want Randall Cobbyers around.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Oh wait, you want the Fante Adams. We're gonna We're
gonna go get DeVonta Adams. Sure, Like, you need to
know you're not the GM area. You're not the GM here.
We're not bringing in your your hand picked offensive coordinator
who couldn't coach the you know, and got fired midway
through the season last year. No, we're not doing that stuff.
If you're here, you're here.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I mean Denver did that the first year with Russell
Wilson too, Like he got his own parking area and
his own office. Like no, no, no, you're just part of
the team. You're part of the team right right, You've
got a locker next to whoever, and you're gonna show
up every day and we're gonna do this right yeah.
And if by chance you're two and six eight games in,
I don't need your tune to change or you know,
all of a sudden, I'm backing out of my commitment.
(17:39):
You know, that's the kind of stuff you need to
work on. Now and have a trust.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, that's where we're at with the Aaron Rodgers situation.
So we'll see what happens maybe by Monday when we
come back on the air.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
I mean, it's certainly encouraging news for those that want
Rogers to be.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
We're just some resolution to this whole thing. Right Anyways,
He's Matt Williamson. I am Dale. You're listening to the
Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Matt.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Now, I'll be back with more right after.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
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 (18:22):
Welcome back on Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson
and Matt turning the page here from the previous segment.
Let's let's talk a little bit about Shadoor Sanders. Okay,
Shadoor Sanders, the big twelve Pro day was yesterday. He
chose not to throw there, fine and gonna have his
(18:44):
own private throw. Says that's fine. Yeah, he's not alone
in that. But he did do some interviews and he
was asked about some of the evaluations going on of
his game right now, and he said it's a lot
(19:05):
of critics. It's a lot of haters, but we know
what to do. We know how to handle that in
every way, so we remain happy. Is this guy talking
about is he talking in the Royal Wei here?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Does he think? It? Sure? Seems like his camp and
dad and there.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Is so okay. If it's not the Royal Wi where
he thinks he's the king of something and we give you,
grant you permission to do this, then it is his
quote unquote camp which includes his father. Oh, no doubt,
which is one of the things that teams are concerned about.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Yeah, so some of his earlier quotes from a month
or so ago, and he went to the Shrine Bowl
and didn't participate just to kind of talk to teams
and all that, which is weird because he's too good
for the Shrine Bowl but didn't go to senior bl
blah blah. Think these were at the Shrine Bowl and
he basically said, Hey, all you need to know about
(19:57):
me is I turned around or we or I don't
know what word. He used two programs that were down
and out. First of all, the first one, I give
him all the credit in the world.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
And also Travis Hunter was the number one freaking recruit
in the country.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
And he went to Jackson State. I'm like, you guys
should probably win some games there, you know. I give
them credit. I give Dion credit for going to a
historically back college and making a name for it and
helping that whole atmosphere. But when you're elite recruits and
Travis Hunter at Jackson State, you should win something.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
You should win some games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yes, yeah, Now Colorado is a different story. They were
really down and out, but I don't know that they
like or all of a sudden in the top ten program.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Didn't transform them as much as his dad transformed him.
Brought in a whole bunch of recruits, brought in a
whole bunch of transfers.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah, First that went on TV a lot. They were
on TV a lot. And before that you saw some
of the team meetings and you heard some of the
stuff like He's just like, none of you guys going
to be here because I'm bringing a whole new group
of guys.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Yeah. Yeah, and didn't bring me enough time in, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Bring him enough. But he brought him in enough to
be competitive.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah, And I think Sanders is a good quarterback prospect,
a good quarterback prospect. I mean he's going to be
a first round pick. He's going to be a starter
at some point, whether succeeds or not. Hunter is the
special one.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Hunter was the special player.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
That was the special one that never leaves feat.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
He was the unicorn.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Yeah, went in doubt. Let's throw it to him, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Like, you got twenty two starters on a team and
he was two of them.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, yeah, and the best two yeah, and Sanders was
number three.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I mean, I don't think it's Manzel to Mike Evans,
you know, but someone made the other.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Watch some of the throws that he made. He was
just throwing the ball up and letting Travis Hunter go
get it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yeah. I mean, I think that's a spectacular superstar player
that if one of the two ends up in the
Hall of Fame, I'm betting on Hunter. That would be
my guest too, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
And so I here's the problem. Dion the Dad is
long known to be a guy who doesn't handle criticism.
Well oh yeah yeah when he's in the Atlanta Braves
locker rooms.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I didn't say he's a draft cross, but he was
the same age he went he was playing for the Braves.
I know you're talking about they win.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
That they beat the Pirates to go to the World Series.
He wasn't a great baseball he was not. He was
an average baseball player.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Gets forgotten, right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
He went out of his way to dump multiple buckets
of water on Tim McCarver because Tim mccar who broadcasted
the game, because Tim McCarver said was critical.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Of him as a baseball player, which was sound like
it was pretty damn petty.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
This is who this guy is. This is the guy
who when he didn't like one.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
To those highlights. It's not a good look for no,
not at all. Mccarver's a legend at this point. You know, he.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Banned reporters from the Colorado from Colorado press conferences and
games because they were critical of the program. This is
not a guy. This is a guy who has very
very thin skin.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah yeah, and he's been the best at what he's
done for a long time. But I mean, he's the
one the best football players ever seen.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
But he wants no criticism whatsoever. You're a quarterback in
the NFL, yeah there's going to be criticized.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
To play for the New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
They're going to be criticism. Ye people were people are
going to pick your game apart in the pre draft process.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Mahomes is getting it now right because he lost the
Super Bowl, Right, the guy's overrated. I don't know it. Man.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
We may have a plan, we may know how to
handle it in every.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Way, but Josh Allen m he might not do it.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
We might not do it real well. Yeah, because if
if I'm judging from the way his father has handled criticism,
Dion doesn't handle criticism.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Well right right right, And they're all involved, they're intermingled.
I mean, it's not just my dad's like this. So
I'm like this. I mean, obviously they're a team team
saying right now, yeah, which I get. I mean the
Mannings did this. I mean I get it. This is
the first time the always did that. Yeah, I get itspects,
but it does.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Raise some concerns about if I'm the team drafting him,
I better have a pretty damn solid backbone as a headcat.
It's almost like the Aaron Rodgers thing. You're gonna have
to put your foot down with him stulf.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he has many pelts on the wall.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah, he didn't have the He's not a Hall of
Fame player like Aaron.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
With millions in the bank. And Rogers could say I'm
done and walk away, and you know, fine, but Sanders
is still trying to write the book.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I'm sorry, you're not coming in here. And and Dad,
he's not calling the head coach on Monday and saying, hey,
why did we why did we throw that on third
and four and we could have run it?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, and this this is in eighth grade where my
kid needs to play, and blah blah blah. I mean,
all that stuff's out the door. And you wonder his
shador ever been coached by other one, anyone other than Dad.
I don't think so. I don't think he's ever had
a head coach.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
You think his high school coach wasn't the one that
I don't even know it was. And Dion, I don't believe.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
I'm sure his high school coach was very happy to
have him.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
He was very happy to have him. But when Dion called,
he picked up the phone.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you know. I mean Dion might
be given back to the high school or whatever as
he should. I again, there's something wrong. This is different.
This you're pro now, but this is the first time
that he's going to have a different head coach. It's
not related to him. Yeah, you know that's going to
be difficult. Dice question. It's dicey. So what from what
I understand and I wasn't in the meetings, but several
(25:27):
people have reported this or insinuated that Sanders meetings at
the combine, Let's say he had ten of them. I
have no idea he had. I don't think he probably
had more than that, probably had more than that. I mean,
I'm sure he chose to show up to them. Yes,
apparently most of them. He came across very disinterested. And
(25:48):
the way that it was phrased was we didn't get
the impression that he cared if we liked him or not.
You know, like you sit down an interview like this,
don't really carefult want this job.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Raph This is a job interview, right, But there was
a couple that he did and because they were the
higher picks, it's the.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Giants in the Browns. Supposedly or two of them where
no bad reports out of that conversation, you know, So
I don't know if they're hand picking where they're wanting
to get there trying is they're trying to persuade teams
that might take them not to Does he just want
to be the highest pick he possibly can for prosterity
money wherever? I mean, I wouldn't think the Giants and
(26:29):
Browns are your desired landing spots of quarterback needy teams.
But if you just want to be the highest pick
you possibly can be, well, those are your best options.
And I think he's gona end up at one of
those places.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
I think so as well, and I just don't know
how well it's going to work out.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I wouldn't buy that stock. I always look at quarterbacks
like stocks, you know, Like I mean like, if he
lands in one of those two spots, I don't think
I'm investing in that stock at the current cost, you
know what I mean. Yeah, it's like chances of that
working out are less than ideal for the second or
third overall pick.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
In the draft to me, now we have heard some
stuff that you know, his floor would be the Steelers
at twenty one. I do think that Mike Tomlin has
again the pelts on the wall, right right right, tell
Dehon to go sure jumping them on.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
And I think you might tell Rogers to go jump
in the man, right, I mean right. I mean that's
this organization is going to be different that way, you know,
and I think that's a good thing. So we open
the show with the Rogers talk. If Rogers decides in
five minutes or over the weekend, I'm going to be
a Steeler signs a two year deal. Are you out
(27:40):
of round one completely on quarterbacks?
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Yeah, I'm not using it.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I think I am too.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Even with Sanders, I just don't love I don't I
don't like any of these guys at twenty one, right right.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I just tell him We've had lots of dark conversations
this week, and I don't think either one of us
is given up twenty one for Dart and Frankly at
this point, if you if Rogers is in house, especially
if it's more than a one year deal, it's to
your deal either way. I think that's I'd consider it
round three. With how they're at now.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
I'm willing to take a bigger swing at a guy
with higher upside who isn't maybe he doesn't play a
down this year, Yeah the mill Jalen Milroe right right
right now?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah, he doesn't.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He doesn't see the field at all, or maybe just
a package here and there. But he has the higher
upside from some of these other guys. Some of these
guys I just don't see the upside. Yeah, it could
be solid NFL quarterback, They could be bow Nicks. Well
I think is a a good Yeah, yeah, I think.
But I think his ceiling is to be the Kirk Cousins. Yeah,
(28:38):
the fourteenth best quarterback early.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm still interested in McCord in
the fifth or sixth. I mean backup types, you know
that maybe a strike gold with but I'm even more
interested in a mill Row that could just sit niny,
nothing from him, no pressure. If you're two and thirteen,
he still doesn't even get in the game, you know,
no matter what.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
And it's never going to be two and thirteen.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
But people who say that just haven't been paying attention, right,
I mean, the Steelers haven't as a franchise, haven't won
fewer than six games since like the mid eighties.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
And I meant to say this last segment we were
talking about post Roethlisberger, because it's been several years now.
I put a graphic out on a chart on Twitter,
A couple of weeks ago over the last decade, the
only team with the better record in the regular season.
In the regular season, I know they're on a playoff wins.
I mean, I've been here too, We're aware, right, it's
the Chiefs. I mean, they's the second best. And there's
(29:34):
a lot of different quarterbacks a lot, right, right, the
second best winning percentage in the regular season over the
last decade to be said for that.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yeah, so that includes Duck Hodges right right, right, includes
Mitch Trubisky.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
End of career. Wasn't wonderful for Ben you know what
I mean, right, I mean, it wasn't him in his
prime lighting them up and they put a bunch of
stuff in the bank. It's consistent wins like the Patriots
are still on that list, but fading really really fast
or at the end, you know. But I would be
out on quarterbacks all together in round one the minute
Rogers signs.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
This year this year, because I don't like I just don't. Yeah,
I just don't see anybody that's going to be worth
that pick.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I'm not reaching on Dart just because.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Unless unless and again I've just talk poorly about Sanders here,
but I still like him. Enough as a prospect that
if he were there at twenty one, okay, yeah, I
would be a strong consideration.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
I would probably be out of it at this point too,
just because imagine the circus that could ensue, Well, it
would be a circus Sanders, Rogers, Rudolph and not the
Rudeolph's going to cause problems. But that's if you.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Think he's a potential franchise quarterback.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
That's the thing is, I don't know that he is.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I don't know that he is either, right, all right,
I think he's a starter. Yeah, I think his ceiling
is toua yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Yeah, yeah, that to me, that's not worth passing on
Kenneth Grant or you know, something like that or not
hear yet that was not a round pick.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
But I think if that were the case and he
were available at twenty one, be interested in coming up
to twenty one.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Yeah, And that's why I don't even think he'll get
that far. If he gets to nineteen twenty, the team
that didn't get him early is you know, the Browns
or Giants or somebody like that, the Raiders. Somebody that
has an older quarterback is going to be aggressive. Yeah,
wish me fine. By me if he falls off the
board in nineteen, I'm not holding my breathro him to
get to twenty one.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Yeah, you know, so that's where I'm out on Shador Sanders.
I think he's got some warts and their kind of
self inflicted boards.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I mean, I mentioned even the Mannings and the Lways,
and people need not remember that Elway was such a
better prospect though. I mean, like if you s mel
Kuiper even was a better prospect, right, And I mean
Peyton was a good prospect, but like people forget half
the league wanted Leaf. Half of the league win a Peyton.
He was not a luck you know. I mean Elway
(31:50):
was a slam dunk. He's lebron.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
He was the number one pick.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
He had way more power.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Yeah, in twenty different drafts.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Yeah, yeah, no question. I mean, like melsaid, that's I've
heard mel Kuiper say, it's the highest grade he's ever
given a quarterback coming out. Yeah. Okay, that's a pretty
good company since nineteen eighty or whatever.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yeah, So anyways, let's get to another break. He is
the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly, and this is
the drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I
will be back with more right after this.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
At least he is the Drive with Dale Lolly and
Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of
the Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
And we are back. I'm Dale Lolli and he is
Matt Williamson, and well, Matt, we spent a lot of
time talking quarterbacks here and apparently I don't even know
where this happened at, but somewhere I just saw something
tweeted about it that Jeremy Fowler went out on something
in front.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Of the show, and I like, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's good.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Guy said that, Well, you know, the Steelers even if
they sign Aaron Rodgers, that doesn't take them out of
the quarterback market this year. They could still take one,
you know, on day two or by the end of
day two, or you know, they could they could take
one next year. And people look at just like it's news.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah right, I don't think it is.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
That's not news. You don't have quarterback. I mean, shigning
forty two year old Aaron Rodgers doesn't take you out
of the quarterback.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Especially from a year from now. I mean to me,
I just said five minutes ago I think I'd be
out of the quarterback market at twenty one. Yeah, and
I feel pretty strong about that. That doesn't mean I'm
not all over the rest of the class, or hey,
I might give you a future first to go get
whoever we love next year. At this time when we're
talking drafts, I mean, like that's what they've This isn't
(33:44):
the answer for the next deck No, right, right right.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
We're looking at the wrong way. The NFL, as I
said before, is a year to year league at this
point unless you've got the guy, right and if you
don't have the guy, you're going year to year trying
to set yourself up to get the guy, Which goes
back to the comp picks that we've talked about.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
All right, right, right, they got a lot of amma.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
You've got all your ammo next year, and if you
have to make a big move to go up and
get a quarterback that you you think is the next
Patrick Mahomes, you think is the next Josh Allen, you're
positioned to go do that because you've got a lot
of extra ammunition in next year's draft, and you know,
if you have to also trade away a future first, Okay.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
If it's for that type of picture.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
If it's that guy, if you've identified that guy.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
And frankly, i'd love to see how I'm going to
assume Rogers is a Steeler. I mean, that's not an
assumption we can make. But for argument's sake, if they
win twelve games in two playoff games, Aaron Rodgers, maybe
I'm not using a first round pick on a quarterback
next year. I mean, I know he's not going to
be here for five right, but if you're looking at
it like man, if they only have one more receiver,
(34:51):
they might be the best team in the league. Well,
then maybe I would push my chips in in a
non Steelers like way. If Rogers is one of the
best players in the league, you know, let's see how
the season goes. Yeah, but it's never a bad idea
to me. It's the McCord's or the Shucks or the
you know. I mean, if you got one of those dudes,
see what they look like a camp and go. But
(35:14):
I'm not in the first round market this year, but
I probably will be next year.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Look at how Tampa Bay handled this with Tom Brady
as an example. They got Brady when he was going
into his age forty three season.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
It was that later. Wow.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Yeah, so he was even older than Aaron Rodgers. And
I understand Tom Brady's eating all the avocado ice cream
and the specials. They come right, right, But Rogers is
a better thrower of the football.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Oh, he's more talented. More. Brady would tell you that, right.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, the pieces were in place. You had Chris Godwin there.
It was pretty good, Evins.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
If he was a good team, he replaced Winston.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Folks had turned the ball over forty times to previous.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I think that was the thirty thirty year, right through.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Thirty interceptions and he lost ten fumbles. He turned over
forty times just at the quarterback position.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
And Brady wisely had a lot of suitors and looked
at this team like they just drafted Tristan Wurfs. They
got a defensive minded head coach, kind of a quarterback. Away,
I can maybe convince Gronk to come with me. You
know see what I'm saying, you know right, see what
you're saying.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
There. Brady comes out and throws forty touchdown passes and
twelve interceptions, throws for forty six hundred yards. He hadn't
thrown for forty six hundred yards were more than forty
six hundred yards since twenty fifteen, and he herds thrown
forty touchdown passes since two thousand and seven, when he
threw fifty.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
And if you remember, the first ten eleven twelve games
weren't great. I mean it wasn't terrible. They weren't the
worst team in the league. He wasn't a bad player.
They had a very late late bye week and they
kind of had to come to Jesus moment where what
I like to do and what you guys do a
little bit of oil and water. We need to get together,
(37:01):
and they said, Tom do your thing.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
That's because Arians offense was just let's drop back and
chuck it deep. Yeah time and Tom again, Yeah right
right right.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
I was forget trying to remember who the offense coordinator was,
and that adds up one hundred. I mean, Brady's gonna
dissect you by death.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
By a thousand twel Arians got fired here, Yeah, yeah,
because all that, it's all he wanted to do. The
quarterback is getting killed.
Speaker 3 (37:20):
And I don't know what the Bucks lost again, I
know they didn't in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Yeah, I mean, if you look at that season, what
do he gets sacked that year.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Looking game by game, there's a clear delineation from what
I remember of post By. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I mean even at that he still only got sacked
twenty one times because he's Tom Brady and he's just
going to get rid of the football.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
But sacks are quarterbacks stat.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Yeah, they are a quarterback stat. And you know you
look at the So I understand if that, if that's
what you think you're trying to recapture here or trying
to do.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I get it, I get it right.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Right. The Bucks were not a Super Bowl team with
Jamis Winston.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
I don't eve think they were a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
They weren't. Yeah, they weren't. They went seven nine, they
were right, five hundred went seven and nine with the
same talent, and they took and plucked Tom Brady and
put him in the middle of.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
That at the similar age of Rogers.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
To your point, they went eleven and five and won
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Yeah, you'll take it.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
And they had a lot in place, not saying that's
what's gonna happen with Aaron Rodgers, right, But I understand
why you would you would.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
I understand why he's in town and you're talking to him.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
This this was twenty twenty. This is not ancient history. No,
this is modern football.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
This is the way that you know, this is George
Blanda did it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
It's the same reason the Jets tried to take this one.
The problem is is the Jets didn't have the same
pieces in place, and.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
It kind of looked like they did and they gave
up some good stuff a ton to get him, a
ton to get him too.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
That's like, this is this is signing a guy much
like you know, Tampa Bay. Did you signed him as
a free agent?
Speaker 3 (38:46):
Yeah, yeah, give him money. That's he's got a lot
in the bank. He's not gonna be the highest paid
quarterback in the league. He's not going to destroy your cap.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
No, it makes all the sense in the world to me, right, Yeah,
And I could see why it's attracted to him, and
so I guess you.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Know, I'm not gonna stand here and say again my
only concern, my biggest concern. I've said this from day
one is the off the field stuff of Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
You didn't worry about that with Tom Brady, No, No,
I mean, obviously he does commercials and things like that,
but it was never what's his priority? Number one, just
to be a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Be a quarterback and when Yeah, we'll see how that goes.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I think it's super intriguing if it does actually happen, though, Yeah,
I certainly will make well of a lot to talk
about when people talk about, you know, this Steelers aren't
being aggressive enough.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
What's more aggressive than this?
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Yeah, that's a pretty aggressive move. I mean, I thought
last year was aggressive, but it also was nice because
the costs were so great. You got a gift that
fell in your lap. Let's try it, and we kind
of and they kind of did do it, and they
did do it with Wilson. But what if it was
just a better version of Wilson? Yeah, you know what
I mean, Like Wilson had a presence in camp and
(39:58):
you know, locker room and leader and all that kind
of stuff, and there's immediate respect, you know. I mean,
he's not trubisky, off the scrap heap type of guy.
I mean, these guys, this guy's got again up in
the Hall of Fame, right, Rogers is definitely in the
Hall of Fame, you know. Yeah, so well you're Pratt Fryarmouth.
Like I've been in League for a while. But I
wouldn't mind getting huddle with Aaron Rodgers all the time.
(40:19):
I mean, let's go.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
You know, right, he's gonna throw the tight end the ball.
Well that too, Yeah, that's gonna happen. That's gonna happen, right,
I mean I made Tyler Conklin a thing.
Speaker 3 (40:28):
Yeah, yeah, I mean he's had a lot of them.
I know, By the way, for our purposes, training camp
would be a blast. I mean everything would be a
little more elevated, you know.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
I just if this does happen, there's the league because
one of the big rooms, one of the three teams
the Steelers could play in Dublin is Green Bay.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Ah. Okay, they're gonna play him anyway.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
You're gonna play him one way or the other. Does
the league want to do that and make that, you know,
Green Bay versus Pittsburgh at ten o'clock in the morning
on Sunday or do they want that as a Monday
night game?
Speaker 3 (40:59):
I would say, what the do the International Games get
more views than a typical one o'clock I mean they're
a standalone I know, but they're weird times. Yeah, I
don't know if they get great ratings or just good
ratings everything. I have no idea I thought it was
good as a Sunday night or that one would get
pretty good. Yeah, really big. I don't think he played
(41:20):
He didn't play the Packers last year. I don't think.
I mean the year before, if they were on the schedule,
you think they played him. But that's scream Sunday.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Night or to me, yeah, or Monday night football or whatever.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
It may be standalone game of some sort.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Yeah, but well, and again, Dublin will be a standalone game.
Do you want to do that? Like the media crush
on that, people like all the networks will be well, oh,
we got to send somebody to Dublin now.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Oh yeah yeah. If they weren't playing on originally.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Yeah we weren't. We weren't going to send somebody to Dublin.
But now we're going to send the whole crew.
Speaker 3 (41:57):
No, that could be cool. That could be cool. Now
I'm rooting for it, I absolutely am.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Anyways, let's get to another break. That's going to do
it for our number one of the drive here on
the Steelers Audio Network, Matt and I'll be back with
our number two right after this
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