HR2: Final Countdown

Bob Labriola joins the crew for a spirited draft conversation and Matt and Dale run their final mock draft of the year before tomorrow night!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
At least he's 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 (00:24):
And welcome back to the Drive here on the Steelers
Audio Network. I am Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
And you know.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
By the imposing music, yes, that the Dean of Doom,
the Lord of living in his fears, is now joining
us on the Justin Miller Hotline. How you doing labs?

Speaker 4 (00:45):
Okay, the Dean is taking charge here up of this segment. Okay,
I have a question for both of each of you, guys.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh, bring it on, great, Yes, all right, you.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
Are picking for the Steelers, and you have the first
overall pick, so you can add any player who is
eligible and availab well, obviously they're all available. Any player
who is eligible for this draft to add to the
current Steelers roster to help them for the twenty twenty

(01:18):
five season. Who you got?

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Take it away? I know both of our answers.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
We kind of we just get to, you know, just
in our top twenty one in the opening segment, and
you're probably gonna disagree with this, but I'm taking cam
Ward just ahead of Travis Hunter.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
And I'm taking Hunter just above cam Ward because I
think receiver and corner are minor needs. And I frankly
think he's a very very special prospect. And I'm a
Ward fan, but I will dip my toe in the
quarterback market next year.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Okay, interesting, interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Who you taking?

Speaker 4 (01:56):
Well, I'm gonna you know, I don't know enough about
am Ward. You know, I've watched a little TV. I
watched Miami some. You know, he was interesting. I mean
I enjoyed watching the Hurricanes play. I mean that's my
you know, my total uh, you know, evaluation.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Let's put it this way, Bob. We've gone through with
with a couple of the people who are quarterback quote
unquote experts or gurus or whatever you want to say.
And the comp that keeps coming back on cam Ward
is he sawed off Ben Roethlisberger, which.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
I think is a little rich.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Though might be a little rich. But if you give
me Ben Roethlisberger, give me eighty five nine Ben Roethlisberger.
And Okay, because I was gonna say, what what what
does saw off mean? He's short, He's a shorter Ben Roethlisberger.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
He's got small hands. I think he's six y one,
but he's thickly built.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah. Well, I mean, if that's the case, I'm taking
a quarterback. But I mean again, I am admitting, you know,
my deficiencies in the talent evaluation area every year because
I don't see anything except you know, when I'm watching
college football on Saturdays, and so I'm a you know,

(03:19):
kind of a victim of who's ever on TV. So,
but you know, the Travis Hunter pick to me is interesting,
So where's he playing?

Speaker 3 (03:31):
There would be some juggling. I would mostly play him
at receiver for a stealer for the Steelers. I think
he's basically an equal prospect at both. And he's the
best corner and the best receiver in this draft. So
even if he can't do both, I think you'd be
really happy with it. But I would try to at
least get him out there on offense third and longs

(03:53):
yeah two many. You know, when there's too much left
in the game and you need a touchdown to win,
even if he's only running a short rout or a
condensed rout tree, I think it's pretty special.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
See, i'd play m a cornerback because I would to
start him, but I would start him. You said you
start them at wide receiver.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
I didn't mean that I would I played more to
the corner here.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
If I had If I were the Steelers and I
had the number one overall pick and I wasn't going
to go take the quarterback, I wouldn't have signed Sleigh
and I would just takeing Travis Hunter and say, here
you go, Travis, here that you're you're starting on the outside.

Speaker 4 (04:26):
No, No, that wasn't That wasn't that weren't That wasn't
the parameters.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
As it is now.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Okay, Genie comes out of the bottle and says, you
get the first pick in the draft, Now who you're taking?

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well, then I would also consider asking Genty there.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
I would take both those guys over Genty.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Saying that helped the team. Now, I would still take Ward,
but I might consider Genty over for for this year.
If that's the exercise, we're just trying to put together
the best team we can put out there this year.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Well, you add them to the roster. It's not like
you don't get them two years from now. I understand, right,
you just got granted the first overall pick right in there.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
How you understand nobody. I'm still taking Ward, but I
would consider genty because I think he's special.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, yeah, I think he's pretty great.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
But you wouldn't. You wouldn't consider the depth of the
running back position and think, if I'm going to add someone,
I can I can add a running back well Friday
or Saturday and help the team more in a different area.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Well, I'm still saying I would take Ward over over Genty,
but Genty would be in my I would think about genty.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Let me complicate things, lab Do we still have picked
twenty one?

Speaker 4 (05:43):
No? No, that's your that's your only first round pick. Okay,
the only thing you can't do because I think that
maybe the most valuable thing would be the trade out.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Obviously.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
Yeah, yeah, I would field.

Speaker 4 (05:54):
Off because I think he end up with you get
your Dack had the number one overall pick, you'd get
who's ever trading with you. They'd have to give you
this year's one, and I think you get another one
at least.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Probably and probably somebody's next year in somebody's two in
this draft a year back into the second round, Which
is I.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
Didn't I didn't want to add trading to.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
The mad Our head spin.

Speaker 4 (06:22):
Right, Well, and that's that's way too you know, there's
way too much projection in that. I mean, there's a
lot of projection in this. But if you say you
got to pick somebody, uh yeah, I I'm just you're
not interested in Abdul Carter.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
No, not not. I mean he'd edge guy. I mean,
he'd be fighting Smith for snaps. I'm just good enough there.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
And he's got he's got some injury stuff that kind
of scares me.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
But yeah, you know, I think Travis Hunter helps more
this year as a corner. I agree, Yeah, I really,
I really believe that you've got to get somebody like
Joey Porter junior opposite Joey Porter Junior. Maybe Darius Slay

(07:18):
is that guy, and you know, we'll find out. But
if I could add right at top of the depth
chart corner who can play, you know, man to man,
line up and play a guy on that side of
the field, I really think that opens up your defense
for a lot of the kinds of pressure things you

(07:38):
want to do. Maybe it frees up your free safety
to be able to go back, you know, to roam
in the field and becoming a ballhawk again. I think
your pressure package has become much more effective.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Labs. We were actually talking about that yesterday. And I'm
not ripping on Dante Jackson, but his inability to really
be a man coverage corner I thought hurt this defense
for all those reasons. You know, like I bet they
have fifteen more sacks if they have that corner you're
talking about. You know what I mean, Like the ball
doesn't come out immediately if you're playing bump and run
man and you're blitzing more. And I think a ripple

(08:14):
effect of a man coverage corner would have massive effects
on this defense.

Speaker 4 (08:20):
Okay, well, interesting, I agree, I'm agreeing with it. It's
your show, so you can go back now to talk
on what you want to talk about. I'm satisfied with
my contribution.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
What would your thoughts on should or Sanders be at
twenty one? And I know you haven't broke down his
footwork and his reads and but you're familiar with them.
You don't live under a rock, and you know who
his dad is and all that. I mean, I'm not
big on it, but I can understand it.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I'm gonna be honest
here too. When I watched Colorado the last two seasons.
I rooted against them heavy because his dad, to me,
is just in sufferable, insufferable and I and well, let
me say this too, in fairness to Dion, I think

(09:08):
a lot of it has to do with the way
the media fawns all over him. You know, this coach
prime crap to me is that's not your name. So
I'm calling you by your name, Coach Sanders if you want,
or Dion or Sanders or whatever. But that whole coach

(09:28):
prime genuflection that was going on every time he was
talked about just just turn my stomach. So I am
going to acknowledge that a lot of I watched Colorado
through that prism of my bias or attitude to how

(09:51):
that was unfolding. Now, I don't know necessarily that Dion
would be a pain in the butt once his kid
is in an NFL team, So and I don't know
enough of box should do or I just don't. I
certainly am throwing out pretty much everything he did when

(10:16):
he played at Jackson State, because at that level, you
have him, you have.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
The best player in the country. Is he was voted
the best player in the country last year. For this
past season, and you had him at playing at that level.

Speaker 3 (10:32):
And you're an NFL quarterback playing at Jackson State.

Speaker 4 (10:35):
And the other thing was, you know, he got sacked
a lot, But was that because he was holding onto
the ball too long or you know, a quarterback issue,
or was that his offensive line just stink?

Speaker 3 (10:46):
I think it's about yeah, well.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
See because and that's what I mean. I don't know
enough about him to say that this guy is worth
a number one pick or not. I just don't.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Laughs. Correct me if I'm wrong. But I remember when
Dion was even in his prime, he wasn't the most
popular guy in Pittsburgh either, because Steeler fans thought Woodson
was the best corner. People in everyone thought, and a
lot of people thought Dion was the best corner and
he didn't tackle. I just remember him being not popular
around here. Oh yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
And what's the Woodson being Steeler had a lot to
do with that. And I was always love I love
this story. When Dion was a baseball player and Kurt
Shilling I believe was pitching for the Red Sox or
maybe it was the Phillies, but anyway, Shilling threw at

(11:44):
Dion a couple of times in a game and after
the game, he was asked, weren't you concerned that Dion
Sanders might charge the mound, and Shilling's answer was, what's
he gonna do arm tackle me?

Speaker 3 (12:01):
He'd be fast getting to the mound.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, see, I always the physicality that
Woodson brought to the position to me is, you know,
it was important to the way that Chuck Will wanted
to play defense. And you know, that's the way I
think defense needs to be played. You know, you have

(12:24):
to be able to run, support, come up and make tackles,
you know, those kinds of things. Uh, the whole uh,
the way Dion was used as an NFL player a lot,
I thought, you know, just shadowing a receiver, and he
was always praised for taking that guy out of the game. Well,
you know, first of all, it was in the nineties

(12:46):
and the NFL offenses weren't as sophisticated passing offenses as
they are now. So you're taking it, you know, a
wide receiver out of the game. But I'll tell you what,
I never saw Delon take Jerry Rice out of the game.
So you know, yeah, I was a Woodson guy, I
admit it.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
Rob was just a more complete player.

Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, and he again, I you know, when you talk
about athlete theon played baseball with at a major league level,
which was you know, kudos to him for that. But people,
I think a lot of people either forget or don't recognize,
you know, when you're a world class hurdler, a guy

(13:31):
who at one point Woodson had the fastest time in
America in an Olympic year in his event those high hurdles.
You know, that's that's pretty elite too. I mean, you
go to the Olympics and win a medal in that event.
I think that that's very comparable in terms of accomplishment

(13:55):
as a second sport for you. Uh you know, it's
playing major league baseball is for an NFL player. So
uh yeah, Woodson, Uh he held his own, uh in
my opinion, in uh in terms of all around special
athletic ability to So yeah, as I said, I was
a Woodson guy. I just thought he was. He was

(14:16):
really special. I remember a game. It was an opener
three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers played the forty nine Ers.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
I know I know exactly what play you're going to
talk about, because I still talk to me.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
I'm just talking about the whole game. Yeah, well, yeah,
Rice caught a couple of touchdown passes, but Woodson had
an interception on him and blocked the kick the extra point.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
He baited Steve Young into into throwing that that pass
at Woodson intercept, and he intercepted it with like two
fingers to himself. It is unbelievable.

Speaker 4 (14:51):
So yeah, I I you know, you can say Rice
scored a couple of touchdowns, but when you're a corner
on a guy like that at all day and you
also have an interception and block a kick, you know,
I'd call it even. And if you're even with a
guy like that against a team like that, hey, as

(15:16):
heinz Ward would say, you take your you take your
hat off and hand it to him. Bobby.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
He also got punts like he was a center fielder,
which I loved.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
But you've covered a lot of these drafts, as we
will start to do tomorrow. Is Woodson one of the
biggest surprises that you've seen over the years that the
Steelers took.

Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, I will tell you this. Tony Dungee told me
this story after you know, the draft, after you know,
actually some years into Woodson's career, Dungee was the defensive
coordinator at the time. You know, pro days and all
that stuff were not as nearly as sophisticated, uh nor
as ballyhood as they were as they are now. But

(16:03):
Dungee told me that Chuck Nole told him, don't waste
your time going to that. Don't going to Purdue. He's
never he's not going to be there for them when
we pick, which was tenth. I believe yeah, and uh
so we need you to, you know, do other things.
That's just the waste of your time. So that was
to me a sign of what the Steelers thought of

(16:24):
this guy. When you're picking tenth, you don't even bother,
you know, allocating any resources because you don't think he's
going to be there and you need to allocate those
resources elsewhere. But you know, then the Browns, the Browns
is the Browns, and they picked Mike Jenkins.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
Was not just the Browns, because if you look at
that eighty seven draft, I was getting there, the only
Famer selected was Rod Woodson Well, but.

Speaker 4 (16:54):
I mean in that top nine picks, then the Saint
Louis Cardinals, Kelly Stowe for ye, there was that.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
One Green Bay talk.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
It was Vinnie Testaverdi Cornelius Bennett, Alonso high Smith, Brent Fullwood,
Mike Jenkin, Kelly Stove for Reggie Rogers to Detroit, Shane
Conlin the Buffalo, Jerome Brown to Philadelphia Jerome Brown. And
it was a really good player, Ben.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
It was a two.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Yeah, Cornelius Bennett was a good player, you know, for
a long time. But they weren't Rob Woodson.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
No. And I remember, you know, as that draft was unfolding,
everybody knew that Jerome Brown was going to the Eagles.
That was a done deal. That was like Reggie Rogers
going to Detroit and Brent Fullwood the Green Bay too.
That was a that was an accepted you know people,
that was an expected pick. It turned out to be

(17:48):
a bad pick, but that's what everyone thought was going
to happen, right, So once it came to Buffalo's pick,
you know, I remember sitting in that room at three
Rivers Stadium and you're looking at the ward thinking the
Steelers are going to come out of this with either
Shane Conlin or Rod Woodson. And you know, at the time,

(18:09):
Shane Conlin was.

Speaker 3 (18:10):
A very good player.

Speaker 4 (18:12):
Yeah, and I think either one of them would have
helped the Steelers, but I mean, Woodson is a Hall
of Fame guy, you know. However, seventy interceptions or whatever
he ended up with, I mean, just just a special
all timer, all time Steelers.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
My favorite pick in that draft went two picks after
Woodson to the Dallas Cowboys, who took Danny Noonanon Newton, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (18:38):
Who went on to star in movies.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
He took him after the movie.

Speaker 3 (18:43):
Did the Olympics scare people off with Woodson? Because I
know he kind of used that as a holdout situation.

Speaker 4 (18:48):
He was, I know this, I know this that that
you know, his agent, I think was Eugene Parker was
using that leverage, leverage you know, for the contract and
at one point and Jim Boston, who was doing it,
was the negotiator at that time. He told me that

(19:10):
after a little bit, because every they kind of thought
that the track thing the Olympics was just a you know,
an excuse or a negotiating floyd. But Buff went to
Dan Rooney and said, we better start taking this track
stuff seriously. This guy could go to the Olympics and

(19:32):
win a medal. So yeah, it became.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
It was real.

Speaker 4 (19:40):
Became yeah, it became real. And you know, Woodson didn't
sign until what November or October or something like that.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah, now when did you put him in the Superman costume?

Speaker 4 (19:52):
That was that was maybe nineteen ninety, Okay, I think
I don't remember the exact year, but yeah, that's when
Woodson was because I remember the nineteen ninety season. That
was the you know, the Joe Walton mistake, and the

(20:12):
Steelers went the first month of that season without scoring
offensive touchdown. And you know, they actually won a couple
of games, one of them because Woodson returned to kickoff
for a touchdown and another I don't know why they
won the other one, but Woodson did everything. And so
I think it was USA Today first that said something about,

(20:34):
you know, he looks like Superman, and I thought, hmm,
there's a there's an idea for a Steers digest and
you know, Mike Fabous, God rest his soul. The photographer
at the time convinced Woodson to where the Superman cost him. Okay,
so we shoot the picture and did it at that

(20:58):
at the grass field over by the Kaufman's warehouse, you know,
a little short walk away from three River Stadium, and.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
So he had to walk there in the Superman costume.

Speaker 4 (21:09):
No, no, no change.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
There was a little there was a phone booth, yeah,
but it was like.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
A shed or something over there that he was able
to go in and change. So anyway he changes, where's
the costume? Shoot, the picture changes out of it, So
then the issue comes out. And that was when the
rest of Woodson's teammates saw it for the first time.

(21:35):
So the amount of ribbing i'll use that word, that
he was taking from his teammates was considerable, considerable. And
Woodson's story at the time was that's not really me.
They just superimposed my head on that photo, which, hey whatever,
you be.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Much more believable today than it would have been back
in nineteen ninety.

Speaker 4 (22:00):
You know. And again they made his teammates may have
made fun of him for the costume, but I don't
think any of them would have questioned the veracity of
the comparison.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
No, not at all, not at all. Anybody else stand
out over the years that you boy, I had no
idea that that guy was going to fall to them,
or can't believe that guy was that was the pick there.
I couldn't didn't think he would still be on.

Speaker 4 (22:24):
The board, not not the jumps, not not the jumps
out of me.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
Uh, maybe the Paula Malu trade up.

Speaker 4 (22:32):
Well, yeah, that was a month once because once the
trade was done and the pick was made, then you know,
there was no it was more about the trade that
was wow, because that was the first time in franchise
history the Steelers ever did that.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, and they moved up a bunch, like they came
way up to.

Speaker 4 (22:51):
Twenty seven to sixteen. Yeah, you know it's interesting too.
I I throw this out a lot too. You know,
people thinking that, well, you can trade back from twenty
one to like twenty eight or twenty nine and get
a second round pick. Well, you know when the Steelers
traded up from twenty seven to sixteen, you know they

(23:13):
flop picks obviously, you always do that, right, But they
got a three and a five, and you're moving up
to sixteen, which to me is a lot more significant
than moving up to twenty one. And they moved up
to sixteen and didn't have to give up a two.
So while you know, the trade down thing sounds good
and hey, maybe it works out. I hope it does.

(23:35):
But the assumption that you're going to trade down but
not out of the first round and net a number
two pick out of it. I just don't think is realistic.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, I don't think it is either. I think you're
probably looking at getting another just another day to pick
and maybe a little sweetener on the back end of it,
which I'd still be interested in. If you can get to.

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Maybe that'd get right, Maybe that's worth a two. Yeah,
But you know, I just don't think that a team
is going to give you a two to move up.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah, you're not.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
You're not trading into the top ten.

Speaker 4 (24:04):
Bottom third of the first round.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (24:06):
Hey, I hope there's a team out there dumb enough
to do that, But I just don't think there is.

Speaker 2 (24:12):
Well, our guest has been Bob Larbola, the Dean of Doom,
the lord of living in his fears, and uh, well,
how many drafts is this going to be for you labs?

Speaker 4 (24:22):
Oh god, let's not talk about it.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
Well, I mean, what was your what was your first year.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
First year, well, working for the Steelers was nineteen eighty eight,
but I was at I was there in nineteen eighty
two and they picked Walter Abercrombie. Yeah, so there's that.

Speaker 2 (24:38):
So it's been a while.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
And I'll tell you what you're gonna be living in
your fears still, you know, because you got writing to do,
like I do. And if that's if Thursday, if tomorrow
ends and the Steelers doesn't didn't make a first round pick,
good luck coming up with something to right that day.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
Well, you know, I uh, I could live with that.
I could write about the trade. There's there's all kinds
of things you can you can you can find to
write about. And I'm also gonna have to be talking
at the same time, so I got to talk and
write at the same time, which is always fun too.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
Oh Okay, I love draft Day. I'd like I'd like
them to make a pick that.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
Would be good. I would I would enjoy that. Yes,
And they just say they they've never done They don't
trade out of the first round anymore. They haven't done
that since the sixties, other than trading for micka Fitzpatrick
trade actually trading, yeah, I.

Speaker 4 (25:30):
Mean right, and actually it was sixties early sixties.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
Yeah, so I don't expect that to happen.

Speaker 4 (25:38):
But before before Dan Rooney accepted Buddy Parker's resignation.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
Quote, anyways, we'll let you go, labs. I know you
get a lot of busy stuff here to get to
but uh, we appreciate you stopping by as usual.

Speaker 4 (25:52):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening
to the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network, Matt
and now will be back with more right after.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
This list 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 (26:16):
And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly. He is the
Matt Williamson. And well the last one, the last one
is here, okay, and the picture in all right. Twenty
one we're using theprofootballnetwork dot com mock drafter today. They
seem to give us more realistic trade offer to things

(26:38):
a little bit more. We are up at twenty one
and the players available Derek Harmon, Good Malachi Starks, Nick
em Youwari, Josh Simmons, Tyler Booker, Walter Nolan, Gray's Abel,

(26:58):
Nick Scourton and Egg Buka, James Pearce, Jackson, Dart Amari
and Hampton, Donovan, Azeriku, Kenneth Grant, Luther Burden.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Okay, I would certainly field offers then the lot to
pick from.

Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, we have offers. The Cardinals who traded back with
the Browns. Oh, this is interesting. Our offering for pick
twenty one and one fifty six picks thirty three and
forty seven.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
Oh, that's an interesting build. Yeah, I'd strongly consider that.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Uh, Buffalo is offering picks thirty and fifty six were
picks twenty one and one eighty five?

Speaker 3 (27:44):
What's a better deal? I would have to look be looking.

Speaker 2 (27:46):
At the well, thirty three and forty seven is as
opposed to thirty and fifty six.

Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah, okay for the same two picks, right.

Speaker 2 (27:53):
Uh for twenty one Arizona on's twenty one and one
fifty six and what was Buffalo Buffalo's twenty one?

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Consider similar?

Speaker 2 (28:02):
Similar, And the Chargers are offering picks twenty two and
two fifty six per pick twenty one.

Speaker 3 (28:11):
I always think that's a little bit cheating. Yeah, I'd
consider the other two.

Speaker 2 (28:17):
All right, I'm gonna reject that one. I want to
look and see what Arizona has other than those two picks,
because I I one, I'm still very interested in making Oh.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
Yeah, we usually get good players there.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, and I don't know that I want to trade
out of the first round. You know, it's in name
only give it is thirty three, but there's mean it's
an early early. There's players there that I like and
I want, And if we get all the way down
to thirty three, I don't know if they all make
it that far. Oh I understand, right, I like trading
away from a good player. That's one thing that both

(28:55):
Mike Tomlin and omar Con said yesterday, like, Hey, we're
not going to trade away from a that we like.
We're players that we like.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
I mean, I might like the Buffalo angle better.

Speaker 2 (29:05):
It's a higher pick.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
So the Cardinals have thirty three, forty seven, sixty seven,
seventy eight one fifteen one fifty two two twenty five.
That's why they can offer they picked up they got
extra pick from the Browns. Yeah, obviously I don't want
to straight out of the first round.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Okay, well then tell though, yeah you want to talk
to Buffalo.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
Uh, let's see, I'm going to reject Arizona's called Buffalo
is at thirty and fifty six for twenty one and
one eighty five. If we go to thirty in sixty two,
which they also have, Oh, they got two and don't
give them and give them two twenty nine instead of

(29:48):
one eighty five.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
I'd be just as fine with that.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
I would rather do that. Okay, I don't need fifty
six necessarily, no, but I think that I think when
we've drafted at one eighty five, if we found players
that we like in that spot. Oh, I know, when
we drafted two twenty nine, it's.

Speaker 3 (30:04):
Like, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
So if I can get a pick that's actually if
I one more real pick, one more real pick in
this particular draft as well. Yeah, where I'm going to
get guys in the.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
Fourth future starting guard right right.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Yeah, as opposed to twenty nine. And I'm like, I'm
just gonna take a guy who might be a.

Speaker 3 (30:21):
Special teams player, some safety. It might not maic the team.

Speaker 2 (30:24):
You know, That's the only way I want to do
this deal. And I'm going to propose that to them
and see they may not accept it. They did, all right,
So they came up to get Derek Harmon.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
Unfortunately, I had a feeling they might want to do that.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
Walter Nolan just went, Trey Amos just went, Gray's Abel
just went. Lost a bunch of guys that were on
the list. We're not We're not trading again here. So
I'm just going to reject all that. And so now
you're looking at thirty Nick Emuori and that gag Buka,

(31:00):
James Pearce, Jackson, Dart Amari and Hampton, Josh Connerley, Luther Burden,
Kenneth Grant.

Speaker 3 (31:08):
Well, going back to segment one, I would take Grant,
you would take Hampton. Yeah, so how do we split
the I would just say it's the last show. You
want to flip a coin, let's ask our our. I'm
sure nobody has a coin on them because nobody I
want to.

Speaker 2 (31:25):
So what would this is? This is a consent. This
is how this works. You sitting sitting here, Okay, go
to the area, scoutch we got we got Hampton, we
got and Grant. We got Hampton and Grant on the board. Guys,
what are we what are we doing here?

Speaker 3 (31:38):
Okay? Nice? They see in here they split, they split labs.

Speaker 2 (31:46):
We should ask labs.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
Does something something that could flip around here? Does it
change your credit card over?

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Does it change your opinion though that we're taking Hampton
at thirty as opposed to twenty.

Speaker 3 (31:57):
Absolutely because we picked up something else.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah that now we can get that defensive tackle. We
might get tylerk Williams in the second round and be
equally as happy because.

Speaker 3 (32:08):
We have a second round, or let's do Hampton.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yeah. I just think that makes more sense. Like if
I'm gonna move down it, it does change the I'm
gonna get a premium running back premium round. I don't
have to wait and maybe miss out on Judkins and
Johnson and those guys in Travon Henderson.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
Funny you said this because I'm not trying to like
cover my butt, but I meant to say that in
the first segment about the top twenty one that if
you have different picks, my twenty one list would change
a little, right, you know, like, oh, now I have
a second. Well I'm operating here that I don't have
a second. My next pick's eighty might go.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
When I built that list, I might get a Mario
and Hampton and Alfred Collins and be like yeah or
Williams Yeah, or Williams and be like, Okay, all right,
right now we're cooking with gas.

Speaker 3 (32:50):
All right, let's do it and see how it works out.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
Okay, Marion Hampton, Okay, is the pick Travon Henderson did
go thirty two?

Speaker 3 (32:58):
Now we want them to yeah, that makes us happen.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Okay, so we got a Marion Hampton here, we got
our running back room is awesome, great, we're fantastic.

Speaker 3 (33:08):
Our line room is not. It's not.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
We might have to go D line D line here.

Speaker 3 (33:13):
I would love that. It was actually going to be
my suggestion.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
If it works out as opposed to quarterback, I'm fine
with that too.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yeah, I have no problem ignoring quarterback this year.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
I don't either. I don't either. All Right, we're coming
out here at sixty two. We're not trading rejecting rejecting now.
As it worked out, Caleb Johnson was still there, but
we didn't know that. Jaln Milrose there, Jalen Royals, Marcus
bow Oladaijo from UCLA, Alfred Collins from Texas, defensive tackle,

(33:47):
Jayden Higgins the wide receiver from wide receiver from Iowa State, Okay,
Braden Swinson, ed rusher out of LSU, Darien Porter, cornerback
Iowa State, Andrew mccouba, safety from ten exs. Kyle Williams
the wide receiver from Washington. I don't know I need
to go all that much deeper than that.

Speaker 3 (34:07):
I mean, I like, don't love Collins, but I probably
would go that direction.

Speaker 2 (34:14):
I would consider Higgins there.

Speaker 3 (34:15):
I would say Higgins being there's clouding my judgment a
little bit. Yeah, I don't want to go two skill
guys and not draft the defensive lineman immediately. But we
do have extra picks.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
We don't have extra pick.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
Better.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, we have better picks.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
I mean that's that third round the lineman is going
to be. Maybe there's a Turner or Robinson, but it's
probably a nose And I don't know if Collins is
a big enough difference maker. Though I like him, I
don't love them. I wish he was a little twitchier.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
Think you're got of stuff to run really well though.
Oh yeah, let's just look and see what other defensive
tackles are available before we make the pick. So Collins
is there, Omar Norman Lott is there, Schamar Turner is there,
Robinson is there, Josh Farmer is there, Diomane Walker, C. J. West,
Jordan Phillips, Jamari Calbwell JJ Pigisee.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
This is it's good. But it's good. Hit pretty hard
so far.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Yeah, but this is I mean, all these a bunch
of these nose types are there.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
I know, I know, I might even take Turner over call.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
I was just gonna ask you, do you go with
a guy like Turner.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
I had Turner two spots ahead of Collins outside my
twenty one but in my top thirty, kind of for
the same reasons why we had Grant behind Nolan and Harman.
Because he's an end I think I'd go Turner.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
I get it.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
I STUDI him the more I think he's a Steeler fit.

Speaker 2 (35:37):
Yeah, I mean he's.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
Playing temperament's nasty, he's long.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
I don't have a problem with that, all right, Turner here, Yeah,
I can't go receiver running back with my first two picks.
That's your second round pick. Originally you sent for the
DK met for DK Metcalf, that's your second round pick. Yeah,
y is a bonus pick.

Speaker 3 (35:57):
I mean, Higgins being there probably been my I graded player. Yeah,
but you know in that instance, maybe somebody would have
given you something good for Higgins, right, don't you know?

Speaker 2 (36:06):
All Right, so we're now down to eighty three and
the player is still available. Ty Robinson probably don't want
to do both those, but I like both of them.
Josh Farmer, maybe Dean Walker, No, No, CJ. Westward I'm
just looking at the defensive tag right now.

Speaker 3 (36:23):
CJ.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
West, Jordan Phillips, Jamari Caldwell, JJ Pegeese.

Speaker 3 (36:28):
Oh, we both consensus. I'm not one hunderdercent sure, but
several times in the last couple of weeks we have
taken Caldwell over Farmer. Yeah, and I would have said
a month ago we would have taken Farmer over Caldwell.

Speaker 2 (36:40):
Coldball's more nosy, I know, yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
Rounder, Yeah, I think I have called well ahead of them.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
Here's a little curveball to throw at you.

Speaker 3 (36:49):
But we don't have to go back to back.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
Top player available right now, Jaylen Milroe. I like that
at eighty three. Do we think that's realistic?

Speaker 3 (37:01):
Probably not. Let's not do it. I don't think he
gets out of the second round.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
Okay, So the other players still available then, Marcus and
bow Barrett Carter. These are in their rankings. Emrie Jones
the offensive tackle out of LSU, Chris Paul the linebacker
from Ole, Miss, Tyler Schuck, quarterback from Louisville. Latham Ransom,
safety from Ohio State, Jacob Parrish the cornerback from Kansas State.

(37:26):
Ashton Jillette, edge rusher from Louisville. Kyle Cannard, the edge
from South Carolina, Cameron Williams, the offensive tackle from Texas.
DJ Giddens, the running back from k State. See, that's
the argument that I have for taking Omary and Hampton
or Travon Henderson in the first round.

Speaker 3 (37:42):
If that I don't love like Giddons.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
Yeah, the running backs that you're going to have available
in the third round, if you go from twenty one
to eighty three, well, there's a chance that a lot
of peop. Yeah, these guys might be good, But I
know these other guys are gonna be good, Like I
have a pretty good The bust rate is much lower
that way. Hhmm, I'm just looking at Charles Grant is there? Uh, well,

(38:14):
Howard is there? No Williams is there.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
I mean, I'd consider Shock, I'd consider Noel Williams. I'd
consider my bow and a nose. There's a bunch of
noses still avail.

Speaker 4 (38:28):
Now.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
I'm thinking we can wait, I think we can Hmmm.
I think my bow's your starting left guard next year,
and a good one. Yeah, and maybe a tackle fits
a scheme. Really good mover. Noel Williams is a good
player too.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
I think you're take him Bow. I don't think you
ignore the offensive line in this draft. Yes, all right, Bow,
It is okay, and we are now cruising down. We
have our next pick here at one twenty three. Thus
far we have gotten Omari and Hampton, Shamar, Turner, Marcus
and Bauk, So we filled running back, defensive tackle, offensive

(39:12):
wish yeah, guard tackle, whatever it may be we got.
We've got three picks left, one twenty three, one fifty six,
one eight five.

Speaker 3 (39:22):
Is Noel Williams or one of the noses.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
Still sitting there now we almost have to go there.

Speaker 3 (39:27):
The nose is going to be take the president.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yeah, we're cruising down here to it, and we are
up and the nose tackles still available. They ain't get
touched really, which I could kind of see.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
Right, and they're not. Everyone's in the market forum, right.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
Yeah, Josh Farmer, Jordan Phillips, Jamari Callball, JJ Pageese all
still there.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
Maybe between Farmer and Caldwell for me and neither be fine.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
That's a that's a tough call, it is. That's a
tough call.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Of Farmer's length. I think he's really strong, but Caldwell's
really active and a little more nosier, you know.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yeah, yeah, they brought both guys in.

Speaker 3 (40:09):
I bet they both. They like them both.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
Yeah, hmmmm mm, that's tough. That is a tough call.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
I don't think there's a wrong one.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
I don't think there is either.

Speaker 3 (40:22):
I think that.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
I mean that's I would again, you'd have to get
these guys in a room and sit them down to
talk to them, and.

Speaker 3 (40:28):
I mean we don't have that advantage. To me, that's
a true coin flip too, Like they're both fine and
you get that in the fourth round.

Speaker 2 (40:35):
Yeah, absolutely, Mmm, I think I think Caldwell is more nosy.
I think you go with Caldwell since you since you
already got your end.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Okay, I think Farmer can do all the above.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
But yeah, I do too, But I want a true nose.
If I'm gonna if I'm gonna go for a nose,
I want a true nose. No, he is Yeah, Farmer
to me is more Keanu Benton. Yeah, like yeah, where
he can play nos but he also might be might
be better.

Speaker 3 (41:04):
I'm not sure he's the same anchor, you know.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
Yeah, he has longer arms, longer arms, right, Yeah, all right,
we got two picks left, one fifty six and one
eighty five.

Speaker 3 (41:16):
Corner wouldn't break my heart.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
Corner wouldn't break my heart. Probably want to take a
quarterback with one of these picks. Maybe, Yeah, if somebody
presents themselves, we're up top players available. Dante Thornton, wide
receiver out of Tennessee. Somebody asked him, he's intriguing to
me too. Somebody asked me about him today on the
on yesterday's show on the message board, and I said, look,

(41:40):
he They said, isn't he like Martavis Bryant? Like, yeah,
he's Martavis Bryanton that he can run deep, but he's
not built like Martavis Bryant was. Mart Davis Bryant was thick.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
Martas Bryant was a free Yeah, I mean he was.
He blew me away with how gumby issue was and
how well he bent. That's not a fair comparison. That
doesn't mean they both run fast.

Speaker 2 (41:59):
They're tall, right, but Dante Thornton's one hundred and eighty
five pounds in six or four change pencil thin. I
think he's gonna have trouble getting off press coverage, and
I think.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
He needs a year, especially coming ont of that weird offense.

Speaker 2 (42:12):
And they said well, could he be a replacement for
George Pickens. Yes, he would be one of three guys
that would have to replace George Pickens.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, and he might be your number three someday, you know. Yeah,
he's not George Pickens. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Danny Stutsman the linebacker out of Oklahoma. Aronde Gadson, the
tight end from Syracuse. Jalen Travis, the offensive tackle from Iowa.
H savi On Jones, he had Drus rusher from LSU.
Johnny Cornelius, offensive tackle from Oregon. Riley Mills the defensive
tackle from Notre Dame. Dylan Gabriel the quarterback from Oregon.

(42:49):
Doesn't do it for me. Thomas Fadona the tight end
from Nebraska. Cal mcgonagay Mononagae running back from Rutgers. It's
a little picked up over here. I'm cal McCord is
still there. Josh Gray the guard, but we already took
a guard.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
McCord would be fine, But what corners are available? Usually
this is a pretty nice area for us.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
Yeah, they saw Frasier, Upton Stout, Jalen Smith. It's pretty well.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
Picked Oh yeah, ZOFH. Fraser is kind of interesting. You
want to go m a Cord.

Speaker 2 (43:26):
Yeah, I mean yeah, so Dylan Gabriel, calm Accord, Curtis Work,
Max Brosberg, Brady Cook. The quarterbacks have gotten pretty well
picked over. I think I get quarterback here.

Speaker 3 (43:35):
Yeah, I'm fine with it. I was hoping somebody would
blow our doors off at a different position.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
It didn't happen there.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
Yeah, Okay, we got one pick left here at one
eighty five, and this is what we gain from, not from.

Speaker 3 (43:51):
Yeah, we don't have the late throwaway type pick. Yeah,
there should be something quality.

Speaker 2 (43:56):
There should be somebody here that we think is either developmental.

Speaker 3 (44:00):
I mean, something that's like pretty much guaranteed a roster spot. Yeah,
you know you're happy to have him, you know. All right,
So we are up here at one eighty five. The
players available, Riley Mills from Notre Dame, the defensive tackle
the Jalen Lane, the wide receiver from Virginia Tech. That's intriguing.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
Yeah, Jack Kaiser, linebacker from Notre Dame. Simeon Barrow defensive
tackle from Miami, Brishard Smith, the running back from SMU
Anias Peebles defensive tackle from Virginia Tech, Jamon Dumas Johnson,
the linebacker from Kentucky, Kitan Crawford, safety from Nevada. Mitchell

(44:37):
Evans tight end Notre Dame.

Speaker 3 (44:39):
I kind of like him.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
I like him, Yeah, saw Frasier still there.

Speaker 3 (44:43):
I like Evans, I like Fraser, and I like Lane
the receiver.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
Yeah, those three are they.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
Were all intriguing picks. Ferguson can block. I mean he's
a typical Notre Dame. He can block. He's he's never Evans. Yeah. Evans, yeah,
him and Ferguson.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
But he'll be a guy that sticks in the league
for ten years.

Speaker 4 (45:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
If that's your third tight end, I think you're in
really good shape. Yeah, but I don't know if we can.

Speaker 2 (45:04):
Take that over zaf Fraser though. Over the traits, that's
a tough one. The RAS score nine point three six strong.
It's a strong, strong RAS score, whereas Evans is seven
point twenty five Jalen Lane is nine point nine point
five six he is.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
They're both big time and I know why you bring
that up. I mean, especially with these late picks the
last two years, they have taken shots on athleticism and
I love that approach. My only problem with Lane is
he's five to nine oh yeah, I know he's tiny.
That's my problem too, is he's a little redundant with
Austin and Wilson. He's explosive though, and he's a heck
of an athlete. I think it takes Fraser.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
I think you take Fraser zoff Frasier cornerback utsa.

Speaker 3 (45:49):
If he can turn into a long man coverage corner,
if it's two years from now that if.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
He turns into a gunner, if he displaces James Pierre, great,
if he's guys Trice, it's almost worth it. Yeah, right, yeah,
you give me a lot of those. You know, we're
talking about a six round pick here. So what we
came out of this with was one trade back to thirty.
I don't know if they want to go to thirty
or not, but they we did in this block draft.

Speaker 3 (46:14):
I didn't love that the Bills came up for a dtackle.

Speaker 2 (46:16):
No, I didn't love that either, But we got Amar
and Hampton at thirty. At sixty two, which we took
instead of taking fifty six, which was nearest initially offering.
We got Shamar Turner, the defensive tackle out of Texas
A and m he'll play end for us.

Speaker 3 (46:36):
Yeah, yeah, very happy.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
At eighty three, we got Marcus Abau, the offensive guard
aligneman from Purdue. At one twenty three, Jamari Calbwell, defensive
tackle from Oregon, at one fifty six, Cal McCord quarterback
at A Syracuse, and at one eighty five Zaf Frasier,
the cornerback from UTSA. Just to show you the difference here,
the pick at two twenty nine, if we'd have stayed there,

(47:02):
ended up being let's see your worst. Two twenty nine
ended up being yep, skipped the skipped on me. There
it's round seven, picked two twenty nine the Bills took
Where are they at? Yeah they are Isais Waxter, cornerback

(47:22):
out of Villanova.

Speaker 3 (47:23):
First I've heard him. Yeah, Yeah, that's what you look.
That kind of suffs a big deal. Yeah, I talk
about all the time. Omar has a great history of
these two years, of almost every trade he's made, there's
a late round pick swap that helps the Steelers.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
Yeah, you don't want to go back as far. You
keep staying that right right as best as you can
do in terms of in that particular draft.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
Especially during the COVID drafts, the seventh round was a
real throw away time yeah, it's getting better now.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
This one's not as bad. This is really the last
like COVID COVID year, and so it's a deeper draft.
All the guys that stayed in school are now coming
out and that's why this.

Speaker 3 (47:59):
There was a couple of drafts or once you get
past the fifth round us.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
There's gonna be some good udfas this year. I think, oh,
running back, running backs, Maybe find a defensive tackle that
no one find, like a tight end that's useful. You know,
it's pretty deep. That's Russia that Yeah, I took one already.
I can't find a spot for this guy.

Speaker 3 (48:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:18):
Yeah, but not bad, No, not bad, not maybe my
favorite home.

Speaker 3 (48:24):
I would say I would go fish. I would rather
see how it plays out these next three days. But
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
I will say this, so if if if we hadn't moved,
if we had just stayed where we were at, and
you took Amari and Hampton at twenty one, Chamar Turner
at eighty three, mm, Marcus Abou with your fourth round pick,
Yeah yeah, Jamari Cobo with your fifth round pick. Uh,
Kyle McCord and zaf Frasier with your six and seventh

(48:49):
been really happy with that.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
Right now, I hear you. If we were stuck, we
probably would have taken Harmon or Nolan, yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 (48:59):
And then but then when I've settled at running back
or yeah, whatever, we'd end up with DJ Giddons probably
for someone of that probably, yeah, not picking again.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
To eighty three. Yeah, I don't think Johnson.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
Gets eighty three. I don't think he does either, which
is a big line there.

Speaker 3 (49:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
Yeah, I think I think there's a lot of good
backs in this draft, but I do think there is
a line there right between those guys.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
And if I don't get those above the line, the
Johnson and Ohio State dudes, I might take two. Yeah,
I'm if I'm ahead of.

Speaker 2 (49:27):
Them, make sure I get one right, right right. Somebody
that's going to contribute so anyways, might.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
Be one to seventh round, or it might be a
text attack kid or something. Yeah, somebody that shouldn't still
be there.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
Let's get to a break. He is the Matt Williamson.
I am Dale, Lolly. You're speak listening to the drive
here on the Steelers audio networking. Of course you'll be
able to hear Matt and I over the course of
the weekend throughout the draft. As the Steelers make their
picks in this year's draft, you can also most times
and starting again next week, listen to the show from
four to six every day. You can also download the

(49:58):
Steelers Mobile. You can get all the draft coverage on
there as well, and you can download our YouTube channel
show and you can also follow the Steelers YouTube.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Yeah, you on there, leave us comments.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
You'll get all the videos, all the stuff. We'll do
our final mock draft on the Steelers the YouTube channel tomorrow,
right right before the draft. He'll be part of the
Draft Extravaganza show that we put together.

Speaker 3 (50:22):
We got a lot going on.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
We got a lot going on, and you know, leave
us your comments on there, give us a thumbs up.
We appreciate that. But we'll be back to finish up
the show right after this.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
At least.

Speaker 1 (50:35):
He's 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 (50:52):
They get the drums in there. Welcome back. I am
Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson and Matt when
we come back on Monday. Yeah, regular drive time, regular
draft time. We're back on Monday. What do you expect
the Steelers to have accomplished this weekend?

Speaker 3 (51:10):
Well, I do think Steelers aside. I think this first
round is going to be chaotic and wild, especially the
second half. I think there could be a lot of
trades late and maybe including the Steelers, quite possibly including
the Steelers, and maybe in I'm gonna go crazy. I
bet they make two draft day trades, maybe a trade back,

(51:31):
and at some point you use a future pick to
move up at some point maybe you know, I can't
believe that guy's there. You move up ten spots in
the fourth round, and I cost you a sixth next
year or fifth next year. You know, I could see
not looking like a lot of the marks we've done
because you're not picking in the spot.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
In those spots.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
I do think, and well, just because it's what we've done,
I think he come out of this draft with two
defensive line that would be great, a running back, and
then everything after that is kind of gravyous. Those things
have to.

Speaker 3 (52:08):
Happen a d lineman and a running back.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
I think defensive linemen would be a running back.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
I know that they've signed some people that aren't household names. Fine,
but you need to get younger. That to me, younger
and more talented Isaya louder Milk with all respect doesn't
move the needle to do they sign for the Patriots
doesn't move the needle. That's fine, that's step through camp
and maybe somebody stands out. But in a D line
rich draft, that is my number one priority is attack

(52:35):
of D line. Yeah, and the running back will happen.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
And it's kind of a carryover of what they have
done in the last two drafts in which Omar Khan
and Andy Widhell have been setting the board and all
that stuff. They've taken five offensive linemen in the last two.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
Years, right, I mean.

Speaker 2 (52:55):
Year, and they took three last year, three in the
first four rounds last year.

Speaker 4 (52:59):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (52:59):
They're intentions are very clear, and their plan is very clear.
It's a it's just wasn't created overnight. It's a three year,
four year plan to really get this roster sort of
looking like the Eagles. You know what you're looking for here.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
And I don't think, regardless of what some of the
fans feel out there, I don't believe this roster is
has as many holes on it as I don't either
as some would lead you to believe. I think it's
a pretty solid roster. But the two holes are at
defensive line and at running backs. Yeah, I mean really

(53:35):
running backs, not even a real whole hole, because you've
got to quality and right.

Speaker 3 (53:40):
Yeah, when you really start looking at the depth chart
of you know what, where could you put bodies to
truly help? I mean, yes, you could upgrade anywhere. I mean,
but you're not going to get drel Reeves and put
them over play. I mean, like, and you're realistic, who's
my fifty three when it's all said and done, et cetera.
There's not as many spots as thin and I don't

(54:01):
think they need to make ten picks. Yeah, I mean
kind of quality over quantity, but too, d Lineman would
be a nice quantity.

Speaker 2 (54:10):
I think that's been like in all the mock drafts
that we've done. If there's a prevailing sentiment or prevailing
idea through throughout the whole thing is that. I do
think that again, quality over quantity is the is the
biggest thing. Yes, there's been some mock drafts where we
all right, let's we're going to acquire some extra picks here.

Speaker 4 (54:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (54:28):
Yeah, but then you start looking at it and going, Okay,
how many of these guys are actually going to make
the team?

Speaker 3 (54:33):
Yeah, and how can they? What's their path to helping?

Speaker 2 (54:36):
And having all those picks is nice, it is, and
it's fun for mock drafts, but in reality you probably
don't have that many roster spots.

Speaker 3 (54:43):
Sometimes you get down the end and be like, I
guess we'll take a safety because he helps on special teams. Yeah,
five safeties are probably to make the team, you know, right,
I mean, like, how does that really work? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (54:52):
And you know, I still believe that Aaron Rodgers is
very much in play here in Pittsburgh. I think he's
going to play football in twenty twenty five, and I
think it's going to be for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
I lean that way too. And maybe when we're down there,
it'll kind of just be everyone just assumes it. Who knows.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
I'm just saying that, having been down there, right right right,
there's a prevailing sentimentally that's going to happen. So, you know,
people guessing about this stuff, and you know, the national
you know, they're they're not guessing on what they think
Aaron Rodgers is going to do, right, they've been in
constant contact with Aaron Rodgers. They have a really good

(55:29):
feeling that Aaron Rodgers is going to sign. I don't
care what he said on the McAfee show. I don't
care what somebody said who talked to him once five
years ago on a sideline somewhere, doesn't matter to me.
That's a guess from them. People are trying to interpret
what Aaron Rodgers said. They've talked to him directly, and
they're interpreting their conversations to say that he's going to

(55:49):
play football this season, and he's going to do it
in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

Speaker 3 (55:53):
They're not hoping in prey. No, oh boy, I hope
Aaron says yes. I mean no, I mean they think
he's going to say yes, right, and they're gonna get
this thing done.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
I assume he's told them, hey, yeah, I'm gonna do
We're gonna do something here once I get my stuff
taken care of here in my personal life is that
rights not under contract with anybody, right right.

Speaker 3 (56:12):
He can do whatever he wants, absolutely, but.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
We shall see.

Speaker 3 (56:17):
We return when the drive returns, We're gonna be see
each other a lot. But when the driver returns, let's go.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
We will start breaking down these newest Steelers and have
fun doing all that. What the roster then looks like plenty.

Speaker 3 (56:28):
Of stuff to get to agent, all kinds of stuff, right.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
And then next thing you know, ota start to kick
off here and all the fun starts.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
And I do think across the league, maybe even as
soon as next week, some more free agents will start signing.
Oh they'll be.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
They'll be free agent signings maybe starting Sunday, maybe even.

Speaker 3 (56:44):
Saturday night Sunday. And yeah, some guys maybe JK. Dobbins
or somebody goes to a team or whatever.

Speaker 4 (56:50):
You know.

Speaker 2 (56:50):
I think, if I remember correctly, I think the Steelers
signed Demonte k Z Saturday the draft wrapped up and
we've we've signed Damante k Z. Oh they didn't get
a safety in the draft, so they went safety. Yeah,
that's the way that works anyways. For my partner Matt Williamson,
for Justin Miller here on site running the Justin Miller

(57:11):
hotline and helping us make our first round pick. There
getting up Bab Labriola today for Tyler Viittmeyer making sure
our video gets out there on the YouTube. Give us
a thumbs up. On that leave us your comments. I
am Dale, Lolly. We thank you for listening to this
edition of the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.