August 1, 2025 • 42 mins
King and Starks discuss what they expect from Friday Night Lights and more.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Iheartradios.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp is
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(00:27):
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Speaker 3 (00:36):
Steel Welcome back to the Locker Room with King and Stark's,
presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store. Here on the Steelers
Audio Network, getting you ready for a Friday Night Lights.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Steelers Practice Edition.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
An exciting day for the Steelers, an exciting day for
Steelers Nation, lots of fun. We're gonna dig a little
more into that and what it means for the Steelers,
it might mean for individual players. I want to do,
at least briefly touch on the fact that the Hall
of Fame game was played last night. Max Football is back.
Trey Lance starred in the game. You know, look, I
(01:13):
don't know anything about Trey Lance. I just know that
I think it would be very difficult to get drafted.
You did somebody trades for you, and now you know,
in twenty twenty one, he's a third overall pick by
the forty nine ers, and he's the quarterback of the future.
And then there's injury issues and brock Purty comes in
and now he's bounced around a little bit and everyone's
calling him a bust.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
You know, he's twenty five years old, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So you know, the human part of me, I don't
know anything about Tree Lance, A human part of me
was happy to see him at least throw up a
decent game last night.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
No, he had a solid game last night through a
couple of touchdowns. I mean, obviously the defense had a
pick six. I mean the game was very lopsided. But
I mean we already know what the Detroit Lions are, right.
You know, you're not putting Aiden Hutchison out there. You're
not throwing Jarrett Goff in the mix or Jamior Gibbs.
You know, you're not putting your frontline starters that you
(02:06):
know we're vying for the top offensive line last year.
So you know, you look at it and it was like, yep,
the Chargers had all the things to prove and Harbaugh
and his second season and a lot of new pieces
to work with, so you got to see a good
little mix of them. And of course they dominated in
the game. The score was you know, as we watched it,
I mean they had late fourth quarter touchdowns, like three
(02:28):
minutes left, you know, so I think you know it
was But it was good to get football out there,
to see referees, to see a score, and to see
competitive guys trying to make teams, trying to make a
name for self, but also auditioning for thirty one other teams, right,
because not everyone's gonna make that squad. So the guys
that played, especially late into the game, you're trying to
(02:49):
impress the eye of that of that scout or that
pro player personnel director that's watching that game intently and
taking notes. You want to make sure you turn their eye,
I thought. But Doll had a really good game at
the running back position for the Chargers. Yeah, you know,
there was a lot of big plays to be made
out there. So it's incremental progress towards getting towards the
beginning of the season where we'll have you know, the
(03:12):
opening night, we'll have the raigning.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
You know, we'll be starting off the festivities for the
regular season, and of course we have games internationally that weekend,
a game in Brazil on that Friday once again like
last year, and we'll be moving towards a regular season
and we hope that you know, the parody, the competition,
you know, comes alive. But you have to start somewhere
(03:37):
because the guys that were wearing uniforms last night, that's
not the Chargers and that's not the Detroit Lions. Those
are members that play football trying to become a player
for the Detroit Lions and the La Chargers. It was
the auditioned night. It was the first of many that
will happen. Every team will have three of them, you know,
except for the Chargers. Of the Lions that you know,
(04:00):
they get the unlucky task of having four because of
the Hall of Fame game being in addition to the
regular three preseason games. So you have these finite opportunities
before it starts to count, before the w's and the
l's start to stack up in each of their respective columns.
And this is just a fun part that we get
(04:21):
here and now we can say football has truly been
started in earnest because we've had a game played where
scores were kept, referees were there, fans attended in the stadium,
and of course we'll continue with the Hall of Fame activities.
But it was really good just to go through the
exercise of watching, you know, Ike Taylor and I went
and watched the game and you know, just kind of
(04:42):
enjoyed it and watched it very casually. We weren't taking
necessarily intimate notes because we.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Have our own preseason game to worry about. Robbins right,
worried about.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Who's the third string right tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
coming up ahead at who's the you know, the fourth
defensive tackle in the rotaation, you know, for the Jaguars.
We have more stuff to do. So it's fun to
actually watch football and not have to study football, you know,
for a night at least for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And two things it struck me in that game. We
just mentioned Trey Lance briefly, but if you know, look,
Naji Harris signed to the Chargers. Really wish him well.
I loved how Hardy competed for the Steelers, and I
understand the Steelers. You know, like they moved on. They've
got Caleb Johnson now to go with Warren. We're hoping
for more explosions. But you know, Naji the fireworks incident,
(05:33):
evidently injured his eye, hasn't returned to practice for them,
and so and they drafted Omrion Hampton after they signed
Naji a to a big contract, they draft Omrion Hampton,
and so you figure that's their one two punch at
running back. And again just out of interest for you know,
the running back position because it relates to a former Steeler.
(05:53):
And again I don't, like you said, I'm not trying
to get into who the Chargers. You know, fourth string
left tackle is going to be the string. Probably there
probably won't be a ford string anyway. You know, you
mentioned Kamani Vidal, he's a guy that was with the
team last year. Hassan Haskins was with the team last year,
and then Nahem Hines coming back from you know, the
knee injuries, missed a.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Couple of years.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Always liked his game with the Colts, always thought he
had something to add to a football team. You know,
they're not I doubt again, I'm not here to make
Chargers personnel decisions. I can't see him keeping five running
backs and Hampton and Naji are locks. But every opportunity
you get, and because Najie Harris is not out there,
I don't know how much.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
He would have played anyway.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Just seeing the same sort of things we're gonna see
we have been seeing in practice that are gonna see
in Friday night lights and are going.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
To see in the preseason.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Is guys trying to take advantage of whatever opportunity it
is that they get. Because when Naji gets out there
and he and Hampton, there aren't gonna be a lot
of opportunities.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You've got to seize the day.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
You've got the karpe dim when you've got the opportunity, Oh,
you absolutely do.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And these are finite opportunities.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
And you know, a lot of dreams can be made,
but a lot of a lot of dreams can be ended.
You know, I'm not gonna say crushed, but a lot
of dreams can be ended based on your play and
your opportunity. And you know, there's only so many spaces
on a team versus how many guys are available. So
when you do get the chance, you do get that
one play, you do get that one, you know, opportunity
(07:26):
to make a name for you. So you've got to
make it count. And that's what these practices are for.
From our perspective, from a team perspective, you have to
earn those opportunities to go in front of the camera,
in front of the bright lights and the fans in
the stadium. But it starts here and tonight you'll get
another one. You get the mini preview series version scrimmage
at Friday night lights. To make a name for yourself
(07:49):
and to put yourself out there in the public eye
and do something great. Dare to be great. And I
think Corey Trice kind of put it perfectly. You know,
hopefully I give the fans something to be excited about,
give them something to cheer about. Because if you get
the fans to cheer, guess what, coaches the scouts take notice. Yes,
So you want to make sure that you're putting you're
putting the ooz and ohs, and you're making the highlight reel.
You're not on the highlight reel. If that makes any sense, Rob, No,
(08:12):
it does for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
You know when you think about you know, the players
at the Steelers acquired in the off season, and I
did want to I did want to bring this up
because I you know, what I said was I thought
maybe the most overlooked acquisition for the Steelers in this offseason.
And you could argue it's you know, jan Thornhill, right,
(08:36):
who was kind of signed a little like de Shaun
Elliott last year without much fanfare. And now with the
trade of micka Fitzpatrick, he's the starting safety for you, right,
and a guy I think I can I'll certainly speak
for myself, a guy whose game I always liked. But
you know, when the Steelers made the trade with the Dolphins,
the headline was Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey, and I understand
(08:56):
that headline. But to me, John ou Smith, this guy
caught eighty eight passes last year, who caught fifty I
believe was Arthur Smith's last season in Atlanta. I believe Arthur, Yeah,
he caught fifty passes for that Atlanta Falcons team. So
a guy that Arthur Smith's got a lot of familiarity with.
I think this guy could. I'm not gonna say he's
(09:18):
gonna have eighty eight catches this year, although who knows,
who knows how much the Steelers are gonna throw the
football with Aaron Rodgers, not gonna run the wishbone, as
Arthur Smith said, But I really like his pickup. We
haven't talked a ton about the tight ends, you know,
We've we've been kind of moving around to different position
groups here in the locker room and will continue to
do that as a depth charts progress and guys move
(09:42):
up and down the depth chart.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
But I really like what.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
John wy Smith can potentially bring to this offense from
a number of factors. Max you know, eighty eight receptions.
I think that that speaks for itself. But also, and
again I'm not gonna come on the show and say
I know what kind of a blocker Johnny Smith is, right,
because I haven't seen him play that much. But the
(10:06):
reputation is that this guy is or the scouting reports,
whatever you want to call him. You know, he's not
the biggest tight end, but you get him out in
that slot where he can do a lot of damage
as a receiver. He can also do a lot of
damage as a blocker. And we know DK Metcalf can
do a lot of damage as a blocker. And when
(10:27):
you have two guys who are big and physical, can
provide mismatches for coverage, but can also do a good
job blocking on a team that would like to run
the football with increasing effectiveness. Max, I think that's a
really good pickup for the Steelers.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
No, it's become a really sneaky good pick. That sneaky
good because.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
You could have easily have done a one to one
trade Jalen Ramsey for Minka Fitzpatrick. Right, yes, and it
would have been totally valid. He was said, Okay, this
is an apples to apples trade, but as you look
deeper at it, like getting John Newsmith and then seeing
what John Newsmith has added to this team, It's like, man,
this is a steal. I'm like, this dude can run
(11:11):
like a wide receiver. He has ball skills like a
wide receiver, but he has the frame that he can
fit into an offense. You have to respect him as
a tight end, whether you know, like you said, whether
you're talking about how great of a blocker he is
at the point versus the backside. I mean, Todd heat
made a very long career in Baltimore by not lining
up on the front side of an offense in a
run game, you know, and super effective and became an
(11:33):
all time great.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Why can't you have that with John hu Smith.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
We got a front line guy, Darnault Washington, you know,
looks like an offensive tackle and can block like one
in the run game. So you don't need John Who
to do that. But what you do create when you
get into two and three tight end sets, you create
a quandary of what personnel do I send out there?
You know, do I send Nickel or do I stay
at my base personnel when he's out there? Do I
(11:56):
have a linebacker who can run with him and cover him?
But I also have a you're a corner that's not
big enough to cover him, right, you know, with.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
The physical space.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
So it puts defenses in a conundrum and it creates
varied ability within the offensive structure. And I think that's
all you can ask for if you're Arthur Smith. Give
me a lot of different toys to figure out how
I want to go about playing in the sandbox, right,
I think that's what it really is. And John new
Smith has been a welcomed edition. I mean, I'm not
(12:25):
gonna sit here and try and put, you know, thoughts
in people's heads. But he looks very good, like a
number two receiver. I'm just gonna say that out loud.
I've got it out in the universe. I have exercised that.
It's not just rattling around in my brain. But he's
a guy that has the ball skills that if you're
trying to pair him up and go with a big
lineup you know of receivers, I wouldn't see you putting
(12:46):
him out there. And then you give Calvin Austin Roman
Wilson Company the opportunity to now fit into more of
the slot type stuff to where you can kind of
get lost in the wash, so to speak. You know,
Connor Hayward at the HVAC, you know, can run a
lot of those ex hides and those shallow crossers and
get lost because you're focused on such big targets everywhere else.
It just it creates more smoking mirrors for an offense
(13:07):
to be really efficient. And listen, when you got when
you got the guy wearing the cape and the wand
back there and number eight, it makes life a lot
easier to run the illusion.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And I agree, and I think that when you you know,
when you take a step back from that to look
at the tight end group in particular, you know, you
have Pat fryeron with coming off a sixty five reception season,
the most of his career, but in the three you know,
he's played four years in the league, the three years
he's been healthy, sixty receptions, sixty three receptions, sixty five receptions.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You can't just blithely.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Say, oh, we're gonna put an inside linebacker on him
in coverage. Pat's got more than that. You do that
at your peril if you're an opposing defense. You know,
Darnell Washington, as you mentioned, big huge guy. That also
makes him a big, huge target. You know, he's not
gonna need a lot of room, a lot of open
room for Aaron Rodgers to be able to find him.
(13:59):
I think what we're saying here, what I'm saying here
is that this tight end group has the ability to
create a lot of mismatches in the past game and
the run game. And that's a really good position for
you to be in as a team.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
Yeah. No, I mean, And the word to summarize all
that is talent.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Right, You have a lot of talent in that room,
and talent breeds opportunities and options.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
That's all you're trying to do.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
You're trying to create options for your team. You're trying
to create options for your side of the ball and
having the versatility of a really good tight end room.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
That's I mean, it's every is built a tight end.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
In that room, you have a lot of different body.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Types, a lot of different skill sets that you get
to work with, and although you can't keep all of them,
you know, you have to think we're keeping at least
four at the minimum in that room.
Speaker 6 (14:53):
So it's a good problem to have.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Once again, you're never gonna hear a coach complain about
having too much talent, you know, it's usually the other
way around. I don't have enough and we're limited as
an offense. I don't think this team, this team has
any limitations, you know, as far as schematics, the biggest
thing is going to be how do these pieces all
work together, you know, and how does this offensive line
(15:15):
come together. That's really the crux of not only the offense,
but the entire team. The offense is the heartbeat they
they keep, they keep the drum cadence going for the
rest of the team, and you need that cadence to
be in sync in everybody to work in lockstep. That's
why you always had the little drummer boy right back
in the day. You know, when you'd march on the field,
(15:35):
you needed people to figure out what's the rhythm that
we're walking to, you know, Hu two three four two three.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Four boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Right, that's what you need. And that's what an offensive
line provides for a team. They are the cadence. Guess
what when offensive line is clicking and running the football,
your your defense is drinking gatorade and getting rehydrated and
taking a break. And when you're and when that posing
defense getting worn down, you know there's more opportunities later
in the game because that cumulative effect of pressure that's
(16:07):
being applied and not felt is helping the team.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
You chew up time of possession.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
So if you do have a good quarterback on the
other side, he's sitting on the bench drinking gatorade, he's
getting water logged. Where's your defense is getting hydrated? You
see the positive of trying to put into this good
and negatives of drinking a creation that was made and
created at the greatest university there is in the land,
at the university of the Florida Gators. Ye go Gators.
So I use that tongue in cheek, but that's what
(16:35):
it means. As an offensive line, we control the cadence
and the heartbeat of the team. So that's where you know,
if it works, it's gonna be great. But you gotta
build those aspects. And it starts tonight at friday Land Lights.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yes, so true and again as usual, a lot to
unpacked there, including the just in the NFL today. It's
always been true, but it becomes more and more true
every year. The defense that defends the least defends the best.
It's just keep them fresh, keep me. There's just so
many rules now that benefit the offense. And so that
(17:08):
that is a truism that that gets more and more
true every year. Quick question, do you still play the drums?
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Max?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I know you played in high school.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I don't, but my daughter, my daughter has has picked
up the mantle.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Do you ever get behind the kit and bang away?
Speaker 6 (17:19):
I'm not gonna lie. I did get behind the kit,
but it's the kit.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
It's it's an electric kit, so you got to put
on the headphones and everything, but it's adjusted to her
height and size, and you know, you never met. Here's
the thing and the drummer's out there. You'll understand this.
You never want to mess with another person's thrown and
that's that's your chair, right, So I don't mess with
my daughter's chair because I know it is at her
height and she has she and she has her configuration.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
The way that she likes it.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
You know, how does she hit how does she hit
the the you know the kick drums is a little
bit different than I would do. And where's my high hat?
You know, I would have a different position, and her
kit is like lowered. So I've gone on there and
I've I've done a little bit, but I leave that.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
I leave that to.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
My what I affectually call my little animal because she
she's like animal from the Muppet Baby. Yeah, when she's
when she's on there, her goon. If I'm not mistaken, correct,
you are absolutely correct. So and she gets on there
and she's boom, and she's she know, she agreed to
do band this year, so she's really excited.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
And they do have an actual.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Full kit that she'll get to use at school, and
then of course she can come home and not disrupt
the entire household when she when she goes on her
electric kit.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Lots of studies my kids are both banned, lots of
studies about how banned is wonderful for the UH for
education that to correlate, so good deal. But you know,
also genetics for young for young, miss Starks, because we'd
come from uh, come from the stock of Max Starks
(18:46):
and company. You're you're probably off to a pretty good
start in that regards. Real quick though, Uh should we
talk about Connor? Hey, we're down to talk about him after.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
The break back.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I will give him after the break Let's let's get
let's give him his due.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Okay, Yeah, I don't want to rush him in here
and look he's well, we're going to talk about him
because there's some things out there that are noteworthy. We'll
talk about that next. Talk about Friday Night Lights. You're
listening in to the Locker Room with King and Stark's
presented by our neighborhood Fords Store on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Iheartradios.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers training Camp
is presented by FATX where Now meets Next and also
brought to you by bud Light Independence Health System.
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By Pennsylvania One Call System by.
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Live Casino, Calciente Pizza and Draft House by Tom's Appliances,
South Hills Auto, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, Wemax Select Realty,
the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Shop and by US Steel.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
And we welcome you back inside the locker Room with
King and Starks, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store here
on the Steelers Audio Network. Before we get to Connor
Heyward No signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, joining what is
already a pretty crowded Cincinnati Bengals tight end room, Mikeasicki
is a guy who signed a contract extension in the offseason,
(20:12):
Max who has become their sort of top pass catching
tight end. Drew Sample is a guy that that can
sort of do both for him and now in comes
no Fan who you know when he was traded as
part of that Russell Wilson trade. I think a lot
of people thought he was ready to explode in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Never really happened.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
But a guy that's averaged fifty catches a year over
his six year NFL career and another guy should he
make the Bengals and be part of that team that
is going to present some problems for opposing teams. We're
talking about the tight end room for the Steelers that
you know, again, if he makes the team and it's
part of the Bengals camp when they break camp, part
of the Bengals roster, he's a guy that can present
(20:53):
some problems.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Yeah, no, I mean he is.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
And like you said, this time of year when you
see release, you see guys you know, kind of getting
the respect. But it's like, man, you want to be
on top of these material changes. And you know, Cincinnati
being a place, like you said, you have Joe Burrow,
you have a skilled quarterback, and you're looking at.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Adding a talented pass catching tight end.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
That dow creates more opportunities, right if you're gonna try
and lock up Jamar Chase and T Higgins, you know,
Noah fense kind of relieves some of that pressure, so
you can't double either. You got to play him true
man to man and or play him up straight up.
But that's also why, if you're the Steelers, why we
need so many different dbats the second that's right, I'm
the prime example that now you know, I was worried
(21:38):
before you know, you knowing, Oh, T Higgins signed and
Jamar Chase got this big contract. But now you're seeing, uh, oh,
this is this is a uh this is a problem.
But you're like, wait a second. We got Jalen Ramsey,
Darius Lay, and Joey Porter Jr. And we just talked
to Corey Trice exactly, we technically have more options to
deploy at this on top of our already having one Thornhill,
(22:01):
Deshaun Elliott, and Chuck Clark back there. Now it doesn't
feel as daunting, right. We talked about there is depth
this year versus a year ago. We didn't have that
depth and this would have been a real material problem
going into the season, like how are we going to
defend all these guys, Like we're gonna have to give
up that one guy's gonna just just eat in this game,
and we're just gonna have to live with the sacrifice
(22:22):
of praying that the pass rush will get there. But now,
going into this you hear that news, I don't flinch,
you know, I'm just like, Okay, this is gonna be
another challenge. But this is why we configured things and
brought these type of people on the team and into
camp to figure out how we're gonna be able to
deal with this because we knew there was going to
be a third receiver that would have to emerge right
(22:43):
for Cincinnati, Right because you already have the two front
lines and there's gonna be a lot of attention paid
to them. So who's your third option? Who's the one
that was gonna be? Was it gonna be Yoshivah like
like we've seen in years pass, you know, because you
kind of take out Jamar or Tea's not available.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Was it gonna be Jermaine Burton Junior? You know? Was
he going to come in and be a viable guy?
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Now it's like it doesn't matter who they toss out there,
Like we have guys who can go toe to toe
with these guys because we've we've drafted and traded properly
to be in a position where we can defend three
top flight receiving body types, if not a fourth one.
So I mean, I it just it just goes to
further cement the mindset of what you know Omar Khan
(23:27):
has done and Andy Widel of really going and finding
this talent and identifying needs before they become needs. So
now that we don't we don't flinch in the media
or or start, you know, worrying about a lot of
these things. So I'm really happy that we have the
situation that we have so that news does not start
to create angst in my mind.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
I have a lot of other things to worry about.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
I don't want to worry about Noah Fense going to
the Bengals, you know, and they still have a lot
of other issues over there in Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Who's rushing the passer? Bud Okay, that's right, nobody anyway.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Yeah, we could talk about that.
Speaker 6 (23:58):
I was.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I remember, by the way, Eric Hall Junior is a
tight end. They really like he got hurt last year
as a rookie. He's a fourth round pick. He was
kind of that guy that could do both, could block
and receive. They really liked what he was progressing. So
it's an interesting tight end room for the Bengals. And
you're right, you know, they're waiting for a Burton or
whatever to you know, can he can he cash it on?
That talent has some other issues that you know in
(24:21):
the past that have dogged him. So that that is
and again that's interesting, but I think it's relative to
the Steelers because, like you said, Max, you know, I
think when when you are compiling an offense and the
Steelers are trying to do that, every team is trying
to do that. There are only so many good coverage
(24:42):
guys around. Teams are scrambling around to get those guys.
That's why when you go out in the off season
and your people would argue that the Steelers were one
of those teams last year. You go out in the
season in the offseason and you add Darius Slay and
you know you ad Ramsey, and then you also have
you know, Beaie Bishop coming back, and Corey Trice coming
(25:04):
back and others you know, obviously Joey Porter Jr. I
think that the goal is almost to have so many
good offensive players that eventually the defense runs out.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Of good players who can cover those guys.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
You are going to find a mismatch somewhere and and
and then you know again, think about it now for
your defense and you realize, oh boy, we've got a
mismatch here on this particular player. Now we're going to
have to take one of our top defensive backs and
maybe leave him uncomfortably on a Jamar Chase by himself. Well,
(25:38):
now that that makes you know that suddenly now that
becomes the area of concern. You run out of good players.
And I think that the Steelers now have added that
depth of guys who can cover. You know, the inside
linebackers can really run. You have corners of you have
depth of cornerback. We're knocking on wood right now, Max,
to make sure everybody stays healthy.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
But does my head count? Does my head count as would? Yes?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I wonder.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
So so anyway, I think that's a you know, that
point you mentioned a really good one, because that's that's
something that every team is trying to do. Now we
were talking about the tight end situation for the Steelers.
Let's bring it back to that from the Bengals to
the Steelers. And you know, every once in a while
you're reminded, I'm reminded of just how good and all
around football player Connor Hayward is.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
His past receptions went down last year. You know, he's
obviously an excellent special teams player, but watching that backs
on backers drill, Max, if I was going to pick
one offensive guy who stood above the rest in that drill,
that guy for me would have been Connor Hayward.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Yeah, No, I agree with you. Connor Hayward was the
star on the offense side of the ball and backs
on backers two days ago, and he went in and
he saw him just butt up with guys and stick
to him like fly paper.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
Yeah, and that's what and versus you know the other guys.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
I mean now, granted, it is tougher to judge a
running back right because Connor's out on that edge, and
that he played the wing in kind of the tight
end position, so you have a little bit more space
to kind of work with and run the hoop or
the arc angle, so to speak, to keep them out
of that quarterback box position. But the tenacity and the
defense couldn't whip them. They whipped a lot of the
(27:22):
other guys. JJ Goalbreth had a very rookie experience with
the backson backers drill.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
You know, John HU Smith, you know, had a time
with it.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Darnel Washington, even as good as he is in that drill,
struggled when you're going up against the likes of oh
T J. Watt just about every rap him and alex I. Smith,
you know you're gonna have trouble with those. But it
was the tenacity, like Jalen Warren you know, as good.
Speaker 6 (27:46):
As he is. You know, it's always.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Tough for a running back in the backfield and a
linebacker on the line of scripts.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
It's not realistic.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
I wish they would have backed them up and kept
them at depth, you know, before the rush, because it
would allow for a more realistic but shorter collision contact zone. Physicality.
Stick to your guy regardless if he makes it there
or not. You know, you just want to see that.
I thought Caleb Johnson had quitted himself, but Connor by
far had the best performance of everybody and really stone
(28:15):
those guys and it was just good to see.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
And you know, once again, you know, you keep.
Speaker 5 (28:19):
Bringing in all these different body types for the tight
end position, but one body type stands strong and that's
the meatball.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
Yeah it is. And you know, Max, when you when.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
You think about, like we talk a lot about, you know,
players trying to fight their way under the fifty three
man roster, and it's not always one thing. I mean,
if somebody excels at one area of the game, you're like, wow,
you know, we can work with the other stuff. But man,
he is so excellent that could get you on a roster,
(28:50):
you know, really good at something and just solid or
really good at lot a lot of other things and
maybe not unbelievable one thing that can get you on
a ross. You know, that sort of versatility. You know,
to me, Connor Heyward, he's a worry free player. You know,
you put him out there and first of all, he's
going to excel at special teams, so he's got value
(29:11):
there for sure, top level value there. And then you know,
they talk about the fact that listen, if something happened,
the worst happened, he could play running back for you.
You know, he could finish the game at the running
back position. He could play tight end, he can play
h back, he can play full back.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
He's got very sure hands.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
You know, this is a guy who's just got a
lot to recommend himself to a football team.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
No, he absolutely does.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
He brings a lot of different elements that you know,
once again we talked. I say this again. I feel
like a broken record, almost, rob do I sound like
a broken record? No, you don't know, Okay, variety, variability, option, optionality.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Is that a word? Optionality? It is now?
Speaker 5 (29:55):
It is now Listen, I'm going I went to the
Wolf School of Linguistics, so you'll have to bear with
me will create some words on this journey that we're
that we embark upon.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
But it creates your options.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
It makes you more elusive, it makes you more varied
to where the defense cannot pigeonhole you. What did we
see over the Matt Canada era here in Pittsburgh?
Speaker 6 (30:19):
Predictability? Right right?
Speaker 5 (30:21):
We everybody in the freaking stadium knew exactly what was
going to happen, when was gonna happen, And people wondered,
why is it not working? It's because everybody in the
stadium knew that it was happening. So when you have
those skill sets, it creates illusions and you wonder what
if you're like, oh man, I don't know, Oh wow,
that happened. Whoa awesome, good job, bravo, bravo. Let's keep
(30:42):
doing that whatever that was, Yeah, let's do that. That's
what That's what you're trying to create.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yeah, to that point, Max, you know, I was watching
one of the seven on seven drills in practice?
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Was it yesterday? When practice was at ten o'clock? The
days are all blurring together, I.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Think, yeah, yesterday, right yesterday?
Speaker 5 (30:58):
It was Thank you, we actually got to watch practice
quid hours ago.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
You know, I decided, okay, this is the time in camp.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
You know, you're you're memorizing the rosters and maybe kind
of in your head, you know, trying to do the
show with Max, maybe calling a little bit play by
play in your head, and you know, they go empty set,
and I'm thinking, okay, I gotta describe empty set three
receivers this way too. And not just before I even
finished describing in my mind where the three receivers were
in the truth, they shifted and now they got two
(31:26):
tight ends in an h back and I got a
running back. And I'm like, wow, that's a lot of
pre snap movement that we're gonna try to be keeping
track up for fans listening on this year's audio network
listening to the games, which of course we encourage them
to do. There's a lot of pre snap movement, a
lot of different stuff happening before a snap, and that
creates problems for the defense.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
No, it does.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
And I think that's what you know is the wonderment
and the excitement is that I want to make it
harder on the opponent to guess what I'm doing. And
it matters on offense and defense. The same thing when
you line up in a certain structure defensively, you know,
you're like, oh man, you know, why are they lining
(32:10):
up in this? You know, I said that yesterday, like
in seven shots, I'm like, why are they line up
in goal line?
Speaker 6 (32:14):
Six to two versus eleven personnel? Right?
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Because hey, if we want to get the pass rush in,
sometimes we're gonna end up in awkward situations. You got
to try and succeed. And as an offense, it might
not be ideal you're outnumbered, but you got to figure
out how to lose slowly, you don't try and give
your quarterback as much.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Time as possible. That's what you're presenting.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
But when you have personnel that looks like one and
can act like another, that further brain scrambles everybody. And
if you have a guy that's inexperienced, a rookie in there,
maybe a second, your guy that hadn't quite seen a
lot of football, that could be that one tenth of
a second hesitation that you need to make a play breakout.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
Especially when you've got a quarterback who's seen it all.
Speaker 6 (32:53):
Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
So no, it's very exciting and this is you know,
not an embarrassment of riches, but it is it is
a corn coopia of options that can turn into something great.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Oh well described Max Stark's Hey, you know what Mike
Tomlin likes to say, Iron sharpens, Iron Gonna look forward
to what the Steelers are looking forward to tonight Friday
Night Lights. When we continue on the Locker Room with
King and Starks, presented by your Neighborhood Forward Store on
the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Network, Iheartradios.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp
is presented by Faedex Where Now meets Next and also
brought to you by Cger Wholesale Roofing and Siding Supply Center,
by Tons Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs, by
(33:55):
Hass's Steak and Seahouse, by your.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Neighborhood Forward Store, by.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Soul Rock, by clear View Federal Credit Union, and by
US steel.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Welcome back inside the Locker Room with King and Starks,
presented by your Neighborhood Fords Tour on the Student's Audio Network.
To quote Max Starks, we don't have an embarrassment of riches,
but we do have a cornicopia of options, which leads
us to Wes Euler joining us.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Max is here. Don't you worry, Max, don't you worry.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
Don't you fret?
Speaker 7 (34:27):
There, but you still have a corner copia of options.
I mean I'm here for you as well.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
I mean c J can jump in at any point
if we need any pop culture references.
Speaker 6 (34:36):
He's willing to always jump in. That's right.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Did you go to the movies last night, Siege?
Speaker 6 (34:39):
He sure did, Yeah, exactly, he's our he's our review man. Yeah,
here's here's our resident ciscle and he.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
But he's the gene Sterotaur of the movie game for us.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Ask him what he saw?
Speaker 6 (34:49):
What you what'd you see? Siege? Oh he went and
saw Naked Gun. That's right. It came out yesterday. How
was it? Two thumbs up? Two thumbs up?
Speaker 4 (34:57):
Wait, a new naked Gun? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (35:00):
With Liam Nees, you have some reasons.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
Yes, No, I will definitely, I'll definitely be lined up
to watch that one.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
I thought all those movies we hysterical.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
By the way, A couple of great quotes from Max
Starks today. Uh, there are those who feel the pressure
and those who apply it.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Supply it apply it or supply.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
It, apply it, apply it okay or applied apply apply it.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
And remember my analogy was I do that at the
buffet when I need the cook to make more chicken
nuggets because I've eaten.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Them all and the other one I loved.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
We don't we don't have we don't have an embarrassment
of riches, but we do have a corn of copia
of options. Real quick, West, what are you looking forward to?
What for you Friday night lights? What's the most exciting
thing for you?
Speaker 7 (35:46):
Just the energy, just the crowd there is, as you
guys know, and especially we've been kind of unfortunate with
weather and practice times here. We've only seen one padded
practice and we've all been out here for nine days already.
I'm just excited to kind of hit one of those milestones.
And you know, it's felt a little dog daysious dog
Day's ish, yeah days say that five times fast over
(36:09):
the last couple of days. But it will not tonight.
It will feel like a like a pseudo preseason game tonight.
So that's it for me.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Kinger.
Speaker 7 (36:16):
There's there's been some weird scheduling, some weird weather that's
kind of led to a loll and us not getting
as much action as we anticipated, but that will change tonight.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Okay, so Max Iron sharpening Iron. I did want to
ask you quickly about the trenches. We've been talking about
that and again there's been some injuries. Broderick Jones a
little dinged up. Ciamalo is just kind of getting ramping
back up after being taken off the NFI. But you know,
I want you to kind of go back quickly apply
(36:48):
what you learned during your own playing days to what
we expect to see with this younger offensive line against
a veteran proven very good. Of course, there's some young
guys in the defensive line too, I understand that, but
a veteran proven defense how that can help you get better?
(37:09):
And did you feel that at any point during your
career going against you know, the Aaron Smith's and the
you know, the Joey Porter juniors and or Joey Porter seniors,
the James Harrison's, those sort of guys, how much that
can make you better?
Speaker 5 (37:23):
The practice process, Oh my goodness, Uh yeah, I mean
it was everything in the world. I mean, and you
didn't want to get embarrassed in front of the crowd,
you know, because the one on one pass rush takes
takes place in the near end zone, closest to the
crowd where they enter in. So there's a lot of
eyeballs on you when you get on that one on
one pass rush. So you didn't want to get embarrassed.
(37:44):
You wanted to fight, and you wanted to have a
good time. And you know, if it led to a
physical fight, all the better, right, But it was an
opportunity to when pressed against the prospect of having people
like kind of a lot closer to you and you
felt the eyeball. It was a moment to see if
you'd stand up or you'd crumble under the pressure. And
(38:04):
that pressure cooker was always president. I mean, I'll never
forget my first Friday night lights and I'm lined up
at right tackle going against Clark Hagen's and one on ones,
and you know, the first thing it was, I don't want.
Speaker 6 (38:17):
To fall down.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
I want to be that guy that's playing on the
ground right, you know, and slipping and sliding because you know,
it's still high school field, still high school groundskeepers, so
you know, the grass is a little bit when it
gets longer, it's it's a little bit slicker, So you know,
you have to kind of pick your knees up, so you.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Didn't want to get into it.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
I didn't want to show off my flexibility and do
it like a full split either, so you know you
had to be on top of your p's and q's.
You don't want to be too fast. I want to
be too slow. It's like Goldilock syndrome. But you know,
I put my best foot forward. And then of course,
like going up against a Chemo von Olhoffen at the
when I went over to left tack because I was
a swing tackle, you know, as a young guy in
the league, as a.
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Rookie, and you know, you just want to do your best.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
And then we got into team period, and you know,
I'm the jumbo tight end. You know, now obviously we
have Darnell Washington. He's a built in jumbo. So you
don't need to declare like Zach Banner used to do
in more recent history. But that's what you're going up against,
that's what you're fighting for as your fighting for the
opportunity to be known and to leave a positive mark
(39:20):
and a positive impact. And you know I could say
that because of that first audition.
Speaker 6 (39:25):
It led to nine years on this team. So I
mean as I did.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
Something right that night, and these young guys have their
opportunity to make their marks on on the crowd and
on this team and the scouting and the coaches, you know,
to make sure that they're going to be counted when
you start to slot, to make sure you're above that
fifty three line and you're not in that tweener line.
That's that's the one that could you know, stock up,
stock down type of position down to what sixty was
(39:53):
it sixty seven? Because you're fifteen practice squads.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yeah, so real quick, Max, and I think we all understand,
and you laid out beautifully the competition for the individual
and it's going to be fierce this team. We've mentioned it.
This roster from my vantage point, is extremely deep. The
competition is going to be extremely high. Just to make
the roster for certain players. Then you're fighting for playing
(40:17):
time amongst certain players, which is a very healthy place
to be. Other than compete level and execution, you want
to see, you know, Christmas guys doing the right things,
being in the right places. Is there an overall theme
that the team, the coaching staff, Mike Tomlin and his
group is looking forward to in tonight's game scrimmage, I should.
Speaker 6 (40:40):
Say, yeah, scrimmage, Yeah, this is not a game.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Not a game.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
I think the rebound effect of everybody really for the
going from the first day of pads to now the
second day of pads, how do you respond?
Speaker 6 (40:55):
You know, do the mental.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Errors decrease or increase with that pressure? You know, the
mistakes you made two days ago, do they creep back in?
Did you learn from that mistake?
Speaker 6 (41:05):
Right?
Speaker 5 (41:05):
If you're a dB working on the wide receiver stalk drill,
you know, do you now have a book on who
you're going against? Right, whether it's Keishawn Williams to Calvin
Austin to if you get the unholy matchup of going
up against DK Metcalf John new Smith. As a dB,
you want to know, hey, what does this guy like
to do? And what was he trying to do at
the point when he has to make the break?
Speaker 6 (41:26):
You know? And what are the tails that I can
get offensive linemen? Right?
Speaker 5 (41:29):
When a defensive lineman lines up against you in the
combo drills or the one on.
Speaker 6 (41:34):
One pass rush, what's his tendencies? Did I watch film?
Did I pick up any keys or any cues?
Speaker 5 (41:39):
And then of course for quarterbacks, right, you know, looking
at defense structure, how's that safety like to play when
he's going to spot, drop and zone?
Speaker 6 (41:46):
What shoulder does he turn?
Speaker 5 (41:48):
And can I manipulate that and get a play with
it to his back shoulder? Those are the things you're
kind of looking for and what I'm going to be
looking for. It's kind of a holistic view of the
entire team because I want to see how much cleaner
look because we saw too many jail breaks in Day one.
We saw breakdowns, you know, and like you said, defense
looked like it had a better day than the offense.
So I want to see it coming more back to
(42:09):
a fifty to fifty ratio versus kind of the sixty
five thirty five ratio that I felt like defense had
an edge on Day one. So I'm going to be
looking at all of that, and I think all of
it's going to kind of culminate in those team drives,
but you'll get a That's what I'm looking for. I
want a sense of okay, both this side's starting to
pick it up, they're starting to get it, and this
side's still keeping their same level.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
If that makes sense, it does, Max.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Thank you as always I think we can leave our
listeners with the notion that if your life cannot be
an embarrassment of riches, may it be a cornucopia of options. Indeed, indeed,
for Max Stark's West Uler jumping in a little bit,
Justin Miller producing back in our iHeart Studios. This is
the locker room with King of Starks, presented by your
(42:55):
neighborhood Ford store. Here on this steel there's Audio Network
Iheartradios.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Live coverage about twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp is
presented by Faedex where Now meets Next and also brought
to you by Cger Wholesale, Roofing and Siding Supply Center,
by Tons Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control
by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs, by Hassa's,
(00:27):
Steake and Seahouse, by your Neighborhood Forward Store, by Castle Rod,
by Clearview Federal Credit Union, and by US.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Steel Welcome back to the Locker Room with King and Stark's,
presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store. Here on the Steelers
Audio Network, getting you ready for a Friday Night Lights.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Steelers Practice Edition.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
An exciting day for the Steelers, an exciting day for
Steelers Nation, lots of fun. We're gonna dig a little
more into that and what it means for the Steelers,
it might mean for individual players. I want to do,
at least briefly touch on the fact that the Hall
of Fame game was played last night. Max Football is back.
Trey Lance starred in the game. You know, look, I
(01:13):
don't know anything about Trey Lance. I just know that
I think it would be very difficult to get drafted.
You did somebody trades for you, and now you know,
in twenty twenty one, he's a third overall pick by
the forty nine ers, and he's the quarterback of the future.
And then there's injury issues and brock Purty comes in
and now he's bounced around a little bit and everyone's
calling him a bust.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
You know, he's twenty five years old, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So you know, the human part of me, I don't
know anything about Tree Lance, A human part of me
was happy to see him at least throw up a
decent game last night.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
No, he had a solid game last night through a
couple of touchdowns. I mean, obviously the defense had a
pick six. I mean the game was very lopsided. But
I mean we already know what the Detroit Lions are, right.
You know, you're not putting Aiden Hutchison out there. You're
not throwing Jarrett Goff in the mix or Jamior Gibbs.
You know, you're not putting your frontline starters that you
(02:06):
know we're vying for the top offensive line last year.
So you know, you look at it and it was like, yep,
the Chargers had all the things to prove and Harbaugh
and his second season and a lot of new pieces
to work with, so you got to see a good
little mix of them. And of course they dominated in
the game. The score was you know, as we watched it,
I mean they had late fourth quarter touchdowns, like three
(02:28):
minutes left, you know, so I think you know it
was But it was good to get football out there,
to see referees, to see a score, and to see
competitive guys trying to make teams, trying to make a
name for self, but also auditioning for thirty one other teams, right,
because not everyone's gonna make that squad. So the guys
that played, especially late into the game, you're trying to
(02:49):
impress the eye of that of that scout or that
pro player personnel director that's watching that game intently and
taking notes. You want to make sure you turn their eye,
I thought. But Doll had a really good game at
the running back position for the Chargers. Yeah, you know,
there was a lot of big plays to be made
out there. So it's incremental progress towards getting towards the
beginning of the season where we'll have you know, the
(03:12):
opening night, we'll have the raigning.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Super Bowl champion in Philadelphia Eagles.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
You know, we'll be starting off the festivities for the
regular season, and of course we have games internationally that weekend,
a game in Brazil on that Friday once again like
last year, and we'll be moving towards a regular season
and we hope that you know, the parody, the competition,
you know, comes alive. But you have to start somewhere
(03:37):
because the guys that were wearing uniforms last night, that's
not the Chargers and that's not the Detroit Lions. Those
are members that play football trying to become a player
for the Detroit Lions and the La Chargers. It was
the auditioned night. It was the first of many that
will happen. Every team will have three of them, you know,
except for the Chargers. Of the Lions that you know,
(04:00):
they get the unlucky task of having four because of
the Hall of Fame game being in addition to the
regular three preseason games. So you have these finite opportunities
before it starts to count, before the w's and the
l's start to stack up in each of their respective columns.
And this is just a fun part that we get
(04:21):
here and now we can say football has truly been
started in earnest because we've had a game played where
scores were kept, referees were there, fans attended in the stadium,
and of course we'll continue with the Hall of Fame activities.
But it was really good just to go through the
exercise of watching, you know, Ike Taylor and I went
and watched the game and you know, just kind of
(04:42):
enjoyed it and watched it very casually. We weren't taking
necessarily intimate notes because we.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
Have our own preseason game to worry about. Robbins right,
worried about.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
Who's the third string right tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
coming up ahead at who's the you know, the fourth
defensive tackle in the rotaation, you know, for the Jaguars.
We have more stuff to do. So it's fun to
actually watch football and not have to study football, you know,
for a night at least for sure.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And two things it struck me in that game. We
just mentioned Trey Lance briefly, but if you know, look,
Naji Harris signed to the Chargers. Really wish him well.
I loved how Hardy competed for the Steelers, and I
understand the Steelers. You know, like they moved on. They've
got Caleb Johnson now to go with Warren. We're hoping
for more explosions. But you know, Naji the fireworks incident,
(05:33):
evidently injured his eye, hasn't returned to practice for them,
and so and they drafted Omrion Hampton after they signed
Naji a to a big contract, they draft Omrion Hampton,
and so you figure that's their one two punch at
running back. And again just out of interest for you know,
the running back position because it relates to a former Steeler.
(05:53):
And again I don't, like you said, I'm not trying
to get into who the Chargers. You know, fourth string
left tackle is going to be the string. Probably there
probably won't be a ford string anyway. You know, you
mentioned Kamani Vidal, he's a guy that was with the
team last year. Hassan Haskins was with the team last year,
and then Nahem Hines coming back from you know, the
knee injuries, missed a.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Couple of years.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Always liked his game with the Colts, always thought he
had something to add to a football team. You know,
they're not I doubt again, I'm not here to make
Chargers personnel decisions. I can't see him keeping five running
backs and Hampton and Naji are locks. But every opportunity
you get, and because Najie Harris is not out there,
I don't know how much.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
He would have played anyway.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Just seeing the same sort of things we're gonna see
we have been seeing in practice that are gonna see
in Friday night lights and are going.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
To see in the preseason.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Is guys trying to take advantage of whatever opportunity it
is that they get. Because when Naji gets out there
and he and Hampton, there aren't gonna be a lot
of opportunities.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You've got to seize the day.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
You've got the karpe dim when you've got the opportunity, Oh,
you absolutely do.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And these are finite opportunities.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
And you know, a lot of dreams can be made,
but a lot of a lot of dreams can be ended.
You know, I'm not gonna say crushed, but a lot
of dreams can be ended based on your play and
your opportunity. And you know, there's only so many spaces
on a team versus how many guys are available. So
when you do get the chance, you do get that
one play, you do get that one, you know, opportunity
(07:26):
to make a name for you. So you've got to
make it count. And that's what these practices are for.
From our perspective, from a team perspective, you have to
earn those opportunities to go in front of the camera,
in front of the bright lights and the fans in
the stadium. But it starts here and tonight you'll get
another one. You get the mini preview series version scrimmage
at Friday night lights. To make a name for yourself
(07:49):
and to put yourself out there in the public eye
and do something great. Dare to be great. And I
think Corey Trice kind of put it perfectly. You know,
hopefully I give the fans something to be excited about,
give them something to cheer about. Because if you get
the fans to cheer, guess what, coaches the scouts take notice. Yes,
So you want to make sure that you're putting you're
putting the ooz and ohs, and you're making the highlight reel.
You're not on the highlight reel. If that makes any sense, Rob, No,
(08:12):
it does for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
You know when you think about you know, the players
at the Steelers acquired in the off season, and I
did want to I did want to bring this up
because I you know, what I said was I thought
maybe the most overlooked acquisition for the Steelers in this offseason.
And you could argue it's you know, jan Thornhill, right,
(08:36):
who was kind of signed a little like de Shaun
Elliott last year without much fanfare. And now with the
trade of micka Fitzpatrick, he's the starting safety for you, right,
and a guy I think I can I'll certainly speak
for myself, a guy whose game I always liked. But
you know, when the Steelers made the trade with the Dolphins,
the headline was Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey, and I understand
(08:56):
that headline. But to me, John ou Smith, this guy
caught eighty eight passes last year, who caught fifty I
believe was Arthur Smith's last season in Atlanta. I believe Arthur, Yeah,
he caught fifty passes for that Atlanta Falcons team. So
a guy that Arthur Smith's got a lot of familiarity with.
I think this guy could. I'm not gonna say he's
(09:18):
gonna have eighty eight catches this year, although who knows,
who knows how much the Steelers are gonna throw the
football with Aaron Rodgers, not gonna run the wishbone, as
Arthur Smith said, But I really like his pickup. We
haven't talked a ton about the tight ends, you know,
We've we've been kind of moving around to different position
groups here in the locker room and will continue to
do that as a depth charts progress and guys move
(09:42):
up and down the depth chart.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
But I really like what.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
John wy Smith can potentially bring to this offense from
a number of factors. Max you know, eighty eight receptions.
I think that that speaks for itself. But also, and
again I'm not gonna come on the show and say
I know what kind of a blocker Johnny Smith is, right,
because I haven't seen him play that much. But the
(10:06):
reputation is that this guy is or the scouting reports,
whatever you want to call him. You know, he's not
the biggest tight end, but you get him out in
that slot where he can do a lot of damage
as a receiver. He can also do a lot of
damage as a blocker. And we know DK Metcalf can
do a lot of damage as a blocker. And when
(10:27):
you have two guys who are big and physical, can
provide mismatches for coverage, but can also do a good
job blocking on a team that would like to run
the football with increasing effectiveness. Max, I think that's a
really good pickup for the Steelers.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
No, it's become a really sneaky good pick. That sneaky
good because.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
You could have easily have done a one to one
trade Jalen Ramsey for Minka Fitzpatrick. Right, yes, and it
would have been totally valid. He was said, Okay, this
is an apples to apples trade, but as you look
deeper at it, like getting John Newsmith and then seeing
what John Newsmith has added to this team, It's like, man,
this is a steal. I'm like, this dude can run
(11:11):
like a wide receiver. He has ball skills like a
wide receiver, but he has the frame that he can
fit into an offense. You have to respect him as
a tight end, whether you know, like you said, whether
you're talking about how great of a blocker he is
at the point versus the backside. I mean, Todd heat
made a very long career in Baltimore by not lining
up on the front side of an offense in a
run game, you know, and super effective and became an
(11:33):
all time great.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Why can't you have that with John hu Smith.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
We got a front line guy, Darnault Washington, you know,
looks like an offensive tackle and can block like one
in the run game. So you don't need John Who
to do that. But what you do create when you
get into two and three tight end sets, you create
a quandary of what personnel do I send out there?
You know, do I send Nickel or do I stay
at my base personnel when he's out there? Do I
(11:56):
have a linebacker who can run with him and cover him?
But I also have a you're a corner that's not
big enough to cover him, right, you know, with.
Speaker 6 (12:03):
The physical space.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
So it puts defenses in a conundrum and it creates
varied ability within the offensive structure. And I think that's
all you can ask for if you're Arthur Smith. Give
me a lot of different toys to figure out how
I want to go about playing in the sandbox, right,
I think that's what it really is. And John new
Smith has been a welcomed edition. I mean, I'm not
(12:25):
gonna sit here and try and put, you know, thoughts
in people's heads. But he looks very good, like a
number two receiver. I'm just gonna say that out loud.
I've got it out in the universe. I have exercised that.
It's not just rattling around in my brain. But he's
a guy that has the ball skills that if you're
trying to pair him up and go with a big
lineup you know of receivers, I wouldn't see you putting
(12:46):
him out there. And then you give Calvin Austin Roman
Wilson Company the opportunity to now fit into more of
the slot type stuff to where you can kind of
get lost in the wash, so to speak. You know,
Connor Hayward at the HVAC, you know, can run a
lot of those ex hides and those shallow crossers and
get lost because you're focused on such big targets everywhere else.
It just it creates more smoking mirrors for an offense
(13:07):
to be really efficient. And listen, when you got when
you got the guy wearing the cape and the wand
back there and number eight, it makes life a lot
easier to run the illusion.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And I agree, and I think that when you you know,
when you take a step back from that to look
at the tight end group in particular, you know, you
have Pat fryeron with coming off a sixty five reception season,
the most of his career, but in the three you know,
he's played four years in the league, the three years
he's been healthy, sixty receptions, sixty three receptions, sixty five receptions.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You can't just blithely.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Say, oh, we're gonna put an inside linebacker on him
in coverage. Pat's got more than that. You do that
at your peril if you're an opposing defense. You know,
Darnell Washington, as you mentioned, big huge guy. That also
makes him a big, huge target. You know, he's not
gonna need a lot of room, a lot of open
room for Aaron Rodgers to be able to find him.
(13:59):
I think what we're saying here, what I'm saying here
is that this tight end group has the ability to
create a lot of mismatches in the past game and
the run game. And that's a really good position for
you to be in as a team.
Speaker 6 (14:15):
Yeah. No, I mean, And the word to summarize all
that is talent.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
Right, You have a lot of talent in that room,
and talent breeds opportunities and options.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
That's all you're trying to do.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
You're trying to create options for your team. You're trying
to create options for your side of the ball and
having the versatility of a really good tight end room.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
That's I mean, it's every is built a tight end.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
In that room, you have a lot of different body.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Types, a lot of different skill sets that you get
to work with, and although you can't keep all of them,
you know, you have to think we're keeping at least
four at the minimum in that room.
Speaker 6 (14:53):
So it's a good problem to have.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Once again, you're never gonna hear a coach complain about
having too much talent, you know, it's usually the other
way around. I don't have enough and we're limited as
an offense. I don't think this team, this team has
any limitations, you know, as far as schematics, the biggest
thing is going to be how do these pieces all
work together, you know, and how does this offensive line
(15:15):
come together. That's really the crux of not only the offense,
but the entire team. The offense is the heartbeat they
they keep, they keep the drum cadence going for the
rest of the team, and you need that cadence to
be in sync in everybody to work in lockstep. That's
why you always had the little drummer boy right back
in the day. You know, when you'd march on the field,
(15:35):
you needed people to figure out what's the rhythm that
we're walking to, you know, Hu two three four two three.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Four boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Right, that's what you need. And that's what an offensive
line provides for a team. They are the cadence. Guess
what when offensive line is clicking and running the football,
your your defense is drinking gatorade and getting rehydrated and
taking a break. And when you're and when that posing
defense getting worn down, you know there's more opportunities later
in the game because that cumulative effect of pressure that's
(16:07):
being applied and not felt is helping the team.
Speaker 6 (16:11):
You chew up time of possession.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
So if you do have a good quarterback on the
other side, he's sitting on the bench drinking gatorade, he's
getting water logged. Where's your defense is getting hydrated? You
see the positive of trying to put into this good
and negatives of drinking a creation that was made and
created at the greatest university there is in the land,
at the university of the Florida Gators. Ye go Gators.
So I use that tongue in cheek, but that's what
(16:35):
it means. As an offensive line, we control the cadence
and the heartbeat of the team. So that's where you know,
if it works, it's gonna be great. But you gotta
build those aspects. And it starts tonight at friday Land Lights.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yes, so true and again as usual, a lot to
unpacked there, including the just in the NFL today. It's
always been true, but it becomes more and more true
every year. The defense that defends the least defends the best.
It's just keep them fresh, keep me. There's just so
many rules now that benefit the offense. And so that
(17:08):
that is a truism that that gets more and more
true every year. Quick question, do you still play the drums?
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Max?
Speaker 4 (17:13):
I know you played in high school.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
I don't, but my daughter, my daughter has has picked
up the mantle.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Do you ever get behind the kit and bang away?
Speaker 6 (17:19):
I'm not gonna lie. I did get behind the kit,
but it's the kit.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
It's it's an electric kit, so you got to put
on the headphones and everything, but it's adjusted to her
height and size, and you know, you never met. Here's
the thing and the drummer's out there. You'll understand this.
You never want to mess with another person's thrown and
that's that's your chair, right, So I don't mess with
my daughter's chair because I know it is at her
height and she has she and she has her configuration.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
The way that she likes it.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
You know, how does she hit how does she hit
the the you know the kick drums is a little
bit different than I would do. And where's my high hat?
You know, I would have a different position, and her
kit is like lowered. So I've gone on there and
I've I've done a little bit, but I leave that.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
I leave that to.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
My what I affectually call my little animal because she
she's like animal from the Muppet Baby. Yeah, when she's
when she's on there, her goon. If I'm not mistaken, correct,
you are absolutely correct. So and she gets on there
and she's boom, and she's she know, she agreed to
do band this year, so she's really excited.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
And they do have an actual.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
Full kit that she'll get to use at school, and
then of course she can come home and not disrupt
the entire household when she when she goes on her
electric kit.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Lots of studies my kids are both banned, lots of
studies about how banned is wonderful for the UH for
education that to correlate, so good deal. But you know,
also genetics for young for young, miss Starks, because we'd
come from uh, come from the stock of Max Starks
(18:46):
and company. You're you're probably off to a pretty good
start in that regards. Real quick though, Uh should we
talk about Connor? Hey, we're down to talk about him after.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
The break back.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I will give him after the break Let's let's get
let's give him his due.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Okay, Yeah, I don't want to rush him in here
and look he's well, we're going to talk about him
because there's some things out there that are noteworthy. We'll
talk about that next. Talk about Friday Night Lights. You're
listening in to the Locker Room with King and Stark's
presented by our neighborhood Fords Store on the Steelers Audio Network.
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Speaker 3 (19:50):
And we welcome you back inside the locker Room with
King and Starks, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store here
on the Steelers Audio Network. Before we get to Connor
Heyward No signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, joining what is
already a pretty crowded Cincinnati Bengals tight end room, Mikeasicki
is a guy who signed a contract extension in the offseason,
(20:12):
Max who has become their sort of top pass catching
tight end. Drew Sample is a guy that that can
sort of do both for him and now in comes
no Fan who you know when he was traded as
part of that Russell Wilson trade. I think a lot
of people thought he was ready to explode in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Never really happened.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
But a guy that's averaged fifty catches a year over
his six year NFL career and another guy should he
make the Bengals and be part of that team that
is going to present some problems for opposing teams. We're
talking about the tight end room for the Steelers that
you know, again, if he makes the team and it's
part of the Bengals camp when they break camp, part
of the Bengals roster, he's a guy that can present
(20:53):
some problems.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Yeah, no, I mean he is.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
And like you said, this time of year when you
see release, you see guys you know, kind of getting
the respect. But it's like, man, you want to be
on top of these material changes. And you know, Cincinnati
being a place, like you said, you have Joe Burrow,
you have a skilled quarterback, and you're looking at.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Adding a talented pass catching tight end.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
That dow creates more opportunities, right if you're gonna try
and lock up Jamar Chase and T Higgins, you know,
Noah fense kind of relieves some of that pressure, so
you can't double either. You got to play him true
man to man and or play him up straight up.
But that's also why, if you're the Steelers, why we
need so many different dbats the second that's right, I'm
the prime example that now you know, I was worried
(21:38):
before you know, you knowing, Oh, T Higgins signed and
Jamar Chase got this big contract. But now you're seeing, uh, oh,
this is this is a uh this is a problem.
But you're like, wait a second. We got Jalen Ramsey,
Darius Lay, and Joey Porter Jr. And we just talked
to Corey Trice exactly, we technically have more options to
deploy at this on top of our already having one Thornhill,
(22:01):
Deshaun Elliott, and Chuck Clark back there. Now it doesn't
feel as daunting, right. We talked about there is depth
this year versus a year ago. We didn't have that
depth and this would have been a real material problem
going into the season, like how are we going to
defend all these guys, Like we're gonna have to give
up that one guy's gonna just just eat in this game,
and we're just gonna have to live with the sacrifice
(22:22):
of praying that the pass rush will get there. But now,
going into this you hear that news, I don't flinch,
you know, I'm just like, Okay, this is gonna be
another challenge. But this is why we configured things and
brought these type of people on the team and into
camp to figure out how we're gonna be able to
deal with this because we knew there was going to
be a third receiver that would have to emerge right
(22:43):
for Cincinnati, Right because you already have the two front
lines and there's gonna be a lot of attention paid
to them. So who's your third option? Who's the one
that was gonna be? Was it gonna be Yoshivah like
like we've seen in years pass, you know, because you
kind of take out Jamar or Tea's not available.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Was it gonna be Jermaine Burton Junior? You know? Was
he going to come in and be a viable guy?
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Now it's like it doesn't matter who they toss out there,
Like we have guys who can go toe to toe
with these guys because we've we've drafted and traded properly
to be in a position where we can defend three
top flight receiving body types, if not a fourth one.
So I mean, I it just it just goes to
further cement the mindset of what you know Omar Khan
(23:27):
has done and Andy Widel of really going and finding
this talent and identifying needs before they become needs. So
now that we don't we don't flinch in the media
or or start, you know, worrying about a lot of
these things. So I'm really happy that we have the
situation that we have so that news does not start
to create angst in my mind.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
I have a lot of other things to worry about.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
I don't want to worry about Noah Fense going to
the Bengals, you know, and they still have a lot
of other issues over there in Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Who's rushing the passer? Bud Okay, that's right, nobody anyway.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Yeah, we could talk about that.
Speaker 6 (23:58):
I was.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I remember, by the way, Eric Hall Junior is a
tight end. They really like he got hurt last year
as a rookie. He's a fourth round pick. He was
kind of that guy that could do both, could block
and receive. They really liked what he was progressing. So
it's an interesting tight end room for the Bengals. And
you're right, you know, they're waiting for a Burton or
whatever to you know, can he can he cash it on?
That talent has some other issues that you know in
(24:21):
the past that have dogged him. So that that is
and again that's interesting, but I think it's relative to
the Steelers because, like you said, Max, you know, I
think when when you are compiling an offense and the
Steelers are trying to do that, every team is trying
to do that. There are only so many good coverage
(24:42):
guys around. Teams are scrambling around to get those guys.
That's why when you go out in the off season
and your people would argue that the Steelers were one
of those teams last year. You go out in the
season in the offseason and you add Darius Slay and
you know you ad Ramsey, and then you also have
you know, Beaie Bishop coming back, and Corey Trice coming
(25:04):
back and others you know, obviously Joey Porter Jr. I
think that the goal is almost to have so many
good offensive players that eventually the defense runs out.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Of good players who can cover those guys.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
You are going to find a mismatch somewhere and and
and then you know again, think about it now for
your defense and you realize, oh boy, we've got a
mismatch here on this particular player. Now we're going to
have to take one of our top defensive backs and
maybe leave him uncomfortably on a Jamar Chase by himself. Well,
(25:38):
now that that makes you know that suddenly now that
becomes the area of concern. You run out of good players.
And I think that the Steelers now have added that
depth of guys who can cover. You know, the inside
linebackers can really run. You have corners of you have
depth of cornerback. We're knocking on wood right now, Max,
to make sure everybody stays healthy.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
But does my head count? Does my head count as would? Yes?
Speaker 4 (26:02):
I wonder.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
So so anyway, I think that's a you know, that
point you mentioned a really good one, because that's that's
something that every team is trying to do. Now we
were talking about the tight end situation for the Steelers.
Let's bring it back to that from the Bengals to
the Steelers. And you know, every once in a while
you're reminded, I'm reminded of just how good and all
around football player Connor Hayward is.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
His past receptions went down last year. You know, he's
obviously an excellent special teams player, but watching that backs
on backers drill, Max, if I was going to pick
one offensive guy who stood above the rest in that drill,
that guy for me would have been Connor Hayward.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Yeah, No, I agree with you. Connor Hayward was the
star on the offense side of the ball and backs
on backers two days ago, and he went in and
he saw him just butt up with guys and stick
to him like fly paper.
Speaker 6 (26:59):
Yeah, and that's what and versus you know the other guys.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
I mean now, granted, it is tougher to judge a
running back right because Connor's out on that edge, and
that he played the wing in kind of the tight
end position, so you have a little bit more space
to kind of work with and run the hoop or
the arc angle, so to speak, to keep them out
of that quarterback box position. But the tenacity and the
defense couldn't whip them. They whipped a lot of the
(27:22):
other guys. JJ Goalbreth had a very rookie experience with
the backson backers drill.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
You know, John HU Smith, you know, had a time
with it.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Darnel Washington, even as good as he is in that drill,
struggled when you're going up against the likes of oh
T J. Watt just about every rap him and alex I. Smith,
you know you're gonna have trouble with those. But it
was the tenacity, like Jalen Warren you know, as good.
Speaker 6 (27:46):
As he is. You know, it's always.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
Tough for a running back in the backfield and a
linebacker on the line of scripts.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
It's not realistic.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
I wish they would have backed them up and kept
them at depth, you know, before the rush, because it
would allow for a more realistic but shorter collision contact zone. Physicality.
Stick to your guy regardless if he makes it there
or not. You know, you just want to see that.
I thought Caleb Johnson had quitted himself, but Connor by
far had the best performance of everybody and really stone
(28:15):
those guys and it was just good to see.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
And you know, once again, you know, you keep.
Speaker 5 (28:19):
Bringing in all these different body types for the tight
end position, but one body type stands strong and that's
the meatball.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
Yeah it is. And you know, Max, when you when.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
You think about, like we talk a lot about, you know,
players trying to fight their way under the fifty three
man roster, and it's not always one thing. I mean,
if somebody excels at one area of the game, you're like, wow,
you know, we can work with the other stuff. But man,
he is so excellent that could get you on a roster,
(28:50):
you know, really good at something and just solid or
really good at lot a lot of other things and
maybe not unbelievable one thing that can get you on
a ross. You know, that sort of versatility. You know,
to me, Connor Heyward, he's a worry free player. You know,
you put him out there and first of all, he's
going to excel at special teams, so he's got value
(29:11):
there for sure, top level value there. And then you know,
they talk about the fact that listen, if something happened,
the worst happened, he could play running back for you.
You know, he could finish the game at the running
back position. He could play tight end, he can play
h back, he can play full back.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
He's got very sure hands.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
You know, this is a guy who's just got a
lot to recommend himself to a football team.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
No, he absolutely does.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
He brings a lot of different elements that you know,
once again we talked. I say this again. I feel
like a broken record, almost, rob do I sound like
a broken record? No, you don't know, Okay, variety, variability, option, optionality.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Is that a word? Optionality? It is now?
Speaker 5 (29:55):
It is now Listen, I'm going I went to the
Wolf School of Linguistics, so you'll have to bear with
me will create some words on this journey that we're
that we embark upon.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
But it creates your options.
Speaker 5 (30:06):
It makes you more elusive, it makes you more varied
to where the defense cannot pigeonhole you. What did we
see over the Matt Canada era here in Pittsburgh?
Speaker 6 (30:19):
Predictability? Right right?
Speaker 5 (30:21):
We everybody in the freaking stadium knew exactly what was
going to happen, when was gonna happen, And people wondered,
why is it not working? It's because everybody in the
stadium knew that it was happening. So when you have
those skill sets, it creates illusions and you wonder what
if you're like, oh man, I don't know, Oh wow,
that happened. Whoa awesome, good job, bravo, bravo. Let's keep
(30:42):
doing that whatever that was, Yeah, let's do that. That's
what That's what you're trying to create.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yeah, to that point, Max, you know, I was watching
one of the seven on seven drills in practice?
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Was it yesterday? When practice was at ten o'clock? The
days are all blurring together, I.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Think, yeah, yesterday, right yesterday?
Speaker 5 (30:58):
It was Thank you, we actually got to watch practice
quid hours ago.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
You know, I decided, okay, this is the time in camp.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
You know, you're you're memorizing the rosters and maybe kind
of in your head, you know, trying to do the
show with Max, maybe calling a little bit play by
play in your head, and you know, they go empty set,
and I'm thinking, okay, I gotta describe empty set three
receivers this way too. And not just before I even
finished describing in my mind where the three receivers were
in the truth, they shifted and now they got two
(31:26):
tight ends in an h back and I got a
running back. And I'm like, wow, that's a lot of
pre snap movement that we're gonna try to be keeping
track up for fans listening on this year's audio network
listening to the games, which of course we encourage them
to do. There's a lot of pre snap movement, a
lot of different stuff happening before a snap, and that
creates problems for the defense.
Speaker 6 (31:48):
No, it does.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
And I think that's what you know is the wonderment
and the excitement is that I want to make it
harder on the opponent to guess what I'm doing. And
it matters on offense and defense. The same thing when
you line up in a certain structure defensively, you know,
you're like, oh man, you know, why are they lining
(32:10):
up in this? You know, I said that yesterday, like
in seven shots, I'm like, why are they line up
in goal line?
Speaker 6 (32:14):
Six to two versus eleven personnel? Right?
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Because hey, if we want to get the pass rush in,
sometimes we're gonna end up in awkward situations. You got
to try and succeed. And as an offense, it might
not be ideal you're outnumbered, but you got to figure
out how to lose slowly, you don't try and give
your quarterback as much.
Speaker 6 (32:30):
Time as possible. That's what you're presenting.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
But when you have personnel that looks like one and
can act like another, that further brain scrambles everybody. And
if you have a guy that's inexperienced, a rookie in there,
maybe a second, your guy that hadn't quite seen a
lot of football, that could be that one tenth of
a second hesitation that you need to make a play breakout.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
Especially when you've got a quarterback who's seen it all.
Speaker 6 (32:53):
Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
So no, it's very exciting and this is you know,
not an embarrassment of riches, but it is it is
a corn coopia of options that can turn into something great.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Oh well described Max Stark's Hey, you know what Mike
Tomlin likes to say, Iron sharpens, Iron Gonna look forward
to what the Steelers are looking forward to tonight Friday
Night Lights. When we continue on the Locker Room with
King and Starks, presented by your Neighborhood Forward Store on
the Steelers Audio.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Network, Iheartradios.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Live coverage of about twenty twenty five Steelers Training Camp
is presented by Faedex Where Now meets Next and also
brought to you by Cger Wholesale Roofing and Siding Supply Center,
by Tons Appliances, by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control,
by Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, by Schneider Downs, by
(33:55):
Hass's Steak and Seahouse, by your.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Neighborhood Forward Store, by.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Soul Rock, by clear View Federal Credit Union, and by
US steel.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Welcome back inside the Locker Room with King and Starks,
presented by your Neighborhood Fords Tour on the Student's Audio Network.
To quote Max Starks, we don't have an embarrassment of riches,
but we do have a cornicopia of options, which leads
us to Wes Euler joining us.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Max is here. Don't you worry, Max, don't you worry.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
Don't you fret?
Speaker 7 (34:27):
There, but you still have a corner copia of options.
I mean I'm here for you as well.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
I mean c J can jump in at any point
if we need any pop culture references.
Speaker 6 (34:36):
He's willing to always jump in. That's right.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Did you go to the movies last night, Siege?
Speaker 6 (34:39):
He sure did, Yeah, exactly, he's our he's our review man. Yeah,
here's here's our resident ciscle and he.
Speaker 7 (34:44):
But he's the gene Sterotaur of the movie game for us.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Ask him what he saw?
Speaker 6 (34:49):
What you what'd you see? Siege? Oh he went and
saw Naked Gun. That's right. It came out yesterday. How
was it? Two thumbs up? Two thumbs up?
Speaker 4 (34:57):
Wait, a new naked Gun? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (35:00):
With Liam Nees, you have some reasons.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
Yes, No, I will definitely, I'll definitely be lined up
to watch that one.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
I thought all those movies we hysterical.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
By the way, A couple of great quotes from Max
Starks today. Uh, there are those who feel the pressure
and those who apply it.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Supply it apply it or supply.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
It, apply it, apply it okay or applied apply apply it.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
And remember my analogy was I do that at the
buffet when I need the cook to make more chicken
nuggets because I've eaten.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Them all and the other one I loved.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
We don't we don't have we don't have an embarrassment
of riches, but we do have a corn of copia
of options. Real quick, West, what are you looking forward to?
What for you Friday night lights? What's the most exciting
thing for you?
Speaker 7 (35:46):
Just the energy, just the crowd there is, as you
guys know, and especially we've been kind of unfortunate with
weather and practice times here. We've only seen one padded
practice and we've all been out here for nine days already.
I'm just excited to kind of hit one of those milestones.
And you know, it's felt a little dog daysious dog
Day's ish, yeah days say that five times fast over
(36:09):
the last couple of days. But it will not tonight.
It will feel like a like a pseudo preseason game tonight.
So that's it for me.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Kinger.
Speaker 7 (36:16):
There's there's been some weird scheduling, some weird weather that's
kind of led to a loll and us not getting
as much action as we anticipated, but that will change tonight.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Okay, so Max Iron sharpening Iron. I did want to
ask you quickly about the trenches. We've been talking about
that and again there's been some injuries. Broderick Jones a
little dinged up. Ciamalo is just kind of getting ramping
back up after being taken off the NFI. But you know,
I want you to kind of go back quickly apply
(36:48):
what you learned during your own playing days to what
we expect to see with this younger offensive line against
a veteran proven very good. Of course, there's some young
guys in the defensive line too, I understand that, but
a veteran proven defense how that can help you get better?
(37:09):
And did you feel that at any point during your
career going against you know, the Aaron Smith's and the
you know, the Joey Porter juniors and or Joey Porter seniors,
the James Harrison's, those sort of guys, how much that
can make you better?
Speaker 5 (37:23):
The practice process, Oh my goodness, Uh yeah, I mean
it was everything in the world. I mean, and you
didn't want to get embarrassed in front of the crowd,
you know, because the one on one pass rush takes
takes place in the near end zone, closest to the
crowd where they enter in. So there's a lot of
eyeballs on you when you get on that one on
one pass rush. So you didn't want to get embarrassed.
(37:44):
You wanted to fight, and you wanted to have a
good time. And you know, if it led to a
physical fight, all the better, right, But it was an
opportunity to when pressed against the prospect of having people
like kind of a lot closer to you and you
felt the eyeball. It was a moment to see if
you'd stand up or you'd crumble under the pressure. And
(38:04):
that pressure cooker was always president. I mean, I'll never
forget my first Friday night lights and I'm lined up
at right tackle going against Clark Hagen's and one on ones,
and you know, the first thing it was, I don't want.
Speaker 6 (38:17):
To fall down.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
I want to be that guy that's playing on the
ground right, you know, and slipping and sliding because you know,
it's still high school field, still high school groundskeepers, so
you know, the grass is a little bit when it
gets longer, it's it's a little bit slicker, So you know,
you have to kind of pick your knees up, so you.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Didn't want to get into it.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
I didn't want to show off my flexibility and do
it like a full split either, so you know you
had to be on top of your p's and q's.
You don't want to be too fast. I want to
be too slow. It's like Goldilock syndrome. But you know,
I put my best foot forward. And then of course,
like going up against a Chemo von Olhoffen at the
when I went over to left tack because I was
a swing tackle, you know, as a young guy in
the league, as a.
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Rookie, and you know, you just want to do your best.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
And then we got into team period, and you know,
I'm the jumbo tight end. You know, now obviously we
have Darnell Washington. He's a built in jumbo. So you
don't need to declare like Zach Banner used to do
in more recent history. But that's what you're going up against,
that's what you're fighting for as your fighting for the
opportunity to be known and to leave a positive mark
(39:20):
and a positive impact. And you know I could say
that because of that first audition.
Speaker 6 (39:25):
It led to nine years on this team. So I
mean as I did.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
Something right that night, and these young guys have their
opportunity to make their marks on on the crowd and
on this team and the scouting and the coaches, you know,
to make sure that they're going to be counted when
you start to slot, to make sure you're above that
fifty three line and you're not in that tweener line.
That's that's the one that could you know, stock up,
stock down type of position down to what sixty was
(39:53):
it sixty seven? Because you're fifteen practice squads.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yeah, so real quick, Max, and I think we all understand,
and you laid out beautifully the competition for the individual
and it's going to be fierce this team. We've mentioned it.
This roster from my vantage point, is extremely deep. The
competition is going to be extremely high. Just to make
the roster for certain players. Then you're fighting for playing
(40:17):
time amongst certain players, which is a very healthy place
to be. Other than compete level and execution, you want
to see, you know, Christmas guys doing the right things,
being in the right places. Is there an overall theme
that the team, the coaching staff, Mike Tomlin and his
group is looking forward to in tonight's game scrimmage, I should.
Speaker 6 (40:40):
Say, yeah, scrimmage, Yeah, this is not a game.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Not a game.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
I think the rebound effect of everybody really for the
going from the first day of pads to now the
second day of pads, how do you respond?
Speaker 6 (40:55):
You know, do the mental.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Errors decrease or increase with that pressure? You know, the
mistakes you made two days ago, do they creep back in?
Did you learn from that mistake?
Speaker 6 (41:05):
Right?
Speaker 5 (41:05):
If you're a dB working on the wide receiver stalk drill,
you know, do you now have a book on who
you're going against? Right, whether it's Keishawn Williams to Calvin
Austin to if you get the unholy matchup of going
up against DK Metcalf John new Smith. As a dB,
you want to know, hey, what does this guy like
to do? And what was he trying to do at
the point when he has to make the break?
Speaker 6 (41:26):
You know? And what are the tails that I can
get offensive linemen? Right?
Speaker 5 (41:29):
When a defensive lineman lines up against you in the
combo drills or the one on.
Speaker 6 (41:34):
One pass rush, what's his tendencies? Did I watch film?
Did I pick up any keys or any cues?
Speaker 5 (41:39):
And then of course for quarterbacks, right, you know, looking
at defense structure, how's that safety like to play when
he's going to spot, drop and zone?
Speaker 6 (41:46):
What shoulder does he turn?
Speaker 5 (41:48):
And can I manipulate that and get a play with
it to his back shoulder? Those are the things you're
kind of looking for and what I'm going to be
looking for. It's kind of a holistic view of the
entire team because I want to see how much cleaner
look because we saw too many jail breaks in Day one.
We saw breakdowns, you know, and like you said, defense
looked like it had a better day than the offense.
So I want to see it coming more back to
(42:09):
a fifty to fifty ratio versus kind of the sixty
five thirty five ratio that I felt like defense had
an edge on Day one. So I'm going to be
looking at all of that, and I think all of
it's going to kind of culminate in those team drives,
but you'll get a That's what I'm looking for. I
want a sense of okay, both this side's starting to
pick it up, they're starting to get it, and this
side's still keeping their same level.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
If that makes sense, it does, Max.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Thank you as always I think we can leave our
listeners with the notion that if your life cannot be
an embarrassment of riches, may it be a cornucopia of options. Indeed, indeed,
for Max Stark's West Uler jumping in a little bit,
Justin Miller producing back in our iHeart Studios. This is
the locker room with King of Starks, presented by your
(42:55):
neighborhood Ford store. Here on this steel there's Audio Network
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