HR2: Mailbag

The second hour kicks off with a fantasy football focus and continues and ends with listener questions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Least, he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly, he is the
Matt Williamson and this is the start of our number
two here and on the Drive and a couple of
things here. Now with the schedule release that yeah, Pro
Football Focus has put out, the first one here I
wanted to get to is four players to target for
fantasy playoffs after the twenty twenty five NFL schedule release.

(00:41):
Playoffs right, playoffs.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
I always hesitate on some of these, but there are
some that are like, man, they face a really easy
stretch of passing defenses, but you don't know if it's
going to don't know, but at least it's a tiebreaker,
you know.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
So the first person on, the first guy on here
is Malik Neighbors.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Okay, they faced like the hardest schedule ever, but.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Here's what they got in the fantasy playoffs. Week fifteen,
they play the Commanders.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Their defense could be bad this year.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Week sixteen, they play the Vikings.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
Okay, it was a good defense, but it's not super talented.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Week seventeen, they play, which would be championship week the Raiders.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Nice. Okay, those are pretty weak secondaries. Yeah, okay, so
that might be worth it. I mean, if you're sitting
there in the not the two second round, you're not
going to shy away or you're to play them anyway. Yeah,
Milik Neighbors is mylak Neighbors. But if you're torn between
him and Pooka Akua in the first round, maybe that's
that's the way you look at it, right.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
We're maybe you maybeay through the season, you pay a
little bit extra to get Milik Neighbors.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Offer the Neighbors guys, somebody that's not thinking twice about it.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
The second guy in here is Nico Collins.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Week fifteen the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Week sixteen the Las Vegas Raiders.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Raiders are a target. Yeah, especially the back.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Seven Week seven team the Chargers.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay, doesn't sound super easy, but I see where they're
coming from.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
The next guy in here is Derrick Henry.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
He's always good in the fantasy playoffs. Anyways.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Week fifteen the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
Wow, I would definitely pay attention to Bengals schedule.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Week sixteen is the Patriots.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Okay, I think the defense will be better, but that's
not I'm sure Henry will do just fine.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
And Week seventeen in Championship Week is the Packers.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Okay, do we think that's a bad defense.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
The Packers finished twenty fourth in PFF run grade last
year and we're consistently gashed for big games, giving up
twelve hundred and twenty nine yards after contact last year.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Okay, well, that's certainly a Henry something to.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Keep in mind when they play the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Yeah, good point, good point if they got that corrected
by that or not.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, seventy miss tackles last year by the Packers defense.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
First round picks everywhere on that. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
The final guy on here, this would be a guy
that you wouldn't necessarily think of. And this might be
a stretch, Chris Olava. M. Here's what they got.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Hopefully he's healthy and you know, decent quarterback play.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Week fifteen is the Carolina Panthers.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, I think that's still a defensive target.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Week sixteen is the Jets. I don't know if I
like that.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Well, Sauce doesn't travel, but still he's out there.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, right right now, Maybe you could scheme it up
where he lave is away from him a lot. But
I don't love the quarterback situation.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
No, right, right.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
And Week seventeen, Championship Week is Tennessee Titans.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Okay, I think the Titans are going to be a
defense we target in fantasy too.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
And that's something to keep in mind when you're drafting
some of these guys. I want to look at that
schedule and see, Okay, who's got who? Well, they got
a bunch of games against some really bad defenses. Pay
attention to that.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Oh, you definitely pay attention to that. And I've noticed
I've been paying attention to Warren Sharps feed heavily because
he's going to eventually put out that rest thing we've
been talking about out. But he has put a lot
of things out against past defenses. Boy, they play a
really easy stretch of pass defense. They play a really
hard stretcher runs.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Down't necessarily know that you know that right now. I
know think past defense is so it fluctuates so much, right.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
But I am with you in that, Like, I bet
we could come up with six to eight defenses that
I hope my team plays a lot this week. I
mean this year since he's definitely one of them. See
you know.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeahs, And to me, it's more about are they a
good run defense or not because that doesn't.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Change not as much. It doesn't fluctuate as much.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Your guys up front of your guys, and they didn't
get suddenly get figure out. Oh I know how to
get off of tack, you know, of off a block now?

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Yeah, yeah, WHI they're physical or not?

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, but I do think there's something too. I do
it early in the year sometimes, you know, like on
going into the fantasy draft, what's the first month looked like?
Because I at least feel like I've a pretty good
feel for that. And you're wrong a lot, don't get
me wrong, but it's it breaks ties. I don't move
guys up like a whole tier just because it looks

(05:08):
like they have an easy scatcher.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
No, no, uh here was The second article was six
rookies prime to break out with their new team in
twenty twenty five. The first one is Ashton genty with
the Raiders. Sure, pretty fruit there, Yeah, it would be
a should should be a first round pick.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
Oh, I think he's a first rounder in fantasy.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah, just a matter of where in the first round.

Speaker 3 (05:31):
Which backs You're taking them over pretty high.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
The second guy is Travis Hunter, and I think he
is going to be a full time wide receiver that way.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
And the defensive stuff will be second here. Teed McMillan,
the highly drafted he's right slam dunks the first three.
Omarion Hampton. We think a Marion Hampton is going to
be clearly the lead back.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
I don't know if I'm starting him week one. I
bet I'm starting them by week ten.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
I want to see how they use him in the preseason, Like,
are they mixing him in? Are they treating him like
he's a starter?

Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Are they saving him? Are they saving him?

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know, is he played? Is he on the field?
If Justin Herbert plays twenty five snaps in the preseason,
how many of them are how many of them are
out there with with the Marian Hampton.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Glad you brought that up and there are people to
chart that stuff. Is That's a really good way to
figure out who's really going to be used. Who's out
there with the number one?

Speaker 2 (06:34):
If they're running Naujy Harrison in the third quarter of
a preseason game, that tells me a lot.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
But a problem for Hampton is nause he's really good
in protection and he's an adequate receiver at least. Yeah,
you know, so it's not like he's just a banger
that isn't great in protection either. Protection and fumbles will
keep rookies off the field. R J.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Harvey is the next guy on the list.

Speaker 3 (06:57):
I'm a believer for fantasy. Yeah, I think the situation
is just really.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Good, and I think you're going to see him get
the starter treatment. I would think so.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
I would think so unless he falls on his face
and camp or something. Yeah, yeah, he might fall on
his face once or maybe he's not good to protection.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
Somebody behind him. That's the thing that we don't know
about r J. Harvey is maybe he's not good in protection.
Maybe he's just a two down back, in which case,
if you take him in the let's say you take
him in the third round. Yeah, he probably ended up
overdrafting him a little bit probably.

Speaker 3 (07:27):
I mean, he needs to get two thirds of snaps
to be worth that as a rookie.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
If he's not going to catch the ball at all,
Like he'll catch the ball someone first and second down,
but I need to see him be that every down. Back.

Speaker 3 (07:41):
Yeah, Yeah, it would be nice to know going into
your fancy draft. For sure.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
The next guy on here is Trey Harris with the Chargers.
We sold that Trey Harris is going to be a starter.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
I think he's fighting Mike Williams for a starter gig
at the moment. I mean, mconkey's gonna.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
Nobody's fighting anybody right now for anything. I think mconky's
a total mcconkey's but he's a slot. Yeah, but he's
also gonna be out there in two wides. Yeah, but
who else is with me? We're just putting Johnston factor
into the whole thing. Probably a head of Harris, I
would think, I mean at least unless yes, I would

(08:18):
think for sure. I think those two are the two
receiver sets. And I didn't see enough out of Mike
Williams last year's he's audio. Yeah, he's gonna be in that.
I don't know right right, maybe another year removed from
the injury, he is back, maybe, but.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
I don't know. I'm not super high on Harris for
a fantasy I'm not.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
He he's okay. I didn't love him as a prospect.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
I didn't love him as a prospect either, and I'm
not big on Johnston. I got my concerns about Williams,
but he's a lot like those guys too. Mconkey to
me is gonna he's the he might get more targets
and when the league.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Right, that's the thing. And they're not a team that
wants to throw the ball whole lot. No, No, I can't.
I can't have Amari and Hampton on this list and
then also have Trey Harris on the list. They're kind
of fighting against each other to a degree.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Neither situations great, right, I mean just because they're the
first round picking the second round pick, but they are
fighting against each other a little bit for fantasy. And
neither ones got a slam dunk path the playing time. Yeah,
I just Harvey's got a better path than Hampton. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
The Charger, the Chargers don't want to throw the ball
a lot. No, Right, they just don't. That is that
is Harbaugh's DNA.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
Sure you signed McKay beck dion for that reason and
nausey and right.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, they want to They want to go out there
and bang and just run the ball and go in
twenty to seventeen and I think you know, at the
end of the year if they thrown the ball four
hundred and fifty times or five hundred times, one hundred
and forty of them are going to mconkey.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
Oh yeah, and tight ends will get their share.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
The backs will get their share. It doesn't leave a
lot for the ancillary receivers.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
No, I'm sitting here thinking, well, will Harris get the
five hundred yards and his rookie year.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'd take the under, I bet not right now. I
would take the under. I don't consider a real refined
outrunner either. I mean he may take a year period. Yeah, Yeah,
that one I don't love. Yeah. Who else would you put?
I mean, Caleb Johnson would have made some sense on
this list, even though I think he is going to
share time. Yeah, but again there's you're talking about three
hundred touches that are missing now from the Steelers offense.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
At some point.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
I mean, he's going to get his over under on
touches this year.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (10:24):
What would you put in that?

Speaker 3 (10:25):
I'd say like two fifties number I was about to
come up with. Yeah, and then that's not with a
ton of targets either. That's probably twenty five catches over
the course of the year maybe less.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
Yeah, and I could see it. I could see it
where he might get to seventy five.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Assuming he We're assuming he plays eighteen games.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
If he plays, if he just does, if he takes
the same role that Nagy had and they put a
little bit more, I would say Warren gets a little
morens played. They want to run the football.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
Yeah, yeah, No, I think Johnson's definitely a better one
than like Trey Harris. Yeah, for sure. There's definitely receivers
in better situations and Harris too. What about Burden, I
know he's the number three, but pretty high.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
The guys in Houston, somebody's going to emerge their.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
I know which one. Yeah, I like the dude that
the Patriots took high on Day two. The receiver in
Washington State, Washington State, Kyle Williams. There's not much in
front of him, But I mean, you're you're projecting. But
if I were to do best ball now, those are
some of the guys I'd be nabbing. Harris, had tre Harris.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
I feel I feel pretty good about Higgins in Houston
me too, as opposed to Noel, simply because Christian Kirk
is still there. Yeah, Christian Kirk's best best spots in
the line. He can line up outside.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
But if he's your slot and you get those two
big guys on the out.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
You get the two big guys in the outside. That
makes the most sense.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
That makes the most sense of your best three.

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Now again, if Noel lights it up early, Oh sure,
I mean Christian Kirk is available.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yeah, exactly. Jack Besh is interesting. That's another one. I mean,
him and Myers have some redundancy, but he could be
the number two receiver pretty early. And he's pretty NFL ready.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yeah, who is it? Trey Tucker? That's yeah, there are
a lot different in front of him, right.

Speaker 3 (12:16):
I think Besh could be a factor as a rookie.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
The only thing is I again, there they are another team.
I don't know how much they want to run the
or to throw the football.

Speaker 3 (12:23):
It won't be a high volume, Yeah, I won't. I mean,
and Bowers is going to get his Bowers is going
to be the number one, He'll be number one.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, I mean, so much of it depends on where
you where you're at, Where where did you land that? Like,
I can't I can't believe Golden is not on here.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yeah, Golden really is getting slept on or underappreciated this
in the fantasy community overall. I know he has some
metrics that don't look great for media production, but he's
good at football, and he's in a good situation. They
throw the football. Yeah, I mean, what if Dobbs doesn't
come back or you know, gets moved or something like
that too.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
And I mean Jayden reads the one, probably, but who's
the two?

Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah? Right, I think that's why you take him in
the first round.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Then that organization in the first round to not use him.
They haven't taken a first round receiver in forever.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
And some people's lifetimes that are listing, you know. And
Jordan Love was hurt a lot last year. He played
through a lot of injuries. I think they're gonna throw
the ball a lot more.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, I do too. And I think I think Golden's
being yeah, slept I don't know where I would take
him neither. I'd have to think about the rankings and
then that'll develop.

Speaker 3 (13:22):
Over Yeah, yeah, we'll get a better feel. But I
think he's no one's looking at the first round receiver
like he could be an impact player.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Man, I'll get it. I don't get it. In fact,
I had him as my number one receiver. I haven't
changed my opinion of him.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
No, Right, he didn't get worse all of a sudden
he landed.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
I mean if he would have been in if he'd
have landed in Carolina, people would be talking differently about that,
he'd be the clear cut number one.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Or even if like Dallas takes him and doesn't trade
for Pickens, you know, which I think was a possibility.
I mocked that at one point. You know, it would
be like, man, that's a great spot. I don't look
at Green Bay as this super crowded spot where He's.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Not gonna get Watson's Watson's not gonna play. He's not
gonna play, and you just start looking at the They.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
Have good tight ends. But still I just want to.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
Call up their stats here. Last year, Jayden Reed got
seventy five targets, Romeo Dobbs got seventy two.

Speaker 3 (14:20):
Really did they both play every game?

Speaker 2 (14:22):
Dobbs missed four games.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Did he say I thought he would have a higher
target show? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (14:28):
Reed, so he I mean technically he was the number
one in more ways of targets, right, Uh, Tucker Craft
got seventy, Christian Watson got fifty three. Well those are
those are out the window. Nobody's gonna get those fIF
somebody has to get those targets.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
I think they'll throw the ball a little more. Yeah, No,
it's not bad.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Lantics mean, Dontavian Wicks had seventy six targets. Dontavian Wicks
had more targets than Jayden Reid.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
Did Reid play every game? Yeah? Say the read Stuff's
weird to me too, Like he met with the team
to make sure he's still the number one, but he
never really was a one.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, he's not a clear one. I think he's their
best player, he's their best one.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
But made me keep thinking like, well, could the Steelers
make him a yeah, could he move? It's weird that
he met with the team after the draft to see
if he's still is that is like it doesn't ever happen.
They don't know him.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
That the thing. They've got a bunch of guys and
it was something that I can't remember who brought it
up in their off season. Was it Josh Jacobs, we
need a number one receiver.

Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah? I think he did say something along those lines, right.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
Because they've got a bunch of guys who were twos
and threes. Yeah, yeah, including Reid, really including Reid. I
think he would be better served being a two chase. Yeah,
he's not. He's not a true number one guy. They
hoped that Watson was going to be that. I mean
he was our highest drafted guy of that group.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah, but he's always in the field.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
He just can't say he doesn't stay healthy.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
Right, No, I don't know that we'll see much of
Watson period the rest of his career.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
So, I mean that's that's you know, could could Golden
take that over?

Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah, he's I think pretty easily, right. I mean those
aren't that much to get over.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
He got four guys that had seventy plus targets.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Could he get to ninety? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (16:09):
And then Watson had fifty three, Like somebody's.

Speaker 3 (16:12):
Gotta well, whips get that same amount. I he didn't
do much with it.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
He talked a lot of nothing. He had on seventy
six targets. He had thirty nine catches. Well he's a slot, yeah,
that should those should be easy hitching catches. So he
struggled catching the football too.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah. Now, Golden, to me, the more we talk through
it is definitely being valued too low. Yeah, good player
in a good situation without crazy competition.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
Yeah, I think he would be one that I would
have on that list. He might be a guy to
target in again in your rookie drafts.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
And oh yeah, yeah he's going late in rookie draft.
That's what he said, fifteenth rookie off the board. I
mean not even always the first round pick. Yeah, that
doesn't make any those tight ends go ahead of him
every time, Like I think I take Golden over those dudes.
He goes right around like Burden and Higgins.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
And remember the thing to remember about the Packers passing
game last year is they had to start Malik Willis
two games, yes football and much he had like eleven attempts. Yeah,
those games, so there, their numbers were.

Speaker 3 (17:16):
They won some of them.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
But right now, that's when Love was out there. In
fifteen games, Love through four hundred and twenty five passes.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
Okay, I think he's a little light on some of
these rookie rankings or some of these fantasy rankings too.
I mean he started the season banged up.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
One mean, my championship last year, that's all that mattered.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Yeah, I mean he's definitely a top twelve guy.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, in my Yeah. So anyways, I just thought that
was interesting. Let's get to a break when we come back.
It's x Twitter Tuesday. Yeah, yeah, Tuesday's Thursdaysday, so we'll
get to those. Gets your questions on the ex Twitter.
He's Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lollie. You're listening to
the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (18:01):
At least, he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt
Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Welcome back. I am Dale Lolli. He is the Matt
Williamson and this is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.
You can hear the Drive every Monday through Friday right
here on these very airways. You can also download the
Steelers mobile app and get it there, including things like
you can get other great stuff like the schedule boom
right there on you. Yeah, lot's going on as it
comes out. You can also watch along on YouTube. And

(18:36):
I did want to mention that we will be going
on a hiatus here in a few weeks on the
YouTube channel. Was it June sixth, Tyler, June sixth, though,
We'll be taking a little hiatus until training camp on
the YouTube channel Young Time Birthday. If you're thinking about
a president, yeah, there you go. But young Tyler, I'm
going to be a father here at that.

Speaker 3 (18:55):
Point, right right right, congrats.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
He will be other things that he has to take
care of before training camps. We do have lives sort of,
so I just want to let everybody know that. But
give us a thumbs up on the YouTube channel. Leave
your comments and questions.

Speaker 3 (19:11):
There, but it will be back. Of course.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
We will be back once training camp starts fires up
in late July.

Speaker 3 (19:17):
And well of the podcast stuff and everything.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
The podcast will not go away. We'll continue to do that,
although we will be taking a little bit of time off.

Speaker 3 (19:24):
Here and there. Yeah. I got a couple of things
to do too.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
Yeah. Anyways, Ham, we'lllet just get to our Twitter questions.
Here are ex Twitter White questions, and the first one
is if Rogers doesn't end up signing, do you see
Rudolph as a clear starter? Where do you think Howard
has a legitimate shot at winning the job? I personally
prefer either to bringing in a different vet like cousins.

(19:47):
I don't think Howard can win the job.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
I get asked this question a lot and I think
people are super excited about Howard. There's a lot of
Ohio State fans in this neck of the woods, let
alone them being on TV all the time, and win
the NASH title.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
I wouldn't bet on that though, right he was a
six round pick.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
I mean I've heard several people, Oh, you know, he's
gonna come in and compete right away, like.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
Six round pick, six round rarely, rarely, rarely happens.

Speaker 3 (20:12):
And I don't prefer Rudolph and Howard to a cousin situation,
depending what he costs, right, Yeah, but I would go
another veteran route.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, I think I would too. And again, it's not
a knock on Mason. Rudolph's a knock on Howard. I
like both guys.

Speaker 3 (20:31):
I think the quarterback rooms, I think, yeah, but I
like those guys.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
You saw last year you needed two m You saw
the year before that you ended up playing multiple. He
played three quarterbacks a year before.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
I mean the chances of Rudolph playing sometimes to quote
of season, pretty high, pretty high.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, And that would mean are you then comfortable with
Howard being your number two? That one heart beat away
from being the To me, that's.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
A success for Howard. You know, as if you leave
the preseason going, I'm talking about there's an injury, That's
what I mean. And and and there's he has to
be the number two, right, that's what even at that
they ended up playing the third.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
Quarterback last year. Oh yeah, I mean it was still
he has still to come onto the field. It's not
uncommon for a team to go three deep over the
course of the season.

Speaker 3 (21:15):
Yeah. My point on Howard is, don't aim for competing
for the starting spot.

Speaker 2 (21:21):
If he wins the number two job, that's fantastic, But
I don't think even winning it. I just think what
it looks like he's capable. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
If the preseason ends, he plays a lot of snaps
and go and I think he can be a pretty
good two. That's a win.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
That's a win. Yeah, but it's it's not gonna happen
this year. Mason Rudolph is going to be right.

Speaker 3 (21:38):
Right, right for two years. Scenari, I think we're agreeing
with each other. If it's Week ten and Rogers is hurt,
and like, I'm okay with Howard being the two.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, which is the most next question, which is the
most likely way do you see us adding a wide
receiver to the wide receiver room through free agent of trade.
Give us a few names you consider for in each case.
Greetings from Mexico, Mexico. Love the show. That's from Alex Reyes.
We've talked a lot about that. I think the number
one free agent guy to me is still Amari Cooper.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
That's kind of the only one at this point for me.
You know that it would be a reasonable answer to
say you're done. I think I think one of these
draft picks will go to another team at some point
for a receiver. Yeah, they got tons of them. We
could go over the names, and we've brought them up
a lot, but there's probably more names than we even know.

(22:28):
And I think some of that stuff is even going
to get sorted out more once we.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
Get I think once you get through many can teams
get their eyes on them. Yeah what they have, Some
of those guys will become available, more available and even
into training camp.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
Yeah, it may be a situation like they look, this
rookie is tearing it up. Example of that. I mean,
they gave them a seventh round pick for He's.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
The most obvious name to me, you know, especially after
two day two draft picks of receiver we like that
are rookies and they still even have like a Mechi.
I mean, if Mesi's you're four, you're fighting, you know
what I mean, you're in great shape. So I would
say Christian Kirk is maybe the most logical. Maybe one
of those packers. Maybe one of those packers. Yeah, yeah,

(23:14):
I think those are.

Speaker 2 (23:15):
If it's a situation where they're all just this guy's
coming into my office this week, that guy's coming into
my office next week, then they're all wing, Hey, you've
got too many.

Speaker 3 (23:24):
You've got too many, right, you know, and you could
get something for them. Yeah, I'd give you a decent
pick for any of those guys.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Brad asked, what would the Steelers need to see from
Howard to not draft a quarterback in Round one in
twenty twenty six.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
I don't know even I know this is nobody asked,
but like, we don't think the Saints are going to
be good, we don't think the Giants are going to
be good. What would the Giants or Saints or what
would Shuck or Dart who were picked way way higher.
I mean, one of them's first round pick they trade
up for. One was an early two would they have

(24:00):
to do to prohibit their team to not take one high.
It's almost impossible, right, I mean, it really is. He
would have to be Rookie of the Year candidate, yeah,
at least at least And could Howard ever get to
that point or ever have the opportunity to show that.

Speaker 2 (24:19):
There wouldn't have to be multiple injuries at the position
for him to even get the opportunity to do right.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
And then if that even happens, how many games does
he give you to judge? You know? I mean, could
he come to camp and be the best quarterback we've
ever seen? Yeah, but it probably won't happen, you know,
like no one thought Russell Wilson is a rookie after
they signed Flynn was going to be the open start
round pick.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
He was a third round pick, and he beat out Flynn.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
I mean it was fun.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
Dak Prescott. Dak Prescott won that job as a fourth
round pick because the starter got hurt.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
Romo.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Romo got hurt, and all of a sudden, he gets
all these opportunities like, oh, that's not bad.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, and that could happen to Howard. You hope it doesn't,
but I don't want Rudolph and get hurt.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, both of those guys would need to get hurt
right potentially to happen.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah. I don't know that he'll ever get the opportunity,
and I hope he doesn't to make you say, man,
this really good player in round one is not for us. Yeah.
I don't know how that could happen if Roger had
a party type of ye.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
Yeah, and that was a situation where he was the
last man standing.

Speaker 3 (25:25):
Yeah, and even if Howard had Purdy's rookie year and
nuss Meyer's still available, you probably go for the rook
you know, probably trade you know.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
Yeah, if Rogers doesn't sign by mandatory mini camp, would
the Steelers really trade for Cousins or would they just
start Rudolph. Feels like the fan base would rather see
Rudolph start and save the draft picks for twenty twenty six.
Here's the thing about the draft picks. Well, we talk
a lot about Well, they've got twelve picks for next year,
which is wonderful, which is fantastic.

Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah, mock drafts are gonna be a blast.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
You're still if you're moving up in the first round,
those extra six aren't going to get you anywhere. They
don't get any you're going to have to trade at
the very least this year's that first round pick next
year and a two the following season or a one.
You know, even if you gave them all three of
your threes, that.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
Doesn't get it.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
It doesn't. It doesn't get you. That doesn't get you.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
Up five spots. Yeah, it might get you from twenty
one to seventeen, right, give you three threes. Yeah, that doesn't.
That's not much.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
It's just not enough to do it. So the idea that.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
What nice about all those extra pixars.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
Okay, if we're not gonna if you have to do that,
now you've got now we can get to fill our
needs in the draft.

Speaker 3 (26:41):
Safety in the third round. I can get the Caleb
Johnson in the third round, or developmental tackle.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
In what looks like a deep trag.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
Yeah right right right, My first second and next year's
first went to quarterback acts.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
Or I can trade some of those picks next year
for picks in the FI If I have to trade
away my first in twenty twenty seven to okay, okay,
I'll give you two thirds for a two next year. Yeah,
something along.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
I know I won't get my first back, but I
have two seconds in twenty twenty seven. Yeah, that makes
all sense of the world too. I mean they're liquid,
but I say this all the time. It's not like
you're collecting pennies and they eventually equal a dollar. You know, Like, yeah,
you could offer thirty two seventh round picks and no
one's gonna give you their first round pick for that
doesn't work in right, even if they're.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
The trade value chart eventually gets you there, it doesn't.

Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah, right.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Uh. J Mars asked, other than wide receiver, what position
do you think we should we can add somewhat a
somewhat big name in. I'm hoping maybe outside cornerback or
offensive line, well, quarterbacks still pretty good.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
Quarterball, Yeah, all those spots. I would have my eyes open.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
But a somewhat big name.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
I'm not saying, like trade a second round pick.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
I'm not saying I'm not seeing a big name.

Speaker 3 (27:52):
I mean, there's no o lineman that fit that bill. No,
I mean I'm thinking, like Jedrick Wills, is that a
Cedric Big? Is that a somewhat big name? He wouldn't
even be a starter, right, You throw him on a
one year deal and if he's healthy, maybe you get
something out.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
Yeah, you know, he's probably at this point just waiting
for somebody to get hurt, and.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
I don't know if he's healthy.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
Yeah, he had a weird Michael everrasks. Do you see
more rest slash limited snaps being planned for what this year?
It seems like his production is trailed off toward the
end of the season over the last few years. Well
that's not.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
True, not true, But I would like to see him
take ten percent.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
Lest Yeah, last year his production tailed off, but everybody's
production tailed off at the end, because again three games
in eleven days and he got banged up in one
of those.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
But I would I think some of the defensive coaches
at the draft mentioned they would like TJ to play, Yeah,
a little more sparingly.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yeah, I mean he doesn't need to be out there
eighty five percent of the snash, that's my point. I'd
like him to be available.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
He plays seventy eight percent instead eighty five, Right, I
mean he's not going to be resting all the time.
But yes, I think with four assuming Sawyer is one
of those capable outside linebackers, yeah, lighting his load a little, yeah,
a little.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
The idea though, that what has tailed off the last
couple of years at the end of the year. I
don't know about that, right, I'm just looking here. So
his final game in twenty twenty four, he had two
sacks against the Ravens, two sacks, eight tackles and three
tackles for a losses. He had five sacks in the
last four games. Is that tailing off? I don't know

(29:32):
where this narrative started at. Yeah, yeah, I don't, but
I've heard it a lot. I've heard it too, he's
really tailed off. The year before that, he had a
half sack in the last game. He had a sack
in the next to the last game. So in the
last five games he had four sacks.

Speaker 3 (29:48):
Pretty good, Pretty good.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
That's not tailing off at the end.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
Of the daily off right now. I never saw that.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Was coming off the injury. The year before that in
twenty twenty one. Yeah, twenty twenty two, when he won
the Defensive Player of the Year award, he had in
the last four games he had five, six and a
half sacks. So this whole narrative that his play has
tailed off at the end of the year is complete
horse hockey.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
The sack production sure hasn't.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
He has been a very effective player.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
I've been asked that too, and I don't quite know
where it comes.

Speaker 2 (30:16):
I don't know where it started. I'm sure it started
on probably you know, the other radio station in town
that they Maybe people just take it as gospel because
somebody says it on the air. It's not true.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Maybe it's just because he's the best player and their
success hasn't been there in the playoffs and stuff. He
must be tailing off. You know, there's Lebron falling apart
in the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
That doesn't mean not true, right, But yes, they do
want him to play fewer. Maybe maybe it's seventy five
percent of the snaps instead of eighty five.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
That'd be great.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
Great. He also asked, would you agree the Steelers play
systematically the same on defense from the beginning of the
year to the end, with little vary answering game plan
from team to team. Do you think that contributes to
poor playoff results because good teams know what to expect
from d I don't agree with that at all.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
I think they'll have more varied coverages going forward. I
think they'll have more and I'd like to see even
though I'd like to see more blitz from slots and
especially off the ball linebacker. They just couldn't do it
last year. Yeah, and they didn't do a lot of it.
I see what they're saying. I mean the more variety.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
So last year in the playoffs, the thing that the
thing that I that I was critical of is they
changed the way that they played defense against the Ravens
in the playoff games.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
Example, so they didn't.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
Play the Ravens like they had always played the Raves.
They didn't do what had worked time and time again
against Lamar Jackson.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
I know that, you know that I'm going.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
To They zigged and the Ravens picked up on it
quickly and and diced it up, you know. So, yeah,
they changed things up. The fact of the matter is
the last three playoff games that they've lost, they've lost
to Patrick Mahomes, Josh and Lamar Jackson.

Speaker 3 (32:01):
Yeah. Yeah, that's that's the crux of the problem. Now,
I do think the blitz percentage will go up. I
think they'll see more. You can play more man more man.
I think you'll see more off the ball linebacker blitz.
Is The Thornhills signing makes me think that you'll see
more big Nickel. You know, you might see more three
safeties out there than you have. But yeah, I mean,

(32:26):
I don't really know how to answer that.

Speaker 2 (32:28):
I just I don't I think people get into this
this idea that well, they just do the same thing
all the time, because well, Julian Edelman said that about
the twenty seventeen team right right right now, as Julian
Edelman's watching every Steeler game and every breaking down, every tape,
he can tell you exactly what's going on now with
the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
It wouldn't shock me if you see Minca in deep
middle less you know, someone else gets that job or
slight more cover too. I mean, I don't think there's
any sweeping changes. No, I think, you know, they could
like to play more man.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
Max yours is the team interested in resetting to Sean
Elliott and or Calvin Austin this offseason, this offseason or
the next offseason.

Speaker 3 (33:11):
Elliott's up after the year, right, Elliott.

Speaker 2 (33:13):
Both of them are both he and Elliott and Austin
are both up after the year.

Speaker 3 (33:16):
I think I don't think I'd do anything with Austin
until maybe after the seasons.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
There's no reason to it and I don't Elliott. Maybe
they could add on. They can add another year on
that second. That wouldn't be that big of a deal.
You might get him at a little bit of a discount.
So I think he's proven himself. It's not priority one, No,
But in camp, if you threw an extra year on
his deal, sure, yeah, I'll probably problem with that.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
I think that makes sense. I know that.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah. Nathan Skinner asked what part of the schedule do
you think will be the toughest. Well, I think it's
the end. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's.

Speaker 3 (33:48):
Playing Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson back to back.

Speaker 2 (33:50):
Doesn't look it doesn't look great, right, right, right, but
it is what it is. Let's take one more here
before we get to a break. Derek Manton says, love
the show. What is your underrated key game that you
think will be a huge for the Steelers to make
the playoff? Mine is the Chargers on Sunday Night.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
About the Chargers, Okay, I didn't read the question, but
I'm sitting and thinking maybe they're fighting for a wild card.
That could be.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
That could be a big one because you know, if
you win that game, not only do you win the
game which you beat one of the teams that maybe
you're quite.

Speaker 3 (34:17):
My thoughts too, I think the Chargers have a better
chance of fighting for the Steelers for a playoff spot
than like the Colts. Yeah, you know so, Yeah, Chargers
are a really good call. You know, the Dolphins.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Would fit into that same again there because their AFC
wins right right.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
You know, you wouldn't want to make a division game
that's too low hanging.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
But then you know a couple of the other toss
up games would be Minnesota and Green Bay, but they're
not conference games.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
So I would I would agree, I think the best call.
Yeahh I think that's you'd love them give them a loss. Yeah,
same with the Bengals. You'd like to if you could
sweep the Bengals, that'd be awesome. That'd be great because
I don't know the Bengals are gonna be a twelve thirty.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
Win t I don't think any of them, not with
that defense. Yeah, let's get to a break, we'll come back.
We'll finish up our Twitter questions here and he Matt Williamson,
I am Dale, Lolly. This is the Drive on Steelers
Audio Network, at.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
Least is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black
and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
Welcome back. I am Dale Lolly, he is the Matt
Williamson and we're going through our ex Twitter Thursday questions
here and Matt DeCicco says, love the show. I think
all the regular listeners appreciate the no hot take or
BS rumor mongering. Others in the area of partake in
for engagement, no question this week. Just wanted to acknowledge
it and never miss a show. What we appreciate us cool,

(35:41):
Thank you. I don't read some of these ahead of
time here, I try to sneak something in on me.
Bob and Tennessee asked when I did the draft on simulators,
they always seem to have at least three trade offers
in the first round. It seem you guys had the same.
Is that close to reality or is it just something
to make the app more fun.

Speaker 3 (36:01):
I think it's mostly to make the app more fun. Yeah,
I mean, it's no question.

Speaker 2 (36:04):
If you're gonna because what they want to do is
engage you to keep you coming back. Yeah, yeah, and
do more and more. So, if it's just I'm gonna
take I got picked twenty one. I'm gonna pick twenty
one again here. I never get any trade offers. You
end up taking the same guy all the time.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
And what's different, obviously in real life, is Omar and
company have talked to all these teams and well this
isn't gonna work out, or you want too much to
come up, or up your player's gone, you know, like
it's a lot longer process. Yeah, there's a lot of variables,
right right, right, Like I we could give the Packers
a call here it worked out like we thought, and okay,

(36:38):
it's a match.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
And I do believe the Steelers had offers to move
back this year, probably, but they weren't going to trade
away from Harmon.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
That's the thing I thought after Nolan and Grant went too,
It's like trading back seems real unlikely.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, right, yeah, parabolic ass. If the Steelers don't sign Rogers,
is there a higher chance of them not signing TJ
or are they unrelated? I think they're unrelated.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
I think they're unrelated. I think think they won't want
to retires this deal.

Speaker 2 (37:01):
They want him he's a Hall of Fame player. They
want him to be play his career here.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
Yeah, and maybe next year there's a first round quarterback
that's real happy that TJ's leading the defense, you know.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
Andrew Kwaikowski asked, do you think Rogers avoided signing until
after the schedule was made so they didn't add a
bunch of primetime games like that? I think Mike Florio
and Pro Football talk through that out there. I'd say
somebody mentioned that I think it's just throwing stuff against
the wall. I think that the process is the process.
One thing I have heard that makes a lot of
sense is that Aaron Rodgers hates OTAs, especially the early

(37:36):
OTA So I've heard that too, that he doesn't want
to have to come in and and you don't have to,
but he's the quarterback, right and so you know, you do.
You are expected to show up.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
And I think he enjoys his free time. Yeah, and
he's earned that at his age. You know, he has
money and he has some power.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
And there's a thing, right, Ben Roethlisberger didn't show up
at a lot of those OTA sessions either. No, older
players don't love the T set like the what I'm
talking about OTA sessions, the early portions of it, those
are weightlifting and it's integrating and running and all that, like, yeah,

(38:13):
you're quarterback, right, I don't need you in there lifting
six hundred pounds.

Speaker 3 (38:16):
Right right now. I first off, I don't know how.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
And by the way, you've got enough money that you
probably have a really nice gym at your house and
personal nutritionist and everything too. I don't know if Tom
Brady showed up at OTA session.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
I have no clue.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
I have no clue. Nobody knows because they're not reported
on it.

Speaker 3 (38:31):
It's not that big a deal, right, Yeah, I'd love
to have him signed by OTAs, but again, I don't
think he likes them either, and I don't know that
I would.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
On the field, ones are different than the than what's
going on now.

Speaker 3 (38:42):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that too. It'd be nice
to see him throwing the metcalf or whatever and getting
you know, involved. But he's super smart. He's going to
figure out the offense.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
And no time, you know, Michael Edessa says they might
already be working on the offense. Yeah, he may have
the playbook. Michael Desert asks Dale. Since you've been to
every stadium in every city in the NFL, are there
any you prefer going to. I guess press press box
more than stadium. Who has the worst press box, Matt
besides Cleveland? Obviously. Have you ever been to another NFL

(39:14):
stadium as a fan or in general.

Speaker 3 (39:16):
I've been like four or five, and most of them
are as a Brown Scout preseason every week, you know,
somewhere or two. But I mean it was business trip.
I'm sitting there taking notes the whole time. I mean,
I'm a tailgating and party and.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
Yeah, that's the thing that you know people all the time.
I get, Oh, you go to every stadium, you must
have a good, good time on game day. I'm like, no,
game day is like a fourteen hour, sixteen hour workday. Yeah,
I'm I'm not stopping a tailgates stream down in Beers
on the right.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
Stadium, right, And I missed that part. I would love
to do that. But even as a fan, I was
just a fan probably as long as my life as
I was in the media, I don't remember going to
any Steeler road games for my first thirty years or so,
twenty five years.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
I have to think about which cities do I prefer
to go to in terms of the press box and
stadium I do like the new Atlanta Stadium. We've been
there a couple of times. There's nice sight lines. It's
an indoor. One thing I like about the indoor facilities
or some of the indoor facilities, is that they're enclosed. Yeah,
because the problem, the problem becomes if you were in

(40:20):
an in an indoor stadium that is not enclosed or
has an enclosed press box. They all have announcers telling you,
you know, what the play was or you know, you're
hearing what the official says in the field. And then
some of the indoor stadiums that aren't enclosed don't have
an enclosed press box. You can't hear anything. Nice, I
know hearing you can't hear anything. And so you're I'm

(40:43):
watching on my on my laptop to see what the
call was. Things like that that you know, I'm at
the game. I should people wonder, like live tweet during
the game. You're at the game. How could you not
know that? I'm like, you have no idea? What television again?
Here right now?

Speaker 3 (40:57):
Yeah, television is pretty beneficial. Yeah, here the replay, here's
what they said. You know, I'll clarify for you. That's
why they're getting paid to be color Man, right.

Speaker 2 (41:05):
Right, So I do like to like to site lines
in Atlanta. I think they did that and well.

Speaker 3 (41:11):
On our show last night, Mike was talking about good destinations, Like,
I know he really liked LA Stadium.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
You know, it's a nice stadium. It's I don't like
the the way, like after the game they put fencing
up around that sucker. I guess so people don't just
wander in and out of it because it is an
open out It's an outdoor stadium with a roof on it.

Speaker 3 (41:35):
Like you've described it as like a pavilion.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
It's like a pavilion. So people they didn't put the
fence up. People could just wander in and out of
their their own leisure.

Speaker 3 (41:44):
The homeless person might just find somewhere to live for
a week to run around the stadium.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
And so to Like the last time we were there,
I was getting I had an uber ordered to take
me back to my hotel. I had to walk like
a mile to get to the uber stand because you
had to go around the stadium to find a way
out of the fencing. Joe Rudder and I from the trip,
we're like we're walking around the indoor the door of
the fencing because the where the media entrance opened up

(42:09):
at it was all already fenced in. I'm like, how
do we get out of here?

Speaker 3 (42:13):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (42:14):
Yeah, you had to walk all the way around and
then come out and then walk all the way out
to the cabs or not the cabs do in, but
the somewhere to get an uber. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (42:22):
Yeah, I mean you've mentioned this a thousand times. Mike
brought it up last night, like New England's really hard
to get to.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yah, England's ridiculously hard to get to. And the thing
about that one is if you're doing radio pregame, you
actually have to leave the press box, go down, go
out into the stands because the press boxes in the
end zone and the media or radio booth is is
at midfield.

Speaker 3 (42:47):
Oh wow, so you have to in the end zone.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Is it really hard to see the opposite end zone.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
There's a lot of those now, And yeah, you have
to a lot of times end up with the binoculars.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
I would think you always think about the press box
being like the fifty yard line, or at.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
Least that is that is going away at a lot
of places, like Baltimore just changed their press boots. Baltimore
used to have maybe the closest press box to the
field anywhere. It was like second or like between the
second and third levels. Like you didn't even have to
get your binoculars out.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, you could read every number.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
And you know right now. They they moved it last
year up Not only did they move it to the
end zone, they moved it way upstairs in the end
and yeah, so it's much more difficult to see there,
and uh, not as much fun. But the radio brought
the radio booth, I believe if I remember correctly, it's
still back over where the radio boots far So again

(43:39):
you have you have to leave and go down and
do all that stuff down there.

Speaker 3 (43:43):
But needless to say, folks, I mean, every one of
these stadiums has their own personalities and works and yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:49):
And there's some cities, you know, cities that you go
to more often. You're you're just more you know where
everything's at.

Speaker 3 (43:57):
Yeah, it's just you know, more comfortable. And yeah, I
like this part in restaurant the night before blah blah blah.

Speaker 2 (44:02):
Right, Heshan asked, what do you know about Sebastian Castro
the undrafted safety out of Iowa Camp body or wait
and see thanks. I love Sebastian Castro. I can't believe
I wasn't drafted.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
Another nugget with him is There was a big Iowa
fan that was tweeting me about Caleb Johnson and his
We've addressed this his speed issues. I think we talked
about yesterday the day before. Yeah, but the people that
also chart speed on the field. Castros was like Johnson
where it was really really good, but in time grade.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
You know, he's a guy that when he sees it,
he closes quickly, closes quickly.

Speaker 3 (44:36):
Yeah. I kind of expect him to make the team.
I do too, especially unfortunately, you know.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
I think it'd be a great special teams play.

Speaker 3 (44:42):
Great special teams are and fourth safety. Yeah, and unfortunately
the Watt situation opens things up for him too. At safety.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
Chris g Underscore Steelers asked, do you see DJ Thomas
Jones legitimately threatening Connor Hayward for a roster spot. That's
the that's the full back full back. He's got to
show you can play special teams.

Speaker 3 (45:02):
That's the whole key. You know, like they had they
had a legit fullback in last year and he wasn't
quite good enough on special teams you got to be
one of the best five or six on the team. Yeah,
then he got a shot. Then you have a shot.
And Connor is one of those guys. Yes, it doesn't
mean he has to cut cut one or the other.
But I think they would like to incorporate a fullback,
but not at the expense of not being great on

(45:24):
special right. Yeah, you just don't have the roster spots
available too. But we'll we I mean pay attention to
us to training camp. Well, we watched that guy a lot. Yeah,
because he's us a little bit different anybody else.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
Match Yari says, what are some trade who are some
trade targets for? The Steelers have their eyes on seeing
a lot of stuff about a Lava Ayuk Dobbs. Is
there any truth that it's all speculation?

Speaker 3 (45:43):
That's all speculation.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
Ayuk is not They're not trading for Brandon Ayuk. And
I don't think twenty nine ers would take on like
a fifty million dollar cap.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
It doesn't make much sense for them. It really doesn't
after signing him last and he's not going to play
until mid season. That being said, if I could get
him cheap, I don't care. He doesn't play it on midseason.

Speaker 2 (46:01):
I mean, I just don't see the forty.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
I don't know why the Niners.

Speaker 2 (46:03):
I don't know why they would move on. It would
cost them money against the cap to move on from it.

Speaker 3 (46:07):
Yeah, exactly. You don't sign them to a big contract
and then trade in the next year. This rarely, rarely happens.
I'd love that Brandon. I'd wait six weeks to play him.
I don't care.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
Steele Warrior asked if you both could do anything else,
what would it be. I'd be a multi millionaire playboy's.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
Yeah, that's not bad. I like Theonaire. One of my
favorite quotes ever is Andy Vance like, if you could
be anybody other than yourself, who would you pick? Andy?
And he said, my wife, because she's married to me.
I'd hate to be my wife's shoes, that'd be. That
would not be my pick. I'm a lot luckier than

(46:51):
she is. I don't know something not as well as this.
I think I found my niche in life, and whatever
else I would do, I wouldn't do it as well
as this.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Yeah, I hear you. Uh. And he also asked, what's
your favorite Steelers player of all time?

Speaker 3 (47:08):
I don't have a favorite Steeler we'll amuse my old
time favorite athlete. Yeah, you know, but I don't know
that I have a Steeler that's my old time covery
one that I'm as a kid.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
I cover the team, you know, I pulling back to curtain.
I didn't grow up a Steelers fan even I just
you know, it is what it is.

Speaker 3 (47:26):
I did. And I had like a Lambert poster and
I remember when he had the turf toe. I saw
him in there when they went to the Niners and
ruined their undefeated season, and I thought that was super cool,
you know, like mister Lambert and I have an autograph.
He said, say please. I was like, yeah, I was
like ten years old or whatever. Maybe it's Lambert, but

(47:49):
I mean it would be someone from that era.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
Yeah, Matthew asked, other than one word the one word answer,
don't what advice would you give to somebody that wanted
to get in go into the sports show slash podcast world.
I think it's a lot harder now than it was then. Yeah,
there's just so many of them.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
There's so many and you're not gonna make a lot
of money for a while. But it's treated me well,
you know what I mean, Like I'm happy I made
that decision, So I wouldn't say don't. I just say,
proceeded with caution.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
You have to get your reps in. You can't. You
can't jump into it and expect to you know.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
And I would certainly say, what makes you different than
the one hundred others that want to do it? You know?
Why would I pick you right? You know? Or why
would somebody the pay is going to give you the
money I'm not paying any money, would would pick you
over the thousands else that want to do it.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Yeah, it's it's tough, you know, it's it's difficult. Just
even just breaking in the media period is difficult.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
I'm sure, I'm sure. And so many people grow up.
I'm a sports fan. I'm gonna do this. You might
be really good at it.

Speaker 2 (48:49):
But I've had lots of young guys you know, tell
me that, or young people, yeah, men and women, and
it's like, you know, this is not for the fan.
You're not going to make a lot of money starting out.
I mean ninety cents an hour a pit my first
full time job.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
Got some free meals in there and some gear.

Speaker 2 (49:08):
Yeah, my first full time job in the newspaper business,
I made twelve thousand dollars.

Speaker 3 (49:14):
I made twelve grand years of GA and.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
I was I was doing news during the day, and
because I wanted to be a sportswriter, I was working
sports at night. So I was essentially working like ten
or eleven in the morning until one o'clock in the
morning at night, five days a week, sometimes six, just
to because this is what I wanted to do. Like,
you're not going to make a lot of money, especially

(49:36):
starting out.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
I remember being in the GA room and we all
figured out about how many hours a year do we
put in? How much money do we bring back? Like
I think we make like between eighty nine and ninety
one cents an hour, So great, not so great. Yeah,
I did have.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
Kids then, and you know my wife had a good
job and you know, eat a lot of ramen.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Well, we had free food a lot. I didn't get
that big.

Speaker 2 (49:57):
Yeah, working in the news, I didn't have there.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Were some perks with that. Well during the season, we
never paid for food. But yeah, during the off season
to figure something out.

Speaker 2 (50:06):
Right, So I mean, you got to you gotta put
the work in though. You gotta If you want to
be a writer, you got to write. You want to
be you want to work in this medium, you gotta talk.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
I mean I said it's harder now than my day,
and I definitely think that's true. But I didn't have
the ability just to start my own podcast then, yeah,
you know, like that kind of stuff that exists, or
your own YouTube page. I mean, you could do something
on your own without ESPN backing you like they rid
for me, you know, Like, so that's one perk, but
I think you gotta get eyes on it.

Speaker 2 (50:33):
The key I think to me, And it was one
of the earlier questions or one of the earlier replies,
don't be the hot take artist. Yeah, that might get
you some you might get and you get some attention,
but you lose all credibility.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
Yeah, as I say, that's like a powerful drug, you know,
like first time it's.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
Great, Hey, look there's my name on something.

Speaker 3 (50:55):
Right, but then eventually it beats up your body and
you're not as good as what you should do, you know. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
I would speak yourself and give honest opinions and work that.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
Way, and if you can come at a different angle
than most, that separates you. I remember that guy, he's
the one that does this, you know.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
Yeah, So anyways, that's going to do it for the
Twitter questions today. All right, yeah we got We're back
again tomorrow. Can't wait for that. But that is going
to do some good questions again today. Every time we
send out the bat signal like that, we.

Speaker 3 (51:25):
Get a lot of good questions immediately too.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
That's great stuff. But for my partner Matt Williamson, for
Justin Miller here on site running the soundboard and the
Justin Miller hotline, and for Tyler Vittmeyer soon to be
new father, Tyler Vittmeyer, check out the video there on
YouTube and give us the thumbs up there. It helps
you on Tyler out. Uh. I am Dale Lally. We

(51:48):
thank you for listening to this edition of the Drive
on this Steelers Audio Network.