HR3: Live from Mini Camp

Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman wrap up day 1 of Mini Camp coverage as practice starts up.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold Steelers Nation.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Radio Final Hour. Here of our coverage of day one
of Steelers mandatory Mini camp from the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
The Matt Williamson and Tom Aframan with you. Steelers practice
today is a scheduled to start around one and go
till about three fifteen. So wrapping up on the air

(00:34):
and things will be happening on the practice field. That's fine.
We weren't allowed to tell you anything that happened anyway.
So right ver you point. Starting to see a little
bit of a rain here, come down, Matt, a little
bit of a dip in the temperature for these guys.
I was here a couple of weeks ago during OTA's
and it felt like it was a early November day.
It was rainy.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh you heard that that? Oh yeah, yeez.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
And we said, you know what, this is good. You're
playing in the AFC North, you're in Pittsburgh. This is
more like what you're going to be playing in as
opposed to the summertime weather. Now, it's still very nice
out today, but I wouldn't hate seeing a little bit
of rain during this next three days of mini camp.
Kind of have the elements present a problem to this team.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, of the six Ota game, their days, the weather
you were here for the most extreme that was cold.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
It was very wet.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
I mean, even where we're at under a shelter, the
rain was coming in. The players were soaked. I mean
the ball was wet. And then there was another day
that was pretty extreme heat for late May, June, et cetera.
I mean it was it was really warm. I looked
this morning today, it looks like the only day where
they might be rain and I didn't realize they were

(01:42):
practician one when I looked. But I think that's about
when it's expected to hit, which I'm sure to Mike
Tomlin wouldn't mind at all. The other two days are
supposed to be nice, and today's been nice, but I
think Thursday is supposed to be pretty darn hot again too.
And I think Tomlin wants heat more than anything, you know,
I mean that's what.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
He like camp. Yeah, Yeah, he loves those hot, sticky,
gross days. Yeah, but I think he likes the rain too,
and the rain football. If there's snow, lightning and he's
allowed to.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah, you can get more done out here too.
There's just so much more real estate to practice as
opposed to the indoor.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
You're just you're not playing in domes like you're you're
in the AFC North.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Get used to it, right, Eight of your games is
going to.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Be played outdoors, just naturally because or excuse me, six
of your opponents are gonna be played out there, whatever
that is? Whatever? Yeah, yeah, six because you got three
home against them and three on the road against them.
So like, you're just not playing indoors. You're playing in
the elements. And was that a bit of a surprise
to you? Why Rogers decided to come here is because
of that. You have to play in the elements, and
I know he did that in his entire career. I

(02:42):
you aged a little more gracefully now when you're in
a dome and that control sure.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
I'll be honest, I'm not sure how many opportunities he
had to go. I'm not sure. I mean cities he
had to pick from.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
When Minnesota decided to go with JJ.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
I'm not even sure if that was real.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I mean, I don't talked into existence a little bit.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Who knows I just think that they're all in on
McCarthy and he's the franchise, and no matter who it is,
you don't want that guy being a distraction, you know
what I mean? You should, Yeah, and I think they've
built a phenomenal nest for that as well.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
He could be one of those guys that, if he
went to the wrong place, would fail miserably be a
bust in this league. But he might have just maybe
he might have just landed in the perfect spot. Perfect.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
He's definitely in the perfect spot. I just think that
you like, for example, I'm trying to think who it
was at the end of the Cam Newton experience in Carolina.
Not that Cam Newton was a bad guy, but you
just wanted him out, so he's not a shadow over
the the new guy, you know what I mean. Like,

(03:47):
let McCarthy be the one on the billboards not having
an all time great hovering over him, and then you.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Have that whole farm saga that you would be playing
into again because now I'm in the Vikings. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
it would have been a monumental distraction.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
But fact, like the weather conversation, I was sitting here
just thinking about it as we were talking about that.
I mean Rogers more maybe as much as any quarterback
in history right there with Farv has thrived in bad weather. Yeah,
I mean he's a California guy. Farv was a Mississippi guy.
They didn't grow up playing in the elements, you know
what I mean. He played at Cow, they played at
Southern Myths or wherever he's from, you know, so they

(04:22):
learned to adapt quite a bit. And I don't think
the weather here will affect him at all. DK Metcalf
comes from Seattle, I mean rainy cold, I mean yeah, right,
all right, Slay comes from Philly, you know what I mean. Like,
some of their new additions are not going to be
influenced at all by weather and conditions and that sort
of thing. So I think it's noteworthy. It's not a

(04:43):
huge thing, but it's noteworthy.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Let's get into the running backs for a little bit
more here. What's it going to take for Caleb Johnson
to get that first string role to be the guy
Sunday night football. Your head pops up, you say, Caleb Johnson,
University of Iowa.

Speaker 3 (04:58):
Yeah, is that an.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Initial thing for him?

Speaker 4 (05:00):
Him?

Speaker 2 (05:00):
Because they did that with Nause But Naji was a
first round pick coming out of this is the third
round pick. And also it was Naji or Benny Snow
when you draft right right Jalen Warren. So there is
definitely some notable differences between the scenarios. Yeah, but I
think they hope that it's all systems go. After this

(05:20):
mini camp and very early into training camp, they are
confident that he can take sixty percent of that workload
and give forty to Jalen Warren kind of that similar split.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, and you also have gain Weell floating around just
as Inshore and Slash as a number three, and you
know he was Barkley's number two last year. There's something he.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Said for that if injury oh yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, yeah. You mentioned it with Nausey. If you're a
use first round pick on a running back, even if
it's late, they're almost always the starter. Like he's in
trouble in Sandy in LA with with a Mary Hanton, right.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
He's gonna maybe become the Warren there, like that second fiddle.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
It's bound to happen. I mean, there's such history of
if you're going to use a first round pick on
a running back that usually don't last in this league.
Super long and everyone eman knows the theory of you
don't take running backs in the first round. They're gonna play,
and they're gonna play a lot. And he only had
to beat up Benny Snell, who was a good special teamer,
but he was a very mediocre number two number two back.
Even I think Johnson's challenge is much much greater in

(06:21):
that Warren's really good. I mean, Warren's one of my
favorite Steelers and maybe one of my most underrated Steelers. Frankly,
since he's been in black and gold, and this is
somewhat of indictment those around him, he's been one of
their absolute best offensive weapons. I mean, without doubt in
my mind.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
There's been so many times over the past couple of
years he comes in the game and you see the pop. Yeah,
you've been missing the series before he finally got in.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yep. And now I don't know that, Oh, I do
know that they don't want him to be a seventy
five percent touch guy. He can be, I think for
a game or two, but yeah, I don't think that
should be your plan in order. And that's not a
great plan or twenty game plan for that matter. But
Labs nailed it. I mean, what keeps young receivers or
run young running backs off the field is fumbling in

(07:09):
pass protection more than anything. Most of these guys know
how to run, they know what hole to hit. That
doesn't mean they're great. But what keeps you off the
field is trust. I mean, if you're gonna put the
ball on the ground, which has never been a problem
for him, that doesn't worry Yeah, that doesn't worry me.
But it's he's got to do it in the league.
I mean, with all respect of the Big ten, it's

(07:30):
not it's going to be more of a challenge one
and very unproven in past pro Now again doesn't mean
he can't do it. I mean it's just very unproven.
He certainly has the physical traits, you know, like for example,
he brought up nausey nause has super long arms. You've
seen him in person. I mean he is a big, strong,
strapping running back that maybe is only second to like

(07:52):
Derrick Henry in terms of physical prowess right right right,
right right right. So physically nause he had no problem.
But even like when he got here in protection nause
you would duck his head a little bit, you know,
upon contact and you can't hit what you can't see
type of thing, but hits line back exactly exactly, But

(08:17):
he quickly corrected that. I mean that was an issue
coming out of Bama, and you got away with it
there Again, Johnson, there's a so few reps to analyze,
so we'll see it's Iowa. They don't they don't pass protect.
But he is built for it. I'm sure he is
the willingness for it. But we'll see, let's say, and
that won't be proven this week. I mean that's gonna
be a training camp. I can almost predict it now.

(08:40):
First rep backs on backers, Johnson, you got what you know,
but he's gonna lose, you know. But that's what Tomlin does,
you know, like Ardie Burns got here, you got ab
one on one, you know. I mean, that's what happens.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
That on top of him being explosive and established himself
as a big time playmaker. But that was one of
the main reasons why Jalen Warren was able to make
the team, as.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
He's great at the player. Yeah, he stood.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
Out, let's have that. Now he's undrafted, so he doesn't
start with Watt like Johnson.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
No, right, right, moved up right right, it gets.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Number ninety and he kind of pops number ninety in
the mouth a little bit, and all of a sudden,
you're like, whoa, we got a dude that not only
is athletic, but we can we can trust this guy
on the football field now, And that went a long
way with him making that team as an undrafted short
And now you have that in your back pocket where
if you know you can try. Johnson is a little
bit behind the eight ball when it comes to that,
We're still going to be okay because third down Rogers

(09:34):
needs to pass the ball. Thirty is going to be
next to him in the sidecar, yes, and he's gonna
be just to handle all of that.

Speaker 3 (09:39):
And game Boll's not as big as strong, but he's
been around the block and professional running back that understands
protection and right right, he won Super Bowl last year.
You know, but again the LABS is point too about
protection even backs on backers. Hey, okay, I know I
have TJ. Watt and that's awful. I mean that's brutal,

(10:00):
don't get me wrong. Or I know I have Patrick
Queen coming from the second level as big as of
a challenge as those are. One on one physically is
mentally knowing, well, if this guy comes, I have him.
If this guy comes, I of him. And Lab said
it perfectly, like if I'm six inches off on my
angle against these guys, I mean against these velociraptors, they

(10:24):
are trying to kill my quarterback. Right, You're just getting
a piece of them. You're lungeon. You know, you got
to be mentally really sharp. Now I don't know this
for sure, but I'm guessing Iowa had five protections and
he knew them all like the back of his hand.
Here they might have fifteen, and it's faster and it's better,

(10:44):
but you also have the quarterbacks going to go. You
got forty two, you got sixty three, you know what
I mean, like whispering in his ear right right right.
He's a nice sidecar to have on your side, no
doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
And Rogers is going to be aware of that curve
that John is going to have to go through in
his rookie season coming from Iowa. We talked about how
there's not much of a sample size or a tape
out there of him in pass protection because Iowa threw
like four passes a game. Yeah, yeah, that being kind
of a bit of a negative or providing us a

(11:17):
bit of an unknown with that aspect of his game
and pass protection. The fact that Iowa ran the ball
like eighty five percent of the time show against stacked
boxes and he was still having success. I mean, that
is what gives you so much optimism for him in
the actual you know, running back portion of.

Speaker 3 (11:30):
His Oh yeah, and the workload and all that kind
of stuff, right right.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
He and you mentioned the workload thing. He had two
hundred and forty carries his senior season at Iowa, but
only had one hundred and seventeen and one hundred and
fifty one the previous two years. Like it's not like
worn into the ground like some running backs are.

Speaker 3 (11:46):
That's a good point.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
He was only a starter for one season, so.

Speaker 3 (11:49):
People don't think about this human aspect of it either
is not only does your body have to hold up
to be a feature back in this league. I mean,
Jerome Emmett, you know these type dudes. Certainly there is
a physical toughness, there's an endurance to it, without question, conditioning,
understanding how to take a hit, blah blah blah. But

(12:10):
there's also a mentality to it, you know, like Emma
Smith in the playoff game. His arm is dislocated, hanging
on the ground. Give me the rock man, you know,
Walter Payton, you know, I mean, I mean, I'm sure
bettest that time and time again. And you know, Steeler
greats have done a time and time again. But there's
a mentality to it. And I think Johnson proved at
the college level, which isn't the same. I got that mentality,

(12:33):
you know. I mean, just keep fan me the football, Yeah,
I know him. The whole offense feature feature me over
and over and over. But back to your workload thing especially,
I mean what backs it up or like the advanced metrics.
But if you look at Warren as just a receiver
over the last two or three years, he's slightly behind

(12:54):
like the mccaffreys of the world in terms of yards
per catch, all kinds of different aspects of the receiving stuff.
It would blow people away where he ranked around him. Yes,
I mean, yes, McCaffrey's like the best, and there's a
couple of elite ones, but he's right in their neighborhood.
So his third and long, second and long stuff isn't

(13:16):
going away at all. I mean, that's what he does best.
So Johnson to a point is sort of capped because
if it's stur Nate, Warren's going to be out there.
He's one of the best in the league at it. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
checks every box, yes, yes, yes, He's not going to
be better at Warren than those things, and even third
down back.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Stuff, even if Rogers is feeling himself a little bit
on those third and eight thirty nines and he's like,
I'm switching to a draw there's no one on the field. Yeah,
he's got the skill as a runner too, It's not
just like some specialty guy that can only block.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
And I've been praising Warren up and down this segment
and I still will. But I also think there's a
misnomer over his and Nausey's tenure here. Wow, look at
Warren George carry. It's so much better. He should be
out there one night. Well, nause he's also getting carries
on third and one, where his goal is to push
a pile and get one yard.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
Ten guys are going to be at the box herea
he's not.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
Getting the draw on third and twelve that you get
eight yards free, you know, I mean, so the usage
has been a little different too.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
And if we're uncomfortable or if you're uncomfortable with Warren
maybe being used too much in that taking away from him,
he can be the quote unquote starter this year. No
Caleb just dips into some of his carries. The dynamic
can still work that way. Yeah, and you still get
the quality performance that you're getting out of Warren.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
I'm wanna throw something at you too. I mean, Warren's
contracts up after this year. Now, I understand in the
world of contracts, Watt is priority number one that he'll
be the next contract they do.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
Priority number one Matt for sure. But also I'm the
least worried about it. I'm for sure it's getting done right.
Other ones like Austin and this one, I'm a little
more fogged.

Speaker 3 (15:00):
But Warren is a guy I would consider at least
adding a year or two. And I think of it
from a couple perspective. First off, he's pretty darn good.
He's a high quality dude. I don't need a rookie
this year and then a rookie next year. You know,
let's kind of stagger their ages a little bit.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah, all of a sudden, he's the veteran in the room.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, But Warren will be here. He's a
steeler if you would make him, if you would put
two years on his deal, He's here through twenty eight
or whatever. You know. And I don't know gain will
will be probably not. And this sounds cruel, but you
know I have a front office background. Warren hasn't made
any money. I mean in the world of the NFL.
He is about as low of an earner as you

(15:40):
possibly could be.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
I remember he'd play for free some weeks.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
But if you get or right, and my point is,
if you give him a bonus today five million a
year as opposed to eight million a year, the Warren
families like, sign me up, man, right, I could blow
out my knee in a heartbeat, right, especially at that position.
It's a great, I low opportunity. I'd love to see
that both of them here together for the next two

(16:04):
or three years and then you know running backs after
that who knows, but that would be some stability there too.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Now this year he will get an it's it's the
best it's been and they get around second round tender,
which is amazing.

Speaker 3 (16:16):
It shows you what shows what they think of him. Right,
But all in all, he doesn't much in the bank
compared to most people.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
No, he does not, but this year is going to
feel like Wade has been lifted off of us. So hey,
he can actually, you know, maybe get a fine in.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
The actually paid for it, right, Not if they walk
around the locker room with the right.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
And now yeah collecting, but if you would.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Give him a couple of million dollars signing bonus and
camp sign easy guy to sign, right, take advantage of that.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
Throw money in front of him.

Speaker 3 (16:42):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (16:43):
Austin's kind of the same way to pay more than
Warren because he was an actual draft pick at this point.
But throw real money at Calvin Austin you to be
able to get a nice team friendly there.

Speaker 3 (16:52):
Those two and Elliott are the ones that are upcoming
free agents. Wat aside that I might consider extending in camp.
You got the money and that don't think any of
them would break the bank.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
Will we come back back, Matt, Let's take a look
around the AFC. Now that the Steelers have, yeah, their
quarterbacks set in stone. Where do they kind of fall
now June tenth in the hierarchy in the pecking order
of the conference. So we'll get into that and maybe
peek into the NFC side of things as well, if
we have some time. It's Matt Williamson, It's Tom Offerman,
rolling along here in hour three of our Mandatory Mini

(17:22):
Camp coverage from the upmc rooney Sports Complex. You're listening
to Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network in
Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy am.

Speaker 3 (17:33):
Least.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williams sision
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold. Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Live at the upmc rooney Sports Complex, Day one of
Steelers Mandatory Mini Camp. They already had their walk through
this morning. I think they're wrapping up team meetings now that. Yeah,
the staff is starting things out like televisions and pads,
so it's starting to gear up towards the first official
practice of this phase of the Steelers off season.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
All the individual stuff set up, and I'm sure the
music will start pumping. We're going to start guys starts
stretching and getting back at it. But yeah, I didn't
quite understand what the plan was for today. But this
is much more like you know, right right road down
is how they do things they could they come out
on the field twice throughout the course of the day
in the regular season, in between, you know, mixing whiteboard

(18:33):
and video work and lifting and treatment. Also a ton
of it is treatments, especially during the season. You know,
that's huge. And then going back on the field and
I would expect we'll see the quarterback throwing the ball round.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
So a little bit of an extra buzz here today,
a little bit of extra media presence because of course
this is Aaron Rodgers' first official.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
If you notice there's people from NFL network around Parkings
a little harder than usual that I don't.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Think I'm part legally, I'll just be very honest with you,
but it's just got that little extra juice to it
today because of Rogers's arrival. A lot of attention on
the Steelers and a lot of sad about.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
It more over the weekend too. I'm psyched to go
see Roger.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
I was too. When I got in my calf.

Speaker 3 (19:17):
And slay and guys I haven't seen.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
I asked if I could jump in today and do
the fill in work. I was like, that's amazing. I'll
get to see Aaron Rodgers in a Steelers uniform before anybody.

Speaker 3 (19:25):
Else, first time ever.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
Right, Yeah, we did see him out here walking through
stuff earlier today, and like we said, practice will be
underway soon.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
And what he did and and I'm not this isn't
Ex's nose secrets. He just sat by the quarterback coach
and they were they were six inches apart from each
other the whole time, talking about every little thing.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
He had a little play sheet he looked like behind
his back too, And I like to use my imagination
and think that he had it behind his back because
he was quizzing himself and he was like, I know this,
I know that this looks like that formation. I don't
even need to look at this cheat sheet anymore.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
I very much think that's the case. And again, I've
done way more homework on him. He signed over the weekend,
and a lot of people I know just said he
is a micro processor in terms of learning and processing
offense and you know football in general. X's and o's
people get this stuff quick.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
The terminology changes. There's obviously different wrinkles from team to team,
but it's a lot of the same core stuff.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah, I don't think this is a different language for him.
Assuming Smith and Laflor basically use the same stuff. I
think his coordinators with here, they were the guys from
the Jets were Packers disciples too. It's all wait, West
Coast based, yeah, I mean they're all speaking French.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
Remember back in dialects of it, Like remember back when
Lafloor used to have you call whiskey here, like we
call tango on this one.

Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
Completely, it's the same thing, does the same thing, moves
the tight end over here, but it's just different trigger
work that you're going to have to memorize. Yeah, flash
cars just like this does this.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
Yeah. And again kind of what I mentioned is Okay,
we're all speaking English now, but there's different dialects in
the south and north. It's not French, it's not Chinese,
right right, Yeah, they're right right, right, right right, But
it's all the same words, just phrased a little different. Maybe.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
Well, the Stewarts quarterback is officially here, so you can
put that kind of unsureness to rest. Now, where do
they stack up against the rest of the AFC, Matt,
Where does this put them in that hierarchy? And I
guess let's start locally and then expand out and bi locally,
I mean the AFC North. Yeah, Rogers is obviously an
upgrade to Rootolph Rogers I think is an upgrade to

(21:26):
what they had last year, both quarterbacks, fields and rust.
When you said earlier today that it is the best
they've had since Ben, I agree with you on that.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
Like I still think. I know at this point he's
still behind Lamar and Burrow.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
I was just gonna say, I still put him third
in the division.

Speaker 3 (21:40):
Now, Yes, I mean to me, there's four unbelievable quarterbacks
in the league right now, and they're all in the AFC.
And tour in the division is.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
The Mount Rushmore, Burrow, Lamar, Mahomes and Allen. Yes, and
two of them you have to go through in your division,
and then the other two you'd have to go Like
get to the super Bowl in the AFC, you have
to go through Mount Rushmore most likely, and you're also
on Mount Rushmore while you're going through the other guys.
It's just absurdly the gauntlet that is going to be
here for the next five ten years.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
It's awesome, and it's awful, you know, right right, right,
right right, And frankly, I'm getting to the point where
it rivals when Brady Manning Ben and Rogers were all
in their prime, just in terms of a rare time
in NFL history where there's four superhero quarterbacks, And why

(22:29):
haven't the Bengels and Bills and Ravens and Steelers won
more playoff games because they have to play these guys.
I mean, it's so quarterback driven. It's not the only reason,
but it's a big reason.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
But then you look at the other conference. I mean,
they're getting better. Don't get me wrong.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
Daniel showing up goes a long way.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know, Hurtz is established himself as you could maybe
say he's like the fifth best guy in the league.
I'm not saying that you think that, but no, you
could make the argument, like you, there's definitely evidence there.

Speaker 3 (22:53):
Stafford's still a big time guy.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
Stafford's still big, Dak is still better than people will
give him. Jordan Love is up and coming. We'll see
what McCarthy looks like. You got some quarterbacks in the NFC.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
Six of them are drafted last year and they all
look pretty promised.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
But it's a lot of still potential. Stafford and the
Hurtzes of that conference, whereas the AFC, it's all realized,
it's all guys that had high ceilings and then reached
those high ceilings.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
Let alone the Strouds and Herbert's and guys that are
really good football players, but are clearly.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Also behind the quarterback and the conference right.

Speaker 3 (23:22):
Right, they're clearly behind those super four.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
So do you put the elite team still Baltimore? I
think the city?

Speaker 3 (23:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is it still your three?

Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (23:32):
And then where do you go in that next tier
until you get to the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (23:35):
At this point, I would put the Steelers in the
next year, especially if they can add one more pass catcher,
which I'm kind of thinking will happen. You will too,
but even without it, I still think they're in the
next tier. But it's a big.

Speaker 2 (23:45):
Tier, and that would be what Cincy no one in.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
The East, you know, like I think the Bills will
run away with.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
No They're going to try to kind of do what
the Patriots did forever right with that division where they
just have it. There's no real competition with them.

Speaker 3 (23:58):
There's no team I feel more confident and will win
their division than.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
Buffalo, New England up and coming though.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
Yeah, but not maybe seven when you know, like way better.
They the worst roster in the league last year. And now, okay,
I'm a big may fan. He could be in that
elite category in a couple of years. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They add a lot this offseason, but they had a
long way to go. I mean, Belichick left them and
dire straight. I don't know. I don't know. I think

(24:27):
he's a good enough stop gap for now, you know
what I mean.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
I don't know what that pink stuff was, Well, good.

Speaker 3 (24:31):
For him whatever, But nobody in the East was in
a Tier two No, Chargers, just go to the North.
The Bengals are in Tier two with the Steelers, but
I'm not as sold on them as everybody. It's going
to be as bad, if not worse.

Speaker 2 (24:50):
Right, I haven't been keeping up on this, forgive me,
I should because I'm on the air for some station radio.
Stuart the first round draft pick. Did they ever resolve that?

Speaker 3 (24:58):
I don't know. I guess that's something I'll come out
today because now mini camp situation, right, I know, Hendrickson
didn't show up today.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Have ever seen that where a rookie just those kind.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Of kind of There was a Bosa thing Joey Bosa
when he got drafted with the Chargers. It was something
about the language if you get hurt in mini camp
or I'm sure it'll work itself out. But frankly, the
Chargers at the time, the Bengals at the time are
frugal with some of these things, are set in their ways.
It's more of an organizational failure, Like maybe.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
You don't hear this from other organizations because the Stuart
would would.

Speaker 3 (25:32):
Ye, that's what everybody else does. Yeah, I think that's
more of the case. But I haven't given that a
lot of thought. But he's like the raws player in
the draft. He needs to be out there.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
A ton all the time.

Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, I saw that Hendrickson.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
He Stuart is built like Garrett, Like he looks like
a Miles Garrett. Yeah, yeah, it just rare right, play
like Miles Garrett. No, he would be one overall pick
potentially if he actually produced to what his build.

Speaker 3 (25:57):
His potential, right, And they have such a bad his
developing guy.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
And what they're doing with Hendrickson is just it's it's nutty.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
I mean, it can't be good for morale or any
of that kind of stuff, right, And I know Burrow,
I don't think they'll give him money. Burrow was really
big on bringing Higgins back and Burrow.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
Was campaigning all off season about bringing Higgins and the
Chase getting them the money, and he can that's a
great call. Sure. Hendrickson in there too when he was
talking about getting guys paid and just feels like the
team gave him his wide receivers and they were like,
that'll probably shut Joe up for a little bit.

Speaker 3 (26:27):
It's gonna we're paying you three. You got to carry
the team and win thirty five thirty two again, you know,
but they need to pay.

Speaker 2 (26:33):
Like if it were me, you find a way to
make Hendrickson work. You sign him.

Speaker 3 (26:36):
He's your best defensive player, right.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
And he's the sack king in the end. It's not
like he's your best defense player, but he's average anywhere else.
He'd be a great player on any team.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
Yeah, and he's far and away your best guy, you know.
I mean it's not even close.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
He's the only one that could maybe change a game
for you by getting a nice fumble. We're back a
big sack.

Speaker 3 (26:51):
Right. You try to put teams away in a shootout
and he's rushing the pass or over and over, he
gives you much more of a chance.

Speaker 2 (26:57):
It's tough when you gauge the Steelers in the Bengals
and where they're at kind of with each other because
that's offense is just such it's a scary thing.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
With Burrow and the Shoo receivers phenomenal. I mean, it's
core as you can have, but it's also a fragile
build because I don't love like their tier two players,
their depth, their defense. I think the coaching staff's pretty average.
To be honest with you too, I don't think it
gives them a lot of schematic advantages.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
But I'm actually surprised they haven't moved on from Taylor yet.

Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah, it's not really their style, but right.

Speaker 2 (27:25):
But like you you think a team would be like,
let's get a guy in here with Joe and like
pair him up like like Harbot would have been a
great one for them to kind of kick the tires on,
But then the Chargers did it with Herbert.

Speaker 3 (27:35):
I mean, I've said this several times, so I'm not
going to like go back on my what I've put
out there, but it wouldn't shock me in if a
year or two and from now Burrow is very unhappy
with that organization. You know, like I'm doing everything and
we're still only winning eight games because we have nothing
on the back end, right right, I mean.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
I'm looking at Baltimore and Pittsburgh. These are like these
are literally like blueprint front offices for the NFL in
my division. I see all the moves they're making, and
they do so much more. They're paying their guys, they're
working money out with guys, and you guys are just
sitting on your hands being cheap.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
I mean it's a goofy example. But like if you
look at their drafts every year, if they have the
fourteenth pick in the draft, they picked fourteenth in the
first round, fourteenth and the second fourteenth and third, you know,
like can't tell me moving around or something isn't a
little bit useful? Yeah, you know what I mean. Like
they're real set in their ways. Cheap might not be
the right word, but bullheaded or you know. So other

(28:29):
Tier two teams.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
The Steelers and Bengals are there, but they're kind of
neck and neck with each other.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
Yeah, but with Rogers on board, now, I think I
give the edge of Steelers. I don't think the National
people do, and certainly the Vegas odds don't. They have
the Bengals really high as potential super Bowl teaching and
quarterbacks last I mean, yeah, quarterbacks don't fluctuate year to
year as much too. It's safe. I think Houston has

(28:53):
a chance to turn into a Tier one team, and.

Speaker 2 (28:57):
So injured last year. A lot of that is going
to come down to their offensive line.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
That's the whole thing. The rest of the team I
have extreme faith in. So if they can figure that out,
I think they could challenge. They could go ahead of
those guys. Yeah, I don't think anybody else from that division,
certainly not now. But I could paint a picture where
Jacksonville gets better.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Colts are screwed me. I think it's hurt right now.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
This Richardson thing is bad.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
He's a bad pick.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
The injuries rush right, and I could see them all
getting replaced to the owner just passed away. Unfortunately. It's
just a lot of change in the building. The West
is strong, like I think the Raiders are very much improved,
but certainly not there. I think probably.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Charge and Broncos, though.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
I'm impressed with Denver. I mean, Peyton's a legit, Coach
Knicks is a dude. They might have the best defense
in the league. They're hard to play.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Again, I've been pushing forward this take since last year,
and it's mainly born off of the Chiefs doing what
they did last year where they won all those one
score games and they looked vulnerable and then of course
they went to the Super Bowl anyway, and they got
blown out in the Super Bowl. But I was pushing forward,
you know what, I'm picking Chargers to finally do it.
They're finally gonna beat the Chiefs in that division. Give
me the Chargers, They'll take the West. It's it goes
back into Alex Smith the last time before the Chiefs

(30:14):
didn't win the AFC West dominance, and I was like,
give me the Chargers. It's the Chargerer, Matt. Now that
I'm working my way through this offseason after I saw
that draft, sneaky, sneaky Denver might sneak up in the
AFC West. Denver might be I don't want to say,
the best team in that conference, but their roster is
so damn complete it's good.

Speaker 3 (30:31):
I mean, they're really good on both lines of scrimmage.

Speaker 2 (30:34):
Could they use way more playmaker in the past, Yeah,
but they did draft two of them, and they also
added Evan Ingram.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
I mean, they're not superstars, but they are better at receiver,
tight end, and running back than they were. It's not
great though.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
That's kind of their mo right when they were. This
new Payton era is we're not superstar heavy. We have
really great.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
Players and fits for him. The defense is defensive, sat.

Speaker 2 (30:55):
Is faceless, like you don't know who they are. But
they're all great yeah every level.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
And guys like Zach Allen are great football players of.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
The year concertain, and I love adding that corner in
the draft to in the first round. I mean, that's
one of the best tandems in football.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
They're my preseason pick to be the best defense in
the league.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
Again, Nicks just takes that next step forward, not even
an astronomical one. They could win the AFC West too.
I think the three teams could take that division.

Speaker 3 (31:23):
I'm higher on them than I am the Chargers, but
I'm really really high on Herbert and I have a
lot of respect for Harbaugh. I just don't love a
lot of the personnel moves they've made over the last
two years that I think they're still lacking a playmaker
on both sides of the ball, and that's being kind
to the defense. I love McConkey, but you need another
receiver other than that, I mean, it can't be Mike

(31:44):
Williams and Quinton Johnston and nondescript tight ends. And you know,
I thought they'd be a little further along on their build.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
You know, Harbaugh loves Herbert. He's not shy about telling
you that. Yeah, I do too, already put him in
the Hall of Fame. But Matt isn't harbor and away
kind of Herbert because he loves to run the football.
He's going to sort of the football, control offense, play
really good defense, and Herbert be Superman when I need
you to be Superman. But Herbert is kind of the
guy that you just like roll the ball out and
you're like be Superman from.

Speaker 3 (32:12):
Because the can the game. Yeah, although it's kind of
a misconception. I mean, as the season went on, they
ran the ball worse and worse and worse and got
away from it, which is why they drafted Hampton in
the first signology he did, yeah, resources and the guy back.
Then they added the O line, you know, like they
didn't run the ball as well. I bet made Harbaugh

(32:32):
insane early on to get hurt early. Interior line wasn't great.
The tackles are really good and he eleven games and yeah, yeah,
I mean he's That division is so crazy to me
because there's I believe that there's fifteen human beings one
of them is within striking distance of us right now

(32:53):
that really know how to win games in the NFL
level as a head coach, and that division has four
of the team of.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
Oh my god, it's right division. Yes, I mean, I
I'm not confident that this will be the case, but
all four of them have Hall of Fame resumes.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
Yes, they might all get in.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
They might, and Peyton's got the bounty gate that's kind
of flowing over his head. But just far as strictly coaches.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
They're all going to be on the ballots and heavy and.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
H I mean reads in no question, no doubt, Carol,
for sure, I think is into.

Speaker 3 (33:25):
I think so he's got a similar resume to Tomlin
and Harbaugh.

Speaker 2 (33:28):
And I know it doesn't matter because there's a college
Hall of Fame and a pro Hall of Fame, but
being one of the few coaches to win both national
championship and a Super Bowl pretty I.

Speaker 3 (33:36):
Mean he's a really good.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, Harbors trying to do that too.

Speaker 3 (33:39):
I guess, so. I guess so I didn't think that.
But no, that coach, I mean that coaching staff loaded.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
Is really impressive. And again, the quarterbacks on all of
those teams too, like none of you.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
Gen Smith to the make right. It used to be
one team that nothing. Now Gino Smith's legit.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
You've got homes is the goat right now he's chain.
And then you got Herbert, who talent wise people say
is right there.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
I mean he would be second in many divisions.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
And then Bo Nick's great rookie season but wins Rookie
of the Year and almost.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Any other Oh yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:13):
Jane Daniels was just unbelievably as impressive or more impressive
than he was. And then, like you said, Gino Smith,
offering that Aiden O'Connell upgrade to to Vegas huge. Not
only do you have great coaches down the line, Like
no quarterback is really one that you look at like, oh,
he's staying throw four picks in this.

Speaker 3 (34:29):
Game, right right? And that has been the case a
little bit with Denver and especially the Raiders over the
past couple of years.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
I mean, Gino's gonna throw the ball, That's what Gino does. Yeah,
and Brock Bowers, I take him in fantasy, maybe in
my top five pick. That guy didn't get a ton.

Speaker 3 (34:41):
Of He wins a rookie the year nine out of
ten times and couldn't last year either.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
You know, sneaky think he maybe should have won last year.

Speaker 3 (34:47):
Oh, he had a strong case. I mean, best tight
end rookie season.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
Got five receiving yardage in the league, not just as
far as tight ends were concerned, and he had Aidan
O'Connell throwing him the football.

Speaker 3 (34:56):
I mean, to your point, though, Mahomes and the Chiefs
path to just steam rolling the division harder than.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
Like the Patriots got. We talked about this with Buffalo
and that dynamic. Now, like the Patriots, big benefit for
their dominance in the run of Belichick and Brady was
basically six easy wins every year.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
Yeah, dominance division.

Speaker 2 (35:13):
Jets, the Jets, Bills, and the Dolphins all stink everyone.

Speaker 3 (35:16):
I'm sure you find it quick. But mahomes record versus
AFC West's dominant insane.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Every once in a while, Chad Pennington would sneak the
Dolphins or the Jets up there, and Rex Ryan and
Sanchez and the Jets would kind of brush by you.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
Every once in a while it was Division.

Speaker 2 (35:31):
Easy six games most of the year, and the Chiefs
had that for a little bit at the start. But
everybody's I don't want to say caught up, but have
gotten to a point now where it's like we playing
one of the toughest divisions of football now.

Speaker 3 (35:42):
Yeah, yeah, like reading Mahomes were five and one in
the division was a bad year.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
All right, we come back. We will wrap up today's
first broadcast of Mini camp and then practice will actually,
funny enough, get started right when we wrap things up.
Matt Williams and I live from the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
You're listening to Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio
Network and Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy at least.

Speaker 1 (36:10):
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 (36:23):
Tom off from It and Matt Williamson wrapping up our
coverage of day one of mandatory Minichamp for the Steelers.
Practice gets underway for the Steelers at about one o'clock.
It's mandatory now, Matt, you get fined if you do
not show up. And I thought I was gonna have
to find this person shows up the last show up

(36:43):
at the last boy said the Pittsburgh Steelers. What's up Rob?

Speaker 5 (36:49):
Nothing? Hey, you guys doing everything good?

Speaker 3 (36:50):
Everything's real good. There's been a lot of buzz around
here there.

Speaker 5 (36:53):
Why is that?

Speaker 3 (36:54):
I don't know. I'm waiting, I don't know. It seems
like there's more people than usual.

Speaker 5 (36:58):
I think we're going to be wall to wall here,
elbow to elbow, no doubt. And it's exciting.

Speaker 3 (37:03):
That's very exciting. Yeah, it's exciting. It's you know, high ceiling,
you know what could be.

Speaker 4 (37:11):
You know, there's like a couple of people have kind
of shaken their head, Well are you what do you
think about Aaron?

Speaker 5 (37:17):
Are you kidding?

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Right?

Speaker 5 (37:19):
I'm totally stoked about it.

Speaker 4 (37:20):
I think I think it's a I think it's gonna
be a blast, and I think he's got more than
anything else.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
You know.

Speaker 4 (37:26):
Look, it's gonna be a bit of a circus in
a zoo, and there's gonna be a lot of attention
on it, which is kind of fun to be, you know,
and we're witnessing it, you know, we're not really in
the middle of it, obviously, but we're witnessing it from
a step or two away, and I think I think
that part is fascinating.

Speaker 5 (37:40):
Plus I just think the guy's got good football left
in him. I really do. And I think it's going
to make the Steelers a better team.

Speaker 3 (37:48):
I truly believe that there's gonna be buzz when you
bring a four time MVP into the building. I'll do
it like the best quarterbacks that ever lived.

Speaker 5 (37:56):
You know.

Speaker 3 (37:56):
Yeah, I think there's gonna be some buzz.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
And Rob Matt and I have been talking about this
all day too. It's just above the neck, you know.
The football I q that he has. It's probably the
best in the league right now as far as an
active player is concerned, certainly at that quarterback position. And
maybe some of the physical tool sets have faded a
little bit, not much though, I mean, he's still got
great arm talent, but he's just gonna think the game
at such a high level. And that's such a big

(38:19):
advantage that the Steelers haven't had even with Russ, who
could think the game at a high level, just not
at that different. It's a different jump up.

Speaker 4 (38:26):
He is a and uh, you know so I said
this to people last year. I said, I don't think
there's too many rooms. Russell Wilson walks in where he's
not the smartest guy in the room. He's a really
bright guy, obviously, so is Aaron Rodgers. Then Aaron Rodgers.
I think he went on Jeopardy just like slaughtered everybody.
I think he just obliterated football. They were trying him

(38:47):
out as the coach or the coach, the host.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
That's right, yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:53):
About in charge the whole show.

Speaker 5 (38:56):
A whole lot of Jeopardy.

Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yeah, anyway, so yeah, look, he he's got a lot
of I mean, it is inevitable that, you know, father
time catches up with all of us, right, nobody, you
don't see, I don't care if you're No. One Ryan,
you weren't you know, you can be effective later in
your career. And it's it's amazing that Nolan Ryan was
able to pitch so well for so long, but he
didn't have the same arm town he did when he

(39:18):
was twenty seven.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
And it's just as simple as that.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
But he's.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
Yeah, you're at that crossroads where you now again, uh
have you already gone down passed the crossroads a little bit?

Speaker 3 (39:28):
Maybe?

Speaker 5 (39:29):
But you but I still well and and and probably
you know, some people would say definitely. It's not no
maybe about it. Definitely.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
I mean, but the peak was so high, the peak
was so high.

Speaker 5 (39:39):
Yeah, and we've talked about this again. What an unbelievable
throw over the football he is.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
But you're right, I think people are going to be
blown away, maybe in the next couple of minutes, of
how well he throws, how the ball looks coming Yeah.

Speaker 5 (39:51):
Yeah, And you and I have talked about this.

Speaker 4 (39:52):
I mean, I've just I've never seen anybody who can
go left, go right, go forward, go back off your
left foot, off your right foot, you know, falling backwards,
leaning forward, that can make the amount of consistently incredible
throws that he can, I've never seen. I've never seen
anybody who's able to do that. I don't I don't

(40:14):
think there's anybody in the same league mahomes Is. Mahomes
as you pointed out, mahomes Is, He's not bad. But
I think Aaron Rodgers is the best I've ever seen
at it. And you know, the acumen, the football acumen.
And I've got to believe that this man really wants
to win another Super Bowl.

Speaker 5 (40:33):
I've got to believe that.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
And I think I.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Can't imagine he would be content going out right at
the very least right right.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
And we have talked about this, Tom Matt and I
have talked about this and others. I just think that
they have very rapidly. And look, there's there's points of
where you are as a franchise, where your talent base is,
and that's going to be stretched out at times, I think,
and that's I think there's an inevitable quality to that.

Speaker 5 (41:02):
But I also think that.

Speaker 4 (41:03):
Omar Khan and his staff have restocked the shelves very quickly.
I think it was a much more competitive team last
year than it was two years ago. And I think
it's gonna be a much more competitive team this year
than it was last year. And that was before you
added Aaron Rodgers. So I'm bullish on where this Steelers
team can go this year.

Speaker 3 (41:22):
None of us have crystal balls. But do you agree
this is the since Ben's arm surgery, this is the
team that has the best chance to advance in the playoffs? Yes,
I do too. I think it's clear, yep.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
And I think it's you know, there's it would be
interesting to put together like a sliding scale of Okay,
if you're if you have an elite team, you probably
don't need a great roster to get to the super Bowl.
And then if you have a not quite elite quarterback,
but a good quarterback, well then you're how much better
does your roster have to be? Probably probably exponentially. You know,

(41:55):
every every every one rung you go down to the quarterback, right,
you probably have to go up three rungs on or
two rungs on quality around that quarterback. So I just
think that this years have built a good team, and
I think now they're getting a quarterback that's up up
near the high rungs in that ladder, and.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
There's no risk. He's so cheap. Ten million guaranteed gets
to maybe thirteen million, gets to maybe twenty million, but
as we joked earlier, he gets twenty million your hoisting
at lombardin.

Speaker 5 (42:21):
Right, Yeah, yeah, money well spent right, Like there's.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
Like no risk to it. Like, so someone may be
in the camp of like I maybe would have rather
gone with Fields again this year. It's like why he's
more expensive, and I don't think he's got much of
a future anyway.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
And his he certainly doesn't have the pass right, Yeah,
I think that I think I think he would have
been an intriguing guy, Justin Fields. I would have been
interested to see him go and see whether he could
continue to develop. He's not as excited as you are now, No,
he and he I think Justin is uh, you know,
there's a lot of things I like about him. I

(42:53):
think he's just a real got He seemed struck me
as a real character guy. We've obviously seen some of
the trades that he has. I don't want to sell
him short, because yeah, really easy to root for. Has
that March fifth birthday, which we all like, same birthday
that I have.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
Can you pick the same one as me?

Speaker 2 (43:12):
Michael Jordan has my very really nice.

Speaker 4 (43:15):
Okay, all right, so, uh, there aren't that many famous
people born on March fifth.

Speaker 5 (43:19):
I told Justin it's up to him.

Speaker 4 (43:21):
You gotta you know, when I google Google ten years
from I want to see him be the first guy
that shows up.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
As a March fifth birthday.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (43:29):
Yeah, there's like there's like, you know, uh, Emperor, you know,
Charles the Fifth, it was, you know, the emperor for
two years in France.

Speaker 5 (43:36):
That's like the first guys, you know, some obscurity.

Speaker 3 (43:38):
We can't have that anyway, I'm mine six six. The
anti Christ was born on six No.

Speaker 4 (43:45):
So I think that I would have been interested to
see Justin Fields. I I'm intrigued by him. I do
think that there's a reason he was taken high. Can
you can you fix the things that the students identified
as needing to be fixed? I thought he showed progress
last year, But again I wish I'm luckhya as well,
right right, right too. I hope after week one he
has a tremendous year, and I do think that. But

(44:08):
but again, Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers man.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Yeah, yeah, Rob, thanks for stopping by.

Speaker 5 (44:14):
I wanted to make sure that my presence year a
mini camp was noted so I wasn't fined.

Speaker 3 (44:18):
He came out of the bullpen, closed things out, you know,
get those three three strikeouts right at the end of
the end of the game.

Speaker 5 (44:24):
Three.

Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, everybody melt them down.

Speaker 5 (44:27):
Heading over there looking for win number five in a
row for the Buckos.

Speaker 2 (44:30):
That's right, they're hot buckos. That'll do it for us. Today,
players are starting to come out on the field for
one o'clock practice, day one of Mini camp practice. Matt Dale,
Rob Labs, I'm sure I think Wes will be back
down here tomorrow. Whoever's here, we will broadcast at ten
am on Steelers Nation Radio. Thanks for joining us today.
We'll talk to you for the remainder of Mini Camp

(44:51):
on SNR and the Steelers Audio Network and Fox Sports
Pittsburgh nine seventy am.