July 15, 2025 • 28 mins
Even though there is significant star power and strong depth pieces at every position on defense, there are still some concerns if something goes wrong for certain players. Plus, the TJ Watt contract negotiations loom large with Training Camp coming up soon.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Are we talking a little bit about potetual bogies for
the Steelers on the season and their path to success
in twenty twenty five as training camp is just a
week away, and we talked about the offensive line and
the running backs on the offensive side of the ball.
When you look at the defensive side of the ball,
it's a little bit tougher too, narrowtive. I think there's
more options on what could be that you know, weak link, bogee,
(00:31):
question mark, however you want to term it. But I
think that you can also kind of talk yourself out
of those position groups being the bogie the area that
is the undoing of that unit. And I start with
safety off the top of my head, because that is
the hole that you created after you traded micka Fitzpatrick's
(00:54):
the Dolphins to facilitate the John Newsmith and Jalen Ramsey
actual position right now as it stands, you hear everybody
speculate one Thornhill will slide into that spot and have
to take that role on and.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
He's not the most promising process.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Juice there, right, But we also might get a little
bit more of a clue next week and in the
coming weeks as they actually start to play football and
practice as to maybe Jalen Ramsey does float to that
spot a little bit in base defense. Who knows how
they're going to deploy that position now that Minka is gone,
(01:39):
But right now it seems that it's just one thornhills
to take. And that is an obvious you know, if
you had to line up defense and point out the weakest,
obviously the one that you'd look at. But when you're
surrounded by so much many great players, you really just
(02:03):
have to do your job and not you know, bring
that all pro type of play, not bring that even
Pro Bowl caliber level of play. Just always be in
the right spot, always do exactly what you're supposed to
be doing within the defense, and you will kind of
(02:23):
just blend right in. And you look at that secondary
as a whole, with Slay and Ramsey and Porter Junior
taking a step forward and Deshaun Elliott having a great
season last year, and you can't tell me that that's
not a part of the reason why the Steelers felt
makea Fitzpatrick was expendable all of a sudden, not not
just his production slowing down, It was the fact that
(02:44):
they looked at Deshaun Elliott, and they said, this guy's
better than make I Fitzpatrick. But this guy had more
of an impact on our team and winning last year
than makea Fitzpatrick did. Let's give him a raise, and
he's still a lot cheaper than makea Fitzpatrick. And then
let's go use makea Fitzpatrick to John new Smith and
Jalen Ramsey. Guys, that would take a lot of draft
capital to swing. But I get to keep my draft
(03:07):
capital too, because I'm gonna need that. I'm gonna need
that to move up next year to get my quarterback.
So I'm gonna do a little way old fashioned and
very rare player player trade featuring all pro slash potential
Hall of famers exchanging hands. I mean, I feel certain
that Jalen Ramsey's gonna be wearing a gold jacket one day.
MANCA need to get back on him. They're both. It
(03:31):
is an unbelievable trade. It was an NBA level, It
was a blockbuster type of whoa kind of trade, and at.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
The time, it carried the news cycle for the NFL
league wide.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So they felt comfortable enough with Elliott to be like,
let's let's use that as our chip, you know, we
don't want to use our draft capital, well, we will
use our maka Fitzpatrick capital and they get that trade done.
So they have a ton of confidence in Elliott obviously,
and they should because he had a great year last year.
And I just think that one Thornhill has a real
opportunity here to have a great year first of all
(04:08):
for him, maybe have a career year for him and
just do his job and just kind of blend in
and not be so egregiously bad where they have to
figure something else out or other guys aren't able to
or their impact isn't able to be capitalized as much
(04:30):
because you are just being targeted. And again, as I
spelled it out, and I just named four or five
guys that you're excited about out next to one Thornhill,
it's easy to kind of talk myself out of him
being a bogie if it is indeed him being the safety.
And then I also think that there is a chance
that they might go out and address the safety position
(04:51):
in this training Campaigner's kind of the same way they
could with the wide receiver position right where it's like,
you know what, this team decided to move on from
this wide receiver green Bay, there's a lot there. Now
do we want to maybe pursue him. Didn't think he
was available, didn't want to make a trade for him,
(05:12):
But now he is just for some money. Same thing
with the safety spot. So I think that that's a
chance for that to happen as well. Inside linebacker, I
guess could be a potential bogie.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I mean, I guess, see how much are you putting
on the weight? How much of that are you weighing
in on Cole Holcombe.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well, honestly none right now in my head, because it's
just well if that's just focused on Wilson and Queen.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
If that's the case, then I really don't think it
could be because I don't expect the two of them
to I don't expect either of them really. Maybe one
of them could, but for both of them to take
a step backwards.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Look, I love your optimism and I hope that it
happens that way too. Queen took a little bit of
time to warm up this first season as a Pittsburgh Steeler,
and I think Queen and this it's not a knock
on him. I don't want it to be. But I
think Queen is at his best and can thrive when
it's a more of a one to two tandem. I
think you saw that when they drafted him the Ravens
(06:11):
being they in the first round, and he really struggled
to be that guy. So they go out and they
get that guy in Roquan Smith, and then Patrick Queen
becomes a second team All Pro and he cashes him
big with the Steelers and he gets a nice free
agency contract. Like I think he needs to have a
really good, strong running mate that's to him an equal
or better if you will, mean to have his best.
(06:34):
And I'm optimistic as you are that Wilson maybe can
get up to that level this year. I don't even
really be that one.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Too, But like I understand what you're saying about ro
Quan Smith, and you and I have had that conversation
one hundred times.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You mean to be Wroquan Smith. Good.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, what I'm what I'm trying.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
The point I'm trying to make is I understand that
ro Qwan Smith when he got to Baltimore immediately was
this impact player and allowed guys like Pat Queen who
was playing right beside him, to be better. But maybe
it just took some pack Queen a little bit of time.
Maybe it doesn't have to be the guy playing right
next to him. Maybe he can just take advantage now
that he's used to playing on this team of having
(07:11):
camp Cam Hayward in front of him, and TJ. Watt,
Alex high Smith and Nick Herbig potentially Jack Sawyer on
his ends to make his life easier up the middle.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think it has to be
the guy.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Like It's the same kind of thing that I was
saying with Wan Thornhill, like right, and I think I
have more expectation and hope for Payton Wilson than one Thornhill.
But it's like you, like you're saying, you look at
the guys around him, and you just look at the
guys up front and Harmon now first round pick it.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Sure, I didn't even mentioned his.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Hayward like in the edge guys and Queen Like It's
just it's not like the pressures on Wilson to be
that defensive player of the year like you were in
college at NC State. It's not like you drafted him
to be like the gem of your defense.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
In same goes for Pac Queen. When I know you,
I know there were a higher expectations, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeh, closer to the top of the totem pole.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But like went to compare to his time in Baltimore
when he got drafted to Baltimore out of LSU, Right,
he was drafted in the first round, I believe, and
he was looked at as the next defensive face of
that franchise. I mean, that is a franchise that is
deep in the lore of defensive legends, right, And at
(08:24):
the time, Roquan Smith was not there, and guys from
the previous era were all gone. It was really just him.
Kalaias Campbell was the most recent name, but I think
either he had reached his end in Baltimore he had
already moved on to another team at that point. So
it was all on Patrick Queen at that time when
he got drafted there and what twenty twenty one, And
(08:45):
he didn't meet his expectation until he had someone else
to help lighten the load in Roquan Smith. And then
when Roquan got there and made life for Pat so
much easier. And I think, like you say, Tom, it
doesn't take every guy just one or two games to
get acclimated to a new scheme. No matter how talented
(09:06):
they are, it can take some time. So now that
he has this season ahead of or season under him
playing in Pittsburgh, I'm hoping that And again.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know, I don't want to be caught.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
With the the optimism bug here and at the end
of the season he's putting up pedestrian numbers or just
not stellar numbers and saying, okay, well, I said the
expectation bar way too high for him. But I think
given everyone around him, especially on the defensive front, there's
no reason he shouldn't be a little bit better this year.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
As a player, all you want to do is improve
year after year after year after year. And yeah, he
had a step back statistically and impact wise from his
last year in Baltimore to his first year in Pittsburgh.
But I think with that mentality you get a little
bit better, the team got better around you, your performer
should get better as a result as well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I agree with that, and I have optimism for
that group too. I'm just again, like I said at
the start, the defensive side of this thought process thought exercise,
I think you can look at more positions and speculate them.
But as you did there with inside linebacker, and I
kind of did with safety more so is you can
just kind of talk yourself out of that being a
(10:22):
bogie yea, you can talk yourself into being, you know,
not thinking that they're going to be Ray Lewis reincarnate
or Ed Reid and Troy Palamalu playing together in the
same secondary, but that they're gonna be good enough for
this team. And then I guess the only other one
that you would look at would be that defensive line, right.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah, But I I guess, and I think we've had
this conversation before.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And I don't mind you trying.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
To to not be this overly optimistic.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Outview of every position. I think it's.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Smart and and mature to not be, Oh well, there's
no reason to be negative about anything. This team should
be perfect in sixteen or seventeen or zero. The defense
should be the best of the league. Things happen. But
I think we're where I think you're coming from is
Cam Hayward's not getting younger, and you have the two
(11:19):
guys next to him, Derek Harmon, a rookie who we
know nothing about at his pro level, and Keana Bennon,
who as a third round pick hasn't been great, but
also hasn't been a massive disappointment either, So you just
don't know. And there's a lot of question marks for
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
For the defensive line, but I think there's a lot
of chance for great yeah miss out of that defense.
I have too, led by the first team All Pro
Cam Hayward, who was thirty six thirty seven years old
being a first team All Pro, I.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Think both the floor and ceiling are very high.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yes, I agree with that. I just think that there's
a lot more more quality bodies on that line that
you won't have that phenomenon where Cam Hayward left the
field and they ran all over you. Like I think
that you should be able to have the old man
take a couple of hit plays off for God's sake,
and you don't get gashed for seven yards of carry
(12:17):
when he's out as supposed to. Like holding teams like
two yards of carry wins. So I think that Benton
needs to obviously play a lot better this year, and
you need to see what Harmon looks like and what
he can bring to the table. But there's already a
top three this year with those guys that make you
a lot more optimistic than what the top three has
(12:39):
been in previous years.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Absolutely, and then you include yah ya ye how A
why Black as a depth piece, see what.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
He does, how he comes along. There still are you're
looking at it right now. You know names that down
the depth chart that are still quality.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Louder Milk, Leal, Logan Lee, I mean, Logally took a
restrat year last year, but could be a contribute.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I think Loudermilk could be a really I don't want
to say surprising player, but a really nice have a
couple of nice moments throughout the season this year now
that he's kind of cast in a role that's appropriate,
and I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a
player too. No, not at all on that defensive line.
(13:23):
So yeah, it again you can kind of say there's
some worries there, there's a chance that you might not
like what you get from that defensive line. But at
the same time, just like with the other position groups
that we talked about, there's a lot of optimism there
as well.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
And I think, getting back to it, just the overarching
story with the defense is we're just trying to be realistic.
We're not saying We're not trying to be like negative
nancies here and say, oh, well, thorn Hill is going
to be a complete liability to be something like a
Dante Jackson or or a oh my gosh, I forgot
the guy's name who came in from Buffalo from he
(14:07):
was just in and out within two years. Uh, number
twenty nine Wallace LEVI Wallace like, I don't think he's
gonna be that big of a liability. Or you look
at the linebackers and say, well, Cole Holcome's not gonna
be ready, and Pat Queen is going to be that
superstar for you, and Peyton Wilson is not you know,
playing in the NFL is not the same as playing
(14:28):
in the ACC, and NC state no offense to pit
ins in the ACC there.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And then you look at the defensive line and say, oh, well,
Cam Hayward's gonna get older and not gonna be a
first cemal pro anymore, and Derek Harmon's just a rookie
and keanum Benn hasn't showed you any signs of being
a superstar. We're not trying to say that everything is
possibly going to go wrong here. We're just setting the
expectation that this team has shown that it can be great,
(14:55):
but it hasn't really captured that in a while, Like
not every everything has gone all right all at once
for this defense in a few years. It's obviously shown
great signs like the fact that Joe Burrow had that
shriek to end the season last year of consecutive games
with at least two hundred and fifty passing yards in
(15:16):
what three touchdowns or two touchdowns and that came to
a screeching halt in the season finale in Pittsburgh. Now,
the Bengals still won that game, but it wasn't because
of the defense. The offense, as we know, just couldn't
put up the points. So we're not again we're not
trying to find everything that could go wrong with this team.
We're just trying to be realistic and say, if you
had to pick something that might stick out to you
(15:38):
in not a positive way, what would it be.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And I think those.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Are legitimate causes for potential concern, not for legitimate concern,
but potential concern. Thornhill being the week league in the secondary,
Pacqueen not reaching that superstar former all pro level caliber,
and the defensive line being a weakness when Cam Heward
is not out there because you don't have the captain
out there on the field for you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Now, I guess another potential week link could be if
your best player doesn't sure that that is a big
one and that is going to it never really went
away the contract extension talk with TJ. Watt, but that
is going to I think really kicking to gear. Seems
to me that a lot of sports talkie talk types
(16:30):
are doing kind of the same thing that I did
last week. So who am I talk about? Very popular
vacation time around sports media. It is last week after
the fourth and this week because All Star Game of Baseball, Like,
there is really nothing going on.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
This is what we are in the three day period
of the entire calendar year without a real game played
between all four professional men's leagues.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
If you don't count, do you count the All Star
Game as a real game?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Does it count?
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I was going to say, you just have to wait
till tomorrow when there's literally nothing being played, then if
you do count.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Because it now it literally counts for nothing.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
It used to count for home field advantage in the
World Series, Now it literally counts for nothing.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Yeah, there's just nothing going on right now. It's as
dry as can be. But when they come back next week,
because that's when training camps really start to kick into gear.
Although the Chargers are there.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Now full report, Yeah they are because the Hall of
Fame game.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, I can't imagine being a training camp right now.
I can't imagine being.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Steelers are in that position. Luck not luck.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
They were going to be in the COVID year, right, yeah,
and they got to push back, yes they have.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
So I think we were actually unlucky in that sense
where that COVID post COVID year was the first year
they went to three postseason games, and so they were
supposed to be in that first year where they were
in the majority crowd with only three postseason games, but
they had to play that fourth because of the year
that it got pushed back, Whereas in twenty twenty, when
(18:01):
they were originally slated to play the Hall of Fame game,
every team was still playing four postseason games.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
When they all come back to talk about football next week,
when all the teams start to trickle into their camps.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Well, every every team is doing this.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
It's going to be TJ. Watt and his extension that
is going to be the topic and what's going on
and blah blah blah blahlah blah blah blah blah. I
think it's going to and I said this a couple
of months ago, play out kind of exactly like it
did the last time that TJ. Watt was having this
contract dispute with the Steelers. He'll show up to Saint
Vincent next Wednesday. He'll be at moving day and he'll
(18:35):
talk to the medium. Maybe I'm not sure, but I
don't know. I don't know, but he might. Well, nothing's
really mandatory.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
If I guess they're holding in Yeah, right, if you're
in a dispute, I guess.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So he'll do individual stuff. He will eat lunch with
the guys, but then he will not participate in the
team activities until the contract has been figured out. Uh.
And then I think as we work our way through
training camp and through the preseason, the contract will be
figured out.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I just think that we're I hope you're right.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I don't like all of the root. I don't like hearing.
I mean, I don't.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It could be a we're just victims of It's an
off season. There's nothing else to talk about, and so
we're just being inundated with the what ifs and sources
say or rumors heard that TJ.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Watt will not play in Pittsburgh next year.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
It could be just a result of we're in the
off season, there's no games to talk about. Pre agency
is well in the past, the draft is well in
the past, and this is all we have is speculation.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
So I'm hoping that's all it was.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I don't put I don't think they're gonna train it here.
Here's why. Other you said you hope it's just speculation.
Here's why I think it is just, you know, classic
speculation and kind of like it's obvious to speculate that way.
When there's a guy and there's a contract dispute, trade
is always on the table. But it just wouldn't make
sense for the Steelers to go out and get DK
(20:06):
Metcalf and give him a ton of money and then
jettison George Pickens out of here because you say, you
don't win with guys like that, and he's never gonna
get it, he's showing up late. I'm done with that
kind of stuff. So you send him to Dallas.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
You stay in the sweepstakes for the forty one year
old quarterback that teams dropped out immediately, Like remember that
he had those meetings right around March Madness. Aaron Rodgers did,
and yeah, the Giants immediately pivoted, like Russell Wilson was
signed like three days later and Jameis Winston and they
decided to draft Jackson Dart like teams that were potentially
(20:41):
going to be in on the JJ McCarthy thing with
the Vikings, we're gonna go with jjjj's our guy. And
then you saw the Steelers stay the course and they
got him. So they now have Aaron Rodgers, they got
DK Metcalf. Then they make a big swing and trade
makeer Fitzpatrick out of here for Jalen Ramsey and John
(21:04):
is like we talked in the earlier episode today that
they aren't gonna win a Super Bowl and the goal
doesn't have to be to win a super Bowl this year.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Maybe they can say that out loud if they have to,
but that doesn't have to be the ultimate goal. But
they are making a lot of aggressive swings to get
that playoff win finally to end that streak of hearing
people on national TV be like now it's nine years
where the Steelers haven't won a playoff game, and for
(21:32):
them to do all of that and then to not
have TJ. Watt back or to trade him, that would
really be contradicting itself, and it would really kind of
be defeating the purpose of how aggressive you've been in
this offseason to get that playoff win under your belt,
and quite frankly, for TJ. Watt to get a playoff
(21:54):
win under his belt finally. And that's why I just
think trading him just I don't see that the Steelers
would do that. And if you saw that come to fruition,
it would either mean that A they don't really have
a plan and they're just kind of doing whatever and
that's not the case, and B or B and this
(22:17):
would be more likely. What it is that they couldn't
do something with the contract demands and TJ were just
way too out of control for them. They couldn't get
comfortable with anything that he was bringing to the table,
and there was no budget, so they had to just
move on and try to get as much as they possibly,
maybe get a player for player trade again like the
Minka one, and just get somebody that can impact that.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
The return like the return would be more bigger, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
But maybe somebody along with a high draft pick that
could you know, play now and help a team to
win a playoff game now. So I just I think
it's going to play out though where he signs a contract.
I saw Jeremy Fowler say, I guess on uh up
that the guaranteed money is the hang up, And I
(23:03):
think that makes a lot of sense because we've seen
that in the past with the Steelers kind of be.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Not just with the Steelers, but like other teams as well.
Like it's hard, it's hard to really commit to saying
we're gonna make you that that guy for now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Well, when the CBA tells these owners in front offices
that they don't have to give you guaranteed money, right, like,
of course they're going to try their hardest to get
as little guaranteed money signed in the contract.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
But like you said, it has come back to bite them.
The Le'Veon Bell situation sticks out for one. I mean,
you were okay without him, but still like you would
have loved to have kept him. And I know things
didn't work out for lev in New York either.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Whereas James Connor had a thousand yard season, so It's
like it's like weird, right, like, yeah, you would have
liked to see, but at the same time, like he
should have just signed that contract absolutely guaranteed.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Absolutely he I mean, and he has said so as
much too since since I think he's now retired officially,
he has said he's regretted that decision.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
And now you're seeing with the Bengals and other rookies
as well, and it's just the beginning the hang up
with their rookie contracts, in them showing up to training
camps and them showing up to mini camps, was with
guaranteed money. And you know that has been such a
truth about the NFL for so long, is that you know,
(24:20):
a rookie contract it's very easy to get out of
for a team with paying very minimal money million dollars,
two million dollars depending on how high you go. So
you know, if you bust, you know you're not getting
even close to half of what your rookie deal was
initially signed for. And players are starting to say, wait
(24:42):
a minute. You know, I'm a little bit more financially
literate now, I'm a little bit more well off now,
a little bit more liquidity about me now, I had
been paid three million dollars at my college. I have
been paid nine undred thousand dollars by my college. Like,
(25:02):
got that all guaranteed, got it all just for playing.
I think I deserve that in the NFL, and I
now have the leverage as far as my life is concerned,
as far as my comfortability is concerned, to come into
Man as a rookie and have kind of a something
to stand on, a place to actually have a point
(25:25):
to be made, because before you know, sure you were
getting money illegally in college, but like this was your
chance to get this.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
That was off the books, and that wasn't it was
nearly as much as Yeah, now.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
You're finally like it used to be like you just
give me my rookie deal one point eight guaranteed. Oh yeah,
one point I mean I'm a million acre when I
say on this thing. And now it's like I'm already
a millionaire. So like I kind of want to get
all twelve million guaranteed here, I'm a rookie deal. I
think that's fair. So guaranteed money is a hang up
for everybody. And of course you should exercise if your
(26:00):
front office and then if you're a player. You should
try to get as much guaranteed money as you can.
I just think that it's going to end up with
him making more money than Garrett by Penny, because I
think that's something that he wants, and I think the
Steelers will acquiesce. And the thing about contracts is you
(26:21):
can acquiesce that this year and when you sign the deal,
you get the big headline push that he is now
the highest paid YadA YadA YadA defensive player non quarterback
in the NFL. Right, And that's true for that moment
and for that year maybe, But then two things happen.
That is a new benchmark that gets passed by the
(26:42):
next guy that gets paid very quickly, and then b
you can only kind of restructure the deal so it's like, well,
Wat's making forty three million dollars in this first year,
but that next year his cap HiT's only like thirty
five million, you know what I mean. And oh absolutely
to signingses and stuff like that. And that's another thing
that you can always have happen, like you can have
(27:04):
what I know you hate this when I'm saying he
can have his cake and eat it too. Here kind
of where he can have that moment right now where
he's the highest paid non quarterback and he gets that
in whatever forty three million a year this year, and
then you can just kind of restructure the next year
and be like, let's convert this to a bonus. Teams
do it all the time, yep, And of course the
player has to give a little bit there. But I mean,
(27:25):
come on, two contracts that make you the highest paid
non quarterback given to you, how much more can we
do for you? Mister wat Like, let's wash our hands
a little bit here, and let's come a little bump.
Can bump it down to like thirty five next year
thirty four and do a little conversion stuff here, kick
it down the road a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
And I don't think he's someone or that he would
come from a family we've seen from his older brother JJ,
that would not give a little after the team did
so much for him.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Initially, I agree with you there. Let's talk about some
lists when we come back.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I knew we were gonna do this today,
and I've seen a lot, and I know we had
to talk about them.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Because they're atrocious. They are just straight up disrespect.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Oh well, I have two in mind, one's not so
much straight up disrespectful, it's interesting and it has nothing
to really do with the Steelers, and the other has
everything to do with the Steelers. So we'll get to
that when we come back and wrap things up today
on the Steelers Standard, on the Steelers Audio Network, and
Steelers Nation Radio
Are we talking a little bit about potetual bogies for
the Steelers on the season and their path to success
in twenty twenty five as training camp is just a
week away, and we talked about the offensive line and
the running backs on the offensive side of the ball.
When you look at the defensive side of the ball,
it's a little bit tougher too, narrowtive. I think there's
more options on what could be that you know, weak link, bogee,
(00:31):
question mark, however you want to term it. But I
think that you can also kind of talk yourself out
of those position groups being the bogie the area that
is the undoing of that unit. And I start with
safety off the top of my head, because that is
the hole that you created after you traded micka Fitzpatrick's
(00:54):
the Dolphins to facilitate the John Newsmith and Jalen Ramsey
actual position right now as it stands, you hear everybody
speculate one Thornhill will slide into that spot and have
to take that role on and.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
He's not the most promising process.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Juice there, right, But we also might get a little
bit more of a clue next week and in the
coming weeks as they actually start to play football and
practice as to maybe Jalen Ramsey does float to that
spot a little bit in base defense. Who knows how
they're going to deploy that position now that Minka is gone,
(01:39):
But right now it seems that it's just one thornhills
to take. And that is an obvious you know, if
you had to line up defense and point out the weakest,
obviously the one that you'd look at. But when you're
surrounded by so much many great players, you really just
(02:03):
have to do your job and not you know, bring
that all pro type of play, not bring that even
Pro Bowl caliber level of play. Just always be in
the right spot, always do exactly what you're supposed to
be doing within the defense, and you will kind of
(02:23):
just blend right in. And you look at that secondary
as a whole, with Slay and Ramsey and Porter Junior
taking a step forward and Deshaun Elliott having a great
season last year, and you can't tell me that that's
not a part of the reason why the Steelers felt
makea Fitzpatrick was expendable all of a sudden, not not
just his production slowing down, It was the fact that
(02:44):
they looked at Deshaun Elliott, and they said, this guy's
better than make I Fitzpatrick. But this guy had more
of an impact on our team and winning last year
than makea Fitzpatrick did. Let's give him a raise, and
he's still a lot cheaper than makea Fitzpatrick. And then
let's go use makea Fitzpatrick to John new Smith and
Jalen Ramsey. Guys, that would take a lot of draft
capital to swing. But I get to keep my draft
(03:07):
capital too, because I'm gonna need that. I'm gonna need
that to move up next year to get my quarterback.
So I'm gonna do a little way old fashioned and
very rare player player trade featuring all pro slash potential
Hall of famers exchanging hands. I mean, I feel certain
that Jalen Ramsey's gonna be wearing a gold jacket one day.
MANCA need to get back on him. They're both. It
(03:31):
is an unbelievable trade. It was an NBA level, It
was a blockbuster type of whoa kind of trade, and at.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
The time, it carried the news cycle for the NFL
league wide.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So they felt comfortable enough with Elliott to be like,
let's let's use that as our chip, you know, we
don't want to use our draft capital, well, we will
use our maka Fitzpatrick capital and they get that trade done.
So they have a ton of confidence in Elliott obviously,
and they should because he had a great year last year.
And I just think that one Thornhill has a real
opportunity here to have a great year first of all
(04:08):
for him, maybe have a career year for him and
just do his job and just kind of blend in
and not be so egregiously bad where they have to
figure something else out or other guys aren't able to
or their impact isn't able to be capitalized as much
(04:30):
because you are just being targeted. And again, as I
spelled it out, and I just named four or five
guys that you're excited about out next to one Thornhill,
it's easy to kind of talk myself out of him
being a bogie if it is indeed him being the safety.
And then I also think that there is a chance
that they might go out and address the safety position
(04:51):
in this training Campaigner's kind of the same way they
could with the wide receiver position right where it's like,
you know what, this team decided to move on from
this wide receiver green Bay, there's a lot there. Now
do we want to maybe pursue him. Didn't think he
was available, didn't want to make a trade for him,
(05:12):
But now he is just for some money. Same thing
with the safety spot. So I think that that's a
chance for that to happen as well. Inside linebacker, I
guess could be a potential bogie.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I mean, I guess, see how much are you putting
on the weight? How much of that are you weighing
in on Cole Holcombe.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Well, honestly none right now in my head, because it's
just well if that's just focused on Wilson and Queen.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
If that's the case, then I really don't think it
could be because I don't expect the two of them
to I don't expect either of them really. Maybe one
of them could, but for both of them to take
a step backwards.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Look, I love your optimism and I hope that it
happens that way too. Queen took a little bit of
time to warm up this first season as a Pittsburgh Steeler,
and I think Queen and this it's not a knock
on him. I don't want it to be. But I
think Queen is at his best and can thrive when
it's a more of a one to two tandem. I
think you saw that when they drafted him the Ravens
(06:11):
being they in the first round, and he really struggled
to be that guy. So they go out and they
get that guy in Roquan Smith, and then Patrick Queen
becomes a second team All Pro and he cashes him
big with the Steelers and he gets a nice free
agency contract. Like I think he needs to have a
really good, strong running mate that's to him an equal
or better if you will, mean to have his best.
(06:34):
And I'm optimistic as you are that Wilson maybe can
get up to that level this year. I don't even
really be that one.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Too, But like I understand what you're saying about ro
Quan Smith, and you and I have had that conversation
one hundred times.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
You mean to be Wroquan Smith. Good.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, what I'm what I'm trying.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
The point I'm trying to make is I understand that
ro Qwan Smith when he got to Baltimore immediately was
this impact player and allowed guys like Pat Queen who
was playing right beside him, to be better. But maybe
it just took some pack Queen a little bit of time.
Maybe it doesn't have to be the guy playing right
next to him. Maybe he can just take advantage now
that he's used to playing on this team of having
(07:11):
camp Cam Hayward in front of him, and TJ. Watt,
Alex high Smith and Nick Herbig potentially Jack Sawyer on
his ends to make his life easier up the middle.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, I mean, I don't think it has to be
the guy.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Like It's the same kind of thing that I was
saying with Wan Thornhill, like right, and I think I
have more expectation and hope for Payton Wilson than one Thornhill.
But it's like you, like you're saying, you look at
the guys around him, and you just look at the
guys up front and Harmon now first round pick it.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Sure, I didn't even mentioned his.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Hayward like in the edge guys and Queen Like It's
just it's not like the pressures on Wilson to be
that defensive player of the year like you were in
college at NC State. It's not like you drafted him
to be like the gem of your defense.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
In same goes for Pac Queen. When I know you,
I know there were a higher expectations, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeh, closer to the top of the totem pole.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But like went to compare to his time in Baltimore
when he got drafted to Baltimore out of LSU, Right,
he was drafted in the first round, I believe, and
he was looked at as the next defensive face of
that franchise. I mean, that is a franchise that is
deep in the lore of defensive legends, right, And at
(08:24):
the time, Roquan Smith was not there, and guys from
the previous era were all gone. It was really just him.
Kalaias Campbell was the most recent name, but I think
either he had reached his end in Baltimore he had
already moved on to another team at that point. So
it was all on Patrick Queen at that time when
he got drafted there and what twenty twenty one, And
(08:45):
he didn't meet his expectation until he had someone else
to help lighten the load in Roquan Smith. And then
when Roquan got there and made life for Pat so
much easier. And I think, like you say, Tom, it
doesn't take every guy just one or two games to
get acclimated to a new scheme. No matter how talented
(09:06):
they are, it can take some time. So now that
he has this season ahead of or season under him
playing in Pittsburgh, I'm hoping that And again.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You know, I don't want to be caught.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
With the the optimism bug here and at the end
of the season he's putting up pedestrian numbers or just
not stellar numbers and saying, okay, well, I said the
expectation bar way too high for him. But I think
given everyone around him, especially on the defensive front, there's
no reason he shouldn't be a little bit better this year.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
As a player, all you want to do is improve
year after year after year after year. And yeah, he
had a step back statistically and impact wise from his
last year in Baltimore to his first year in Pittsburgh.
But I think with that mentality you get a little
bit better, the team got better around you, your performer
should get better as a result as well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I agree with that, and I have optimism for
that group too. I'm just again, like I said at
the start, the defensive side of this thought process thought exercise,
I think you can look at more positions and speculate them.
But as you did there with inside linebacker, and I
kind of did with safety more so is you can
just kind of talk yourself out of that being a
(10:22):
bogie yea, you can talk yourself into being, you know,
not thinking that they're going to be Ray Lewis reincarnate
or Ed Reid and Troy Palamalu playing together in the
same secondary, but that they're gonna be good enough for
this team. And then I guess the only other one
that you would look at would be that defensive line, right.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah, But I I guess, and I think we've had
this conversation before.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And I don't mind you trying.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
To to not be this overly optimistic.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Outview of every position. I think it's.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Smart and and mature to not be, Oh well, there's
no reason to be negative about anything. This team should
be perfect in sixteen or seventeen or zero. The defense
should be the best of the league. Things happen. But
I think we're where I think you're coming from is
Cam Hayward's not getting younger, and you have the two
(11:19):
guys next to him, Derek Harmon, a rookie who we
know nothing about at his pro level, and Keana Bennon,
who as a third round pick hasn't been great, but
also hasn't been a massive disappointment either, So you just
don't know. And there's a lot of question marks for
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
For the defensive line, but I think there's a lot
of chance for great yeah miss out of that defense.
I have too, led by the first team All Pro
Cam Hayward, who was thirty six thirty seven years old
being a first team All Pro, I.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Think both the floor and ceiling are very high.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yes, I agree with that. I just think that there's
a lot more more quality bodies on that line that
you won't have that phenomenon where Cam Hayward left the
field and they ran all over you. Like I think
that you should be able to have the old man
take a couple of hit plays off for God's sake,
and you don't get gashed for seven yards of carry
(12:17):
when he's out as supposed to. Like holding teams like
two yards of carry wins. So I think that Benton
needs to obviously play a lot better this year, and
you need to see what Harmon looks like and what
he can bring to the table. But there's already a
top three this year with those guys that make you
a lot more optimistic than what the top three has
(12:39):
been in previous years.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Absolutely, and then you include yah ya ye how A
why Black as a depth piece, see what.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
He does, how he comes along. There still are you're
looking at it right now. You know names that down
the depth chart that are still quality.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Louder Milk, Leal, Logan Lee, I mean, Logally took a
restrat year last year, but could be a contribute.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
I think Loudermilk could be a really I don't want
to say surprising player, but a really nice have a
couple of nice moments throughout the season this year now
that he's kind of cast in a role that's appropriate,
and I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a
player too. No, not at all on that defensive line.
(13:23):
So yeah, it again you can kind of say there's
some worries there, there's a chance that you might not
like what you get from that defensive line. But at
the same time, just like with the other position groups
that we talked about, there's a lot of optimism there
as well.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
And I think, getting back to it, just the overarching
story with the defense is we're just trying to be realistic.
We're not saying We're not trying to be like negative
nancies here and say, oh, well, thorn Hill is going
to be a complete liability to be something like a
Dante Jackson or or a oh my gosh, I forgot
the guy's name who came in from Buffalo from he
(14:07):
was just in and out within two years. Uh, number
twenty nine Wallace LEVI Wallace like, I don't think he's
gonna be that big of a liability. Or you look
at the linebackers and say, well, Cole Holcome's not gonna
be ready, and Pat Queen is going to be that
superstar for you, and Peyton Wilson is not you know,
playing in the NFL is not the same as playing
(14:28):
in the ACC, and NC state no offense to pit
ins in the ACC there.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And then you look at the defensive line and say, oh, well,
Cam Hayward's gonna get older and not gonna be a
first cemal pro anymore, and Derek Harmon's just a rookie
and keanum Benn hasn't showed you any signs of being
a superstar. We're not trying to say that everything is
possibly going to go wrong here. We're just setting the
expectation that this team has shown that it can be great,
(14:55):
but it hasn't really captured that in a while, Like
not every everything has gone all right all at once
for this defense in a few years. It's obviously shown
great signs like the fact that Joe Burrow had that
shriek to end the season last year of consecutive games
with at least two hundred and fifty passing yards in
(15:16):
what three touchdowns or two touchdowns and that came to
a screeching halt in the season finale in Pittsburgh. Now,
the Bengals still won that game, but it wasn't because
of the defense. The offense, as we know, just couldn't
put up the points. So we're not again we're not
trying to find everything that could go wrong with this team.
We're just trying to be realistic and say, if you
had to pick something that might stick out to you
(15:38):
in not a positive way, what would it be.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And I think those.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Are legitimate causes for potential concern, not for legitimate concern,
but potential concern. Thornhill being the week league in the secondary,
Pacqueen not reaching that superstar former all pro level caliber,
and the defensive line being a weakness when Cam Heward
is not out there because you don't have the captain
out there on the field for you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Now, I guess another potential week link could be if
your best player doesn't sure that that is a big
one and that is going to it never really went
away the contract extension talk with TJ. Watt, but that
is going to I think really kicking to gear. Seems
to me that a lot of sports talkie talk types
(16:30):
are doing kind of the same thing that I did
last week. So who am I talk about? Very popular
vacation time around sports media. It is last week after
the fourth and this week because All Star Game of Baseball, Like,
there is really nothing going on.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
This is what we are in the three day period
of the entire calendar year without a real game played
between all four professional men's leagues.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
If you don't count, do you count the All Star
Game as a real game?
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Does it count?
Speaker 1 (16:59):
I was going to say, you just have to wait
till tomorrow when there's literally nothing being played, then if
you do count.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Because it now it literally counts for nothing.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
It used to count for home field advantage in the
World Series, Now it literally counts for nothing.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Yeah, there's just nothing going on right now. It's as
dry as can be. But when they come back next week,
because that's when training camps really start to kick into gear.
Although the Chargers are there.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Now full report, Yeah they are because the Hall of
Fame game.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, I can't imagine being a training camp right now.
I can't imagine being.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Steelers are in that position. Luck not luck.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
They were going to be in the COVID year, right, yeah,
and they got to push back, yes they have.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
So I think we were actually unlucky in that sense
where that COVID post COVID year was the first year
they went to three postseason games, and so they were
supposed to be in that first year where they were
in the majority crowd with only three postseason games, but
they had to play that fourth because of the year
that it got pushed back, Whereas in twenty twenty, when
(18:01):
they were originally slated to play the Hall of Fame game,
every team was still playing four postseason games.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
When they all come back to talk about football next week,
when all the teams start to trickle into their camps.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Well, every every team is doing this.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
It's going to be TJ. Watt and his extension that
is going to be the topic and what's going on
and blah blah blah blahlah blah blah blah blah. I
think it's going to and I said this a couple
of months ago, play out kind of exactly like it
did the last time that TJ. Watt was having this
contract dispute with the Steelers. He'll show up to Saint
Vincent next Wednesday. He'll be at moving day and he'll
(18:35):
talk to the medium. Maybe I'm not sure, but I
don't know. I don't know, but he might. Well, nothing's
really mandatory.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
If I guess they're holding in Yeah, right, if you're
in a dispute, I guess.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
So he'll do individual stuff. He will eat lunch with
the guys, but then he will not participate in the
team activities until the contract has been figured out. Uh.
And then I think as we work our way through
training camp and through the preseason, the contract will be
figured out.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I just think that we're I hope you're right.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I don't like all of the root. I don't like hearing.
I mean, I don't.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It could be a we're just victims of It's an
off season. There's nothing else to talk about, and so
we're just being inundated with the what ifs and sources
say or rumors heard that TJ.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Watt will not play in Pittsburgh next year.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
It could be just a result of we're in the
off season, there's no games to talk about. Pre agency
is well in the past, the draft is well in
the past, and this is all we have is speculation.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
So I'm hoping that's all it was.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
I don't put I don't think they're gonna train it here.
Here's why. Other you said you hope it's just speculation.
Here's why I think it is just, you know, classic
speculation and kind of like it's obvious to speculate that way.
When there's a guy and there's a contract dispute, trade
is always on the table. But it just wouldn't make
sense for the Steelers to go out and get DK
(20:06):
Metcalf and give him a ton of money and then
jettison George Pickens out of here because you say, you
don't win with guys like that, and he's never gonna
get it, he's showing up late. I'm done with that
kind of stuff. So you send him to Dallas.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
You stay in the sweepstakes for the forty one year
old quarterback that teams dropped out immediately, Like remember that
he had those meetings right around March Madness. Aaron Rodgers did,
and yeah, the Giants immediately pivoted, like Russell Wilson was
signed like three days later and Jameis Winston and they
decided to draft Jackson Dart like teams that were potentially
(20:41):
going to be in on the JJ McCarthy thing with
the Vikings, we're gonna go with jjjj's our guy. And
then you saw the Steelers stay the course and they
got him. So they now have Aaron Rodgers, they got
DK Metcalf. Then they make a big swing and trade
makeer Fitzpatrick out of here for Jalen Ramsey and John
(21:04):
is like we talked in the earlier episode today that
they aren't gonna win a Super Bowl and the goal
doesn't have to be to win a super Bowl this year.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Maybe they can say that out loud if they have to,
but that doesn't have to be the ultimate goal. But
they are making a lot of aggressive swings to get
that playoff win finally to end that streak of hearing
people on national TV be like now it's nine years
where the Steelers haven't won a playoff game, and for
(21:32):
them to do all of that and then to not
have TJ. Watt back or to trade him, that would
really be contradicting itself, and it would really kind of
be defeating the purpose of how aggressive you've been in
this offseason to get that playoff win under your belt,
and quite frankly, for TJ. Watt to get a playoff
(21:54):
win under his belt finally. And that's why I just
think trading him just I don't see that the Steelers
would do that. And if you saw that come to fruition,
it would either mean that A they don't really have
a plan and they're just kind of doing whatever and
that's not the case, and B or B and this
(22:17):
would be more likely. What it is that they couldn't
do something with the contract demands and TJ were just
way too out of control for them. They couldn't get
comfortable with anything that he was bringing to the table,
and there was no budget, so they had to just
move on and try to get as much as they possibly,
maybe get a player for player trade again like the
Minka one, and just get somebody that can impact that.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
The return like the return would be more bigger, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
But maybe somebody along with a high draft pick that
could you know, play now and help a team to
win a playoff game now. So I just I think
it's going to play out though where he signs a contract.
I saw Jeremy Fowler say, I guess on uh up
that the guaranteed money is the hang up, And I
(23:03):
think that makes a lot of sense because we've seen
that in the past with the Steelers kind of be.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Not just with the Steelers, but like other teams as well.
Like it's hard, it's hard to really commit to saying
we're gonna make you that that guy for now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Well, when the CBA tells these owners in front offices
that they don't have to give you guaranteed money, right, like,
of course they're going to try their hardest to get
as little guaranteed money signed in the contract.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
But like you said, it has come back to bite them.
The Le'Veon Bell situation sticks out for one. I mean,
you were okay without him, but still like you would
have loved to have kept him. And I know things
didn't work out for lev in New York either.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Whereas James Connor had a thousand yard season, so It's
like it's like weird, right, like, yeah, you would have
liked to see, but at the same time, like he
should have just signed that contract absolutely guaranteed.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Absolutely he I mean, and he has said so as
much too since since I think he's now retired officially,
he has said he's regretted that decision.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
And now you're seeing with the Bengals and other rookies
as well, and it's just the beginning the hang up
with their rookie contracts, in them showing up to training
camps and them showing up to mini camps, was with
guaranteed money. And you know that has been such a
truth about the NFL for so long, is that you know,
(24:20):
a rookie contract it's very easy to get out of
for a team with paying very minimal money million dollars,
two million dollars depending on how high you go. So
you know, if you bust, you know you're not getting
even close to half of what your rookie deal was
initially signed for. And players are starting to say, wait
(24:42):
a minute. You know, I'm a little bit more financially
literate now, I'm a little bit more well off now,
a little bit more liquidity about me now, I had
been paid three million dollars at my college. I have
been paid nine undred thousand dollars by my college. Like,
(25:02):
got that all guaranteed, got it all just for playing.
I think I deserve that in the NFL, and I
now have the leverage as far as my life is concerned,
as far as my comfortability is concerned, to come into
Man as a rookie and have kind of a something
to stand on, a place to actually have a point
(25:25):
to be made, because before you know, sure you were
getting money illegally in college, but like this was your
chance to get this.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
That was off the books, and that wasn't it was
nearly as much as Yeah, now.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
You're finally like it used to be like you just
give me my rookie deal one point eight guaranteed. Oh yeah,
one point I mean I'm a million acre when I
say on this thing. And now it's like I'm already
a millionaire. So like I kind of want to get
all twelve million guaranteed here, I'm a rookie deal. I
think that's fair. So guaranteed money is a hang up
for everybody. And of course you should exercise if your
(26:00):
front office and then if you're a player. You should
try to get as much guaranteed money as you can.
I just think that it's going to end up with
him making more money than Garrett by Penny, because I
think that's something that he wants, and I think the
Steelers will acquiesce. And the thing about contracts is you
(26:21):
can acquiesce that this year and when you sign the deal,
you get the big headline push that he is now
the highest paid YadA YadA YadA defensive player non quarterback
in the NFL. Right, And that's true for that moment
and for that year maybe, But then two things happen.
That is a new benchmark that gets passed by the
(26:42):
next guy that gets paid very quickly, and then b
you can only kind of restructure the deal so it's like, well,
Wat's making forty three million dollars in this first year,
but that next year his cap HiT's only like thirty
five million, you know what I mean. And oh absolutely
to signingses and stuff like that. And that's another thing
that you can always have happen, like you can have
(27:04):
what I know you hate this when I'm saying he
can have his cake and eat it too. Here kind
of where he can have that moment right now where
he's the highest paid non quarterback and he gets that
in whatever forty three million a year this year, and
then you can just kind of restructure the next year
and be like, let's convert this to a bonus. Teams
do it all the time, yep, And of course the
player has to give a little bit there. But I mean,
(27:25):
come on, two contracts that make you the highest paid
non quarterback given to you, how much more can we
do for you? Mister wat Like, let's wash our hands
a little bit here, and let's come a little bump.
Can bump it down to like thirty five next year
thirty four and do a little conversion stuff here, kick
it down the road a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
And I don't think he's someone or that he would
come from a family we've seen from his older brother JJ,
that would not give a little after the team did
so much for him.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Initially, I agree with you there. Let's talk about some
lists when we come back.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I knew we were gonna do this today,
and I've seen a lot, and I know we had
to talk about them.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Because they're atrocious. They are just straight up disrespect.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Oh well, I have two in mind, one's not so
much straight up disrespectful, it's interesting and it has nothing
to really do with the Steelers, and the other has
everything to do with the Steelers. So we'll get to
that when we come back and wrap things up today
on the Steelers Standard, on the Steelers Audio Network, and
Steelers Nation Radio
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