November 29, 2022 • 18 mins
Stan talks about the Steelers outlook for the remainder of the season and plans for them after the season is over, specifically with their highest paid players. Stan is joined by Ray Fitipaldo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to talk about the Steelers defensive unit and how they have seemed to underperform this season based off of how much they are compensated.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
When you look at it. Yeah, I think they need
better play from those guys who are the so called
role players on that roster. This is Separate on Steelers,
a load of all and Steelers Nation. Welcome to severeign
on Steelers Are Podcast. I am stand severan, happy to
be with you. So glad you joined me. Uh glad
you found us here on Steelers dot com. We put
(00:22):
up two new podcasts every week and we hope you
enjoy that. Please tell your friends, neighbors, relatives, whomever that
you enjoy the content. Tell them where to go. Don't
tell them where to get off. It's not what I mean, Tom,
Where to go to find us at Steelers dot com.
The Steelers are in an interesting position. They appear to
(00:42):
be out of the playoff race, but because of other
activities going on in the NFL, specifically the A f
C H. You're not out of it until you're mathematically
out of it. But taking a practical look at it,
what are the Steelers hopefully to accomplish? Um Nothing bad
happens from when despite the people who think that winning
(01:03):
will ruin their draft standing. I mean that's true, that's
a fact, But I don't know you go into a game,
wishing and hoping your team loses so you get a
better draft pick. I do think on draft day, as
I think back on it, when the Steelers would have
last late season win, saying, gee, if they had only
(01:25):
lost that game, they'd be drafting eight instead of twelve,
or twelve instead of sixte or whatever it happens to be.
So winning games at this stage of the season is
a short term issue in the long run, if you're
in a rebuild mode, which I believe they are, and frankly,
(01:46):
I think the Steelers organizations should believe they are. Not
that you intentionally go out to lose. You never do that,
and that's not how these people are wired. The coaches,
general managers, players their conditioned to win. They've in that
way their entire lives. I don't expect that, and I
don't expect them to hold back players. You put out
(02:06):
the best players you possibly can in an effort to
win that particular game. I do think that this opportunity
should be taken advantage of to play some of the
younger players, not all the time, but a bit more frequently.
Get an idea of what you have, and some of
(02:27):
these younger players will they be factors in and beyond
or if not cut bait. I don't mean right this minute,
and I don't mean sit down all of your best players.
Cam Heyward asked to play, but maybe he doesn't have
to play every snap or of the snaps Offensively, there's
(02:51):
a lot to be learned when you are starting a quarterback,
especially a number one pick. You can use this opportunity
to evaluate his progress. Not only evaluate his play, but
is he improving from game to game? Even if the
performance comes in a losing performance. You've drafted a guy
(03:18):
number one, You put him in to replace Mitch Robinski
and dires circumstances. Frankly, trying to salvage your season with
that win over the Jets hasn't really worked out, but
it is a time for evaluation. Will he improve from
game to game? As my partner on the post game
(03:40):
show has said, does he make the same mistakes game
after game? By all accounts, he is getting better. And
that's not to put it all on Kenny Pickett. There
are many elements of the Steelers offensive game that need
to be improved upon, but he being a quarterback, naturally
(04:03):
most of the attention is on him in that role.
And the fact that he's a number one pick and
a quarterback. It's unavoidable the attention that he's going to get.
They've got a big investment in him now, because the
last thing you'd like to say, if you're a member
of the organization, oh we missed on our number one pick.
(04:27):
I mean, you never want to say that, no matter
the position you're talking about, but especially a quarterback, because
there's so hard to find. The franchise quarterbacks so hard
to find. All you need to know is what transpired
between the Penguins or excuse me, the Steelers selecting Terry
(04:49):
Bradshaw his retirement in eight three and it took him
eleven years to find Ben Roethlisberger. You cannot have forward
an eleven year span to find a replacement for Big Ben,
not if you hope to sustain a level of excellence,
which they have proclaimed. That's their desire. So there is
(05:13):
a lot of evaluating to be done, and that's what
can benefit in the final ten games, nah nine seven games.
Accuse me, they played ten or six If you're hearing
this after the Indie game on Monday night, they need
(05:33):
to be sure that they made the right pick. I
don't think no matter what Kenny Pickett does from this
point forward, they're going to change their mind about him.
And even if they get it, let's say a top
five pick in the draft, if it goes sour and
goes south, I don't think that they'll have given up
on Kenny Pickett. I don't think they'll draft a quarterback
to rectify a mistake. The time may come when they
(05:58):
have to do that, but after three quarters of a season,
I don't know if that's an adequate time to judge.
And remember this as well, that no matter what pick
it does, these finals seven games of the season, the
final stretch, he's gonna come back next year and likely
(06:19):
will be operating with a new cast of characters, including
his coaches. Unless there's some miraculous turnaround, it's hard to
imagine that Matt Canada is back as offensive coordinator. And
I'm not in any crusade to get him fired. I
don't do that. I won't do that. The man has
(06:42):
a family, he's got an earn a living, and it
wouldn't be just him, it would be a lot of
offensive coaches. So I'm not going to advocate for that,
but I'm just putting it all out there and saying
this is what they're look cann act. But it's hard
for me to imagine that he'll be back. And the
(07:04):
point being, with all sympathies to Matt Canada, if that's
the way it works out, is that Picket will come
back with a new cast of characters on the offensive line,
for example, Calvin Austin the third of the back, and
(07:26):
there'll be a new offensive coordinator, presumably installing a brand
new system. And we hear about quarterbacks, well, you know,
he's had five coordinators in the last seven years or
three in the last five and it's very confusing, and
it is. But the good news and all that is
(07:46):
that unlike this year when he was a rookie, he'll
get all the snaps that the number one quarterback gets
when they get around to O T A s, when
they get around to training camp, when they get around
the manicamp, all those things the preseason. He will get
the majority of snaps where he got virtually none this
(08:10):
past year. So the transition to if that's what happens,
a new cornerback, a new quarterbacks coach, a new offensive coordinator,
some new players, and really an entirely new offensive staff.
That's why it works out. He'll get the bulk of reps.
It's still gonna be a lot of study work, but
(08:32):
it puts him in that position, and that should be
a positive for a quarterback like Kenny Picket, who appears
to absorb things clearly and quickly. From all accounts people
I talked to, he is getting better and things away
from the ball that you may not see, things that
(08:55):
he's been coached to do with a game plan, and
the positive things that he has done to this point
not perfect. Obviously, He's missed some open receivers. There's a
lot of room for improvement, but he is improving in
some areas. It's about all you can expect of a
rookie just look around. Something else that happens um on
(09:18):
the radar and must improve is the defense. It was
believed that even if Mr Robinsky had come through big time,
the offense would be a work in progress. Ms. Drabinsky
new to the system, new to the city, new to
the team, new to the coaching staff. I won't say
(09:40):
he didn't get a fair shot. I would say he
didn't get a full shot. I thought the move was
made too early. But that's water under the bridge picket,
as the guy now, But the Steelers thought that their
defense would be good enough to carry them. They are
are the highest paid defense in the NFL. Maybe too
(10:03):
much is being made of that, but they have been
a letdown. Certainly. Injuries have been an issue. It's easy
to imagine if t. J. Watt doesn't get hurt, they
win one, maybe two more games. I don't think that
that's an outlandish suggestion. And if let's say they were
(10:28):
five and five at this point, maybe right in the
playoff hunt at least as a wild card, but that's
not the case. They doled out an awful lot of
money and have not gotten what they frankly expected in return.
So we talked about the offense and the quarterbacking. Clearly
it's been an issue, the offense really being a problem,
(10:51):
But isn't the defensive big problem or more so based
on what the Steelers counted upon from their d great
fit of Paul of the Post because that joined us
now written a couple of excellent articles about that very thing.
Ray joined us now on the Savereign Steelers podcast, and Ray,
is it a fair thing to say that the Steelers
(11:12):
defense says underachieved. Yeah, I think certainly when you look
at it, you know, everyone in the NFL has injuries,
UM and t J. Watts's injuries. Certainly, UM has been
a huge factor in this season so far. UM. But
as I pointed out, you know, you go back to
last season span when they were last in the league
(11:34):
and run defense, UM, and all of those guys were healthy,
and they were still giving up thirty points per game.
So yeah, I mean, I think there's something to be
set to that. And I think if you're going to
continue to use this model, which they are going to
so that you have a quarterback on a rookie contract,
they're gonna continue to pay your defense their defense. UM.
(11:55):
I think they're looking for a little bit more thanks
for their bucks, so to speak, when it comes to
that unit stepping up and UH being a little bit better.
Do we look at the top tier guys meaning I
mean Watt's heard of or had been hurt um, Heyward, Um,
he's gotten more support on the defensive line, uh. And
Minka has had his issues UM with Uh. Uh you know,
(12:17):
missing a couple of games now, um. Or do we
look at the guys that they brought in for a
fairly hefty price, meaning Ogan jovi Um and Miles jack
As having or Levi Wallas for that matter, having let
them down yes day. I don't know that the issue
is the big three and their play on the field.
(12:38):
I think E. J. Watt, when healthy, is still the
best edge rusher in the NFL. Minka Fitzpatrick, even though
he missed a couple of plays early in the season,
I still think he's a top three to top five
safety in the league, and he's played like it for
the most part. Um In the same notes for Cam Heyward,
Kim Hayward might not be the dominant player that he
(12:58):
was even a year or two ago, but he's still really,
really good. So then when you look at it, you
have to look at Okay, you're paying those guys all
that money. Are you getting enough from the other guys
who are maybe on those middle class contracts or those
veteran minimum contracts, And I would say you're not. And
you know you mentioned the secondary um Arthur Mallett making
(13:20):
a little bit over a million a year. Um, he's
a good run defender, but he's not really great in
past coverage. I thought he was exposed last week in
that Bengals game. Um, Levi Wallace has been okay, but
he's he's not a guy who has stepped up and
um um you know, been a guy that they can
count on when t J was out. I think the
(13:40):
same one for Witherspoon too. He was kind of exposed
in that Eagles game. So when you look at it, yeah,
I think they need better play from those guys who
are the so called role players on that roster. And
I will say you mentioned Ogan Job in Mills Jack.
I think Ogan Job, given his injuries, he's kind of
battled all years through you know, through injuries. I think
(14:03):
he's been okay. I think Miles Jack has been okay too.
I don't think those guys are big, big problems either.
I just think overall, when you look at it, their
secondary hasn't come through the way they needed a Yeah, undoubtedly,
I I like it this way. You need bricks, but
you also need mortar um to build a solid wall. Um,
(14:24):
they've got some bricks, but not enough mortar. The guy's
filling in. Do you believe that Devin Bush has improved
as he played better? Is he worth them hanging onto
next year if they want to, or if they can.
I think he has improved. Um, you know when you
look at it saying it's it's an interesting thing about
(14:46):
you know, the way of the NFL and the salary
tap of structure. No one thought Harol Edmonds was going
to be back, and now he's back this year, and
I should point out playing pretty well, making I think
a little bit more than two million years. So when
you look at it like that, or or the Steiler
is gonna pay Devin bush Um six to eight million
(15:07):
like they are Miles Jack to come back. No, they're
not going to do that. But if he tests the
free agent market and there's nothing to his liking, as
Edmunds found out last year, then I think there could
be something there where the Steers bring him back for
one of those very low contracts you know, all one
year prove it deal, um, you know, so they can
(15:28):
go out and maybe earn more in free agency the
following year. And to that point, stan Um, we'll see
if Edmunds can cash in this year. I think even
more so than Bush. I think he's been pretty darn
good in that back end and uh, you know, he
he is one guy who who might be able to
get more in free agency this year than he did
(15:49):
last year. It's I think it's fair to say that
Devin Bush is not going to become the guy they
expected with the tenth overall, picking the draft and giving
up draft capital to get him. No, And I you know,
I think the knee injuries certainly, um, you know, played
a factor in that stand you know, for it to
happen so early in his career, and then he was
(16:11):
kind of slow to come back from it, right, I mean,
so some guys come back from injuries quicker than others.
That was a really long rehab until he felt like
he was back to where he was um pre injury.
So I don't know that, um, he ever would have
been an All Pro type of player or even a
Pro Bowl type of player. But yeah, I think Suffice
have to say, Um, you know, Kevin Covert using all
(16:34):
that draft capital, uh to move up and get him,
as it turns out, wasn't the best idea. Last thing. Um,
the standings are what they are, three and seven, you're
a long way back. Um, are some of these guys
not playing for exactly what you discussed, playing for contracts,
playing for free agency? Yeah? Absolutely, I think that's a
(16:55):
two Way Street. I think the Steerer's front office is
sitting back there and they were you rating everyone right now?
You know, how how are you comporting yourself? Um, under
these adverse circumstances? How are you approaching your work? UM
during a season like this? Um? You know, you read
read people's body language, You read them throughout the week,
and you know you have to figure out are they
(17:17):
part of the solution or are they part of the problem?
You know? And I think, um, there's a lot of
guys on expiring contracts. Um, they have a lot of
decisions to make here in about six to seven weeks.
And I think it's gonna be a fascinating offense. Omar
CON's first off season as GM, Andy Whittle's first offseason
running the draft and running free agency. UM, buckle up.
(17:39):
I think it's gonna be pretty interesting. And our thanks
Dudio to Ray pit A Paulo. He covers the stealers
for the Post Gazette. You can check them on Twitter
at Ray fit f I T t one that's on Twitter.
You can follow me on ESPN Pittsburgh Radio noon to
two each weekday noon until to Eastern time. And if
(18:00):
you don't get us over the air on the actual
radio itself. Then you can listen on the i Heart
Media app. Just downloads to your phone. It is free.
Clear as a Bell comes in Clear as a Bell.
You can do that and the Savrant Steelers podcast. You
can go to the Steelers dot com and pick us
up there. We post up two new episodes each and
(18:21):
every week. Thanks for being here on the Savrant Steelers Podcast.
I'm Stan Savran. Have a great week, everybody,
When you look at it. Yeah, I think they need
better play from those guys who are the so called
role players on that roster. This is Separate on Steelers,
a load of all and Steelers Nation. Welcome to severeign
on Steelers Are Podcast. I am stand severan, happy to
be with you. So glad you joined me. Uh glad
you found us here on Steelers dot com. We put
(00:22):
up two new podcasts every week and we hope you
enjoy that. Please tell your friends, neighbors, relatives, whomever that
you enjoy the content. Tell them where to go. Don't
tell them where to get off. It's not what I mean, Tom,
Where to go to find us at Steelers dot com.
The Steelers are in an interesting position. They appear to
(00:42):
be out of the playoff race, but because of other
activities going on in the NFL, specifically the A f
C H. You're not out of it until you're mathematically
out of it. But taking a practical look at it,
what are the Steelers hopefully to accomplish? Um Nothing bad
happens from when despite the people who think that winning
(01:03):
will ruin their draft standing. I mean that's true, that's
a fact, But I don't know you go into a game,
wishing and hoping your team loses so you get a
better draft pick. I do think on draft day, as
I think back on it, when the Steelers would have
last late season win, saying, gee, if they had only
(01:25):
lost that game, they'd be drafting eight instead of twelve,
or twelve instead of sixte or whatever it happens to be.
So winning games at this stage of the season is
a short term issue in the long run, if you're
in a rebuild mode, which I believe they are, and frankly,
(01:46):
I think the Steelers organizations should believe they are. Not
that you intentionally go out to lose. You never do that,
and that's not how these people are wired. The coaches,
general managers, players their conditioned to win. They've in that
way their entire lives. I don't expect that, and I
don't expect them to hold back players. You put out
(02:06):
the best players you possibly can in an effort to
win that particular game. I do think that this opportunity
should be taken advantage of to play some of the
younger players, not all the time, but a bit more frequently.
Get an idea of what you have, and some of
(02:27):
these younger players will they be factors in and beyond
or if not cut bait. I don't mean right this minute,
and I don't mean sit down all of your best players.
Cam Heyward asked to play, but maybe he doesn't have
to play every snap or of the snaps Offensively, there's
(02:51):
a lot to be learned when you are starting a quarterback,
especially a number one pick. You can use this opportunity
to evaluate his progress. Not only evaluate his play, but
is he improving from game to game? Even if the
performance comes in a losing performance. You've drafted a guy
(03:18):
number one, You put him in to replace Mitch Robinski
and dires circumstances. Frankly, trying to salvage your season with
that win over the Jets hasn't really worked out, but
it is a time for evaluation. Will he improve from
game to game? As my partner on the post game
(03:40):
show has said, does he make the same mistakes game
after game? By all accounts, he is getting better. And
that's not to put it all on Kenny Pickett. There
are many elements of the Steelers offensive game that need
to be improved upon, but he being a quarterback, naturally
(04:03):
most of the attention is on him in that role.
And the fact that he's a number one pick and
a quarterback. It's unavoidable the attention that he's going to get.
They've got a big investment in him now, because the
last thing you'd like to say, if you're a member
of the organization, oh we missed on our number one pick.
(04:27):
I mean, you never want to say that, no matter
the position you're talking about, but especially a quarterback, because
there's so hard to find. The franchise quarterbacks so hard
to find. All you need to know is what transpired
between the Penguins or excuse me, the Steelers selecting Terry
(04:49):
Bradshaw his retirement in eight three and it took him
eleven years to find Ben Roethlisberger. You cannot have forward
an eleven year span to find a replacement for Big Ben,
not if you hope to sustain a level of excellence,
which they have proclaimed. That's their desire. So there is
(05:13):
a lot of evaluating to be done, and that's what
can benefit in the final ten games, nah nine seven games.
Accuse me, they played ten or six If you're hearing
this after the Indie game on Monday night, they need
(05:33):
to be sure that they made the right pick. I
don't think no matter what Kenny Pickett does from this
point forward, they're going to change their mind about him.
And even if they get it, let's say a top
five pick in the draft, if it goes sour and
goes south, I don't think that they'll have given up
on Kenny Pickett. I don't think they'll draft a quarterback
to rectify a mistake. The time may come when they
(05:58):
have to do that, but after three quarters of a season,
I don't know if that's an adequate time to judge.
And remember this as well, that no matter what pick
it does, these finals seven games of the season, the
final stretch, he's gonna come back next year and likely
(06:19):
will be operating with a new cast of characters, including
his coaches. Unless there's some miraculous turnaround, it's hard to
imagine that Matt Canada is back as offensive coordinator. And
I'm not in any crusade to get him fired. I
don't do that. I won't do that. The man has
(06:42):
a family, he's got an earn a living, and it
wouldn't be just him, it would be a lot of
offensive coaches. So I'm not going to advocate for that,
but I'm just putting it all out there and saying
this is what they're look cann act. But it's hard
for me to imagine that he'll be back. And the
(07:04):
point being, with all sympathies to Matt Canada, if that's
the way it works out, is that Picket will come
back with a new cast of characters on the offensive line,
for example, Calvin Austin the third of the back, and
(07:26):
there'll be a new offensive coordinator, presumably installing a brand
new system. And we hear about quarterbacks, well, you know,
he's had five coordinators in the last seven years or
three in the last five and it's very confusing, and
it is. But the good news and all that is
(07:46):
that unlike this year when he was a rookie, he'll
get all the snaps that the number one quarterback gets
when they get around to O T A s, when
they get around to training camp, when they get around
the manicamp, all those things the preseason. He will get
the majority of snaps where he got virtually none this
(08:10):
past year. So the transition to if that's what happens,
a new cornerback, a new quarterbacks coach, a new offensive coordinator,
some new players, and really an entirely new offensive staff.
That's why it works out. He'll get the bulk of reps.
It's still gonna be a lot of study work, but
(08:32):
it puts him in that position, and that should be
a positive for a quarterback like Kenny Picket, who appears
to absorb things clearly and quickly. From all accounts people
I talked to, he is getting better and things away
from the ball that you may not see, things that
(08:55):
he's been coached to do with a game plan, and
the positive things that he has done to this point
not perfect. Obviously, He's missed some open receivers. There's a
lot of room for improvement, but he is improving in
some areas. It's about all you can expect of a
rookie just look around. Something else that happens um on
(09:18):
the radar and must improve is the defense. It was
believed that even if Mr Robinsky had come through big time,
the offense would be a work in progress. Ms. Drabinsky
new to the system, new to the city, new to
the team, new to the coaching staff. I won't say
(09:40):
he didn't get a fair shot. I would say he
didn't get a full shot. I thought the move was
made too early. But that's water under the bridge picket,
as the guy now, But the Steelers thought that their
defense would be good enough to carry them. They are
are the highest paid defense in the NFL. Maybe too
(10:03):
much is being made of that, but they have been
a letdown. Certainly. Injuries have been an issue. It's easy
to imagine if t. J. Watt doesn't get hurt, they
win one, maybe two more games. I don't think that
that's an outlandish suggestion. And if let's say they were
(10:28):
five and five at this point, maybe right in the
playoff hunt at least as a wild card, but that's
not the case. They doled out an awful lot of
money and have not gotten what they frankly expected in return.
So we talked about the offense and the quarterbacking. Clearly
it's been an issue, the offense really being a problem,
(10:51):
But isn't the defensive big problem or more so based
on what the Steelers counted upon from their d great
fit of Paul of the Post because that joined us
now written a couple of excellent articles about that very thing.
Ray joined us now on the Savereign Steelers podcast, and Ray,
is it a fair thing to say that the Steelers
(11:12):
defense says underachieved. Yeah, I think certainly when you look
at it, you know, everyone in the NFL has injuries,
UM and t J. Watts's injuries. Certainly, UM has been
a huge factor in this season so far. UM. But
as I pointed out, you know, you go back to
last season span when they were last in the league
(11:34):
and run defense, UM, and all of those guys were healthy,
and they were still giving up thirty points per game.
So yeah, I mean, I think there's something to be
set to that. And I think if you're going to
continue to use this model, which they are going to
so that you have a quarterback on a rookie contract,
they're gonna continue to pay your defense their defense. UM.
(11:55):
I think they're looking for a little bit more thanks
for their bucks, so to speak, when it comes to
that unit stepping up and UH being a little bit better.
Do we look at the top tier guys meaning I
mean Watt's heard of or had been hurt um, Heyward, Um,
he's gotten more support on the defensive line, uh. And
Minka has had his issues UM with Uh. Uh you know,
(12:17):
missing a couple of games now, um. Or do we
look at the guys that they brought in for a
fairly hefty price, meaning Ogan jovi Um and Miles jack
As having or Levi Wallas for that matter, having let
them down yes day. I don't know that the issue
is the big three and their play on the field.
(12:38):
I think E. J. Watt, when healthy, is still the
best edge rusher in the NFL. Minka Fitzpatrick, even though
he missed a couple of plays early in the season,
I still think he's a top three to top five
safety in the league, and he's played like it for
the most part. Um In the same notes for Cam Heyward,
Kim Hayward might not be the dominant player that he
(12:58):
was even a year or two ago, but he's still really,
really good. So then when you look at it, you
have to look at Okay, you're paying those guys all
that money. Are you getting enough from the other guys
who are maybe on those middle class contracts or those
veteran minimum contracts, And I would say you're not. And
you know you mentioned the secondary um Arthur Mallett making
(13:20):
a little bit over a million a year. Um, he's
a good run defender, but he's not really great in
past coverage. I thought he was exposed last week in
that Bengals game. Um, Levi Wallace has been okay, but
he's he's not a guy who has stepped up and
um um you know, been a guy that they can
count on when t J was out. I think the
(13:40):
same one for Witherspoon too. He was kind of exposed
in that Eagles game. So when you look at it, yeah,
I think they need better play from those guys who
are the so called role players on that roster. And
I will say you mentioned Ogan Job in Mills Jack.
I think Ogan Job, given his injuries, he's kind of
battled all years through you know, through injuries. I think
(14:03):
he's been okay. I think Miles Jack has been okay too.
I don't think those guys are big, big problems either.
I just think overall, when you look at it, their
secondary hasn't come through the way they needed a Yeah, undoubtedly,
I I like it this way. You need bricks, but
you also need mortar um to build a solid wall. Um,
(14:24):
they've got some bricks, but not enough mortar. The guy's
filling in. Do you believe that Devin Bush has improved
as he played better? Is he worth them hanging onto
next year if they want to, or if they can.
I think he has improved. Um, you know when you
look at it saying it's it's an interesting thing about
(14:46):
you know, the way of the NFL and the salary
tap of structure. No one thought Harol Edmonds was going
to be back, and now he's back this year, and
I should point out playing pretty well, making I think
a little bit more than two million years. So when
you look at it like that, or or the Steiler
is gonna pay Devin bush Um six to eight million
(15:07):
like they are Miles Jack to come back. No, they're
not going to do that. But if he tests the
free agent market and there's nothing to his liking, as
Edmunds found out last year, then I think there could
be something there where the Steers bring him back for
one of those very low contracts you know, all one
year prove it deal, um, you know, so they can
(15:28):
go out and maybe earn more in free agency the
following year. And to that point, stan Um, we'll see
if Edmunds can cash in this year. I think even
more so than Bush. I think he's been pretty darn
good in that back end and uh, you know, he
he is one guy who who might be able to
get more in free agency this year than he did
(15:49):
last year. It's I think it's fair to say that
Devin Bush is not going to become the guy they
expected with the tenth overall, picking the draft and giving
up draft capital to get him. No, And I you know,
I think the knee injuries certainly, um, you know, played
a factor in that stand you know, for it to
happen so early in his career, and then he was
(16:11):
kind of slow to come back from it, right, I mean,
so some guys come back from injuries quicker than others.
That was a really long rehab until he felt like
he was back to where he was um pre injury.
So I don't know that, um, he ever would have
been an All Pro type of player or even a
Pro Bowl type of player. But yeah, I think Suffice
have to say, Um, you know, Kevin Covert using all
(16:34):
that draft capital, uh to move up and get him,
as it turns out, wasn't the best idea. Last thing. Um,
the standings are what they are, three and seven, you're
a long way back. Um, are some of these guys
not playing for exactly what you discussed, playing for contracts,
playing for free agency? Yeah? Absolutely, I think that's a
(16:55):
two Way Street. I think the Steerer's front office is
sitting back there and they were you rating everyone right now?
You know, how how are you comporting yourself? Um, under
these adverse circumstances? How are you approaching your work? UM
during a season like this? Um? You know, you read
read people's body language, You read them throughout the week,
and you know you have to figure out are they
(17:17):
part of the solution or are they part of the problem?
You know? And I think, um, there's a lot of
guys on expiring contracts. Um, they have a lot of
decisions to make here in about six to seven weeks.
And I think it's gonna be a fascinating offense. Omar
CON's first off season as GM, Andy Whittle's first offseason
running the draft and running free agency. UM, buckle up.
(17:39):
I think it's gonna be pretty interesting. And our thanks
Dudio to Ray pit A Paulo. He covers the stealers
for the Post Gazette. You can check them on Twitter
at Ray fit f I T t one that's on Twitter.
You can follow me on ESPN Pittsburgh Radio noon to
two each weekday noon until to Eastern time. And if
(18:00):
you don't get us over the air on the actual
radio itself. Then you can listen on the i Heart
Media app. Just downloads to your phone. It is free.
Clear as a Bell comes in Clear as a Bell.
You can do that and the Savrant Steelers podcast. You
can go to the Steelers dot com and pick us
up there. We post up two new episodes each and
(18:21):
every week. Thanks for being here on the Savrant Steelers Podcast.
I'm Stan Savran. Have a great week, everybody,
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