May 23, 2023 • 27 mins
Matt and Dale let you in on the latest from the Steelers OTAs and sit down and chat with Steelers new Free Agent Cole Holcomb.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sysday dot com to register to receive reminders for when
experiences like this and more go live on June first.
Welcome back. I am Dale Allie. He is Matt Williamson.
This is a special edition of The Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy. We are
(00:20):
live from the Steeler Ota sessions here at the upmc
rooney Sports Complex and the Steelers out here practicing in front.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Of us here.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's good stuff for the next probably twenty minutes or so,
fifteen to twenty minutes here they get practice wraps up
a little after noon. We will be here until one.
We are expected to be joined by a player here
as they come off the field. So lots of good
stuff going on here. You don't want to go anywhere.
You don't want to miss that. Matt continues, I think.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That should be pretty much a regular thing right around noon,
right around hopefully allmine. But we can't promise anything, but yeah,
well certainly.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Hopefully end the player and I have been communicating with
the pr staff.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Here, so that's worked that well in the past too.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So just to continue on the subject of what we
were talking about, Yeah, if you think about so that
twenty seventeen season, the Steelers were the more talented team
than the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
They were they.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
But stylistically style that Jaguars were a bad matchup for
the Steelers because they ran the ball and they played defense.
People look at that game, well, they lost the Blake Bortles,
not so much Blake boy. They give up with three
return touchdowns in that playoff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I'm trying to think of the specifics, and I remember
the Steelers ran all over them, and I also think
that was somewhat of a war of attrition. From what
I recall too, the d line was kind of held
together by Duc Tape at that point, which happens in
the NFL playoffs. I mean, nobody cared. Nobody cries for
you when you're on the other side of it. And
the Steelers are probably benefited over their history of playing
teams that were less than one hundred percent as well.
(01:53):
But I wonder, you know, as you were referencing that,
I bet that didn't stick well in the minds of
ownership front office. You know, the history of this team
is they're going to be the bigger, more physical team,
and I think that not that it was a wrong strategy.
But in that neighborhood is how do we stop Brady?
(02:13):
You know, how do we stop Michael George?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
They just lost, They just lost to the Patriots in
AFC Championships right before. So everything that off season was
predicated on. Okay, but we got to beat the Patriots. Yeah,
gotta beat the Patriots. Was that the off season of
man coverage? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, everything was we gonna play more man coverage. We
can't let Welker get free releases and those type of things.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
But stylistically for a team like the Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, exactly, and that's true in every playoff that boy,
we just got the wrong draw. You know, the best
team doesn't always win, but the you know that it
matters who you play without question. But I do think
that physicality travels and running the ball travels. You would
worry about the Steelers if they had a you know,
you mentioned the return in that game. If the Steelers
(03:02):
are playing any team, a playoff caliber team and they're
down seventeen to nothing before you know it because of
a bad bounce or a deflected pass or you know,
a block field goal or something like that, can you
play the other style? You know, we don't know that
answer yet. I mean, I think they're they're going that direction, you.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Know, yeah, you know, so they have that ability to
be physical. I think they do have the ability if
they need to throw the football a little, but they
get the weapons.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I think it's a you know, a pretty deep team
that can be diverse. To your point about being able
to mix and match and do different things.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, And I mean, two guys want to Brett mention
and we bring up pro football focus a lot, mostly positive,
sometimes negative. I have mixed feelings about them, but they
have numbers and yards per route run and data that is,
you know, just out there to compare the rest.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Of the league.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
And I think that's very valuable. And two guys, Forth
and Warren are really near the top of the league
amongst running backs and tight ends as in pretty much
all receiving metrics. And where I'm going with this is,
let's say you are down, you get some bad bounces
and you're down fourteen nothing, seventeen nothing. Before you know it,
(04:16):
you could throw out a five man receiving group of Friarmuth,
Warren and your top three receivers that can maybe compete
with any five out there. To be honest with you,
I mean, maybe the Niners are better, maybe the Bengals
are better, but that's a pretty strong group of just
potential quick strike passing game guys.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, it's not to your point about that. It's it
may not be the name value.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Right, I think it's developing right right, rightly. You don't
look at Friarmuth like he's Kelsey isn't. But he's not
as far off as people think.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But we might be sitting here next year at this
time and talking about, Wow, we didn't see this coming
with this, you know, Pat Fryermuth really is. He's a
top five He's a top five tight end in the NFL.
Or why boy George Pickets took a big, big step forward,
or wow, you know everybody was down on Deontay Johnson
because he didn't catch touchdown.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Pass seven of them and this year or whatever, right,
and boy that Calvin Austin guy they have because a
different style of what they had, and boy Robinson's career
looks a little better than it did at this time
this year. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh no, by the way, oh Najie Harris, who everybody
was down on, right for the first half of last year. Okay,
so he had a thirteen hundred yard season.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
And maybe one of the best tight end rooms in
the league. And oh, by the way, this all stems
from how we started the conversation of you got a
good deep O line, the skill positions usually fall into place.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, And the other part of that equation is can
he Pickett?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
You know, of course, and you know, rounding in the
form and becoming that guy. I just think there's a
lot of lazy analysis when it comes to Picket. That
people just lost seven touchdowns, nine interceptions. He didn't have
a good rookie year.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
No, I think you're not watching the tape, you know.
I mean, I think he came a really long way,
and frankly, I thought Cloud he looked like he belong
from the start, which is rare. The numbers didn't reflect it.
You know, they're losing to the Eagles by a million, and
you're losing by the Bills, the Bills by a million,
and it didn't get some bounces latent games or didn't
come through latent games. One thing he did and then
he did, and then he did looked and made those
(06:17):
around him better. I mean, I don't think he's a
locomotive yet pulling the train. But I don't think he's
a caboose either at this point.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
One thing I can't stress enough because they're massive, massive
anomalies with the offense last year. One I think is
good and one is bad is they were unbelievably healthy,
and they were unbelievably young. And I don't mean just
compare compared to the rest of the league. I mean
compared to the last twenty five years of the league,
you know. Yeah, and the youth thing is great. I
(06:44):
mean you with stood all the growing pains of the
youngest offense in the league and got better. Like to me,
that is unbelievably encouraging.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And one football games like and one football right, I
think people underestimate the ability of a team to close
out and win those kind of games. There are franchises
that you don't trust to do that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
No many Yeah, like the Chargers them.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Right, just keeps waiting for the right something's going to
happen here.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
They're going to blow it right before Burrow. The Bengals
weren't exactly great at that either, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I mean, allion's historically there's just teams that you look
at and you go they're going to find a way
to figure out a way to screw this up.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And a lot of that comes down to the head coach.
And I'm not picking on any of those head coaches,
but I know this head coach knows how to win
games when it matters most, and you know those type
of things. But I think the front office told us, hey,
we know we got a little lucky on the injury
front too, But now Robinson, Austin, Miller, Washington, all those
offensive linemen weren't the equation last year, right.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I mean again, it goes back to that depth that
they've built, and it's it's impressed this might be.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Because injuries are coming.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well absolutely, I mean I can think back, I go
back thirty one years covering this team, and I'd be
hard pressed if to find a team that has the
depth of this one. I can probably if I really
sat down and thought about it, like, I might be
able to find one or.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Two, I'm sure, but that might be two, right right,
that just.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Might be it. And it all therefore to me Hinges
on the quarterback play.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Of course, of course, but they've made I don't say
his life easy, but they've they've set up They've set
him up to succeed, right, and so many mistakes are
made in this league of not helping your young quarterback,
usually first rounders. Yeah, nearly enough, he drafted him forth overall,
we got to play him right, right, right, whether that's
good for the quarterback or not. Yeah, I mean Dwayne
(08:35):
Haskins rest in peace when he was thrown in with
Washington had no chance to succeed, ye, you know. I
mean there's so many examples. There's at least as many
examples a.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Dozen Browns quarterbacks right right.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I mean Car with the Texans, and I mean so
many of those guys. And I say this all the
time on like national stuff that when we talk draft
and landing spots for quarterbacks or project their futures, I
might care more where the quarterback lay than who the
quarterback even is. I mean they're all talented.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, they all where they wouldn't be drafted where they're
drafted right right right, At the same time, you can
get you can you can play and get.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Ruined, you can get ruined, right.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You know, he's just getting you know, the tar knocked
out of him week in and week out, or he's
making this mistake and there's nobody around him to help
him out. He's got nothing else to fall back on.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I mean, Houston's been a miserable organization for the last
two or three years. I mean the bottom of the league.
And they would tell you that. I mean, the numbers
show it out, the Watson situation. But I think their
defense needs a ton of work. But at least they realized, hey,
we're gonna trade for Shaq Mason and Robert Woods. Are
those guys great players? No, but their NFL star.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Has been there, done that guy right as Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And let's say, like Stroud talent aside, Stroud has a
much better chance to succeed than Mills. There's nothing around
the guy. Yeah, absolutely, but the Steelers have surrounded their
guy with.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
A lot and we're gonna take another break here. That's
we're at the top of the hour. Here he is
Matt Williamson. I am LO. We are live here on
Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy from the
Steelers Ota session here at the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
We are live until one o'clock. We're hopefully be joined
by a player here soon after practice ends here there
(10:18):
maybe get a session or two left here. Yeah, before
we're done here, but energy though, absolutely it looks like
it's well attended as well. So he Matt and I
will be back with more right after this. Welcome back.
I am Dale Lolli. He is Matt Williamson, and this
is a special edition of The Drive here on Steelers
(10:40):
Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live here
from the Steelers Ota Sessions at the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
The team just wrapping up practice as we speak here.
Everybody huddled up in the middle of the field here
getting ready to break. The media assembled here also making
its way over to head into the locker room. And
(11:02):
that means we'll be joined by a player here soon.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, and very just gonna break the action whenever he
does join us.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
But yeah, so we'll jump into that when when when
the player comes over here to talk to us our
player today, I can say this now, nobody save nobody
has told me any differently. Let me check the little
text machine here and uh yeah, nobody. Nobody's pulling the
plug on it. Nobody has told me differently. We're expected
to be joined by Cole Holcombe, the Steelers inside linebacker
(11:28):
who joined the team as a free agent this offseason. Uh.
Interesting guy. Uh see what he has to say here.
I did do a zoom call with him earlier this
year after he signs again. Good talker and a big
part of well, what's expected from this defense this year?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, and all this stuff still to be determined. I mean,
I'm more predicting than anything, but I would think he's
got a chance to be the green dot guy, the
the every down second level player. I think he's an
upgrade with over the who they played with last year.
And he kind of slipped my radar when we were
looking at potential free agents. I mean I really went
into depth with like a dozen these off the ball
(12:08):
went so many of them right, and he missed a
lot of time last year, so I kind of forgot
about him until we got deeper into the free agent
process and guys were falling off the board and I'm like, Oh,
this guy's better than people think, you know, I mean,
and he's an ascending player. I urge people just do
a Google search on Cole Holcom's combine numbers or workout numbers.
(12:29):
They're exceptional. I mean, he's change of directions, his jumps,
his forties and that was a while ago. But I
mean it's not like he's he's a try hard guy
that you know, right, you know, he's just smart and tough.
I mean, he can really run and change directions and
has explosive traits.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And unlike many of the other guys who have some
of those traits, has some size to him.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Too, absolutely some length and all this stuff. So you know,
I think he I would say, he's the answer. I
mean that he's, you know, the best guy they've had
since Shazir. I mean, because I did say that about
Jack last year at this time, and he was Okay,
he wasn't great, and but I think he's going to
be a very valuable member of that defense and a
lot should probably be asked of him.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, I think the difference between a guy like a
Cole Holcomb in a Miles Jack is Cole Holcomb doesn't
have He's twenty six years old. You're getting him still
as an ascending the.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Right word right, and he wouldn't see it because he
missed so much time last year.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's almost like, you know, for the for the inside
linebacker position, I've come to believe is very much like
tight end, where it takes you a few years to
get it. Keith Butler used to talk about that all
the time. Where you know that position, that twenty six
to twenty eight age range is where everything kind of meshes.
You got you now have the experience and it now
(13:49):
matches your you know you're asking.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
The graph the two axes. Yeah, that's when they collide.
Is the athleticism and the head and the body.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Is everything matches it right right right Early in your
your career, you may make plays based on your athleticism.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Your body, in your traits.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
And then later in your career, you know, after you've
you've reached that apex, you're making plays based on your knowledge.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
You become the old man why you know, the nose
out of boxing.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
You're that twenty six to twenty eight range. You kind
of have the best of both. And well here comes
Cole Holom Now, yeah, good, so well ask him about that. Yeah,
I was anyway, so Cole, good to have you. We're
being joined here by Cole Holcombe, Cole, Matt Williamson, and
Dale Lalli. I'm Dale, he's Matt.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
We were just.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Talking about the situation at linebacker in the NFL and
Keith Butler, who is the defensive coordinator here, used to
say that linebackers, especially inside linebackers, you've reached that peak
of about at about the age of twenty six, where
you're at where everything kind of meshes. You now have
the experience this, but you still have the athleticism that
you're kind of in that that soft peer or that
(14:54):
that that pure period where everything matches up. Do you
do you feel that it's that way for you? Uh?
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Yeah, I mean I've definitely seen, you know, had a
lot of experience seeing a lot of ball, you know,
noticing concept of repeat concepts, you know, things that are
becoming second nature and just allowing you to play faster
and not really thinking about like you know, specific things
that you know, you develop these habits and they.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
And it's really like like.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
I said, you see so many plays it oftens comeing,
run so many plays right, you know, so you just
see the same concepts over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
They just try and.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
Doctor it up, do it different, try to manipulate you
a little bit so, but in the end they're still
trying to do the same concepts. So if you can
figure out and get past the window dressing of it,
you get down to the basics.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
You know, you know what concepts you're getting.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
So a term we've been using to describe you. And
it's great to meet you. By the way, congratulations. Being
a Steeler is ascending.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It seems like every year gets better than the last,
and unfortunately last year was cut a little short for
you with injuries, so maybe you didn't get to show
the world as much that you really are hitting your peak.
But to expand on what Dale was saying, there are
so many examples of first second round, especially first round
linebackers that are just great athletes get thrown right in
the mix because they're first rounders, and these great play
(16:11):
callers and offensive designers just manipulate them like crazy. I mean,
is that part of it to you?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Uh? Yeah, I mean I think I think you know
it's it's you really have to like to play line
back in you gotta love watching ball, Yeah, yeah, learning
tendencies and yeah, and I think, uh you know, I'm mean, shoot,
my rookie year, I was biting on every play action.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I bet a to say play action anytime the ball
I was running forward. I was like crossing the ground
right behind you.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, and I was getting over all day and you know,
now now it's like they run and run a play
action looks sounds feels different, Like you know, a rookie
might come in and he might do the same thing
I did.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Is that really hard to hold your water on play action,
especially as a young guy, like since you've been trained forever,
as soon as that ball comes out, youah pack down hill?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah right, you know, but then you start realizing you start,
you start, it's like it's like a sixth sense, like
you're like, uh, it looks like it's a little fishy. Yeah, yeah,
something doesn't feel right.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And to your point, you watch the film and you've
seen the tendencies of these Okay, I can read things differently,
whereas you know, when you're twenty one, twenty two, twenty
three years old, maybe you don't understand that like you
do now.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think it's uh, you know,
sometimes it could be more so like guys thinking about
what his job is versus like what's what's the offense
trying to give you?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Mm hm.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And you know, the more you you understand defensive concepts,
like you can you can plug and play, you know,
I feel like like every every defense, Like just like defense,
the same with offense. You know, you only have so
many plays, so many coverages, so many different types of
you know, every team might have their little tweaks and
things they like to do a little bit differently within
(17:50):
that coverage, but in the in the end, it's all
you know, single high, too high, you know, cover three
to cover two quarters.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
People playing this game a long time, there's not that
many Yeah, changes over hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Years, right right.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I would think a big adjustment to though, is in
the man coverage world, there aren't many McCaffrey's and camaras
and kittles, and you know, the tight end and running
back route runners in this league are so much better
than in college mm hmm. Oh yeah, yeah, I mean
it's not even close.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Yeah, And that's why, you know, I feel like this
position has changed. You know, you got to be able
to cover, you got to be able to play, you know,
because there's always going to be an incident where you're
matched up on a wide out, yeah, or you're on
a slot on a slot, you're on a receiving tight end,
you're on a receiving running back.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Like, and they're all shaped different to move differently.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Different.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah, I feel like the you know, the way linebackers
play has changed a little bit, a lot of aspect
of of you know, you've got to be able to
run and hit, and you got to be able to cover,
and you gotta able.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
To play running.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So you get through this ot sessions that you've been
doing this now for a few weeks with your with
your new teammates. Uh, you settling in here pretty well?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yeah, No, love the guys, love the competition that they
bring out here. I mean I love the coach staff
like it's it's it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be
a fun, fun year for the for the kid.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So another huge portion of your position, this has always
been the case. It's communication and getting the calls in
and out. Do you expect to get a lot of
those responsibilities, you know in terms Yeah, you getting on
the field with your with your guy as well and
absolutely getting all the play calls where they need to be.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Communications, communications key, you know, like I just want to
make sure everybody's on that same page and we all
get everything figured out. And you know, whatever my role
needs to be, I'll do it to the best of
my abilities. And you know, I'd love to I like
running it. I would love to do that.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Were you a Green Dot guy in Washington, I thought, so, yeah, great.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now for fans who don't understand what what goes into
I mean, you obviously have to not only communicate to
your teammates what the play call is, but you have
to understand it a little bit more so than everybody.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Do you look at.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
The it's it's a big picture kind of thing. Big
picture of a small picture, you know. I think, I
think when you're calling it, you really do have to
have a full understanding of the defensive call in its entirety,
just because so many things can change within that one call.
There there canna be a laundry list of checks that
you might have to make or adjustments that we're gonna, Hey,
(20:16):
if they do this, we're gonna change this.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
If they do this, we're gonna we're gonna adjust this way.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
So I feel like when you're when you're that play call,
you have to be able to anticipate that it's gonna happen.
It's not like a react like, oh, snap, it happened. Yeah,
now we're adjusting.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
I got this guy, and that's what.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah, I feel like It's like it's like chess.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You're thinking Tumo's ad and so you're always anticipating what
could possibly happen. You know, what adjustment you're gonna have
to make if they do this, if they do that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
So fans ask me a lot. They're like, why would
a middle linebacker, inside linebacker tap a D tackle on
the button move them over six inches? Like how could
that possibly matter? It matters a ton, doesn't. It's in
the right alignment in front.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Of Yeah, alignments mean a lot, and you know, I
mean that's it goes. It goes both ways as within.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
You know, not only D line alignment, but our alignments
and learnebackers. You know, it changes.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It can change blocking schemes, like you know where they're targeting,
who they're targeting.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So, yeah, the little things mean a time.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Are you health wise?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
You you're back close to feeling feeling good man.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
I'm I'm trumping at the bit, but you know you're
we're still taking a little slow, but.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Just being smart with it. I mean, yeah, the idea
is to play seventeen games, not exactly practices in May.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Yes, sir, be ready to be ready for September. And
I think you know our coaches, you know training staff.
They all have the right mindset, and you know I'm
behind them one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Now, are you a guy that, sorry, Matt, are you
a guy that can sit and watch from the sideline
and still get your mental reption? Some guys have to
be on field and stuff.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
No, I mean that's that's been the story of my life.
So I've obviously learned how to get good at that.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, you weren't really handed anything that the field, whether
you deserve it or not, so that it's a good
looking at it. If we're not gonna ask you, you
plan on participating in all all nine and assuming the injuries, Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
And yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever they allow me to do,
I'm gonna I'm gonna participate. I'm gonna go go one
hundred percent with whatever they allow me to do, and
wherever they tell me. I gotta chill out a little bit, like, Okay, yeah,
I'm sure that's hard to do, but yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
It is, man, I'm competitive competitive.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
You need to get to the starting line though. Oh yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
You go from college, uh in North Carolina, you go
to Washington still kind of in that same southern area here,
what's it been like for you, h here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Oh, man, I love it up here.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I mean I got I got a lot of family
actually from upstate New York and uh, you know, so
I've been up that way a couple of times, and man,
it's been beautiful in the past couple of weeks. We'll
see when.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Wait till I get November is ship.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Yeah, but you're settled in with your house and know
everything's and everything figured out.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I mean, I got the guys have been awesome. They've
showed me, showed me around the town.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Well, you know, show me the ropes, good spots to eat. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Traffic's not quite as bad here as it is in Washington. No,
we have some times a day that it's a little.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Different, but but it's it's nothing like that.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
So for people didn't know you were a walk on North.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Carolina correct, Yeah, yeah, just calling schools asking if I can, Yeah,
who who would let me come to their school? It's
gonna go walk on a duke at first, and then
that fell through and then went to North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It's been a good student in high school.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Yeah, yeah, high school. Yeah, I mean once I got
to once I got there, I was like, okay, I
can I can compete with these guys. So, you know,
the mindset I had going into it definitely changed. And
I was like, I'm I'm on a scholarship and I'm
gonna earn one. I'm gonna do whatever it takes.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
And so it just dawned on me. I mean, with
Isaac being an Eagle and the guard and you being
in the division, you guys took each other on quite
a bit. You know, what, what are the Steelers getting
in him? And there looks like a starting car?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
Dude, I mean, should we got three guys that were
formerly with Philly?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, her break, I guess them. Yeah, okay, give us
a scouting report.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Did there?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I'm like that was I thought Philadelphia's the line was
one of the best lines in all around. And you know,
Isaac was one of them. He was he was a dog,
and I thought like that entire line had my respect. Yeah,
hard to play against. Yeah, No, they all were. They
all were had their strengths, they all had they were
all good. They were all you know, Jason freaking the
(24:35):
leader of the group, and yeah, right, like I always said,
he was like a gnat. He's just fast, just never
go away. But no, they were all they like I said,
they all have my respect and I played all of them.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
And you know, I think we got some some great players.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, I think Steelers made some nice editions from your
division as a former division.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Absolutely, Well, we'll let you go here. I'm sure you
have a busy day here. I guess it's been Cole Hulcombe,
the Steelers that new in linebacker, and well, we appreciate
you coming on.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Cole.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Absolutely, thanks for having melcome, Absolutely welcome to Pittsburgh and
hope by everybody enjoyed hearing from Cole.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Absolutely good stuff, good stuff from Cole.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
He is Matt Williamson, I am Dale, Allie, you're listening
to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN
nine to seventy. That was just one of the many
guests we're going to get here over the next couple
of weeks, so you don't want to miss that good
stuff from Cole Holcombe. Welcome addition to this team.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Yeah, I think he's a really nice pickup to be
honest with you, and hadn't thought about boy, he did
battle with a lot of those Eagles that are now
on this field as well, again, a sending player had
some good things to say about things you and I
have talked about at length, you know, and becoming a
linebacker in this league takes a lot of reps, a
lot of film work, you know, not biting on things,
(25:48):
you know, things of that nature. So I think they're
getting him at the right time of his career.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Yeah, absolutely, if you look at it. He's played four
seasons in the league, was a starter as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, for Washington, he.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Mentioned, you get manipulated a little bit there, but even
at that.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Even a minute, he's like, I bit them play.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Actually yeah, but if you look at the production, you know,
one hundred and five tackles that rookie year again a
little bit of injury issue. Year two played eleven games,
started ten, but year three sixteen games, one hundred and
forty two tackles.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
You know, just when used every down player at that point, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Seven pass defenses, you know, so he can't get back
and cover two forced funnels. He had three forced fumbles
his rookie year. Two interceptions.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, he does have good ball skills, and you know
he's I don't think balls will clank off his hands too.
Often he does find the football and has some soft hands. Oh,
he finds a football. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Even last year, you know, only seven games because of
that foot injury, sixty nine tackles in that season.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
He started off a house of fire.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Yeah, I mean you're averaging ten tackles per game.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
And not that like the rest of the league didn't
even know who he was. But I do think a
lot of the media and articles, and hey, I write
them too, of these are some exciting free agents could
easily overlook because Washington wasn't the most fun team to watch,
you know, to be honest with you, and he missed
a big portion of the season, But every year was
better than the one before, and that was really true
(27:15):
this past year. I mean, he was definitely on pace
to have his best season in a highly productive season
by any linebacker metric or numbers.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, absolutely, But we're gonna take a break. He is
Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lollie. You're listening to a
special edition of The Drive here from the upmc rooney
Sports Complex. The Steelers just wrapping up their OTA sessions here.
Still some guys out there working on the field as
you would expect, and well We'll continue to work here
raight through the one o'clock hour. We're gonna take a
(27:43):
break right now. We'll be back with more right after
this Black Him Gold Football leaves here. Twenty four to seven,
you're listening to SNR
Sysday dot com to register to receive reminders for when
experiences like this and more go live on June first.
Welcome back. I am Dale Allie. He is Matt Williamson.
This is a special edition of The Drive here on
Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy. We are
(00:20):
live from the Steeler Ota sessions here at the upmc
rooney Sports Complex and the Steelers out here practicing in front.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Of us here.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's good stuff for the next probably twenty minutes or so,
fifteen to twenty minutes here they get practice wraps up
a little after noon. We will be here until one.
We are expected to be joined by a player here
as they come off the field. So lots of good
stuff going on here. You don't want to go anywhere.
You don't want to miss that. Matt continues, I think.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That should be pretty much a regular thing right around noon,
right around hopefully allmine. But we can't promise anything, but yeah,
well certainly.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Hopefully end the player and I have been communicating with
the pr staff.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Here, so that's worked that well in the past too.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So just to continue on the subject of what we
were talking about, Yeah, if you think about so that
twenty seventeen season, the Steelers were the more talented team
than the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
They were they.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
But stylistically style that Jaguars were a bad matchup for
the Steelers because they ran the ball and they played defense.
People look at that game, well, they lost the Blake Bortles,
not so much Blake boy. They give up with three
return touchdowns in that playoff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I'm trying to think of the specifics, and I remember
the Steelers ran all over them, and I also think
that was somewhat of a war of attrition. From what
I recall too, the d line was kind of held
together by Duc Tape at that point, which happens in
the NFL playoffs. I mean, nobody cared. Nobody cries for
you when you're on the other side of it. And
the Steelers are probably benefited over their history of playing
teams that were less than one hundred percent as well.
(01:53):
But I wonder, you know, as you were referencing that,
I bet that didn't stick well in the minds of
ownership front office. You know, the history of this team
is they're going to be the bigger, more physical team,
and I think that not that it was a wrong strategy.
But in that neighborhood is how do we stop Brady?
(02:13):
You know, how do we stop Michael George?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
They just lost, They just lost to the Patriots in
AFC Championships right before. So everything that off season was
predicated on. Okay, but we got to beat the Patriots. Yeah,
gotta beat the Patriots. Was that the off season of
man coverage? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, everything was we gonna play more man coverage. We
can't let Welker get free releases and those type of things.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
But stylistically for a team like the Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, exactly, and that's true in every playoff that boy,
we just got the wrong draw. You know, the best
team doesn't always win, but the you know that it
matters who you play without question. But I do think
that physicality travels and running the ball travels. You would
worry about the Steelers if they had a you know,
you mentioned the return in that game. If the Steelers
(03:02):
are playing any team, a playoff caliber team and they're
down seventeen to nothing before you know it because of
a bad bounce or a deflected pass or you know,
a block field goal or something like that, can you
play the other style? You know, we don't know that
answer yet. I mean, I think they're they're going that direction, you.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Know, yeah, you know, so they have that ability to
be physical. I think they do have the ability if
they need to throw the football a little, but they
get the weapons.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I think it's a you know, a pretty deep team
that can be diverse. To your point about being able
to mix and match and do different things.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, And I mean, two guys want to Brett mention
and we bring up pro football focus a lot, mostly positive,
sometimes negative. I have mixed feelings about them, but they
have numbers and yards per route run and data that is,
you know, just out there to compare the rest.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Of the league.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
And I think that's very valuable. And two guys, Forth
and Warren are really near the top of the league
amongst running backs and tight ends as in pretty much
all receiving metrics. And where I'm going with this is,
let's say you are down, you get some bad bounces
and you're down fourteen nothing, seventeen nothing. Before you know it,
(04:16):
you could throw out a five man receiving group of Friarmuth,
Warren and your top three receivers that can maybe compete
with any five out there. To be honest with you,
I mean, maybe the Niners are better, maybe the Bengals
are better, but that's a pretty strong group of just
potential quick strike passing game guys.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, it's not to your point about that. It's it
may not be the name value.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Right, I think it's developing right right, rightly. You don't
look at Friarmuth like he's Kelsey isn't. But he's not
as far off as people think.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But we might be sitting here next year at this
time and talking about, Wow, we didn't see this coming
with this, you know, Pat Fryermuth really is. He's a
top five He's a top five tight end in the NFL.
Or why boy George Pickets took a big, big step forward,
or wow, you know everybody was down on Deontay Johnson
because he didn't catch touchdown.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Pass seven of them and this year or whatever, right,
and boy that Calvin Austin guy they have because a
different style of what they had, and boy Robinson's career
looks a little better than it did at this time
this year. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Oh no, by the way, oh Najie Harris, who everybody
was down on, right for the first half of last year. Okay,
so he had a thirteen hundred yard season.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
And maybe one of the best tight end rooms in
the league. And oh, by the way, this all stems
from how we started the conversation of you got a
good deep O line, the skill positions usually fall into place.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah, And the other part of that equation is can
he Pickett?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
You know, of course, and you know, rounding in the
form and becoming that guy. I just think there's a
lot of lazy analysis when it comes to Picket. That
people just lost seven touchdowns, nine interceptions. He didn't have
a good rookie year.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
No, I think you're not watching the tape, you know.
I mean, I think he came a really long way,
and frankly, I thought Cloud he looked like he belong
from the start, which is rare. The numbers didn't reflect it.
You know, they're losing to the Eagles by a million, and
you're losing by the Bills, the Bills by a million,
and it didn't get some bounces latent games or didn't
come through latent games. One thing he did and then
he did, and then he did looked and made those
(06:17):
around him better. I mean, I don't think he's a
locomotive yet pulling the train. But I don't think he's
a caboose either at this point.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
One thing I can't stress enough because they're massive, massive
anomalies with the offense last year. One I think is
good and one is bad is they were unbelievably healthy,
and they were unbelievably young. And I don't mean just
compare compared to the rest of the league. I mean
compared to the last twenty five years of the league,
you know. Yeah, and the youth thing is great. I
(06:44):
mean you with stood all the growing pains of the
youngest offense in the league and got better. Like to me,
that is unbelievably encouraging.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
And one football games like and one football right, I
think people underestimate the ability of a team to close
out and win those kind of games. There are franchises
that you don't trust to do that.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
No many Yeah, like the Chargers them.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Right, just keeps waiting for the right something's going to
happen here.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
They're going to blow it right before Burrow. The Bengals
weren't exactly great at that either, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I mean, allion's historically there's just teams that you look
at and you go they're going to find a way
to figure out a way to screw this up.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And a lot of that comes down to the head coach.
And I'm not picking on any of those head coaches,
but I know this head coach knows how to win
games when it matters most, and you know those type
of things. But I think the front office told us, hey,
we know we got a little lucky on the injury
front too, But now Robinson, Austin, Miller, Washington, all those
offensive linemen weren't the equation last year, right.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I mean again, it goes back to that depth that
they've built, and it's it's impressed this might be.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Because injuries are coming.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well absolutely, I mean I can think back, I go
back thirty one years covering this team, and I'd be
hard pressed if to find a team that has the
depth of this one. I can probably if I really
sat down and thought about it, like, I might be
able to find one or.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Two, I'm sure, but that might be two, right right,
that just.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Might be it. And it all therefore to me Hinges
on the quarterback play.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Of course, of course, but they've made I don't say
his life easy, but they've they've set up They've set
him up to succeed, right, and so many mistakes are
made in this league of not helping your young quarterback,
usually first rounders. Yeah, nearly enough, he drafted him forth overall,
we got to play him right, right, right, whether that's
good for the quarterback or not. Yeah, I mean Dwayne
(08:35):
Haskins rest in peace when he was thrown in with
Washington had no chance to succeed, ye, you know. I
mean there's so many examples. There's at least as many
examples a.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Dozen Browns quarterbacks right right.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
I mean Car with the Texans, and I mean so
many of those guys. And I say this all the
time on like national stuff that when we talk draft
and landing spots for quarterbacks or project their futures, I
might care more where the quarterback lay than who the
quarterback even is. I mean they're all talented.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, they all where they wouldn't be drafted where they're
drafted right right right, At the same time, you can
get you can you can play and get.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Ruined, you can get ruined, right.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You know, he's just getting you know, the tar knocked
out of him week in and week out, or he's
making this mistake and there's nobody around him to help
him out. He's got nothing else to fall back on.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I mean, Houston's been a miserable organization for the last
two or three years. I mean the bottom of the league.
And they would tell you that. I mean, the numbers
show it out, the Watson situation. But I think their
defense needs a ton of work. But at least they realized, hey,
we're gonna trade for Shaq Mason and Robert Woods. Are
those guys great players? No, but their NFL star.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Has been there, done that guy right as Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
And let's say, like Stroud talent aside, Stroud has a
much better chance to succeed than Mills. There's nothing around
the guy. Yeah, absolutely, but the Steelers have surrounded their
guy with.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
A lot and we're gonna take another break here. That's
we're at the top of the hour. Here he is
Matt Williamson. I am LO. We are live here on
Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy from the
Steelers Ota session here at the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
We are live until one o'clock. We're hopefully be joined
by a player here soon after practice ends here there
(10:18):
maybe get a session or two left here. Yeah, before
we're done here, but energy though, absolutely it looks like
it's well attended as well. So he Matt and I
will be back with more right after this. Welcome back.
I am Dale Lolli. He is Matt Williamson, and this
is a special edition of The Drive here on Steelers
(10:40):
Nation Radio and ESPN nine seventy. We are live here
from the Steelers Ota Sessions at the upmc rooney Sports Complex.
The team just wrapping up practice as we speak here.
Everybody huddled up in the middle of the field here
getting ready to break. The media assembled here also making
its way over to head into the locker room. And
(11:02):
that means we'll be joined by a player here soon.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, and very just gonna break the action whenever he
does join us.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
But yeah, so we'll jump into that when when when
the player comes over here to talk to us our
player today, I can say this now, nobody save nobody
has told me any differently. Let me check the little
text machine here and uh yeah, nobody. Nobody's pulling the
plug on it. Nobody has told me differently. We're expected
to be joined by Cole Holcombe, the Steelers inside linebacker
(11:28):
who joined the team as a free agent this offseason. Uh.
Interesting guy. Uh see what he has to say here.
I did do a zoom call with him earlier this
year after he signs again. Good talker and a big
part of well, what's expected from this defense this year?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Yeah, and all this stuff still to be determined. I mean,
I'm more predicting than anything, but I would think he's
got a chance to be the green dot guy, the
the every down second level player. I think he's an
upgrade with over the who they played with last year.
And he kind of slipped my radar when we were
looking at potential free agents. I mean I really went
into depth with like a dozen these off the ball
(12:08):
went so many of them right, and he missed a
lot of time last year, so I kind of forgot
about him until we got deeper into the free agent
process and guys were falling off the board and I'm like, Oh,
this guy's better than people think, you know, I mean,
and he's an ascending player. I urge people just do
a Google search on Cole Holcom's combine numbers or workout numbers.
(12:29):
They're exceptional. I mean, he's change of directions, his jumps,
his forties and that was a while ago. But I
mean it's not like he's he's a try hard guy
that you know, right, you know, he's just smart and tough.
I mean, he can really run and change directions and
has explosive traits.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And unlike many of the other guys who have some
of those traits, has some size to him.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Too, absolutely some length and all this stuff. So you know,
I think he I would say, he's the answer. I
mean that he's, you know, the best guy they've had
since Shazir. I mean, because I did say that about
Jack last year at this time, and he was Okay,
he wasn't great, and but I think he's going to
be a very valuable member of that defense and a
lot should probably be asked of him.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, I think the difference between a guy like a
Cole Holcomb in a Miles Jack is Cole Holcomb doesn't
have He's twenty six years old. You're getting him still
as an ascending the.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Right word right, and he wouldn't see it because he
missed so much time last year.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's almost like, you know, for the for the inside
linebacker position, I've come to believe is very much like
tight end, where it takes you a few years to
get it. Keith Butler used to talk about that all
the time. Where you know that position, that twenty six
to twenty eight age range is where everything kind of meshes.
You got you now have the experience and it now
(13:49):
matches your you know you're asking.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
The graph the two axes. Yeah, that's when they collide.
Is the athleticism and the head and the body.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Is everything matches it right right right Early in your
your career, you may make plays based on your athleticism.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Your body, in your traits.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
And then later in your career, you know, after you've
you've reached that apex, you're making plays based on your knowledge.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
You become the old man why you know, the nose
out of boxing.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
You're that twenty six to twenty eight range. You kind
of have the best of both. And well here comes
Cole Holom Now, yeah, good, so well ask him about that. Yeah,
I was anyway, so Cole, good to have you. We're
being joined here by Cole Holcombe, Cole, Matt Williamson, and
Dale Lalli. I'm Dale, he's Matt.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
We were just.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Talking about the situation at linebacker in the NFL and
Keith Butler, who is the defensive coordinator here, used to
say that linebackers, especially inside linebackers, you've reached that peak
of about at about the age of twenty six, where
you're at where everything kind of meshes. You now have
the experience this, but you still have the athleticism that
you're kind of in that that soft peer or that
(14:54):
that that pure period where everything matches up. Do you
do you feel that it's that way for you? Uh?
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Yeah, I mean I've definitely seen, you know, had a
lot of experience seeing a lot of ball, you know,
noticing concept of repeat concepts, you know, things that are
becoming second nature and just allowing you to play faster
and not really thinking about like you know, specific things
that you know, you develop these habits and they.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
And it's really like like.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
I said, you see so many plays it oftens comeing,
run so many plays right, you know, so you just
see the same concepts over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
They just try and.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
Doctor it up, do it different, try to manipulate you
a little bit so, but in the end they're still
trying to do the same concepts. So if you can
figure out and get past the window dressing of it,
you get down to the basics.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
You know, you know what concepts you're getting.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
So a term we've been using to describe you. And
it's great to meet you. By the way, congratulations. Being
a Steeler is ascending.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It seems like every year gets better than the last,
and unfortunately last year was cut a little short for
you with injuries, so maybe you didn't get to show
the world as much that you really are hitting your peak.
But to expand on what Dale was saying, there are
so many examples of first second round, especially first round
linebackers that are just great athletes get thrown right in
the mix because they're first rounders, and these great play
(16:11):
callers and offensive designers just manipulate them like crazy. I mean,
is that part of it to you?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Uh? Yeah, I mean I think I think you know
it's it's you really have to like to play line
back in you gotta love watching ball, Yeah, yeah, learning
tendencies and yeah, and I think, uh you know, I'm mean, shoot,
my rookie year, I was biting on every play action.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I bet a to say play action anytime the ball
I was running forward. I was like crossing the ground
right behind you.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Yeah, and I was getting over all day and you know,
now now it's like they run and run a play
action looks sounds feels different, Like you know, a rookie
might come in and he might do the same thing
I did.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Is that really hard to hold your water on play action,
especially as a young guy, like since you've been trained forever,
as soon as that ball comes out, youah pack down hill?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah right, you know, but then you start realizing you start,
you start, it's like it's like a sixth sense, like
you're like, uh, it looks like it's a little fishy. Yeah, yeah,
something doesn't feel right.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
And to your point, you watch the film and you've
seen the tendencies of these Okay, I can read things differently,
whereas you know, when you're twenty one, twenty two, twenty
three years old, maybe you don't understand that like you
do now.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Yeah, yeah, I think I think it's uh, you know,
sometimes it could be more so like guys thinking about
what his job is versus like what's what's the offense
trying to give you?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Mm hm.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And you know, the more you you understand defensive concepts,
like you can you can plug and play, you know,
I feel like like every every defense, Like just like defense,
the same with offense. You know, you only have so
many plays, so many coverages, so many different types of
you know, every team might have their little tweaks and
things they like to do a little bit differently within
(17:50):
that coverage, but in the in the end, it's all
you know, single high, too high, you know, cover three
to cover two quarters.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
People playing this game a long time, there's not that
many Yeah, changes over hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Years, right right.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I would think a big adjustment to though, is in
the man coverage world, there aren't many McCaffrey's and camaras
and kittles, and you know, the tight end and running
back route runners in this league are so much better
than in college mm hmm. Oh yeah, yeah, I mean
it's not even close.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Yeah, And that's why, you know, I feel like this
position has changed. You know, you got to be able
to cover, you got to be able to play, you know,
because there's always going to be an incident where you're
matched up on a wide out, yeah, or you're on
a slot on a slot, you're on a receiving tight end,
you're on a receiving running back.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Like, and they're all shaped different to move differently.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Different.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah, I feel like the you know, the way linebackers
play has changed a little bit, a lot of aspect
of of you know, you've got to be able to
run and hit, and you got to be able to cover,
and you gotta able.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
To play running.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
So you get through this ot sessions that you've been
doing this now for a few weeks with your with
your new teammates. Uh, you settling in here pretty well?
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yeah, No, love the guys, love the competition that they
bring out here. I mean I love the coach staff
like it's it's it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be
a fun, fun year for the for the kid.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So another huge portion of your position, this has always
been the case. It's communication and getting the calls in
and out. Do you expect to get a lot of
those responsibilities, you know in terms Yeah, you getting on
the field with your with your guy as well and
absolutely getting all the play calls where they need to be.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Communications, communications key, you know, like I just want to
make sure everybody's on that same page and we all
get everything figured out. And you know, whatever my role
needs to be, I'll do it to the best of
my abilities. And you know, I'd love to I like
running it. I would love to do that.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Were you a Green Dot guy in Washington, I thought, so, yeah, great.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Now for fans who don't understand what what goes into
I mean, you obviously have to not only communicate to
your teammates what the play call is, but you have
to understand it a little bit more so than everybody.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Do you look at.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
The it's it's a big picture kind of thing. Big
picture of a small picture, you know. I think, I
think when you're calling it, you really do have to
have a full understanding of the defensive call in its entirety,
just because so many things can change within that one call.
There there canna be a laundry list of checks that
you might have to make or adjustments that we're gonna, Hey,
(20:16):
if they do this, we're gonna change this.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
If they do this, we're gonna we're gonna adjust this way.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
So I feel like when you're when you're that play call,
you have to be able to anticipate that it's gonna happen.
It's not like a react like, oh, snap, it happened. Yeah,
now we're adjusting.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
I got this guy, and that's what.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah, I feel like It's like it's like chess.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You're thinking Tumo's ad and so you're always anticipating what
could possibly happen. You know, what adjustment you're gonna have
to make if they do this, if they do that.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
So fans ask me a lot. They're like, why would
a middle linebacker, inside linebacker tap a D tackle on
the button move them over six inches? Like how could
that possibly matter? It matters a ton, doesn't. It's in
the right alignment in front.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Of Yeah, alignments mean a lot, and you know, I
mean that's it goes. It goes both ways as within.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
You know, not only D line alignment, but our alignments
and learnebackers. You know, it changes.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It can change blocking schemes, like you know where they're targeting,
who they're targeting.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So, yeah, the little things mean a time.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Are you health wise?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
You you're back close to feeling feeling good man.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
I'm I'm trumping at the bit, but you know you're
we're still taking a little slow, but.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Just being smart with it. I mean, yeah, the idea
is to play seventeen games, not exactly practices in May.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Yes, sir, be ready to be ready for September. And
I think you know our coaches, you know training staff.
They all have the right mindset, and you know I'm
behind them one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Now, are you a guy that, sorry, Matt, are you
a guy that can sit and watch from the sideline
and still get your mental reption? Some guys have to
be on field and stuff.
Speaker 4 (21:50):
No, I mean that's that's been the story of my life.
So I've obviously learned how to get good at that.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, you weren't really handed anything that the field, whether
you deserve it or not, so that it's a good
looking at it. If we're not gonna ask you, you
plan on participating in all all nine and assuming the injuries, Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
And yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever they allow me to do,
I'm gonna I'm gonna participate. I'm gonna go go one
hundred percent with whatever they allow me to do, and
wherever they tell me. I gotta chill out a little bit, like, Okay, yeah,
I'm sure that's hard to do, but yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
It is, man, I'm competitive competitive.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
You need to get to the starting line though. Oh yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
You go from college, uh in North Carolina, you go
to Washington still kind of in that same southern area here,
what's it been like for you, h here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Oh, man, I love it up here.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
I mean I got I got a lot of family
actually from upstate New York and uh, you know, so
I've been up that way a couple of times, and man,
it's been beautiful in the past couple of weeks. We'll
see when.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Wait till I get November is ship.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Yeah, but you're settled in with your house and know
everything's and everything figured out.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I mean, I got the guys have been awesome. They've
showed me, showed me around the town.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Well, you know, show me the ropes, good spots to eat. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Traffic's not quite as bad here as it is in Washington. No,
we have some times a day that it's a little.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Different, but but it's it's nothing like that.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
So for people didn't know you were a walk on North.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Carolina correct, Yeah, yeah, just calling schools asking if I can, Yeah,
who who would let me come to their school? It's
gonna go walk on a duke at first, and then
that fell through and then went to North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
It's been a good student in high school.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Yeah, yeah, high school. Yeah, I mean once I got
to once I got there, I was like, okay, I
can I can compete with these guys. So, you know,
the mindset I had going into it definitely changed. And
I was like, I'm I'm on a scholarship and I'm
gonna earn one. I'm gonna do whatever it takes.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
And so it just dawned on me. I mean, with
Isaac being an Eagle and the guard and you being
in the division, you guys took each other on quite
a bit. You know, what, what are the Steelers getting
in him? And there looks like a starting car?
Speaker 4 (24:03):
Dude, I mean, should we got three guys that were
formerly with Philly?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, her break, I guess them. Yeah, okay, give us
a scouting report.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Did there?
Speaker 4 (24:13):
I'm like that was I thought Philadelphia's the line was
one of the best lines in all around. And you know,
Isaac was one of them. He was he was a dog,
and I thought like that entire line had my respect. Yeah,
hard to play against. Yeah, No, they all were. They
all were had their strengths, they all had they were
all good. They were all you know, Jason freaking the
(24:35):
leader of the group, and yeah, right, like I always said,
he was like a gnat. He's just fast, just never
go away. But no, they were all they like I said,
they all have my respect and I played all of them.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
And you know, I think we got some some great players.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, I think Steelers made some nice editions from your
division as a former division.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Absolutely, Well, we'll let you go here. I'm sure you
have a busy day here. I guess it's been Cole Hulcombe,
the Steelers that new in linebacker, and well, we appreciate
you coming on.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Cole.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Absolutely, thanks for having melcome, Absolutely welcome to Pittsburgh and
hope by everybody enjoyed hearing from Cole.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Absolutely good stuff, good stuff from Cole.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
He is Matt Williamson, I am Dale, Allie, you're listening
to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN
nine to seventy. That was just one of the many
guests we're going to get here over the next couple
of weeks, so you don't want to miss that good
stuff from Cole Holcombe. Welcome addition to this team.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Yeah, I think he's a really nice pickup to be
honest with you, and hadn't thought about boy, he did
battle with a lot of those Eagles that are now
on this field as well, again, a sending player had
some good things to say about things you and I
have talked about at length, you know, and becoming a
linebacker in this league takes a lot of reps, a
lot of film work, you know, not biting on things,
(25:48):
you know, things of that nature. So I think they're
getting him at the right time of his career.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Yeah, absolutely, if you look at it. He's played four
seasons in the league, was a starter as a rookie.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah, for Washington, he.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Mentioned, you get manipulated a little bit there, but even
at that.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Even a minute, he's like, I bit them play.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Actually yeah, but if you look at the production, you know,
one hundred and five tackles that rookie year again a
little bit of injury issue. Year two played eleven games,
started ten, but year three sixteen games, one hundred and
forty two tackles.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
You know, just when used every down player at that point, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Seven pass defenses, you know, so he can't get back
and cover two forced funnels. He had three forced fumbles
his rookie year. Two interceptions.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, he does have good ball skills, and you know
he's I don't think balls will clank off his hands too.
Often he does find the football and has some soft hands. Oh,
he finds a football. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Even last year, you know, only seven games because of
that foot injury, sixty nine tackles in that season.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
He started off a house of fire.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Yeah, I mean you're averaging ten tackles per game.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
And not that like the rest of the league didn't
even know who he was. But I do think a
lot of the media and articles, and hey, I write
them too, of these are some exciting free agents could
easily overlook because Washington wasn't the most fun team to watch,
you know, to be honest with you, and he missed
a big portion of the season, But every year was
better than the one before, and that was really true
(27:15):
this past year. I mean, he was definitely on pace
to have his best season in a highly productive season
by any linebacker metric or numbers.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, absolutely, But we're gonna take a break. He is
Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lollie. You're listening to a
special edition of The Drive here from the upmc rooney
Sports Complex. The Steelers just wrapping up their OTA sessions here.
Still some guys out there working on the field as
you would expect, and well We'll continue to work here
raight through the one o'clock hour. We're gonna take a
(27:43):
break right now. We'll be back with more right after
this Black Him Gold Football leaves here. Twenty four to seven,
you're listening to SNR
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