The Training Camp Report - Day 4

Tom Opferman and Bob Labriola discuss the latest news and updates from the Steelers training camp on a Saturday.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Man, we're really excited to be here. It's awesome to
get started, and so now we take off. Hec's the
training camp report what Tom Opperman and Bob Labriola on
Steelers Nation Radio Labs after day three of training camp
practice yesterday, you know, I thought we had it all
figured out, or excuse me, after day two, I thought
we had it all figured out. We named the starting

(00:28):
quarterback Mitch Dubinsky. He dominated seven shots. The team was jelling.
Then yesterday happens, and the quarterbacks can never get it going.
I don't know who's going to be the starter. Now
the team can't stop fighting with each other. I go
to log onto your practice report, get a little optimism
because you're just always sunshine and rainbows there and you're
saying they can never get things going. It's just one
of those days at camp. I mean, a total one

(00:51):
eight from my attitude just two days ago, Labs. I
can't believe it. That's that's and that's what training camp is. Coaster.
Get on and you know the bar that has in
front of you when they put that thing down, you know,
just the strap you and hold on because it's this is,
this is and it's part of the the test of

(01:12):
this process. Um, because you know we were talking about, uh,
one of the other days. Anybody can do it one
in a row, once in a row. Uh, it's how
many days in a row can you do it? How
do you bounce back from you know, a bad night's
sleep or you know, you just it's just one of
those days. And that was yesterday. I kind of thought,

(01:37):
you know that the weather on uh, let's see today
is Saturday Thursday. I see, I did that too in
the open. It's hard to keep track already. Man, they're
already blurned together then because they're all the same. That's
that's the thing they are. No, they are um a
lot of times, you know you look at the schedule

(01:58):
and it's you know what days, it's the date. Where
are we here? Um? So I kind of thought that
it might have been because of the rain. You know,
maybe that's the day that just kind of is just
pulling teeth. But they got through that one pretty good. Um.
So it wasn't then. And then you know, you fool

(02:19):
yourself into thinking, well, hey, maybe you know there isn't
gonna be one of those. Well there was, and it
was yesterday, and uh, you just felt it. I mean,
I even was tired of watching, uh, paddless practice. I
can imagine the players are tired of participating. You know,
you're not excuse me, you're not a lot of hit anybody. Um,

(02:42):
they're trying to protect the players, but you know, guys
are getting short and they're tired of playing against the
same guys all the time. It was I said, it
was just one of those days, and that was that
was yesterday. Hopefully today is different. You know, the sun's
out already. Uh, I'm not supposed to it all up here. Uh,
and tomorrow's the day off, so there is a light

(03:04):
at the end of the tunnel for these guys and um,
so we'll see how they respond. I mean, nothing really
illustrates what you said about these guys really want to
start to put the pads on. Then they hit that
Kazi the safety laid on cal Austin. I mean, it
was one of the talks of practice yesterday. He came
over and just really lit him up for without having
pads on. So I'm sure the players are really chomping

(03:25):
at the bit to to strap up on Monday and
get things going. And like you said, light at the
end of the tunnel today. So I'm sure the players
are gonna do a little bit better. You know, they
want to get through this practice, but they want to
do it the right way, especially, you know, bouncing back
from yesterday. I'm sure coach Tomlin gave him a decent
earful with the night film session, saying, hey, you know,
we gotta bounce back from this. We gotta use this

(03:45):
as a learning opportunity. Yeah. And you know, for me,
as torturous as it was, I'm sure that the coaches,
you know, we're able to find some things good and
then also use the bad um, you know, to to
give it some value. You want, you wanted to have
some value, and I'm sure that they were able to

(04:07):
find some things, uh to do just that well, as
he always does. Coach t spoke to the media following
the practice yesterday. So let's hear from coach Tomlin and
his thoughts following days three's practice and another awesome day
of team development. Um nice weather today. Um, but you know,
we don't complain about whether we don't have control over that.

(04:27):
It's about what we do and the culture that we're
working to create. The guys are working extremely hard and
growing there some EBB and flow obviously when you're competing
stealers versus steelers. And we'll look at the tape and
use that as a tool to learn and develop individually
and collectively from a health standpoint. UM, not a lot
new to talk about. Just update on some guys I've
talked to you about yesterday. Fryar Moove has a hamstring.

(04:49):
He probably can be characterizes day to day. UM. Levi
Wallace is is ill. It could be characterized as his
day to day his status quote for the others, Chase
Playpool wasn't able to finish. He has UH shoulder injury.
UM is being evaluated. UM, don't notice severity of it.
I'll let you know when I do. UM. But again,
that's a component of this thing. UH, that's team development. UM.

(05:12):
That people that are gonna end up on this list,
and it's less about the people that are on this list.
We acknowledge that injury is a part of it. Unfortunately,
we tend to focus our energies on the opportunity that
that it may create for others. Um pror Moose not
working today, man, So it's an opportunity for Jason to
work and show his skills in a different group for example,
And and that's something that we talked about last night

(05:34):
as a team will continue to highlight because I want
these guys to know that in an environment like this,
opportunity is gonna knock. You never know when it's gonna
knock for you to advance and get some more reps
or or work in a different group. But they've got
to be continually working so that they're ready to seize
those moments. Pause and open it up for questions like
you guys are using a lot more tight and heavy packages,

(05:55):
especially in seven shots. Are you guys expecting more out
of that group that this year? Even when that pass
that's not having Almo at all. You know, we're capable
of using multiple tight ends, uh, multiple receiver sets. From
a personnel standpoint, offensively, we desire to be versatile and multiple.
It's four to six Uh. I'd rather say WHOA than

(06:15):
sick him? And in that instance WHOA game though, we'll see,
we'll see. Like you mentioned opportunities for others, Sack Gentry,
how much you just seeing him grow and made a
big combat uti man Zack has been a guy in
development since he's been here. It started first with his body.
You know, those of you guys have been around you know,

(06:36):
he has really put on some weight and things of
that nature, and WILLI embraced the role that he's in
the process of carving out for himself. Um, it's just
been a natural, a nice natural maturation process over over
the time that he's been here, and it's reasonable to
expect and continue. He's been doing a good job. Mike,
what happened on the play with the chase? Since? Is
there any more concerned that you're already down where your

(06:57):
starters there? Not? There's not any concern. I really know
when it when it occurred. To be honest with you, UM,
it's probably not serious, and so we don't have a
high level concern regarding the question their jazz thing is
to happen there at the end. Is that something you've
discouraged or you're just let me play out? You guys
been around me long enough to know. UM, I'm not
gonna ask the questions about every skirmish that breaks out.

(07:20):
We're working hard, we're competing our tails off. An environment
like this as an opportunity to teach and learn not
only from a competitive standpoint, but professionalism standpoint. Working to
keep it professional and um. From time to time it happens,
none of us like it, but it's a teach opportunity
and so that would be my response anytime you guys
ask me about a skirmish. Thank you. That was coach

(07:42):
Tomlins speaking to the media following day three's practice yesterday
and labs there's a lot of stuff to get into there,
but how can you not sink your teeth into that
answer that he gave at the end with the skirmish
and the short fuses that we saw with a couple
of dust stops between Steelers. Uh, First of all, my
first takeaway is that's the shortest press conference we've had,
and it's gotten shorter every single day. And the reporters

(08:04):
might have had another question loaded up or two loaded
up after that one, but Mike Tomlin wasn't going to
give them any more answers after that. That was clear. Well, yeah,
I mean that's uh, that's we talked about how over
the course of the training camp. Uh, you know, he
gets short too, he gets tired. And the one thing
that I was happy about was that it didn't start

(08:27):
off with have you picked your starting quarterback yet? As
a couple of the others have because that would have
just put a started off on a wrong foot and
he will probably wouldn't have even lasted as long as
he did. Uh in this one. Just a couple of
other procedural things that if you noticed, nobody asked the
question about the skirmish because you knew what was going

(08:49):
to happen. You know, that's a that's a press conference
ending question. So if you haven't there's any other information
you want, you know, the savvy media thing to do
is you don't ask that, earl, because that's gonna be
the end. And if and you also heard uh PR
director Burt Lowton right before that question was asked, he

(09:10):
he tried to get out of it and he said
anything else, and he was if that question didn't come instantly,
Mike Tom would have said thank you and it's over.
And you didn't even get the question in. But you know,
the media, it's a legitimate question. I mean, I want
to I want to make that clear. So you know,
these are some of the things that as I'm standing

(09:30):
there listening to that, you know, I smile a little
bit because you know, everybody's doing their job. You know,
Bert's trying to get him out of it. The media
needs to get get some information about it, um, and uh,
you know, Mike Tomas is trying to get out of
there as quick as possible, and you know he cut
it off himself, so there was no follow up. You know, yeah, exactly. Well,

(09:51):
let's let's talk about those those little skirmishes for a
little bit here. And you know, the one guy that
was a part of both of them, as you noted
in your practice report, was Carlos Davis. I took away
from it that kind of what we were saying at
the open of the show. Here, these guys are just
dying to get these pads on. Man. You know, it's
been three days now in a row of you know, yeah,
it's not exactly a walkthrough. It's a little bit more

(10:13):
intense than that. But you can't exactly play football. And
I mean that's what these guys have dedicated their lives
to doing. So once you get to that third day
in a row where you can't put the pads on
and you can't really you know, exercise some frustration on
the field. I just think it gets to a lot
of guys. Yeah, it would, it would seem to make sense.
I mean, I certainly have never experienced anything uh like

(10:36):
that firsthand. We're both lovers, not fighters on this shoes. Yeah,
well or non athletes you know, however you want to
describe it. But you know the other thing is, you
know they're guys. You know, Carlos Stavis is an example.
I'm not not to no disrespect menting, but he is
on the bubble. You know, he's not a shoe in
for a roster spot. You know, it was a seventh

(10:59):
round pick, so he's pretty much got to establish himself
every summer. So you know, I can imagine, you know,
Carlos Davis is a personal situation in terms of you know,
his roster security or lack thereof, um. Plus the fact,
you know, the Steelers are uh coming to this camp
on the heels of finishing last in the NFL and

(11:22):
run defense for the first time in franchise history. So
you know, there's a lot of those things kind of percolating.
And as you mentioned, you know, you if you're a
defensive lineman, you know, being physical as part of your game.
I mean that that puts food on your table, that
pays your mortgage, and so you know you're kind of
not allowed to do that, and so you're you're you're

(11:44):
seeing how these things are going. And as you mentioned,
you're tired of it. He had to be tired of it. Um,
and so you know, you you kind of let your
emotions maybe get the best of you. And um, you
know the guy that he was involved within the first
one was kind of Kendrick Green. Um, he's another guy.
Now he's certainly, in my opinion, uh not as much

(12:06):
on the roster bubble as Carlos Davis, but he's alternating
with Kevin Dotson for a starting spot. It was a
starter last year, it was a starter in college, and
now you know you're looking at a situation where you
know you may not be a starter. And so he's
got some things that he wants to prove and show
and all that stuff. And you know it's it's training camp.

(12:29):
As I say, it's this is you know, you're tired
of looking at these same guys. You're tired of living
in the dormitory, You're tired of eating the same food.
I mean, you're tired of every day being all football
all the time. It has a it has a purpose, granted,
but you know, not every day is is unicorns and rainbows.

(12:51):
I mean, it's just not so um. You know, those
things happen, and the Steelers are one of the few
teams in the league that do not put, you know,
for example, a red shirt on the quarterbacks to remind
everybody not to hit them. You know, Mike Toomblin has
always been of the philosophy that, you know, you teach professionalism,

(13:13):
you teach how to you know, practice professionally and those
kind of things. And you know, I'm saying this, this
isn't something that he said. I believe that he believes
that if you have to be reminded not to hit
the quarterback with a red shirt, maybe this isn't your profession.

(13:34):
You know. Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. You
need to be able to think the game when you're
out there, and that's just a little thing that you
can do to try to instill that in people. Right. So, um,
I thought personally that his answer to the question was
about as effusive as he's ever been on the subject,
because usually because that's he doesn't want to deal with
that publicly. I'm sure that there were some um words

(13:59):
spoken um at probably a higher volume than is normally
socially acceptable. Reminding people about that. Uh, and let me
say this too. I don't know for sure that that
was the last play of practice, but it became the
last play of practice. Um, you just end it because

(14:20):
there's no sense in lining them up again. And you
know at that point, right right, you're right, don't try,
you know, don't try and dodge all the rain but
rain drops, it's just not worth it. Um, let's just
get out of here before you know, something happens and
somebody gets hurt and then, you know, because I remember

(14:42):
the time Antonio Brown and Mike Taylor through punches and
they had helmets on. I mean, you know, how how
foolish is that? Anytime I see any football player throw
a punch to another man's helmet, I'm just like, come on, man,
what are you? What are you doing there? Yeah, because
unlike you know, even in hockey, those helmets are not

(15:04):
on is securely you know, as a buckle chap in
the air, you can give him a nice little pop there. Yeah.
Or you know a lot of times the face mask
when hockey is just that piece of plastic with the
right that cage. Um. So yeah, it's it's you must

(15:26):
be really angry and not thinking clearly clearly to to
believe that, hey, I'm gonna throw a fist without a
glove on my hand, or not a boxing glove, without
a boxing glove on my hand. That's someone wearing one
of those helmets and think that that's gonna come out
good for you. So you just want to kind of
separate everybody. Uh and uh, you know, live to fight

(15:48):
another day. Well, one other thing that Toman touched on
was something well not not literally fight. Yeah, we're done
with that. We're trying to move on from literally fighting.
One other thing that Toma said was something that you
kind of talked about before we listened to him, and
that was, you know, using yesterday as a learning experience
and trying to grow from it. You know, you don't
get better by being perfect. You know, you need to

(16:10):
make some mistakes so you know where your weaknesses are
and you can improve. So when we come back on
the other side of the break, I want to touch
on that. I want to talk about the offense during
seven shots and throughout most of practice, just never really
getting a flow for things. And I want to touch
on the defense as well. They've been the star of
the first three days, so we'll talk about the defensive
side of the vault, and we'll hear from outside linebacker
Alex Highsmith as well. That's all on the way next

(16:32):
on the Training Camp Report right here on SNRC. Start
Training Camp Report with Tom Opperman and Bob Labriola on
Steelers Nation Radio. Practice yesterday for the Steelers left a
lot to be desired. To put it nicely, we just

(16:52):
heard from coach Tom Win in the past segments saying
that they need to use it as a learning experience.
And lads, you noted that the tone for the practice
this and for the offense specifically, never really getting into
a flow yesterday was was pretty much set out of
the gate and seven shots it It wasn't as uh,
let's say, up to the bar of the performance they

(17:13):
set just the day prior when they won the first
seven shots of the training camp experience. Right, rarely do
you see it decided? You know, it's seven shots, so
it's you know, analogous to a seven game series in
the NBA, and um, you know it was a sweep.
Um you know, the defense won the first four reps

(17:34):
and so uh you know that it's over. But and
then they help then they added another one to actually
win the um you know, the drill five to two,
and there were some plays made by the defense. UM,
but there was just there was some other plays where
the protection broke down. Uh. There were plays where um,

(17:57):
you know, bad throws by the quarterback. There were placed
where nobody was open um. So you know, it was
just kind of out of sink and just not not
aesthetically pleasing in the least. But I'm sure that once
they got the video, there were reasons for some of this,

(18:17):
and I'm sure that a lot of that was built
into the teaching moments that you know, Mike Tomber referred
to that you can find even in a practice like
that one that for someone like me, you know, was
boring and disjointed and uh, seemed to be pointless. Now
I know everybody out there wants to hear about how
the quarterbacks did. Uh. Kenny Pickett did not participate again

(18:41):
in seven shots for the second day in a row.
Mitch Drabinski was the first quarterback to get a crack
at it, and he was the one that got swept.
He went oh for four. Uh. Some defensive plays made
by Terrell Edmonds and t. J. Watt during that period
with Mitch in the game, and then Mason came in
into his credit got two points for the offense right away,
and then, like you said, the defense stole that extra

(19:02):
game to go up five to two with Mason's last play.
But you said yesterday on our show, you know, people
aren't gonna want to hear this, but Mason has been
the best of the quarterbacks so far. I know it's
hard to label somebody as the best in a practice
like yesterday, But did you see more of the same
where he seemed to be a little bit ahead of
the curve than the other two. Yes, And you know,

(19:23):
but just to be fair, um, one of the two
uh reps that the offense, one under Mason Rudolph was
a blown coverage. I mean the first play Mason Rudolph
was on the field. Um, they Jeremy McNichols. Uh, the
new running back, they were, the guy who was signed.
His camp was gonna open, you know, just like flared

(19:45):
out of the backfield and he was so wide open.
There wasn't a defensive player I don't think within seven
to ten yards of him in any direction. Uh. You know,
Mason laid it out and he made the catch and
kind of you know, jogged across the goal line, so
you know that was that was a bust by the
defense as opposed to a good play by the offense.

(20:05):
Not that's a game. You know, they all count the same.
It's a touchdown, whether you know it's a great play
or uh, you know the other team messes it up.
So but even even when they when the offense was
successful in the drill, it wasn't necessarily because of something
that they did well. Now blown coverage aside, it's fair

(20:28):
to say that the defense has been better than the
offense in the first week of training camp here. And
I don't think that's anything that you can really read
that much into, being so early in the process, but hey,
we have to fill an hour, so let's try to
read into it anyway. Is that maybe just a product
of that's just a much more veteran side of the football.
I know there's a lot of youth out there, and

(20:48):
I know it's not just you know, the first team
defense that's making the plays. The second teamers and the
third teamers have been making plays as well, But is
it just clear that that side has a lot more
of the veteran presence, and you know, they've been there
and done that a lot more than the the offense. Yeah,
I mean you've got, you know, the defensive player of
the reigning defensive player of the year over there. Uh,
you got a first team All Pro on the defensive line. Um.

(21:13):
And it's just there's frankly, there's a lot more expected,
you know, of the defense than the offense to start.
And um, you know they're really not running the ball yet,
They're they're not in pads. You know, there are certain
things that you know, kind of lend itself, uh to

(21:36):
an advantage for the defense at this stage now, because
I remember when Mike Tomlin introduced the drill. Um. I
remember it was it wasn't a time when Bennett quarterback,
Legion bell Um, Antonio Brown, Heath Miller Um, and I

(21:56):
forget who the other receivers were. And I'm thinking this
is unfair because they come out and empty. Who who
You're gonna cover them all? You really think? So I don't, um,
And it was it was it was like taking candy
from a baby there. Early on. I mean Ben was
just looking it over. Um. You know, guys would run
quick crossing routes or whatever, and you know, the ball

(22:19):
was right there, and you know what do you if
you get too close, it's interference. Uh, you can't really
jam because then it's holding. Uh you know, you try
and run covered with these guys and that that short area.
It's it's just a to me, it seemed that anyway
at the time, virtually impossible chore. So that was a

(22:39):
time where I thought it was, you know, um, pointless
for the defense. Almost now it's you know, the shoes
on the other foot a little bit. And uh, the
the bulk of the seasoned talent right now, experienced, seasoned,
experienced talent is deep on the defensive side. And you know,

(23:02):
in one sense, it's what you need from the defense. Um, yea,
they should be dominating. I mean that's because I think
that that's what you're gonna this team is going to
have to lean on, certainly early in the season. Is
this defense to assert itself, um, you know, as a
superior unit in a lot of these games, or at

(23:24):
least a unit that is capable of carrying, um, the
team on its back. But you know, you also it's
it also is good for the offense to be going
against this group because you know, once the game they're
in the games. There's not gonna be too many games
early where the unit that the offense is going to

(23:46):
be going up against it's gonna be a whole lot
better than the one they're practicing against every day. So
you know, one of the things that um Mike Tomlin
was asked I believe it was Thursday, was because t
J watch destroys plays. I mean, and and again you're

(24:06):
not hitting or tackling, but he's so quick and athletic.
I mean, he got a sack in seven shots. I
mean it was a touchsack, but still right. Yeah, and
there are other plays where he's just you know, he
just blows off the line of scrimmage on some of
those third down when it's a third down period, third
and eight, third nine, you know they set up a
down and distance situation. Well, you know third nine, and again,
as I said, it's it's training camp. You're trying to

(24:29):
figure out who you're starting quarterback is gonna be. It's
gonna be a pass. So you know, teach Watt, he's
not playing, you know, he's not reading anything. You know,
the snap comes, boy, he treat comes off the line
of scrimmage and he's around that left tackle or right
tackle or you know between sometimes they loop whatever, you know,
and he's in the quarterback's face, and Mike Toma was asked,

(24:50):
you know, he's kind of destroying things when you're trying
to evaluate the offense, and Mike Tomlin said something to
the effect of, I'm never going to try and inhibit
t J. Watt from being t J Watt. So, um,
you know you've got that going on to uh So, anyway,
like I said, it's I don't, I don't. I'm not

(25:11):
gonna blow this side of proportion. But I also think
you know, you look at it and you know, call
it as you see it. It was a bad day
for the offense yesterday. Well. T J. Watt's partner in
crime at the outside linebacking position, Alex Highsmith, spoke to
the media following practice yesterday. Let's hear what Alex had
to say. Now, Larry seems to really feel that Charlotte connecting.

(25:32):
Oh yeah, he does, Yeah, he does. Heah. It's pretty cool.
Just you know, both of us coming from Charlotte be
one if you guys coming from there. It's just pretty cool.
Larry said. The standard by getting drafted in twenty seventeen
and so he just kind of paid the way for
guys like me, Nate Davis, Cam Clark, Benny bay Lamy
been a lucat the guys from Charlotte who uh made
it to the league. Your game, t J said, you're

(25:52):
learning how to finish your way from the next step. Yeah,
that's and that's the goal. You know what the sect
has got to be what I get this year, and
so whether that's just can team and to improve and
team to finish my russias. Because I look back and
watch my film last year, Uh, I was I was
so close. There's so many rushes where I could have finished.
And just working on the little things, just be able
to finish those rushes that I can improve from seven
sacks to to twelve plus. And so that's that's that's

(26:14):
the goal for me. Anything consistent to not finishing I think.
I think it's just just continue to work on my band,
you know, because it's a few times I noticed where
I was, I was ripping, uh and been around the
corner in the Corbeck just stepped up, I got pushed by.
So I just working a little things like that, just
continue working my get off and just my pastors moves
as well. So I'm just decided for the year, year ahead,
and I feel like it's been a good start so far.
Coming on Monday, how any coming to the day, I'm

(26:35):
ready for it. I think we're already for I think yesterday, uh,
you know, get some guys were you know, we're getting
after it. So I think everyone's ready. Put the pads on.
It's gonna be it. It's gonna be awesome day on Monday.
I can't waiting for you for next week. Just the honestly,
the competition drills and team run that's gonna that's gonna be.
That's gonna be uh a fun drill. So I always
enjoy that one change. It's much change with Carroll as

(26:56):
a defensive coordinator this year compared to what Butler did
last year. He's been great so far now t A
I'm coming in just means he's been great for so far.
So I'm just thankful to have him as our defensive CORNERA.
I know a lot of the guys are because he's
been here in the past few years, so everyone knows
hithing Um. So I think just a lot of guys
are just familiar with him and just having him in

(27:16):
the building. So it's been awesome to see him running
the defense. Now that's what the changes one Monday, especially
for you guys. How different is it? And not much
more can we read into what's going on on there?
It's football on Monday. It is It's is what you do,
you know, the physicality changes, physically turns up an intensity
turns up a notch and so, like I said, I'm
excited to see that. First day of paths is always intense,

(27:38):
and so I'm really excited to see it, you know, hoping, Uh,
I think whether day is good and everything, so we
just have to have a great days back or something
you look forward to. Oh yeah, always yeah. All the
other competition drills I look forward to. And so I
like how coach t says it's not football, but it's
football like, and so just really simulating those type of
drills that you get, uh in a in a game consistently.
That was Steelers third year outside linebacker Elex Highsmith with

(28:00):
a special cameo appearance labs from Naji Harris as he
did a little drive by there during Alex Highsmith's scrum.
But one thing that I really liked hearing from him.
Is the goal being double digit sacks this year? Um,
that has to be the case for him. He's talked
about working on his bend a little bit more, you know,
closing down his his route to the quarterback, making it

(28:21):
more efficient so that the quarterback can't just step up
in the pocket and get away from him. And that's
all familiar stuff, you know, for young outside linebackers to
to really hone in as they make the transition into
the NFL. That's that's nothing out of the ordinary for
a guy in his shoes, just entering his third year,
second as a starter. Yeah, and you know the Steelers
are gonna need um Alex Highsmith to really uh compliment

(28:45):
and um by compliment, that's compliment with a knee uh
t J Watt Because as of right now anyway, there's
not a whole lot of depth there but outside linebacker.
And so you know, the Steelers are gonna need these guys,
their starters, to remain available and be productive because it's
not a situation where, um, you know, you can just

(29:09):
rotate somebody else in to pick up the slack. I
mean right now, what they're trying to do is find
someone or two guys or However, you know it's going
to have to work out who can just provide some
quality snaps so that those guys can maybe take a
breathering games a little bit, so that they have that
burst of energy when they needed at a critical moment

(29:31):
or a critical down and distance situation. So, um, yeah,
alex hehig Smith came into this league. You know, I
remember when when the Steelers drafted him. Brian Baldinger of
NFL networked a long time lineman in the league, uh
pos on Twitter posted a little highlight package of Alex

(29:53):
Higsmith from college and the point that he made, and
he said, he really likes this guy because he's coming
into the league with secondary moves. He said, you very
rarely see that from a college player coming into the
NFL because usually you know, a college player who is
good enough to be drafted, saying the third round is

(30:13):
as primarily a pass rusher or three four outside linebacker
age player, whatever you want to call him. Um, you
know they've been better than the of the competition they
faced during their college career, and so uh in a
lot of instances, these guys have one move, but it's
good enough that it works for them. So but when

(30:33):
you get into the NFL, that's not the case, and
especially it's not the case after a few games and
video starts getting getting around the league, and guys are
studying video and they learned, well, if this guy can
only do one thing, so you, as an offensive lineman,
you load up to stop that one move. But he
said then he was showing Brian Baldinger, meaning he he

(30:54):
was showing what Alex Highsmith is able to do with
his hands and you know, some second dairy moves where
if he come if he came off the ball and
his primary or initial rush was stopped, you know, he
had the ability to go to something else and continue
to push towards the quarterback. And you know a lot

(31:15):
of times that takes years for young pass rushers to
develop and learn and become confident enough in that, um,
you know, to use it in a critical situation. You know,
it's like a picture being able to throw a you know,
three two change up with the bases loaded. So, um,
that's my point is that that's this is this is

(31:38):
a good critical season, big season for Alex Heigsmith kind
of put some of these things together. In his interview,
he was talking about not quite finishing, you know, getting close,
but not there. Uh, maybe bending a little bit more
so that we're in a in a better way so
that he doesn't just get pushed past the quarterback. Uh So, yeah,

(31:58):
this is it's his third season. It's this is time
I think in terms of what the Steelers need for
him for it to come together. And um, you know,
he had seven sacks last year. If he could get
into double digits, which is only three more, it's you say,
only three more, but that's a that's a big difference
in the NFL, especially because the guy on the other

(32:20):
side of him is is taking a decent amount away
from him himself. I mean, you might have a perfect
pass rush, but guess what number nine he had an
even better one. Yeah. And you know, and that's part
of the competition too for Alex Heisman. If you want
to be able to defeat the opponent in front of you,
you better get get there before your teammate too. There's that.

(32:40):
When we come back, we'll wrap up the training camp report.
Labs had some individual flashes that he made note of
in his practice report from yesterday, so we'll touch on those.
We'll talk about the rotation at guard Deonte Johnson status,
and of course it's a big day for Steelers Nation
as the Hall of Honor class is announced today at
training camp. All that is on the way next year
on the Steelers Training Camp Report right here on Steelers

(33:03):
Nation Radio. Sees the training camp Report with Tom Opperman
at Bob Labriola on Steelers Nation Radio. Before we get
to some of the guys that flashed individually for your
labs at Day threes practice yesterday, just a couple of
quick notes that I wanted to mention. The rotation at

(33:26):
left guard continued. It was Dodson's turn yesterday. He replaced
Kendrick Green who replaced him from the day prior, So
that rotation we can expect that to continue. And Deonte
Johnson uh still practicing his hold in was doing some
work on his own during the team activities from yesterday. Yeah,

(33:46):
I mean, and I think that well, certainly, the rotation
at left guard, I would imagine we'll see that moving
into the preseason games, because really, if you're gonna, you know,
pick a guy there, you need to see it, um
you know, in in as close to real football as
you're gonna get. The Deonte Johnson thing, Uh, continues, and UM,

(34:10):
you know, we'll see how how it turns out. Uh.
I think that you know, it's one of those situations where, um,
you know you'd like to see him come back, but
it has to be you know, at a at a
reasonable you know, a salary that you know fits with
his place on the team and and fits with his place,

(34:31):
you know, among the league's receivers. So you know, hopefully
something gets done Uh that uh falls into those categories
and it gets done soon. Well. One guy at Dante
Johnson's position has really been turning heads in the early
going of training camp, and he's the guy I want
to lead off with here in some of your individual
highlights that you noted from yesterday. Uh, one play at

(34:53):
Kello Weaerspoon covering George Pickens tried to make an interception
Whetherspoon did and Pickens just ripped the ball right away
from him. Uh everything I hear. I was up there
a couple of days and saw him in person. Uh.
The guy just seems to be the darling of the
camp in the early going and someone that everybody seems
to be really excited to see what he can bring
to the table this year. Yeah, I mean he's got

(35:14):
it all. He's got the size, uh, the speed, he
has some um, some of the finer points of being
a received a professional wide receiver that other college players
do not have this quickly into their professional careers. Uh.
You know, George Pickens played in the SEC, played for Georgia,

(35:35):
that the team that won the Closed Football Playoff last year.
So um, you know, I would imagine that his experience
going against that defense, that Bulldogs defense, as an example,
helped him hone a lot of his skills, the ones
that he's the ones that he's now you know, showcasing

(35:56):
in his very first NFL training camp. So this is
a guy, you know, and he can he can line
up with a lot of different spots too. I mean
he's not just a you know, as Mike Tomlin would say,
a one trick pony. So he is getting a lot
of valuable time with the first group, which he deserves.

(36:17):
And now with you know, Chase Claypool's shoulder injury, you know,
we still don't know how serious it is. Mike Tomlin
did not seem overly concerned about it, uh as he
brought it up at the end of practice yesterday. But
you know, we'll have to see uh, you know now
who George Pickens could probably expect maybe even a little

(36:38):
bit more to come his way while while Claypool gets
back to full health. H Steve was obviously looking for
more depth at the outside linebacker position. And that's really
an underrated battle in an open spot that could be
filled by anybody really beyond t J and Alex and
the depth chart and TD Moultrie. You noted the undrafted

(36:58):
rookie free agent of a Blue Past offensive tackle Jordan
Tucker for a sack during a third down drill. Hey,
I know that you're not really going to be able to,
you know, create separation between those guys in that position
until the pads come on, but anything you can do
to flash early is good. And TV showed up on
the injury report at the beginning of camp, so it's
good to see him back in the flow of things. Yeah,

(37:19):
his uh, his time on the injury report was just cramps,
So um, you know, that's that's something that I'm sure
that was corrected with, you know, proper hydration, maybe a
little bit of change and diet or whatever. You know
that the trainers and the um conditioning people have in
store for that that kind of situation. But yeah, we'll see. Uh.

(37:40):
You know, Moultrie undrafted rookie from Auburn Um again, you know,
Jordan Tucker, it's not like he blew past. I'll due
respect to Jordan Tucker, it's not like he, you know,
blew past. You know, one of the starters, either Chokes
or Dan Moore junr. But you know again um and
and use this uh line and repeat this line. The

(38:03):
late great Tounch Jokin always said, Um, if you can't
beat the stiffs, you are one. So um. You know
that's and that's how Mike Tomlin organizes and and moves
people around in terms of the depth chart and either
with the whole unit or the individual position groups. Because

(38:24):
if you know, Mike Tomlin will refer to it this way.
You know, if you do good against the JV, then
I'm gonna give you a chance against the varsity. And
then if you do good against the varsity, then you
show you belong. So you know, TV Moultrie needs to
defeat the guys because he's currently third team and there
is no third team. UM in September. You know, there's

(38:45):
first team, their second team, and then there's working at
seven eleven. So, um, you need to you need to
beat defeat the guys that you're going against now so
that you get a chance against the better players in practice,
and then that will get you into the preseason games.
And you know, this is how you kind of build
a reputation and gradually climb your way up the depth chart.

(39:09):
Zach Genter, you knowed made a very nice running catch
over the middle. Anything you can get from him in
the passing game is really just going to be a
bonus this year, wouldn't you say? Yeah? And it was, um,
you know, I couldn't really do the play. The Gentry
made justice with just words. Um, you know, because you
really kind of had to see it. Um. And it

(39:32):
was a nice throw too, because you know they weren't hitting,
so there was that at least you could be, you
know a little bit comfortable as the receiver, um, knowing
you were in traffic that you weren't gonna get lit up. Uh.
But still it was a nice catch. Uh. He had
he had his back kind into the quarterback, so he's

(39:53):
he's got his head tilted back looking for the ball.
It was nicely placed. But you also as a receiver,
you know you can sense there are people around you
and it's an NFL uh secondary so none of them
have good thoughts towards you and your well being. So

(40:13):
Um still making the play, caught it nicely with his
hands held on Um. There was a little jostling, but
you know, nothing major. Uh, But yeah it was. It
was a nice, nice athletic play down the field as
a receiver for a guy who's still it's going to
keep his spot based on being physical at the end

(40:33):
of the line of scrimmage. And finally, this guy has
also been turning some heads. In fact, he's probably the
out of the rookie class behind Pickens, the next guy
in line, has been impressing some people. But you noted
that Kenny Pickett try to quick sideline screen off the
snap and de Marvin Leel just got super high into
the air into the throwing leg and batted the ball down.
And he's been looking pretty decent. And to jump from

(40:56):
camp when you say yeah, I mean quickness, uh, an
athletic ability I think is gonna be uh. The Marvin
Leel's ticket more than strength and power, especially early. And
that's okay. You know, he doesn't need to be um.
You know a banger. Necessarily, you can get the job
done with athletic ability in this league, especially you know

(41:21):
at that position if you're and he was happening to
be outside a defensive end kind of position. Look on
that particular play and yeah, he got he got in
the throwing lane. Uh. He kind of um sensed what
the play was gonna be quickly, which again for a rookie,
you'd like to see that because sometimes those are some

(41:43):
of the things that need to develop as well. Uh.
And he sensed that the ball was coming out fast,
so he got in the throwing lane, got up in
the air, used his uh specific physical abilities in that
situation to make a play, which is another thing shows
an awareness on his part, uh, which is all of

(42:05):
that is good checks a lot of boxes. Steelers practice
today is at one fifty five at St. Vincent's College,
but immortality awaits for former Steelers at about one pm
today as the Hall of Honor class for two is
going to be announced. Labs, you're part of the committee
that decides who the class is going to be. I
know you're not going to spoil the party right now

(42:26):
and give us a sneak preview of who they are.
But maybe you can give us a little insight on
the process that you and the committee goes through to
decide who's going to be the four each season. Well,
you know, one of the things that um I like
to try and consider because in one of the early meetings,
you know Art Rooney, the second the team president, he's
on the committee and he kind of you know, sets

(42:48):
the tone, chairs the the sessions. Um so it's four
people they get inducted or chosen or whatever, you get inducted. So,
um what he asks in one of the early meetings
is for all each of the members of the committee
to bring to put forth names. You know, who do
you think? And then and then you present names, there's

(43:10):
some discussion of them, and then a meeting maybe three
or four weeks later, after having thought about your names
and how they compared everybody else's names, Uh men, you vote.
So one of the things that I always think about
that I believe that each class should have, um I
like a class to represent some different eras in franchise history,

(43:34):
because you know this is this will be the Steelers
ninety season, and you know they're there. I understand that
it did. The team didn't start winning championships until the
nineteen seventies. But that doesn't mean that there weren't players, right,
So you like to see some representation of the old timers,

(43:55):
for lack of a better phrase. And then the other
thing I try and hope for is to excite the
fans about it. I mean, this is something you know,
the fans um, this is something for them as much
as it is you know, historical thing for the franchise.
And I think this class kind of you know, checks

(44:17):
both of those boxes. I think that you know, when
fans learn the people in the class, they're gonna get
excited about it. And uh, it also conserve as a
teaching tool, uh, in terms of exposing them to different
errors and franchise history and some of the players who
were good players and why they were good players. So
I like the class um and and you know, being

(44:39):
on the committee, let me just say this, it's it's
not really a hard job. I mean, it's not like
there aren't no that there aren't a lot of worthy
um candidates. It's more with most of these guys, what
I have found, it's more of a question of when
than if. Because even the guys who were put forth

(44:59):
in the discuss and phase and didn't get voted in.
I wouldn't say that any of those names are not worthy.
You know, it's just gonna only pick four and so um,
it's as I said, it's it's fun. I'm honored to
be a part of it, humbled and uh, I think

(45:20):
it's it's it's always an exciting day. I hope the
fans share my view of it. Oh, they definitely do.
If you're planning on going up to campus today for practice,
make sure you get there early. You're gonna want to
be around for that announcement of the Hall of Honor class.
And also want to remind the fans that the Legends
photo op continues. Today is Charlie Batch Day, So if

(45:41):
you want to go up and chat it up with
Charlie Batch, get an autograph, take a picture with Steelers
former quarterback Charlie Batch. He will be at St. Vincent
today doing that. That'll do it for this edition of
the Training Camp Report. Always a pleasure to have you
guys listening to us. No practice tomorrow, remember that. So
if you were planning on going up to St. Vincent
for tomorrow, there is no practice, so plan on a

(46:02):
different day. We will be back on the air Monday morning,
wrapping up practice from today and looking ahead to the
first padded practice on Monday for Bob Labrielle. I'm Tom Opperman.
Keep it right here on SNR. Wolf and Starks are
up next in the locker room on Steelers Nation Radio.