Which starters suit up and who else to watch Saturday night

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Underground, The steel City Underground, the black
and gold standard for Pittsburgh Steelers coverage. Now here's your hoes.
Joe Kuzma and Brian E.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Rose. Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of the
steel City Underground podcast. My name is Joe Kuzma. Joined
here too. I don't know is it my left by right?
Your left by right? Somewhere over there to the side,
window number two, screen two one. Mister Brian e Roads

(00:36):
here he goes. He's waving, Brian, you gotta have screens
over there.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
No, they're more on wait, let me think, my lie.
And then there's a big one over there, and there's
some more. There's screens everywhere, and there's I don't have enough.
There's screens everywhere. Are you the type that you know
you got red zone going and then you got another
game going? Because like when I watch okay, so when
I watched the Steelers, I find that so I'm distracted,

(01:00):
Like I can't have the Steelers and other games going.
But if it's like the Steelers are playing like a
Sunday night game for example, and it's Sunday at one o'clock,
I might have like Fox, CBS Red Zone NFL network.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
I have a few of them going at the same time.
I never watch more than one thing at a time.
So if these are these screens are not for viewing
television stuff. These are all connected to computers, so they're
computer screens. Now. That being said, you couldn't come watch
on them though I could, but I don't, Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
If I if I was watching the Steelers, that's it.
The Steelers is on, I'm watching the Steelers. If the
Steelers isn't on, I'm watching Red Zone, and I don't
watch anything else because you know what, I don't care.
I don't really want to know everything else. I just
want to know the good stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Like when you get punter highlights or whatever with red Zone. Well,
you know, hey, I mean little curveball to our pregame
preview here for Saturday Steelers hosting at Acrashure. They're only
preseason game that's at home. Seven o'clock kickoff set for Saturday,
August sixteenth. Local broadcast Katie KATV. Of course, that's CBS

(02:20):
in Pittsburgh. If you get that or any of the
local affiliates, check out our website. It's still City out
of Ground dot com. We do have, you know, pretty
much the whole TV, radio and everything else schedule that's
posted there, Steelers Audio Network of course, DVE. So you've
got Bob Pompyani, Charlie Batch, and Missy Matthews on a
TV call, Rob King, Max Starks, and Ramon Foster on

(02:43):
the radio call. And that's about where it is. We're
going to see what starters and who else is going
to play. But before we get to that, Brian, maybe
I'm gonna go with maybe the worst. It's not even
a take, but it's just like the dumbest thing that
I've seen on Soul media in the last twenty four hours,
or at least since we've met. Andrew Philippony saying there's

(03:05):
a rumor out there now that since he's been released
from the Miami Dolphins, and apparently the Steelers are a
fan of picking up players from Miami this offseason or
throughout this year, Odell Beckham Junior is now available and
might be trying out for the team. Yeah, that's the uh,

(03:25):
the fart noises and everything else should start coming. We
need like one of those I need like one of
those consoles where I could hit the no, no, no
or something like that we need the whammy sounds big bucks. Yes, look,
no that's the answer. No, No, I don't buy it

(03:48):
for a second if and I can't even imagine there's a.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
Need to do due diligence on it, right, I mean,
who Odell Beckham Junior hasn't been a say in how
many seasons?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Now? Well, I was looking that up. He's thirty two
years of age. He's November fifth. Wow, what's what those birthdays?
You know? November fourth? November fifth, that's been landing in
that area. That's within a week of mine and my
mom's on November fourth. But yeah, November twenty first, Well
that's a little further off in the distance, so you know,

(04:23):
but it's still November. It's November. Not even the same
zodiac sign, I don't think. But yeah, I mean he's
had a number of these two teams, like the lot
here since twenty twenty one. He split a year with
the Browns and the Rams. We had already said he
was watched. When he was with Cleveland. He did have
a thousand yard receiving season there, but only four touchdowns.

(04:43):
In fact, he hasn't had double digit touchdowns since twenty sixteen.
That is that's bad. You need to wear me noise
for that. So and fails to stay healthy for the
most part for a lot of the teams we saw
it happen. He got hurt with the Rams and then
came back and whatnot into Ravens and he had played
fourteen games of twenty twenty three but only caught thirty

(05:04):
five balls five hundred and sixty five yards three touchdowns
in that offense Miami last year appeared in nine games.
He was only targeted eighteen times, nine catches for fifty
five yards. He's over that age we say is age
thirty one. It's like the kind of our basket robins number,
so to speak, once you hit thirty one. Once you're
over thirty one, all bets are off as a wide
receiver and probably a dB too, But really that wide

(05:27):
receiver kind of what do you want to say where
the line gets drawn when it comes to ages at
that position and whether or not those players are still productive.
So I don't really care if he wants to come
in for you know, a pack of cracker jacks, probably
not even three at this point, I'm not interested. I'm

(05:47):
selling on the thought of Odell Beckham Junior just based
on the rest of the talent on this roster and
training camps already over. So this guy getting on a
moving train and adding yet another per finality to this
locker room, just no, I don't want it.

Speaker 3 (06:03):
This is this is my take. This is the This
is the epitome of a one play guy. One play
has made his name and that's it. As far as
I'm concerned, he's not. He has not produced anything of
massive note other than that one one handed, ridiculous catch touchdown.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
That's it.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
That's the whole reason Odell Beckham Junior is even a thing.
And as I said, he hasn't actually been a thing
in a long time.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
I pass. I one hundred percent passed.

Speaker 3 (06:32):
I called, you know, how many years have I spent
calling Miss h our our current quarterback, mister overrated? So
what I thought, that's you know, that's the that's the
definition of mister overrated is Odell Beckham Junior.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
I was you thought? I mean, you were the first
person I thought of, not only because we were doing
the show today, but I was sitting and I was making,
uh making a coffee, which I desperately need. One isn't
enough on Planet Earth today for me to drink. Apparently
I just got got the pounding headache. I thought it
was the caffeine fits over here. But as soon as
I saw the Odell news, I said, imagine if the

(07:07):
Steelers did sign him, and yet it's another player that
Brian and I have to backtrack on the I still
think he's not on any of it. No, I just
I still look. I will cheer for Aaron now. I
I'm still not happy he's here.

Speaker 3 (07:24):
But I'll cheer for him, and I will evaluate him
based on what he gives the team. And if what
he gives the team at the end of the year
is something great, I'll go, hey, you.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Know what, he had a good season. If it's crap,
I'll go it was crap. Well, I've had I've had
a little more. When it comes to what do you
want to say? My my excitement has been peaked, My
interest has been peaked. This is because you are an
eternal optimist. No optimist. I saw the guy in person,

(07:56):
and I'm like, Okay, there's there might be something there.
There's there's a juster difference between him and everyone else.
And that's where we're at. Which of the Steelers' starters
are actually going to play this Saturday. We have to
assume this is a dress rehearsal. They're not going to
play on a short week Thursday in Carolina. With the
follow up, he had eighteen players who didn't eighteen sixteen.

(08:19):
I forget the number. There was a ton of them,
A pallethora of Pittsburgher's that we're not playing. Say that
again last week of Pittsburgh's plethora playing, plethora of Pittsburgher's
not playing. I wish it was the Panthers because then
that would have worked. But it was the Jaguars. But
they didn't pay against the Jaguars, So that means one
mister Aaron Rodgers gets to get his debut. He gets

(08:43):
to where Tina Rivers are editor's favorite number eight. She's
like gagging over the last few. She says that number
has been cursed as of late. But this will be
Rogers's debut. I believe he's going to play two series.
I think I give him two series. Even if they
score on one of them, they definitely have a good
showing on the second one. I think it'd be a

(09:03):
stretch for him to go through three. And then we've
got to see what other players are handcuffed with him
on that offense is to see which of these players
that set out the previous game and are penciled in,
is you know your Week one starters? Who's going to
play in this game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This
is my opinion on who plays. How might need a

(09:24):
series Aaron Rodgers plays?

Speaker 3 (09:26):
If if they if it's a ten eleven eight nine
play drive resulting in a touchdown.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
I think he's done.

Speaker 3 (09:33):
If anything else happens, then I think he could play
two series.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
That seems fair enough. I'm trying to think who else
you hit your saddles to with this, Like DK Metcalf,
I'm going to probably put in the same same category, right, yeah, yeah,
Dk Metcalf, I think he's going to be tied to Rogers.
Let's see who else here tight ends Pat Fryarmuth, John

(09:59):
new Smith. I think they're pretty much tied to him
as well. But they could get a little extra playing
time maybe with with Mason Rudolph.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
What do you especially if they don't get if they
don't get hit right, if they don't get targeted right,
if if Pat and Joe Neu are not involved in
whatever the first set of series. I'm sure Arthur Smith's
going to try and get them involved. But let's say
they have no catches or that you know, they haven't
been targeted. I would anticipate that they will stay in
until they at least.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
Can get their hands on some kind of a target
before they before they are escorted quietly off the field. Yeah,
you know, it's kind of funny. I'm trying to find
photos here the insert of like the various starters. I
got nothing because the last game, none of these guys
played other than the offensive lot. Yeah, so I think

(10:49):
the offensive lineman keep an eye out for them. They
might get a little more extended time that they need,
that time, they need that time together. Here, we'll show
coach T. Coach T, what are you gonna do? How
are you gonna manage these guys? You gon to make
sure everyoneburg healthy.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
Obviously, the first thing we're gonna do is make Hey,
you're not supposed to that's not no go back to him. Obviously,
we're going to be on a moving train, and uh,
you know, we're going to appreciate what we get and uh,
we don't take it for granted.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
And that's the that's where we're going and uh, you know,
we're going to put the work in and the work
will get done, sharpening iron. I was trying to get
you because you're like, you're like looking down almost like you're,
you know, and channeling your inner Tomlin.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
I was trying to channel my inner Tomlin. I don't
know if I have one, but.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
I was trying so defensively. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Patrick Queen.
I think those guys play t J. Watt ought to
play a little, a little, whether a little. I'm gonna
go know our big I'm setting you up, going to play.

(12:00):
Cam Hayward man, he's not gonna play. We thought we
thought differently, and you hit the nail on the head,
my friend. Although we had it wrong. We thought it
was all Hulla blue. But you had said he's got
all of these platforms he could speak on if he
were unhappy, he would say so and they'll behold. He
comes out right after we do the show and says

(12:22):
he's unhappy. So what do we think of the Cam
Hayward sit in sit out contract. I'm thinking, I mean,
he has an okay point, But goodness, Cam, why did
you wait until now? Now? Were you just unhappy that
everyone else got their contracts ripped up and is getting

(12:43):
paid this offseason like we caused it. Now you know
what I mean.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
I'm gonna I'm gonna solidly land in team Cam here
as opposed to Team Steelers. And here's why if in fact,
he reached out to them in February and had told them,
you know, because I believe Cam is a man of
his word. He told them last year, hey, if I
make all Pro, I'm coming back to ask for more money.
And perfectly legitimate if he started that process in February,

(13:12):
and it's simply taking this long for the team to
want to get something done, the player has to do
what he does. Look Camp, somebody out there provided what
I think is reasonable insight. Cam's what thirty five, thirty six,
thirty four, I don't remember. He's up there in age
as it goes for a football player, thirty six thirty six.

(13:35):
I wouldn't be surprised if this is his last season,
you know, and he decides to be done after this one.
But even if it's not, what's he got left two
maybe three more seasons. He's trying to get paid what
he's worth based on what he's doing and knows that
his earning potential is a shortened time frame. Now, it's

(13:59):
perfectly understandable. On top of that, you got guys like
Joe new Smith got more.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
Money, Jalen Ramsey got more money.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
These guys are They're nothing as far as historically with
the team right Cam is a one Jersey guy.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner.

Speaker 3 (14:15):
Who has played at a Hall of Fame level with
this team and continue to do so last season after
recovering from the injury that he had. I think, legitimately,
if I'm him and I'm watching everybody else open up
the check books and get, you know, get their wallets
a little fatter, and I know I flat out told

(14:37):
you if I perform, I'm coming back and asking for
more money, the perfectly legitimate thing for him to do.
I'm not saying the Steelers will or won't. I'm sure
they will work something out with him, whether it satisfies
him or not.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
I don't expect Cam to miss one snap of the
regular season, but I don't expect him to play one
snap in preseason without that contract.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Being Yeah, yeah, I hear you. And here's where here's
where you're right on being team camp. I'm I'm not
really even in the middle on this. He is, you know,
kind of underpaid, I should maybe even grossly underpaid at
his position versus performance against his peers. But he's still
solidly paid. He's actually it's set up here over thecap

(15:23):
dot Com, which is what I'm showing on the screen
for those uns that are on the video feed here
six point eight nine. So if you round that up,
he's six point nine percent of the Steelers salary cap
charge for this season. Nice. Now next season maybe not
so much. The cap will go up, but the only
thing he's got for next year, he's got a very
healthy roster bonus, but he is guaranteed absolutely nothing. And

(15:45):
this big number here, this fourteen point two is what
the Steelers could say, well, you're old and no longer
of use to us, so but bye. But they could
also still, you know, kind of hold the contract over
his head and say, hey, you need to show up,
you need to do these things, or we'll find you,
et cetera. And so this does lean a little more
toward the player if he did come out and say

(16:08):
this stuff earlier, and then it's like well, this is
how the Steelers are and this has been Marco Boley's
whole thing. Steelers operate in the final year. They don't
usually do it like two years out. Mark, Yes, okay,
I agree with that. But if they were talking about
maybe doing something during camp and then all of a
sudden before camp breaks, what becomes the highest paid non

(16:29):
quarterback in league history, and you've got all this other
money being thrown around, these other moves. Then you're sitting there,
you're waiting, you know, you're being patient, and you're like, hey, guys,
what's going on, And all of a sudden, it's like
radio silence. What recourse does that player have? Now you
make a stink toward the end of camp and you

(16:51):
can't run drills and all these other things properly. But man,
I feel like the Steelers have such a golden opportunity
here with the talent, with the depth that they have
on this team needs to be there, and a lot
of the moves that this front office has made is
because they want to try and give a guy like
Cam Heyward, a guy like TJ. Watt a chip that

(17:13):
they deserve that chip because they have been with this
team for so long. And have come up close, but
no cigars so many times. So that's where I you know,
I'm just kind of like timing, But what else gonna do?
And I don't think he misses any of the regular
season either, Brian. But this game Saturday, that's you know,
supposed to be the top DWN of the show. Yeah,

(17:34):
if the Endustry something.

Speaker 3 (17:35):
Gets done, if something gets done before then, which doesn't
seem likely at this point, Yeah, then I think he'll
he'll he'll play. Otherwise, No, I don't think he does.
And look like just go back. I mean, Palmlo is
likely my my all time favorite Steeler right, probably surplanting
Jack Lambert during that tenure.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
And think about how it ended with Troy Right.

Speaker 3 (17:59):
There was there was animosity there, there was Troy believed
he had more left.

Speaker 2 (18:03):
The Steelers didn't. And there is a difference.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
Troy wasn't playing at it all pro level when when
they cam was all pro last year, maybe you know,
one of the top three linemen in the entire league
from the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
I you know.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
Still well respected, still you know, absolutely dominant in what
he was doing. So it's not apples to apples and saying, hey,
you know, this is how the Steelers do business, and
I honestly, I think we have to throw out the
whole this is how the Steelers do business arguments anymore,
since over the last two years, this is they don't

(18:41):
do business the way they used to do business. I
don't even know what how they just go about doing
business means anymore. They're they they're turning the page, becoming
more modernized or something.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
I don't know, they're becoming. They remind me so much.
I said this to my cousin about the la Rams.
You know what, I forgot some during the intro too,
And I know we don't have it on deck necessarily,
but we don't usually. I don't usually catch all of
the news in time, and it's usually not stuff I
talk about on this particular program. But not one, but

(19:14):
two congratulations for kids being brought into the world, babies
being born for Zach Frasier and Christian Kotz, and the
announcements from the Steelers social media within an hour of
one another. So that had to be research. Yeah, two
guys who snapped the football for a living, And I joked,
so since I just brought up my cousin there as
part of that too. He sees Christian Kots in the

(19:35):
most crazy places, like a random giant eagle. I think
he saw him at a Penguin's game a year ago
or something like that. And he would be the guy
my cousin that would know could pick Christian coots out
from a crowd. And he took a picture like him
coming down the hill from camp. The guy recognizes my
cousin Brad now and I don't think he knows him
by name. And he was like, oh yeah, this guy.
And I'm like, man, he thinks you got the hots

(19:56):
for him or something. So I texted him, I said,
is it your I just couldn't. I just couldn't help
myself on that one. So but congratulations, Like, okay, giant eagle.
He's a giant eagle. Let me go over to Christian's house.
You know, I'll bring the wye.

Speaker 3 (20:18):
I'm just telling you, I wouldn't want to be the
guy that you know is back door in Christian Koontz's wife.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
Oh man, So I don't know. I just I just
thought it was kind of funny, a little bit of
bromance there for the it was just more of it.
It was bred out of a joke of my cousin's
ability to pick like you see somebody walking by, and
he was like, oh yeah, that's so so that even
happened with Kevin Colbert. I've told that story about being
at a Penguins game. We were there a little early.
I knew somebody who worked in like the operations there

(20:46):
and right out of the club. And this was like
a few days after the draft when they drafted Colin
hold of the long snapper right, because it was like
I had the most perfect smart ask thing to ask
Kevin Colbert. It was him. It was one of those
things where it was like, no, that's not him, Yeah,
it is him, And I was like hey Kevin, and
he turns around. Then I'm like, oh shit, what do
I do next. I didn't have a follow up really
thought of. I should have been like, so long the

(21:09):
rest question in seven.

Speaker 3 (21:11):
Right, that was my question, Hey Kevin, you know it's
funny like I am the exact opposite of that. I
can't I don't know who anybody is, Like I couldn't
recognize anybody out in the real world. I can pick
them out on the screen. Right, we have this so okay,
two percenter moment here. I know we're going to talk
about football again in a second, but I'm bleeding off

(21:33):
into another thing.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
My wife and I have this game, right. The game
is who you know? What else? Did you see that person? In? Right?
I suck at it. I am the worst, right, I'm
allt like, oh, hey, isn't that guy? And she's like, no,
you idiot, that is not that guy from whatever. Every
now and then, though, every now and then, I will
pick somebody out and go, that's this person grown up

(21:55):
and remember, and she's like, no, you're wrong, And then
I'm right, and it's like that is the greatest moment
ever because I'm like, never right, I'm one hundred percent wrong.
I could probably walk by you out in the world
and go, I don't know who that is. Excuse well,
that's a good segue for who the should we be

(22:17):
watching other than the starters. But I'm the same way, dude,
I am. I'm out there in the world. I've been
coaching my daughter's rec league soccer teams for the last
three four years, and there was a very nice lady.
I talked to her almost every weekend at the games,
and I still can't remember her name. I think it's Becca,
but I'd like I forget it constantly. I have such

(22:37):
a lapse the goldfish memory that's sinking in. I found
that term somewhere and now it's stuck in my head.
I've been saying it a lot for these shows, but
no goldfish memory. I think here with who else should
we be watching? I mean, last week everyone got like
really really excited about Skyler Thompson, and I'm not sure
how much Skyler Thompson is going to get in this game.

(22:59):
Does he get the whole second half? You know? Although
who's the other guy? The other guy they brought in
Loogot to be Logan whatever said yes, yeah, sorry, I
didn't want to be interested in this game. He wasn't
gonna get anytime last game because he was too new.
He'll get some of it this game, I would assume.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
You know, again, it's gonna be it's gonna be Aaron
for a little bit in the first half. I think
Mason will get the rest of the first half and
then whatever is left and will be divvied up between
Skyler Thompson and I mean, realistically, have they not seen
enough Skyler Thompson? Don't they know at this point, maybe
it's just Logan whatever his name is. Who they really

(23:39):
want to see and who we really want to see
is Will Howard, but he's not available.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
So yeah, as much as I want to see him,
if he goes out there and his thumbing or whatever,
finger whatever happened there, what was it, finger wrists something,
it was something in his hand, bone in his hand.
I think Tomlin said it was a finger. Jerry Dulac
had said it was a real their hand, so it
wasn't specific. But he goes out there and he's not

(24:05):
one hundred percent and he's thrown, you know, like wobbly
duck looking balls all over the field. That's not going
to do him any good. So I prefer he just
be healed up. As much as I selfishly would like
to see something from him, that we may not see
anything till next year. That's the actual truth through the matter,
So we shall see. Yeah, Woodside would be somebody you're
not going to risk. Howard Woodside, you just throw out

(24:27):
there and try and make something stick against the panthers,
probably is my guess. But so going moving along, we've
got some names maybe to circle and we'll come back
around to we feel our number one guy is to
maybe watch a lot of flack going the way of

(24:48):
Caleb Johnson where he running back out of Iowa. I'd
like to see him do something for real, something for
real with the real line, maybe with Aaron Rodgers, maybe
Jalen Warren gets like a carrier or two, and then
we see what Caleb is capable of doing. I'd like
to see Roman Wilson. I think Rouman Wilson has had
some good rapport with Aaron Rodgers. I think the two

(25:12):
rookies on defense, Brian, what do you think are actually
I'm sorry that three rookies on defense, right, I'm pretty
excited to see those guys.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
I still, I mean, everybody knows I'm a defensive focused guy,
but I'm still My focus will be Derek Carmon.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
Yeah yah ya black and Jack Sawyer. I just want
to call him yah yah.

Speaker 3 (25:32):
I don't know why I want to call him yah yah,
but I know it's why a why a Black, Jack Sawyer,
Derek Carmon, those are the guys I want to see
why because I think, like Caleb Johnson is important to
this team. Caleb Johnson having a solid and good, you know,
rookie season is going to be impactful. Roman Wilson is
going to be important to this team. But I don't

(25:53):
I just again, I don't know what I'm going to
look for as far.

Speaker 2 (25:56):
As impact from those two guys in a preseason game.
I just want to see Derek Carmon, Whye Black and
Jack Sawyer knock the crap out of people. That's what
I want to see because to me, if they do
a solid job in these games against first team O lines,
maybe second team O lines, I think that is demonstrative

(26:17):
of what their ability is going to look like and
it's going to be important. So that's what that's what
I'm looking at. I've got one to throw out here
I haven't mentioned, and I want to pay more attention
to him because I think he'll get more playing timer
he familiar with the other seventy eight. I was looking
for a photo of Wye Black and then I thought,
much like Max Hurlman last week, this is a name

(26:38):
that has it popped up on the radars, so to speak.
Gareth Warren Division two stand out from Lyndon Wood and
he stands out as well. Six six three point thirty
three is what he's listed as a raw guy. On
a pro roster even in camp at this massive size

(26:59):
and by the same token last year, I was really
impressed with Julius Welshoff, who was the international pathway player.
I wouldn't mind seeing a little more from him. And
we've got some injury notes too, and I kind of
want to throw the last name in with some of
the injury notes, and that's Kelvin Austen is on this list,

(27:20):
And just like mentioning Roman Wilson, I want to see
who stands out as a potential. We get into the
depth chart battles here, but you got wide receiver two stuff.
Austin needs to be healthy. I think we need to
see if he's going to return punts because that that's
another roster spot that gets tied up with maybe someone
else who specialized with that. And the Andrew Norts notes

(27:40):
are pretty short. Joey Porter Junior, all these guys are questionable,
then more than likely we'll play Alex Heismith. But depending
on how questionable. It's a preseason game, you're not going
to want to expose. I think any of these three
players to Andrey More. I haven't been paying enough attention
as to how Alex Heismith's recovery has gone and what
is participation level has been, Like, I don't assume if

(28:04):
he's still nursing an injury, I don't assume he'll play. Yeah,
I'm with you too if it's too serious. So you
still got what about three four, three and a half
weeks or so until we now the camp's done. Some
of these guys get to go home until a home opener.
There you go, There you go, Thank you. Depth chart

(28:26):
battles one of the last things we're going to talk
about and the ones that I picked out three and
I put one more on our list. And I know
we've been talking about wide receivers and running backs, but man,
the wide receiver one I'm talking about Calvin Austin here,
talking about Roman Wilson, talking about even just mentioning Beckham,
Like everybody still thinks the Steelers have to have this.
Add somebody else to this mix. Win. I think that

(28:49):
the other guy on this on that that's going to
stand out is already on this roster. And there's some
other ones that people you know, they get their camp,
they get in the camp phenom feels right, they get
into the rock tailors, you get into Brandon Johnson. Those
are guys that I feel like are going to be
more a depth for the practice squad considerations. But you've

(29:14):
got a handful of spots. You know, DK Metcalf's not
going anywhere, Kelvin Austin's probably not going anywhere. Roman Wilson's
not going anywhere. But between Wilson and Austin, who gets
more playing time? Does Robert Woods the elder Statesman? Is
he veteran, experienced and still good enough to be that
fourth guy on the roster. He could offer some return
specialization there as well. Then you get into other guys

(29:35):
that are some special teams teamons. You've got Ben's Gronnick,
You've got Scottie Miller, and then yet another maybe practice
squad type guy who got a lot of the return
duties in the first game, Keis Shawn Williams. That's an
awful lot of bodies to try and force into. How
many wide receivers do they keep? And I mean, when
you're talking about maybe having four tight ends on this
roster already, maybe there's additional running backs. Maybe you know

(29:59):
they've only kept two in the past sometimes but usually three.
There's not a lot of spots to and all the
dbs they got, there are not a lot of spots
to really carve out to keep maybe more than one,
if not two, of these guys. Yeah, I mean, look,
I really you know, we used to say they keep
three running backs because we would add Connor Haywood in

(30:21):
there as a fullback. I think they keep running three
running backs because it's going to be you know, Caleb Johnson,
Gainwell and Jyalen Warren. That's three backs. You're not putting
any of them anywhere else. All three of those guys I.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
Think are making this team all of a sudden.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's a spot where we used to have that overlap.
Like Connor Hayward was both a tight end and the fullback.
You're not getting that anymore.

Speaker 3 (30:44):
And so does Connor Hayward make this team as a
tight end with that group that they already have.

Speaker 2 (30:52):
You know, you know you've got three in Washington, you know,
John Hu and Pat So that's you know, as you said,
the spots start to run.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
Out real fast when you're dealing with a fifty three.
I know that there's special rules for certain things that
they keep, and practice squads expanded and all that, but
when you're trying to cut to fifty three. Man, those
spots are going to fly off the board because there
are just a lot of guys you're not going to cut.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah, and one and it didn't. I mean Johnson, he's
not going anywhere as a rookie. Gainwell has impressed me
more than I thought he would. I thought it'd be
the lower end of the total pole here. But Trey
Sermon has impressed me equally as well. And I know
he's been a journeyman, He's been around. He's another one
of these names, right that has been a journeyman, has

(31:45):
been on several different rosters over the years, and he's
got some experience. He's somebody I think that they had
an eye on in the draft process, like I said,
and if they just added somebody else, or they were
looking at somebody or they worked somebody else out. Now
now it's the name's escaping me. And I'm like they
fit into that same kind of category. Maybe gain Well

(32:06):
actually probably another one where you know, they come back
around after they're done or they're finished up with their
original team for whatever reason. These are players that they've
identified and they kind of they put them in. Nobody
knows this is going to age us Brian a rolodex.
They put them in the rolodex. Well it's a rolodex,
and put them in the rolodex and you go back.
You find a business card later and you're like, ah,

(32:28):
that guy. I remember I melped into this guy a
couple of years ago. Thought Steelers material. I think I
think Trey Sermon, But I also do believe also that
Trey Sermon could be more practice squad candidate as well,
because there's just not going to be six wide receivers,
four tight ends including Hayward as that hybrid or HVAC type,
and four running backs on this final roster. You're just

(32:50):
not gonna be able to do it when you need
offensive lineman in three quarterbacks and then half the other
squad's got to be at least your defense, right.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
I really just can imagine that they're going to be
four running backs. To me, I just don't see. I
don't see that happening. Could happen to anything, surprise, I don't,
you know, I just don't. I don't buy into that.
I think it's three and you know.

Speaker 2 (33:13):
They have gone. I think they went six wide receivers
one year. But normally it's around five last year. They
may they may have because Scotty Miller held a kick
for Boswell when Cam Johnston got hurt in the Atlanta game.
I hear that Boswell wants more money too, now does he?
I did not hear that one I did.

Speaker 3 (33:33):
Chris Boswell is making noise because he's not the highest
paid kicker in the.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
League, and he's the best kicker in the league. So
this is a mean. He's got a very good argument
on both of those cases. Omar, this is what happens
when you open the strings to the purse. Yep. So
everybody wants a little bit more. Everybody wants some scratch
and that that the sweet sweet league money. The ESPN
mergers and everything else going around. Everybody want to say,

(33:57):
what the hell is going on with all that? I
don't want you to follow it? And I was like,
I don't know, I don't know. Maybe we have to
do a show about it and then I'll learn. I think.
I think what I've learned is is that the NFL
has a ten percent maybe somewhat of a say, they
have ownership now of ESPN, and maybe you won't have
that story come out about or maybe you will about

(34:17):
that head of the NFLPA that was expensing strip club
activities and everything. But well it'd come out somewhere else,
just not on ESPN. Yeah, but you know ESPN means
it's like boom, it's in your face, right if it's
like I don't know stadium sports or something.

Speaker 3 (34:33):
Anymore, Like how much do you actually watch ESPN anymore?
Do you like Sports Center? Back in the day, right
when you know, back back, back back, Chris whatever his
name was on there, Chris Berman.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
That was like must see TV.

Speaker 3 (34:47):
If you were a sports fan, you had to watch
Sports Center every night.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
You it was tune in.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
I had to put ESPN on except when it's a
college game or a pro game.

Speaker 2 (34:57):
In forever, I don't watch it at all. I can't
just agree with you on that swinging back to position battles.
I got one more for you, and we were kind
of starting ahead that direction punters, and I think they
only got like an actual kick or to a piece,
but they were alternating last week Cameron Johnston and Corless weightman.
Johnston still looks like he's got the boom to his kicks.

(35:19):
I don't even know if I talked about this in
my training camp review. But I think, yeah, it's Weightman's
still good. But I mean, I think Johnston has the
opportunity to be great now when you're talking about dollars
and cents and you're comparing you know, nickels and dimes
and whatever. I don't know. I don't know how that's

(35:41):
going to pan out. But Johnston's recovered. He's also still
wearing number five, So I wonder when the shoe's going
to drop on that. Since Jalen Ramsey is sharing that
number currently, I think Ramsey's going to win that argument.
I don't think Johnston. I don't think Ramsey's gonna have
to spend much to get that number off of Johnston either,
because there aren't any Johnston Jerseys floating around that they're

(36:03):
gonna have to buy out an inventory for him to
change numbers or anything like that. But we shall see.
That's one due watch. So with all of that said, Brian,
who are you most excited to see on Saturday? We
got to pick one one guy.

Speaker 3 (36:21):
I'm gonna throw everybody for a loop because I just
did my whole rant on how all I want to
see is defense, defense, defense, defense.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
I want to see that. I actually want to see
Aaron Rodgers because I haven't watched anything else and so
I want to see Aaron Rodgers to know whether or
not I'm going to be happy or not. My friend,
you stole it. I didn't think you were going to
go there. I was saying Aaron Rodgers too, it's got
to be. This is the best see TV guy that

(36:48):
we've got to see. So I want to see how
it works. I want to see it all come together.
I want to see Kenny Piickett against the Buffalo Bills
two three years ago in preseason. That's what I want
to see. I want to see him light up the scoreboard.
That's all I'm excited to see.

Speaker 3 (37:01):
This is this is part of it too, Like I
don't this is going to be very trite and ridiculous,
but it is part of it. After all the hubbub
about his helmet, I want to see the spaceship helmet
he is being forced to wear.

Speaker 2 (37:14):
Damn. I had that photo and I had it queued up.
I had it queued up somewhere and I think, oh,
I don't have it right now. Oh my god. That
the helmet he looks like like the cartoon? Is it
like it wasn't like the Jetsons, but it was like
another Hanna Barbara one. The guy with the big spaceship helmet.
I can't think of the name now, great yeah, yeah, yeah,

(37:38):
something zoo, great kazoo or whatever he is great kazoo. Yes, yes, yeah,
that was. That was at the point that the Flintstones
jumped the shark. I was gonna see if I can
find it real quick. But I mean I'm not that fast.
Sometimes quick on the draw. Oh wait a minute, I
spoke too soon. Let's see. This won't be the best.

(38:01):
This will be about as close as we can get, though.
Look at that thing man, and that offers adequate protection,
I think, though, but he almost looks like it looks
like dark helmets from Spaceballs. Space Ball coming soon. The
quest for more money or whatever? Right, yes, quest for
more money. That'll be great. May the Swarts be with

(38:23):
you everyone, I'll do it for us. Brian ticket spoken
for yet or not? Did anybody watch the last show there? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (38:31):
Anybody wants them, find me, ask me. They'll be transferred
to you within minutes because I ain't going yep.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
So if you want to go see the Aaron Rodgers debut,
that's what we're selling you here, get ahold of Brian.
It'll get you some freak. He doesn't play. Don't come
back at me and yell about it because I have
nothing to do with it. But yeah, since the Aaron
Rodgers debut game, you need to go. Yes, it's a milestone. Anyways,
I've been there for any other debuts, such as Kenny Pikett.

(39:01):
So'll do it for us, folks. Don't forget the like comment, subscribe.
I don't have anything else for the two percenters you
already mentioned. Odell Beckham Junior. If you have an opportunity,
leave us a rating or review wherever you may be.
Thank you for supporting. Oh what do we got? What?
What is this? A two percenter? Ooh the cars? You
got some vinyl? Brian? It's vinyl. Yeah, it's vinyl. Hey,

(39:28):
i just hooked up a new.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
Turntable and I'm very excited to play some vinyl.

Speaker 2 (39:34):
Oh, well, you're behind the times, dude, even for being
I do have no collection. Well no, i've had. You
don't how many copies of.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
This particular album I have had in my lifetime. Probably
a thousand, because I used to buy them and sell
them and then I'd go, you know what, I want
all my records back, and I'd buy them all again,
and then i'd sell them all again.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
So, you know, I'm trying to think I've got I've
got a decent amount, but I only buy stuff that
I could like leave on and play a lot, you know,
just there has to be something like the Eagles, for example,
I've got what are you doing over there? Man, I've
spilled my water, That's what that was. I saw you.

(40:19):
I thought it was actually empty. It didn't seem like
there was a whole lot in there. But anyways, vinyl discussions,
you know what, two percenters leave it in the comments,
what is your must have vinyl? And we'll come back
around to this and see if it's in one of
our collections. Brian Dry, your psych can tell you right now,
I don't. I don't actually have my must have vinyl yet.
So because I don't, I didn't have anything anymore. So
I bought like five albums and none of them were

(40:42):
my must have. So I've got I'm not going to
tell you what it is. Yeah, we'll leave. I think
that's good. I don't even know if I can get
my must have vinyl. Yeah, some of them. Some of
them are tough. Man. There's some expensive, expensive records that
are out there, but all of them are expensive. You
got to know, you gotta know where to where to find,
where to look. I was looking. I'll give you just

(41:03):
one before we sign off here. I was looking forever
for a decent price on Fleetwood mac Rumors found it.
The cover isn't in the best of shape, but I
got it for only like sixteen bucks. I was happy
with that purchase. That was. But that was a tough one.
Part of my money for record. Yes see sixteen bucks

(41:23):
for a used I know it was. The record was intulous.
Color price I insane. Don't get me into video game
collecting too, man, because everybody at that.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
I saw something that was four hundred dollars was supposedly
the rarest game ever, and I'm like, who the hell,
no more than that.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
There's one at my local shop. I think it got
like the one it's like the Bandai Sports Trek and
Field or something. We're really jumping to shark on this,
but it was like ten thousand dollars or something that's
as game. Oh yeah, it was super rare. Those guys
always come up with amazing stuff at that store. Leave
that also for a future, a future poster show. Because

(42:01):
I picked up a Virtual Boy last year, I finally
went and got myself a Super Nintendo and I had
to clean it up. It was dirty and everything else.
I've been having fun with that stuff, but we'll leave
it there, folks. It was fun actually going into the
Superintendo stuff and finding some of the NFL games that
he used to make EMMITTT. Smith Football and stuff like that,
or looking at one of the old Maddens. They're fun
so all those old rosters. So we'll leave it at

(42:23):
that until next time. Hopefully this was an engaging conversation
for everyone out there. Let us know what's your must have,
what's your must have vinyl? And if you're into game collecting,
I could throw something in there about that too, because
I've been having fun playing a lot of the retro stuff.
My eleven year old has some fun playing Nintendo Second Genesis,
Game Boy all those things too, So we'll talk about

(42:45):
that another time until then. My name's Joe, his name's Brian.
As always, we encourage as we closed the show. I've
been screwing up closing the show for several episodes. Now,
so let's get it right, folks. We encourage everyone out
there to be safe, be good, and we'll catch you later.
You did it.

Speaker 1 (43:04):
We would like to thank you for listening and remind
our listeners to follow us on social media and our
website www. Dot Steel City Underground dot com

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