Steelers UDFAs + Next Year's Free Agents | SNR Drive (May.1) | Pittsburgh Steelers

0:00 You're tuned to the drive on your 247

0:03 home of the black and gold Steelers Nation Radio.

0:09 [music] [music] Good afternoon, Steeler Nation.

0:20 It's the drive on a Friday here on the 1st of May.

0:24 Wester Matt Williamson with you for the next two hours.

0:27 says, "Matt, it's a uh it's the end of a week.

0:30 It's a new month and uh maybe kind of I shouldn't say the end

0:35 of uh draft conversation and and rookies and all that, but I think the last

0:41 kind of becomes the offseason,

0:42 the the last week that it's kind of at the forefront here still." Yeah, exactly.

0:45 There'll be some things I was just thinking about on the way over here.

0:48 I was listening to a fantasy podcast.

0:50 It starts to kind of become fantasy season

0:52 a little bit and you get some OTAA things, but it it does slow down.

0:57 And yeah, like I'm doing a a series

0:59 on my other podcast where we're going division by division,

1:02 breaking down those drafts pretty heavy for the next

1:04 two weeks or so and really digging in sixth rounders,

1:08 fifth rounders, things like that to the commanders and Cowboys, etc.

1:12 But all in all, that's sort of behind us now.

1:15 Yeah.

1:16 You know, I mean, this week's about wraps that up.

1:19 It is.

1:19 It'll be a little quietish,

1:21 but we also couple weeks here we'll have the schedule release.

1:25 Uh we'll have rookie mini camps and mini camps that'll get rolling,

1:28 all that good stuff.

1:29 So we are going to quieter NFL time,

1:31 but we all know this league also does a great job of never really going quiet.

1:36 There'll be something going on

1:36 and there's always always kind of something on the horizon.

1:39 Um I don't know exactly when that schedule release release date is going to be,

1:43 but it'll be sometime in the next couple weeks here.

1:45 I would imagine it's usually kind of right in the middle of May.

1:47 Um

1:48 these next two months are when I really dig into like analytic stuff,

1:52 too, and deep takes.

1:53 And you know, now it's a little different with the new coaching staff.

1:56 It's not like, well, they're doing going to run things back exactly the same.

1:59 They're definitely not.

2:00 So, that'd be kind of fun, too.

2:01 Yeah, absolutely.

2:02 You're right.

2:03 So, kind of a a fun day that we have planned today.

2:05 Uh we will uh hear a little bit.

2:08 Uh Missy Matthews has been doing a great series

2:10 of one-on- ons with the uh with the Steelers draft picks.

2:13 Um some really fun stuff in there.

2:15 We'll bring you some of that audio today.

2:16 They're some personable dudes.

2:18 They They sure are.

2:19 They sure are.

2:19 I uh I want to uh have some speaking of fantasy football,

2:22 a fantasy football conversation with you in hour

2:24 number two about the rookies and fantasy football value.

2:28 I know that we're not going to do dig deep into this, but the the show

2:31 I was listening to was underdogs was doing their running back ranks way,

2:36 you know, after the draft.

2:38 And what's crazy is I hadn't thought about

2:40 this for I'm I'm not in fantasy mode yet.

2:43 Sure.

2:42 I'm actually going to be in a dynasty draft this weekend,

2:44 so I have to kind of pay start paying attention.

2:46 But they're like, "This running back class

2:48 for fantasy is loaded." And I'm like, "Why?

2:51 Nobody came in the league other than Love

2:53 that's really noteworthy and it's it's teammate Price,

2:57 but everyone's like, everyone's running it back.

2:59 There's no one has any competition." You know,

3:01 like last year Beel Tutin's competing with ATN or, you know,

3:05 like all these guys have set roles.

3:07 You know, there's like 28 deep of I can start that guy.

3:11 It's never like that in fantasy.

3:13 Weird.

3:13 You're looking for running backs.

3:14 It's interesting.

3:15 Yeah, we will do some more fantasy football struck me today.

3:19 Certainly certainly in the weeks to come.

3:20 But where I want to start with you, Matt,

3:21 is I think kind of the last piece of uh Steelers

3:25 draft related developments that we haven't really touched on barely at all.

3:29 Um and that is of course uh the undrafted free

3:32 agents that the Steelers have agreed to terms uh with.

3:36 For those I'm sure most of you again

3:38 you're listening to a football show in in May,

3:40 you're familiar with undrafted free agents, UDFAs.

3:43 Yeah.

3:44 But it's essentially the guys that the Steelers bring in who were undrafted,

3:47 undrafted free agents, uh, rookies, uh, finished with their collegiate time

3:52 that will now be joining the Pittsburgh Steelers.

3:54 Jaylen Warren was one of these UDFAs.

3:56 Steelers have had more success than most teams.

3:58 They sure have.

3:58 These guys, and they give them an opportunity.

4:01 Raone Foster was a UDFA.

4:03 There's been a lot of those guys.

4:04 Even guys who were kind of a flash in the pan like a Beanie Bishop,

4:06 you know, who came in had one good year for you and

4:09 but you got something out of him.

4:10 Got something got something out of him.

4:11 Willie Parker.

4:12 I mean, Parker is the is one of the ultimate examps add a handful of these guys.

4:25 You know, it kind of all depends on what

4:27 your roster looks like and how many draft picks you have.

4:29 And we obviously know the Steelers

4:33 have roster turnover, but not a massive amount this off season.

4:36 Yeah.

4:36 And they did have 10 draft picks.

4:38 A lot of draft picks gets in the way, too.

4:40 pretty high number.

4:41 So, Matt, um, six undrafted real quick before I want

4:44 to tell a story before you get to that, too, because

4:47 the other thing too.

4:48 Yeah, because I I did this and the other thing is a lot

4:52 of those young dudes from camp last year that we put the label on, oh,

4:57 I hope he's here next year, guys.

4:59 I think there's more of them than we realize, too.

5:01 So, I don't know if there's a lot of room for UDFAs,

5:03 for this team in particular that you really are excited to bring to camp.

5:07 Um, also drafting a quarterback,

5:09 you're not just going to throw a camp arm in the mix, I imagine.

5:12 Sometimes they just do that, get a cheapy.

5:15 Sure.

5:14 But this is how it worked.

5:15 The year I was with the Browns was strangely, well,

5:19 we took the Browns took Brayen Edwards at with the third pick overall.

5:24 That was our highest ranked player.

5:25 We wide receiver was a problem.

5:27 Everything was a problem.

5:28 [laughter] So, we pretty much knew we weren't drafting any more receivers.

5:33 You took one first round and you had needs everywhere.

5:36 So Matt, you're in charge.

5:37 This was my job.

5:38 You know, you're in charge of getting

5:40 us three UDFAs at the wide receiver position,

5:43 and here's 10 grand in signing bonus to give to people,

5:47 which at the time was more than other teams were spending.

5:49 That doesn't sound like much, and it isn't.

5:51 And there are teams that now give more than that, but at the time,

5:55 the Browns weren't afraid to spend.

5:57 So, sixth round or so,

5:59 I'm looking at our board and I'm calling agents or, you know,

6:02 going, "Hey, you, yes, we drafted one in the first round,

6:06 but it became like recruiting for pit for me." I was like, "We're not very good.

6:10 Your guy could probably make this team.

6:12 Don't go to the Steelers.

6:13 Don't go to Penn State.

6:14 All right.

6:14 Or Ohio State.

6:15 Come play for us."

6:16 Yeah.

6:16 Don't go to the Steelers.

6:17 They were 15 and one.

6:18 You know, you can come play for us.

6:20 Yes.

6:20 Brightland's going to be our number one, but we got other spots.

6:23 So it came down to Josh Cribs was I

6:29 gave him like nine grand and two other schlubs each

6:32 split a thousand bucks or whatever because he was right

6:36 up the street at Ken State and he ended up

6:40 sticking and being a really good returner and you

6:43 know he hurt the Steelers a couple times you know he sure did.

6:46 Yeah.

6:46 And so you can all blame Matt Williamson for that one.

6:48 Yep.

6:48 But yeah that's and Paul Warfield he's the one that sealed the deal.

6:51 He was one of our scouts at the time.

6:53 You know,

6:53 that's uh that's how this works.

6:54 You start to get towards the end of the draft and hey,

6:56 if your number doesn't get called here in these next 30 picks,

6:59 wouldn't you rather come here and as a sometimes you'd rather not get picked

7:03 because then you can kind of pick the situation.

7:05 You can look at it and you can go to okay, you and your agent.

7:07 I can make that team.

7:07 Yeah, this team has a clear-cut wide receiver one,

7:10 but after that there's a lot of opportunity.

7:12 You can make that ro.

7:13 They don't have any returners.

7:14 You know, you could be the number one returner

7:15 as opposed to like if you were to win wind up in Cincinnati and they've

7:18 got all these established wide receivers and it's going to be next to impossible

7:21 one roster spot for 10 guys receiver.

7:24 Exactly.

7:25 Right.

7:25 So, six a smaller number I think than we usually see from the Steelers,

7:29 but again there's rhyme to that reason.

7:32 Um when you look at uh at just I

7:34 think as you mentioned too all the things that I

7:36 mentioned plus the Evan Halls and the JJ Gres

7:39 and those guys that that were at camp last year.

7:41 Their story is not written yet.

7:42 that their story is not written yet.

7:44 Six undrafted free agents.

7:47 Uh Devin Boyin, corner out of national champion Indiana.

7:51 I'll take anyone from the Hooers.

7:53 Completely agree.

7:53 Yeah.

7:54 Uh Dalon Carell, linebacker from Missou.

7:58 Big big school guys again here.

8:00 Uh Mr.

8:00 Pull back the curtain.

8:01 I don't I haven't seen this list.

8:03 I haven't heard of either one of these guys,

8:05 but immediately you have to think special teams with a corner and a linebacker.

8:08 A name that we did hear yesterday

8:10 from our friend Mike DeFabo was uh Kevin Jabodyi Jr.

8:14 Yeah.

8:14 He's the defensive lineman from Syracuse.

8:16 Real good tester you were saying, right?

8:18 Yes, that is what he said.

8:19 Apparently, he uh he did outstanding work at the uh at the Syracuse Proday.

8:25 Okay.

8:27 Uh Laith Margin, a kicker from Kansas.

8:30 That's just to make Bos's life easier.

8:31 They do that every year.

8:32 Every year.

8:33 But that's a good spot for Saul's last year, you know.

8:36 Absolutely.

8:36 Absolutely.

8:36 He's going to kick in the preseason.

8:38 He's actually going to get tape.

8:39 There's a lot of teams he could go to that would he just

8:42 swing his leg once in a while in practice and never enhance his stock.

8:45 But the Steelers have this rapport with agents like we don't want to use up Oz.

8:49 Your guy can actually put something on tape for and maybe stick.

8:53 There's been a couple guys that have a point to Ben Sauls from last year.

8:55 The guy was with Steelers in camp.

8:57 Got a ton of reps in preseason.

8:59 Ends up getting an opportunity with the Giants and sticks on there.

9:03 Yeah, he might have a good career.

9:04 Uh Lake Mcrae, tight end from USC.

9:08 I would definitely think there's a spot for a tight end.

9:10 He's he's'd be an interesting one.

9:12 And uh Shaman Meteor, tight end out of Arizona State.

9:17 So, two tight ends, both from the uh both

9:19 from the kind of southwest corridor there in Arizona State and USC.

9:24 So, those are the six.

9:25 Here's a quick little snapshot on each of those guys from Terresa Vley,

9:29 of course, of Steelers.com.

9:30 Uh Devin Boyin, the corner out of Indiana.

9:33 Um played in all 16 games last year.

9:35 Finished with 59 tackles, seven passes defense, two interceptions, and a sack.

9:40 So a productive year for him.

9:43 Uh Dalon Carnell, the linebacker for Missou, 56 career appearances, 174 tackles,

9:49 19 and a half TFLs, three sacks, five interceptions, 29 pass defensed.

9:56 Wow.

9:55 Four forced fumbles uh in his 56 career games at Missouri.

9:59 Pretty good resume.

10:00 That's pretty That's some real production there.

10:01 Uh Kevin Jabidi Jr., the Dlineman from Syracuse,

10:05 38 games in his career for Syracuse.

10:08 83 tackles, 20 TFLs, 10 sacks, forced fumble, PBU.

10:13 Um and uh and was a played a big role for Syracuse this past season,

10:18 uh where he had five sacks his senior year and six TFLs.

10:21 Um let's see here.

10:22 Laith Margin, the kicker from Kansas,

10:26 uh spent the majority of his career with East Carolina,

10:28 transferred to Kansas last year, uh 14 of 17 on field goals,

10:32 perfect 40 for 40 on extra points,

10:35 uh hit a school record 14 straight field goals uh for the Jay-Hawks last year.

10:43 Okay.

10:41 And then the two Yeah, not bad.

10:44 Um, and then the uh the two tight ends, Lake Mcrae out of USC,

10:48 51 games in his collegiate career,

10:51 97 receptions, over,00 yards, seven touchdowns.

10:55 Uh, this past year, uh, played in all 12 games for USC,

10:59 30 catches, 450 yards, and four touchdowns.

11:02 Pretty good senior year for him.

11:04 And Shaman Meter, I believe is how he pronounces that last name.

11:08 The tight end from Arizona State.

11:10 Uh, started his college career at Cincinnati.

11:11 played the last two years for ASU, 43 uh appearances in his collegiate career,

11:18 94 receptions, 971 yards, 14 touchdowns.

11:22 Wow.

11:22 In his collegiate uh career.

11:24 Okay.

11:25 Also had uh two carries for 28 yards last year for Arizona State.

11:28 Those tight ends in particular intrigue me, you know.

11:31 I mean, there could be a practice squad spot or maybe even

11:33 the final spot on the roster if you do something on special teams.

11:37 Um okay, I'm all ears.

11:38 And after what Mike said yesterday too,

11:41 I mean the defensive lineman sounds like there could be some upside there.

11:45 Yeah.

11:45 And what I like about all those guys, big school guys, a lot of experience.

11:49 Yeah.

11:49 Yeah, that did stand out, you know.

11:50 Um and I don't I don't like to because I hate so much of what college football

11:58 and in general college athletics has become in kind

12:01 of the it's almost like Major League Baseball in an instance.

12:04 You know, it's like you could start at one of these smaller programs,

12:07 but eventually you're going to trickle up to a a Yankees goes to the Yankees or

12:12 a Yankees or a Dodgers or a Mets or a, you know,

12:15 Cubs, one of these one of these big market teams.

12:17 And it's kind of become like that in college sports,

12:20 which has ruined a little bit of the kind of homegrown development.

12:24 And I think just the romanticism of college sports, you know,

12:26 we we see a lot less guys drafted from these small schools now in the NFL.

12:30 If you've watched March Madness the last two years, Matt.

12:33 Yeah.

12:33 Yeah.

12:33 the the C Cinderella's on life support.

12:37 Cinderella's in trouble.

12:37 Yeah.

12:38 There's almost no Cinderella turn into a pumpkin.

12:39 Yeah.

12:40 Anymore because if these guys have a great year at Old

12:43 Dominion instead of staying there for four years like they

12:45 would have in the past and now they now they end

12:48 up at Pit or West Virginia or Kentucky or, you know,

12:51 a bigger power program.

12:53 Um but with that, I think you get a lot

12:55 of these guys now who have a ton of experience.

12:58 Um and you That's a good point.

13:00 Yeah.

13:00 You get the all these guys have a I mean, you see it.

13:02 got dozens of of appearances at big-time programs.

13:06 And so, hey, I I think that's those six guys.

13:09 I'm not going to act like either of us are experts on them, Matt,

13:11 but I think they all seem like they have viable resumes and um a type of guy

13:16 I like what I heard that you positions make

13:18 sense that you want to see in these settings, right?

13:19 Like you'd almost always bring in undrafted free agent offensive linemen,

13:25 but that room's really full right now.

13:26 You know,

13:28 speaking to what you were saying earlier,

13:29 if you're an agent of one of these undrafted offensive linemen,

13:31 you might be saying, "I don't know if I

13:33 use a first or third round pick on those guys, right?

13:35 Well, my guys don't get any attention.

13:36 They've got two other first round tackles and a second round center."

13:39 It's not an attractive spot for an undrafted free agent offensive lineman.

13:43 Exactly right.

13:43 And even though the Steelers have offensive line coaches galore,

13:46 I want them working with Max, [laughter] you know?

13:49 And then you're looking at it too, like they got Spencer Anderson,

13:51 they got Brock Hoffman, they got I mean, you know what I mean?

13:53 They've done this.

13:53 I'm not making this team.

13:55 I'm not making this roster.

13:56 I would be I'd have to have a great training

13:59 camp in preeason to maybe even make a practice squad.

14:02 Uh I'm going to go to X instead where they have much more needs on Yeah.

14:07 much more needs on the offensive line.

14:09 So that's the snapshot of interesting

14:11 these Steelers undrafted free agents as we get started here on a Friday.

14:15 I want to kind of piggyback off of that Matt and let's talk

14:18 some rookie of the year candidates across

14:20 the National Football League when we return.

14:23 Just getting started here on a Friday.

14:25 Westuler, Matt Williamson.

14:26 It is the drive.

14:27 Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers audio network.

14:31 [music] [music]

14:43 Matt, I don't know if it's safe to say that we are uh how do I want to put this?

14:48 Enlist season just yet.

14:50 It's not quite list season,

14:52 but we're list season's a tough season as a as a writer.

14:55 Starting to flirt with it a little bit.

14:56 I'm starting to get you get a little bit of it.

14:58 Yeah.

14:59 List season, I feel like is like after uh

15:02 Memorial Day until about the start of training camp.

15:05 Yes.

15:05 Who the top 20 quarterbacks in the league?

15:07 Yeah.

15:08 Yeah.

15:08 Yeah.

15:08 And we'll do some happy 19.

15:10 He should be 16, right?

15:11 We'll do some of that.

15:13 Oh, we will.

15:13 You You'll laugh.

15:14 Actually, I meant to tell you this yesterday, but earlier this week,

15:16 I think it might have been Wednesday

15:17 night or Tuesday night or something like that.

15:19 Much like you know you do from time to time.

15:21 I'm sitting in the basement.

15:23 I'm watching some TV.

15:24 I'm you know for whatever reason you get that jolt of creative juice and energy.

15:28 Something comes to you.

15:29 Yeah.

15:30 I'm jotting down some offseason topic ideas.

15:32 You know just an evergreen stuff to save for a rainy day.

15:35 Yep.

15:36 And I was actually going back through the note.

15:38 Anyone who has an iPhone or, you know,

15:40 use Apple products, you know there's notes, right?

15:42 And it's nice because it kind of syncs between your phone and your computer.

15:46 And so a lot of times I'll randomly jot something down

15:48 on my phone and then I'll go back and research it more.

15:51 Okay.

15:51 You know, on on my that's kind of how around campus started, you know,

15:54 back over the summer was you and I

15:56 talking about some names during training camp and I

15:58 jot them down and then I go home and I do more research and put it all together.

16:01 Put it all together.

16:02 Yeah.

16:02 I was looking back at old stuff and I actually still in my notes from like

16:07 six years ago all the random I mean I was going to say random nonsense.

16:11 It's not r nonsense, but just content filler that Moes and I used during co.

16:17 So I still have like I have my top 10 at every position for the Steelers.

16:21 I've got like my alltime Steelers team, my my AFC North all time.

16:25 Yeah.

16:26 So So we'll get into we'll get into some

16:27 of that during list season and all that stuff, too.

16:31 Absolutely.

16:30 We'll have some we'll have some Again, we're open to suggestions, too.

16:34 You know, we want to hear.

16:35 We've gotten a couple good ones uh on Twitter

16:37 that that I think we'll definitely get to at some point.

16:39 But Matt, I wanted to discuss with you here uh today.

16:42 That's cool.

16:42 You still have all that stuff.

16:44 It was so funny.

16:44 I was like, "Thank the Lord I didn't delete all that."

16:46 Right.

16:47 Right.

16:48 Might tweak it, but you might not agree with it still.

16:49 But yeah, at least it's there.

16:51 You know, that was five, six years ago.

16:53 Cam Hayward and TJ Watt and guys like that might have moved around

16:56 a little bit on their on their alltime rankings and and and things like that.

17:00 So, yeah, we'll have some fun with some of that stuff

17:01 when we get to the dog days of summer,

17:04 but for now, still off the back of this draft, plenty to talk about.

17:07 and Matt, rookie of the year candidates,

17:10 of course, offensive rookie of the year,

17:12 defensive rookie of the year for this upcoming draft class,

17:15 and I think there's some fun conversation here.

17:17 Yeah, this is Ben Sole put this together,

17:20 who I think does really, really good job,

17:21 but I haven't really scanned through it,

17:23 but I have been thinking about it off the top of my head anyway because again,

17:27 I'm starting to flirt with fantasy and obviously the offensive,

17:30 it's not going to be a guard who's going to be rookie of the year.

17:32 I mean, who's going to be the productive dudes?

17:35 And frankly, I think it's a very down year for rookies in fantasy,

17:39 rookie of the year candidates, especially on offense.

17:43 Um, but I'm interested what he has to say about it.

17:45 I want to talk through some of these guys.

17:46 You know, where do you put your money?

17:47 You know, and I think particularly for the offense, Matt,

17:50 these conversations become more interesting when it's not a quarterback

17:54 class that has four or five or six first round picks.

17:57 it's going to be Caleb or Jaden, you know,

17:59 or it's going to be Baker or Josh Allen or Lamar or Sam Darnold,

18:03 you know, like those years where there's four

18:04 or five quarterbacks picked in the first round,

18:06 you're like, it would almost be shocking if one of these guys

18:08 is not rookie of the year just because the nature of the position.

18:11 If you can start most of the games and not fall on your face,

18:14 you're pretty strong.

18:16 Exactly.

18:16 Right.

18:16 Like Shuck ended up end up making a a late push and he was a mid-season starter.

18:21 I I remember the year that Baker and Saquon were both rookies.

18:26 Baker won and I had a real problem with it.

18:28 He had a good year, but Saquon was way better start to finish,

18:32 you know, but one's a quarterback.

18:34 One's a quarterback.

18:34 And then last year's the kind of different where

18:37 it ends up being Ted McMillan.

18:39 And not saying that he didn't have a solid rookie season.

18:42 Um, but blow your doors off.

18:44 Exactly.

18:44 Right.

18:45 And then Carson Swinginger again who had a really good rookie season,

18:48 but he's a third round offball linebacker.

18:50 Didn't blow your doors off.

18:52 Really good player.

18:53 But I think we could potentially see that again this year.

18:56 I could too.

18:56 Yeah.

18:57 Not Ted McMillan and Carson Swessinger are good players.

18:59 I would take I'd take them both on the Steelers right now, of course.

19:02 But it's not I I don't I think they were both kind of not

19:05 to the same magnitude of what we typically

19:06 see in offensive and defensive rookie of the year.

19:09 Agreed.

19:09 Agreed.

19:10 So I think you have to start the conversation with Fernando Mendoza.

19:13 Yes.

19:13 But but what if he doesn't start day one?

19:15 I don't think he's going to shoot and he might not.

19:17 I mean they've pretty publicly said that.

19:19 I know Brady's a huge believer in wait your turn, you know, learn.

19:25 I can't argue with that.

19:26 No.

19:27 And I think that's why Cousins is there.

19:29 So, if he plays eight to 10 games, can he really win it?

19:34 I mean, he'd have to be pretty darn impressive.

19:36 He'd have to light it up.

19:37 He'd have to light it up.

19:38 If he I would say if he's the starter before Halloween,

19:42 he's got a shot.

19:43 He's got a real shot.

19:45 Yeah, cuz that would mean he would miss five or six games.

19:46 he could still play double digit games and finish the season strong and

19:50 notice noticeable uptick in the offense when he took over and all that stuff.

19:54 And we know how these awards work too is what have you done for me lately?

19:57 People forget about that first month a little bit.

19:59 It's like the Heisman Trophy, right?

20:00 September does not mean the same as November,

20:03 of course.

20:03 [laughter and gasps]

20:04 I mean, there's definitely a chance,

20:05 but usually the first overall quarterback has to be

20:09 the leader in the clubhouse for the award.

20:10 And I don't know that he should be.

20:12 I I think the three clear-cut, you know,

20:15 if we're just looking Vegas odds type would have to be Mendoza,

20:18 Jeremiah Love, and Carnell Tate.

20:20 Those are the three biggest favorites in Las Vegas.

20:23 Okay.

20:24 And I would agree with that.

20:25 I mean, Love you would think should be far and away the number one.

20:29 It's just such a bad situation.

20:31 It's a bad situation in the sense of he doesn't have much around him,

20:35 right?

20:34 It's a good situation in the sense of they're

20:36 going to lean on him early and often.

20:38 Well, he said the same thing about Genty.

20:40 And if no one's blocking for him, it's like, man, it doesn't matter what you do.

20:44 Now, I think he catches more balls than Genty, which will definitely help.

20:48 But like, trust me, the fantasy community was

20:50 not happy that Love ended up in Arizona.

20:53 I mean, it's like it's a bad organization.

20:54 No O line, no quarterback.

20:57 The smells like Genty a year ago.

20:59 Everyone wanted Kansas City, you know, a couple months ago.

21:02 Even Tennessee.

21:03 Oh, yeah.

21:03 Yeah.

21:04 You know, so this was worst case scenario.

21:06 Washington would have been good, you know.

21:08 Those are the uh those are the three favorites.

21:11 Um and then here's here's

21:12 I understand Tate, but I mean they got Wando Robinson, they got Ridley.

21:17 Not that those guys are tremendous,

21:18 but I I don't know that he's going to have 1,200 yards.

21:23 Like I'd be shocked if he has a T McMillan season.

21:25 I agree with you on that.

21:26 And T didn't have the best rookie year you've ever seen either.

21:28 No, he had a good rookie season, but not a blow your doors off rookie season.

21:33 Um long shots.

21:34 And I like this by Solak actually.

21:36 He says you can go ahead and scratch Kenyan Sadi off the list.

21:40 Nothing against him, but a tight end.

21:41 They never win it.

21:42 Tight end has not won rookie of the year in the NFL since

21:46 What's crazy is Brock Bowers had the best rookie season ever,

21:49 but he didn't because Jaden Daniels won it that year.

21:51 He was awesome, too.

21:53 Outstanding.

21:53 Yeah.

21:54 Pitch didn't win it, man.

21:56 I

21:57 I'll give you a hint.

21:58 Is it pre-1980?

22:00 It was before you were born, Matt.

22:01 I was saying, is it like Ditka?

22:03 It's Mike Dicka.

22:04 Okay.

22:04 Wow.

22:05 [laughter] Ditka was the last tight end to win.

22:09 Yeah.

22:10 Rookie of the year.

22:10 I

22:10 don't think an offensive lineman ever has.

22:12 And that was before the AFL NFL merger.

22:14 Yes.

22:14 [laughter] Yes.

22:15 So, that's a fair point by Solak there.

22:18 So, the three favorites here are the others that deserve

22:20 consideration and I not a lot of surprises on here.

22:23 No, they're going to be the high picks I'm sure.

22:24 Uh lot of wide receivers.

22:26 Jordan Tyson on the list.

22:28 Yeah.

22:28 And nice compliment to a there and could have a real solid game.

22:31 And if Shuck takes a step forward.

22:33 Yeah.

22:33 Yeah.

22:34 They could have a good offense and everything there.

22:38 Mai Lemon is on the list which is an interesting one to me.

22:42 Yeah, because even they traded AJ Brown a month from now

22:46 like we all assume at the beginning of June.

22:49 They viewed Devontto Smith and I think rightfully

22:51 so as a top 10 receiver in the NFL.

22:54 He can do JSN type things if we give him the opportunity.

22:58 Then you combine it with the just they don't throw a lot

23:01 kind of the volatility around Herz and that offense in general.

23:04 I just is Mai Lemon going to get enough targets and enough

23:06 spin in that offense to to win an award like this?

23:10 I was having this conversation or similar to it earlier

23:12 today that their first two picks were Lemon and Eli Sters,

23:17 the tight end who's really just a big slot receiver.

23:20 And both those guys do their best work between the numbers middle of the field.

23:26 Herz throws over the middle less and pretty much

23:30 worse than any real starting quarterback in the league.

23:35 Not sure what the vision is.

23:36 They're also a very runheavy team.

23:38 Run heavy team.

23:39 Goddard's in the mix.

23:40 They've added some other receivers.

23:41 Hollywood Brown, guys like that.

23:43 I just don't know the Lemon's going to get that many targets.

23:46 I agree with you on that.

23:47 Two more wide receivers.

23:49 Casey Conception, of course,

23:51 if they have okay quarterback play or just even below average,

23:55 he could definitely be wide receiver one there.

23:57 Yeah, there's not much in his way.

23:59 No, there is not.

24:00 And so I might put a buck on that one.

24:01 I certainly see that one.

24:02 And then Omar Cooper Jr., the other wide receiver listed.

24:06 Okay.

24:06 You know, he's got

24:06 it's a little bit of a bet on Gino, which I think is a good bet.

24:09 But they've got Garrett Wilson, they've got Bree Hall,

24:11 they've got some eyes to take attention away from him.

24:15 Yes.

24:16 Now,

24:16 Mason Taylor, right?

24:18 No, I like their skill guys.

24:19 Um,

24:20 and Kenyon Sadi.

24:21 I'm shocked that Price isn't in the top two categories for Seattle.

24:25 So, he was the last one of the long shots.

24:27 He was the last one of the long shots.

24:28 Shader and Price.

24:29 I I think he's more like a tier one guy.

24:31 Goes to a good team.

24:32 There's no competition.

24:33 Charbanet's hurt.

24:35 He probably is their leading carrier from week one until who knows.

24:40 I'm glad you brought that up because

24:42 you and I have had this conversation before.

24:44 We both are very casual sports gamblers.

24:47 Oh, yeah.

24:47 I don't know the ins and outs.

24:49 We We do it, but we're not one

24:50 of these people who's on our gambling apps every night.

24:52 We're not Mike Pursuda, okay?

24:53 [laughter] Looking for something.

24:54 It doesn't matter if it's football, hockey,

24:56 baseball, always looking for something to bet on.

24:59 What I like to do is, and remember,

25:01 like literally the last bet that I placed was on the Super

25:03 Bowl and it was for the Seattle Seahawks to score a nonoffensive touchdown.

25:07 Okay, which they did and it hit big for me because it

25:11 was like almost plus 500 which basically for those who don't

25:14 speak the language that means that if you bet a dollar

25:16 for every dollar you bet you're winning $5 back plus 500.

25:20 Yeah.

25:20 So that's a real

25:21 they base it off like $100 bets.

25:23 So plus 500.

25:24 So $100 bet wins you 500 bucks.

25:26 Those are the type of bets I like to make.

25:28 Not the $100 bet wins you 100 bucks.

25:30 Like I I want it to be a little bit of a long shot,

25:32 but I think there's a real good chance that could happen.

25:35 and and you know those are the type it should be three to one not 5 to1

25:38 exactly right those are the type of bets Matt much like you know a fifth round

25:41 draft pick or something like that you hit

25:43 on one of those and you're in great shape oh yeah pays off well

25:46 and so Jadarian Price would be that guy for me because I'm sure I'm sure

25:50 I think he should be ahead of Tate

25:51 he's the one who I understand him not being a bonafide favorite but he's

25:55 a he's he's being plugged into a really good team a really good offense

25:59 nothing his way

26:00 and he's going to have a real opportunity to be a big cog in that offense

26:03 yeah and the schedules haven't come out.

26:05 But I'm This stuff matters for these kind of awards.

26:07 I bet Seattle's on national TV a lot more than the Browns.

26:11 Totally.

26:11 You [laughter] know what I mean?

26:12 Right.

26:12 You got to win some games or the Cardinals, you know.

26:14 Yeah.

26:15 Yeah.

26:15 You know, Monday nighter and he goes for 150.

26:17 He's going to get votes.

26:19 Yep.

26:19 They throw in uh you know, total total long shots.

26:23 They have Denzel Boston in there.

26:24 They have Drew Aller in there.

26:26 You know, what happens if Aaron Rogers is is not back?

26:29 Yeah.

26:30 I

26:30 I guess Carson Beck would also

26:32 Carson Beck was another one too, which I I mean,

26:34 hey, if you're going to do super long shots, I guess

26:36 I think Beck has a better chance to start games than all her, though.

26:39 I would agree.

26:40 Start more games.

26:41 Denzel Boston would be an interesting real Yeah.

26:42 What if he catches 10 touchdowns, you know?

26:45 Yeah.

26:45 So, uh there's the there's kind of the offensive side of the thing from Soak.

26:49 Now, on the defensive side of the football,

26:50 I think this is a little bit more of an interesting conversation.

26:53 thought about the defense much because there's five favorites uh in in Soax,

26:59 which is which is more than on the offensive side of the ball.

27:01 Three of them from Ohio State [laughter] and

27:02 as you can imagine, a lot of Ohio State guys on there.

27:05 Uh David Bailey, Arll Reese, Mansour Delane, Sunonny Styles, and Ruben Bane Jr.

27:13 Okay.

27:13 Did you say downs?

27:14 I did not say downs.

27:15 I say safeties.

27:16 I don't know.

27:16 Safeties and corners are tough to win it.

27:19 That's basically what he says here that he doesn't

27:20 have downs in his rankings at all because it's just it's so tough.

27:24 I wonder how long ago it's been since the safeties won.

27:27 I mean, you you'd have to have a lot of picks.

27:29 You just have to put up a lot of numbers.

27:32 To cut to the chase on this one,

27:33 it's almost always an edge rusher or a linebacker, you know?

27:36 Almost always.

27:37 Yeah.

27:37 Which I totally get.

27:38 If Bane gets 10 sacks, 12.

27:40 Again, you got to stand out on a stat

27:42 sheet for right or wrong because everyone who's the people

27:44 who are voting on these awards are not watching

27:46 every single snap of every single game you play.

27:49 I still think I would probably pick Reese

27:51 as my shortest odds or no, I'm sorry, Styles.

27:56 Okay.

27:56 I I just think he's going to he'll have a 100 tackles and

28:01 couple picks and pass deflections, that type of stuff.

28:04 Reese's role is a little murkier

28:07 because he might be doing a lot of tweener stuff.

28:09 I think he'll be doing tweener stuff.

28:10 Doesn't necessarily will have an impact on the defense,

28:12 but won't necessarily again show up on the stat sheet to win an award like this.

28:16 I like Bane and Bailey,

28:18 but I don't think they're going to be

28:19 like Nick Bosa's a rookie and double digit sacks.

28:23 That's asking a lot.

28:25 Dellay's an interesting one.

28:26 Yeah, because what if the Chiefs offense returns to form?

28:28 Mahomes is back and healthy and as you've mentioned is on a vengeance.

28:32 Kelsey has one last year left in him.

28:35 They can run the ball now with Kenneth Walker and they start to score

28:38 some points again and all of a sudden it's Kansas City's up seven.

28:41 Kansas City's up 10 in the fourth quarter and teams are throwing the ball

28:45 at the rook

28:45 and and Mansour Delane ends up with six interceptions

28:48 or something like that is five interceptions his rookie season.

28:50 I'm sure they'll be on Monday Night Football with a lot too.

28:53 No doubt, you know, that type of thing.

28:55 Of course, even though they had a down year.

28:57 Corners are tough.

28:58 Corners, you're gonna have to have some

28:59 interceptions and some and some real splash.

29:00 I think Sauce won it recently.

29:02 Sauce did win it.

29:03 Yes.

29:04 And we have had

29:06 I mean what two years ago Pat Certain won defensive player of the year

29:10 and it happens not recently but not forever

29:12 ago Stefan Gilmore won defensive player of the year.

29:14 So it does happen but it's it's rare.

29:16 It is rare.

29:17 Mel Blunt another corner.

29:19 I mean we was pretty good.

29:21 That guy was pretty good.

29:22 I think I would take Styles though of the tier one guys.

29:26 I'm with you cuz I think he's just the one

29:27 who's going to stuff the stat sheet the most.

29:29 Yeah.

29:30 Yeah.

29:30 Yeah.

29:30 Although there could be a way with what

29:32 the Jets have there on that defensive front.

29:34 David, as you mentioned, David Bailey ends up with 10 and a half

29:36 sacks or something like that as rookie year.

29:39 That'll be an interesting one.

29:40 The defensive rookie of the year will be a real interesting one.

29:43 Here's the long shots according to uh to Solak.

29:46 Caleb Banks from the Vikings.

29:48 That's a pretty long shot.

29:49 That's a pretty long one.

29:50 The tackles are tough.

29:51 Hakee Messador, which I which I get.

29:53 He could have pretty NFL ready.

29:56 Yeah.

29:57 Yeah.

29:58 Malachi Lawrence, another another decent one.

30:01 You know, they

30:01 see them getting into shootouts and a lot

30:03 of pass rush opportunities with a good offense.

30:06 Uh Chris Johnson, the corner from the Dolphins.

30:08 Oh, that's going to be tough.

30:10 They're going to lose a lot of games cuz Exactly right.

30:12 Exactly right.

30:12 Although the Jets were seven and 10 when Sauce Gardner won it in 2022,

30:16 but again, there's exceptions to every rule.

30:19 Um, and then Peter Woods listed as a long shot.

30:23 I'm not buying that.

30:23 I'm not buying that, too.

30:24 He's basically saying if Chris Jones draws all the attention, Woods could,

30:28 you know, have a productive year, which I don't disagree with that, but yeah,

30:31 I think that would be a I might throw a buck on like Jacob Rodriguez.

30:35 So, the his longest shots, Jacob Rodriguez, Josiah Troder.

30:39 I don't know about Troder.

30:40 I would way go Jake because Jacob Rodriguez just does the splashier stuff

30:44 and he has no competition.

30:45 He's going to start day one.

30:46 Absolutely.

30:47 And there he's going to have a lot of opportunities for tackles and big plays.

30:50 Anthony Hill Jr., CJ Allen,

30:53 maybe CJ Allen.

30:54 I think he'll be a starter on Indie.

30:56 I understand all those linebackers getting a shout,

30:58 but Jacob Rodriguez stands a little bit ahead of of the

31:01 His big plays on his resume or galore.

31:03 That's what he does.

31:04 That's what he does.

31:05 That's what he does is force fumbles and interceptions

31:07 and and and fill up a stat sheet and that's what you got.

31:10 It pays off pretty well.

31:11 I bet I would be interested in that one.

31:12 I might I might be interested in a few bucks on Jacob Rodriguez and I

31:16 don't know maybe maybe a few bucks on I don't know one of these offensive guys.

31:20 Maybe Casey Conception or one of those wide receivers.

31:23 That's not a bad one.

31:24 I think I'd go with the Seattle running back though for the buck.

31:27 Yeah.

31:27 Yeah, for sure.

31:28 We'll keep an eye on those.

31:29 Obviously, that'll be something.

31:31 We do that every season when we hit the bye.

31:33 We'll do we'll do an awards reset and check in on those things again.

31:37 But let's get to our final break of the first hour here.

31:41 when we return on the other side.

31:42 Got a couple tweets that I want to hit.

31:44 We'll also play you a little audio of Max

31:47 Ehana's one-on-one chat with our friend Missy Matthews.

31:51 We'll do all that when we return.

31:52 Uer Williamson hour number one here on a Friday.

31:55 It's the drive.

31:56 Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

32:01 [music]

32:12 [music]

32:12 Rolling along here on the drive on a Friday as we

32:16 are uh continuing to kind of uh dot some tees,

32:19 cross some eyes from the NFL draft, Matt.

32:22 And uh with that, some some audio we want to play here.

32:25 Of course, our our friend, she's a regular on the show during the season.

32:28 Yep.

32:29 Uh all Steeler fans are familiar, of course,

32:31 with the uh the queen of the sideline, Missy Matthews.

32:34 She does uh some pretty cool one-on- ones

32:36 for Steelers.com with the uh with the Steelers draft picks.

32:40 Yesterday, believe it was yesterday, right?

32:42 Yesterday, we played now, of course, I'm drawing a blank.

32:45 Uh the Was it Drew Aller that we played?

32:47 No, sorry.

32:48 We haven't done any.

32:48 We haven't done any of these cuz it was we played

32:50 uh I was going to play the the Mad Max yesterday,

32:53 but instead we bumped Mad Max a day for of course Art Rooney the president.

32:58 Yeah.

32:59 Yeah.

32:59 His few minutes that uh that he spent on the NFL Network.

33:02 But on Steelers.com, you can see all of these with Missy Matthews,

33:05 the one-on- ones with the draft picks.

33:07 I do just a quick a quick bone to pick and this is a PSA I've done

33:12 a few times over the last couple years

33:14 and I will continue until it comes to fruition.

33:17 I'm looking on steelers.com to get this audio.

33:19 Right, Matt?

33:21 Yeah.

33:20 And they've got all the all the draft pick jerseys up there.

33:26 Okay.

33:26 You can buy you can buy an Eli you can

33:28 buy an Eli Hiden Reich jersey which I totally get.

33:31 You should be able to.

33:32 He's a Lebo guy.

33:33 He's a great

33:34 I'm sure they'll sell plenty of them, right?

33:35 There's Rico Dattle jerseys on on on Steelers Shop already.

33:40 Two years into this thing,

33:41 one of the best centers in the entire world and you still can't

33:43 get a Zack Frasier jersey without paying the extra money to customize it.

33:47 My good people at Steelers looking I know

33:50 his Listen, is that true for like McCormack and Falanu too?

33:53 Falanu you can get.

33:54 I don't think you I think first round pick you probably could.

33:56 Yeah.

33:56 Yeah.

33:56 Yeah.

33:57 But I then if if all the other draft picks are on there as rookies,

34:01 why wasn't Zack as a second again?

34:03 I like Zach's chances of sticking around as well as any of those rookies.

34:06 I think it's a pretty good investment now to print a bunch of 54 jerseys.

34:09 I think you're safe.

34:10 I think you're out of the woods.

34:11 When I was when I was making this PSA his rookie year,

34:14 I understood it even a little bit last year.

34:16 He's an offensive lineman sophomore year.

34:18 But now I think it's safe.

34:19 Let's let's massproduce those 54 jerseys so I can

34:22 get one in color rush style [laughter] from Steelers shop.

34:25 All right.

34:26 I I don't want I don't want to have to order order one of these illegally.

34:29 Uh, but of course a jersey I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of at training

34:33 camp and uh and around is number 71 big Mad Max Ehan Aore.

34:38 Here is his conversation with Missy Matthews.

34:41 Uh his thoughts on becoming a Pittsburgh Steeler and just what

34:44 these uh this last week or so has been like for him.

34:54 All right, Max.

34:54 First of all, welcome to Pittsburgh.

34:56 I'm going to try to do all of Pittsburgh nation a favor before we get started.

35:00 Yep.

35:00 Can you pronounce your last name?

35:02 My last name [music] is pronounced Ehana.

35:04 Sohana.

35:06 Okay.

35:06 Everyone's going to remember that now, right?

35:08 So, let's do it.

35:09 So, welcome to Pittsburgh.

35:10 What was last night like for you when you got selected by the Steelers?

35:14 Surreal moment, man.

35:15 Can't really explain it, but just different waves of emotion.

35:20 Um, you know, everybody was around me, man, from where it first started.

35:23 Jo, ASU, my family, my friends from high school,

35:28 you know, just everybody there, man.

35:29 Definitely one of the best moment of my life ever.

35:32 What was your family's reaction?

35:35 Oh, you didn't see the TV.

35:36 They was jump.

35:37 That was that was shocked, man.

35:38 It was just Everybody [music] was excited.

35:41 Everybody's, you know, emotional, man.

35:43 Yeah, it was definitely one of the best moments of my life.

35:45 And be able to share that with them was definitely meant a lot for me.

35:49 What kind of player and person are the Pittsburgh Steelers getting?

35:53 Just introduce yourself to the fans a little bit.

35:55 What kind What's your style of play?

35:56 What kind of player are you?

35:57 What kind of player are fans going to be watching?

35:59 Man, y'all getting a player y'all going to see a player that's,

36:01 you know, give it his all out there, man.

36:03 Play for the guy next to him, you know, go to war for the team, man.

36:06 Try to bring a lot of wins to this team.

36:08 It's going to be a fun season off the field, man.

36:11 Guy that's, you know, always treat people right.

36:13 Respectful.

36:14 You guys welcome me here and I got to, you know, pay forward.

36:18 So, Hines Ward was one of the on the coaching staff at Arizona State.

36:21 Did you ever talk to him before you were drafted about the Pittsburgh Steelers?

36:26 We talked a little bit um like here and there.

36:28 He's always shared his like story moments about being in the NFL,

36:32 but seeing how he always carried himself, man.

36:35 Just showed me what the Steelers like.

36:37 Did you have you talked to him since you got drafted?

36:39 Yeah, he called me last night.

36:40 [laughter] He called me last night.

36:42 We was We was just laughing and stuff and I was like,

36:44 "You going to let me use your Mansion?" He was [laughter]

36:49 He's he's amazing, man.

36:50 Just seeing the work he's done the receiver room, man.

36:53 SK is the limit for him.

36:54 He's a great coach, but even a better person off the field.

36:57 Omar Khan talked to Hines last night and he said,

37:00 Hines Wward told him, "You are getting with Mack,

37:03 you are getting a Pittsburgh Steeler,

37:06 a Pittsburgh Steeler type of player in person."

37:08 What does that mean to you to hear that, man?

37:10 It means a lot.

37:11 You know, he's got to see my growth over

37:13 the last two years he's been at ASU, man.

37:15 So it's special, man, cuz he's a still.

37:17 He know what it takes.

37:18 He's done it at the highest level, at the best level out here.

37:21 He's a legend out here.

37:22 So he knows what it takes.

37:23 And you know, for him being able to just speak good about me,

37:26 but also like knowing that I put in the work too, it also felt good to me, too.

37:30 If you can give people just share a little bit the background of your story,

37:33 moving from Nigeria to California at age 13,

37:37 what that was like, what that transition was like for you.

37:40 The transition was fun, man.

37:42 I was young.

37:43 Uh, we actually moved to Atlanta first for 6 months.

37:46 So, I was just really excited like we get

37:48 to see snow and when it snowed for the first time,

37:50 we ran outside trying to catch it and stuff.

37:52 It was actually really crazy.

37:53 But I was young, man.

37:55 But, you know, for my parents making that move, man,

37:57 it has to be a lot for them, you know, sacrificing a lot.

37:59 They built their whole life back home to come

38:01 out here and start friends for their kids.

38:03 So, now I got to get a better understanding of it.

38:06 And but I was young back then.

38:07 And I didn't really think too much of it,

38:09 but just more excitement and just [music] again I seen a lot of American

38:12 movies and that's just just kind of how my mind was flowing at that point.

38:16 You grew up playing soccer and you played a lot of basketball, correct?

38:21 Yeah.

38:20 So, how did you transition into playing football?

38:23 See, I transitioned to football after high school.

38:25 So, COVID happened my senior year of high school.

38:28 So, I didn't we didn't really have a season.

38:30 Um, so after that, man,

38:31 I'm playing summer basketball, you know, chasing basketball.

38:35 So, my AAOU coach at the time,

38:37 he advised me to look into football and then it was just

38:39 something he put me down with the head coach at East LA.

38:42 Sat down and talked to him and got a visit being an offensive lineman.

38:45 It was history after that.

38:47 So, Arizona State, you began to get more and more playing time and then you,

38:51 you know, you wind up here as a first round choice.

38:53 What was that transition like?

38:55 Mostly playing right tackle, correct?

38:56 A little bit of left tackle.

38:57 What was that transition like as you began to get more and more playing time?

39:01 Did you fall more and more in love with football?

39:03 Man, I ain't going to lie.

39:04 Like after my first year at Jo, man, I knew this was what I wanted to do.

39:08 It was more like kind of just setting small goals at times,

39:10 just trying to just get better and see how far I could take this thing, man.

39:13 Like God blessed me a lot.

39:15 You know, without him none this would be possible.

39:17 As you progressed, did the confidence grow

39:19 and and did and did some of these, you know,

39:21 we've seen you at some of the bowls um you know,

39:23 the post, you know, playing against other

39:25 top players around the country and and it

39:27 looked like you were a guy that enjoyed going against the other top players.

39:31 No, for sure, man.

39:31 Like like I said, the more I kept getting better

39:33 and you know knowing you put in a lot of work, man, you get confident.

39:37 So that's all it just takes is hard work and just

39:40 you know perseverance just staying through it throughout on hard times.

39:43 It's going to be a lot of hard times

39:44 but just embracing those moments and just learning from it.

39:46 I'll definitely say I was the biggest

39:48 thing and just trying to progress every day.

39:50 I'm sure it's been a whirlwind but what are you

39:52 most excited about in the days and weeks to come?

39:55 Man, I'm excited to be a Steeler, man.

39:57 I'll definitely say that piece of it, man.

39:58 I've been waiting for this, you know,

40:00 kind of been like a waiting game a little bit this whole 3 4 month process, man.

40:04 But the excitement, I'm excited to be a Steeler.

40:06 I'm ready to get to work.

40:09 Max, thank you very much.

40:10 Appreciate it.

40:11 Welcome to Pittsburgh.

40:12 Yes, sir.

40:12 Appreciate you.

40:14 We are excited to see him get to work.

40:16 Steelers

40:18 first round pick Maxure.

40:20 Apologies.

40:20 Five yard penalty.

40:21 Uh, procedural penalty on Uler.

40:24 It was actually Rob King who did the one-on-one with Max.

40:26 That was not Missy.

40:27 That was not Missy.

40:28 Spoiler [laughter] alert, that was not Missy.

40:30 That was another part of our fantastic broadcast

40:32 crew and game day team, but I forgot.

40:34 Missy did most of those one-on- ones, but Rob did do the one with Mad Max.

40:39 Uh, we we were laughing with TV.

40:40 As soon as I hit that, we were all like, "Oh, wait.

40:42 It's Kinger." And TV was like, "Shoot, I knew that.

40:45 I should have said something [laughter] to you while you were teeing it up.

40:47 It's okay.

40:47 It's a Friday." All right.

40:49 But, uh, good stuff with Rob there and and with the entire Steelers video crew.

40:54 And, yeah, he just bright young guy.

40:57 I love I love him mentioning, you know, after his first year of football,

41:00 he was like, "This is this is what I want to do.

41:02 I knew what I want to do." Yeah.

41:03 I can't imagine falling in love with something

41:06 as complex and as as huge as football, you know, well into your formative years.

41:12 Yeah.

41:12 It's such a crazy and cool path

41:14 to go from two years of Jo, which Matt,

41:17 you know this, you lived in that collegiate recruiting world.

41:20 I mean, Jo is a far cry from playing football

41:23 at Pit or WVU or or even Toledo or Akan.

41:28 I mean, those Jo kids, like, you give them uh, you know,

41:31 like a pair of shorts and a bagel and they're grateful, you know?

41:35 Like, you do that for two years,

41:37 no fans in the stands,

41:38 no fans in the stands, no pomp and circumstance, no um, big man on campus,

41:44 a huge, you know, none of those perks

41:46 really of being a a college football player.

41:48 And then you go to Arizona State for two years, big jump up from Jo.

41:52 You're playing in the college football playoff,

41:54 you're playing in a power conference,

41:56 and now all of a sudden you're a firstround draft pick.

41:58 Like that is that is a that is a meteoric rise there for this young man.

42:02 Certainly.

42:03 So just from what we did, we did not sit down with Max,

42:08 or at least I didn't when we were on the live broadcast during the draft,

42:12 but we did do all the day two players, and there was plenty.

42:15 They were I'm sure we'll get to them next week or whatever,

42:17 but they're all very personable and, you know,

42:20 I enjoyed talking to every one of them.

42:22 The day three ones we wouldn't have because by the time they get here,

42:25 we're done, you know, so that does just doesn't add up.

42:28 But I did get tons of reports and we did shake Max's

42:32 hand and you could just he kind of lit up the room,

42:35 you know, and he was also gritting ear to ear,

42:38 but I got a lot of reports too that they didn't

42:40 know how he'd handle going down to where the draft was

42:43 actually being held and all the stage and all that and he

42:46 ate that up and you can just see the exuberance.

42:50 Yes, absolutely.

42:51 And I think that was uh imperative or not imperative that was

42:56 impossible to ignore from from the from the big man there.

42:59 You're right.

43:00 He he walked up into the facility and you know like Bert and all the PR

43:04 people are you know taking him back to the coaching rooms and all that stuff.

43:08 We kind of set up outside of the Steelers coaching

43:11 rooms and offices and all that with our little draft location

43:15 and he like comes up the stairs and sees all

43:17 of us and starts saying hello and giving us high fives,

43:20 congratulating them like we're like part of the team too, you know.

43:23 And couldn't have been more exciting.

43:24 Our our buddy Ed Troop, who of course hosts the Steelers Standard,

43:28 he sees Ed and he's like, "I really like that Steelers hoodie you got on.

43:31 [laughter] I got I got to get me one of those." And Ed was like,

43:34 "I don't think you'll have a problem getting

43:35 any Steelers merch that you uh that you want.

43:38 is that you want to get here.

43:39 Uh but yeah, really cool stuff from him.

43:41 Obviously, all of our listeners know how excited we are,

43:44 especially Matt, that that he was the Steelers draft pick.

43:47 And I think everything we've seen and heard from him

43:49 in the past week or so has only reinforced that.

43:52 And obviously, he'll be one of those uh those guys that we are

43:55 very excited to see uh whenever we get to OTAA's mini camp training camp.

44:00 Very

44:00 the the real thing.

44:01 I assume they'll we'll talk about this down the road,

44:04 but I assume they'll just leave him at right

44:06 tackle and go from there and we move Troy.

44:08 I all that stuff's gonna be fun to talk about too coming up here

44:10 and we'll start doing more of that too as we

44:12 get closer and closer uh to seeing the first

44:16 uh additions of what that offensive line will look like at mini camp and OTAAS.

44:20 Fun one uh from our, you know,

44:22 our our jersey conversation there before we went to Max.

44:25 Uh TV pulled for us from Scott in the YouTube comments.

44:29 He said, "I've got a good draft story for you.

44:31 I was ecstatic when the Steelers drafted Limus Swede.

44:34 My buddy My buddy and I ordered a bunch

44:36 of knockoff uh Lima Sweeted jerseys from China

44:39 for like $20 a pop and they didn't make it cuz they got caught in customs.

44:44 It was not meant to be."

44:45 Not meant to be.

44:46 Bad omen.

44:47 That's right.

44:48 That's And that's what I'm trying to avoid with Zack Frasier.

44:50 All right.

44:50 I want to pay the I think he's got past the Lus uh bar.

44:54 I want to pay the good people at the Steelers Pro Shop.

44:56 Hey, you start selling them.

44:58 All right.

44:58 Right.

44:58 And I'll be the first one in line down there

45:00 on the day that they that they go on sale.

45:02 [laughter] [gasps] Weser, Matt Williamson, you know, Matt,

45:05 I've got a I've got a W view Zack Frasier

45:07 jersey that my wife got me one year for Christmas.

45:10 I'm so shocked.

45:11 Yes.

45:11 Uh, you know, get me the Steelers one.

45:13 We, you know, hey, this time next year, I'll be along well.

45:16 This this time next year,

45:17 I'll be hitting my 10-year anniversary with the organization.

45:20 You know, give me give me a Frasier color rush autographed.

45:23 You know, not that I'm being too picky here.

45:24 I bet you could get that signed, I'm sure.

45:26 Now, you know, I'll frame those two bad boys, Frasier WVU, Frasier Steelers,

45:30 and they can live in my basement for the rest

45:31 of my life and I'll be a happy man.

45:33 [laughter] Hour in the books.

45:35 Another hour to go.

45:36 I want to talk with One of the things that we've

45:38 kind of hinted at and that people have asked about is

45:41 what are the contract situations for a lot of the Steelers?

45:44 Who's up after this year?

45:46 Uh who would we like to see the Steelers maybe do business with before,

45:50 you know, training camp concludes and all that.

45:52 We'll kick off hour number two taking

45:53 a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers contractual situations.

45:58 Hour in the books, halfway home here on a Friday.

46:00 You'll learn Williamson.

46:00 It's the drive.

46:01 Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

46:10 [music] Good evening, Steeler Nation.

46:17 How we doing?

46:18 Well, that's good.

46:19 Us, too.

46:20 It is hour number two of the drive here

46:21 on your 247 home of the black and the gold.

46:25 We've got a fun hour here.

46:27 We're going to take a look at some contract stuff.

46:28 Going to get to all your questions, comments, concerns, and reactions

46:32 from YouTube and from the ex Twitter.

46:34 Uh but first, we were laughing.

46:36 Uh I've mentioned Terresa Varley's name a few times.

46:39 She of course uh she's like the team mom

46:41 and and does great uh writeups and articles for Steelers.com.

46:45 she's been putting out the last few days because as you can imagine this is

46:49 the general time that NFL drafts have

46:52 been held throughout the history of the sport.

46:54 Oh yeah.

46:54 Yeah.

46:55 Of like she's done the last week like on this day the Steelers drafted Exactly.

47:00 Right.

47:00 On this day the Steelers drafted Terry Bradshaw.

47:02 Well, yesterday's was of course uh our brother Tonilkin,

47:06 one of our one of our favorite people.

47:07 Yesterday was his draft anniversary and uh

47:11 TV and I were laughing during the break

47:13 there while while you were getting another another

47:15 round of coffee or ice and ice cubes,

47:17 whatever it was that you were over in the in the kitchen getting there.

47:21 The story and I'm sure a lot of people

47:22 have if you're a loyal listener over the years,

47:24 you heard Tunch the tell the story,

47:26 but I just always get a kick out of and I

47:28 I wonder if you have ever heard it before.

47:30 You know, Tunch and his family immigrated from Turkey,

47:35 right, to Chicago.

47:35 Okay.

47:36 I guess there's some similarities to the first

47:38 round pick who we just saw heard from

47:40 absolutely that that parallel too.

47:41 Um an offensive lineman who was who was born

47:43 and raised in a different country and a a big part of the I think the reason why

47:48 not just an opportunity to pursue the American

47:50 dream and a better life and all and all that but I believe Turkey was involved

47:55 in some wartime I don't know if it was

47:57 civil war or what exactly I'm not a historian

47:59 but to get out but it wasn't just we're going to America to pursue

48:03 a better life for our kids and all that.

48:05 that it would part of it was like we're going

48:06 to America to flee what is not the safest situation.

48:09 Things are getting scary here.

48:10 Yeah.

48:10 Tunch was a sixth round draft pick

48:12 of the Steelers and when they originally called his house,

48:14 he was not home and his mom who English was not her first language.

48:20 Ah, okay.

48:20 I've not heard any of this.

48:21 America was not her first culture.

48:23 Tunch's mom hung hung up the phone on the Steelers

48:26 because she thought that he was being drafted into the war.

48:29 [laughter] I get it though.

48:32 I've heard that I totally get this and Teresa actually

48:35 references that story doesn't want to hear briefly on the

48:38 that word.

48:39 Yes.

48:39 [laughter] His mom panicked uh because she

48:43 thought he was being drafted into the army.

48:45 Uh he was not being drafted into the army.

48:47 He was being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

48:49 And to hear Ton tell that story and describe

48:51 his mom and everything was just he would tell that story.

48:54 He would tell that story every year and Wolf would be cackling.

48:57 You know what I [laughter] mean?

48:58 Because obviously Wolf knew Mrs.

49:00 Ilkin very well.

49:01 Um, and so yeah, that just TV and I were kicking that around and yeah,

49:05 imagine that being you think your son's getting

49:07 drafted into the Army and it's no ma'am,

49:09 he's getting drafted into the National Football

49:11 League where the Pittsburgh Steelers, not the This is an honor.

49:14 Yeah.

49:14 Not the military.

49:15 And that's phenomenal.

49:16 Ended up being a pretty good six round pick there.

49:18 Our guy Tonil.

49:20 So [clears throat] I guess we'll throw this one out there, too.

49:22 I mean, Tunch was drafted out of Indiana State.

49:27 Yes.

49:26 Not exactly a football powerhouse.

49:28 you know, think about Larry Larry Bird's university there.

49:32 That's actually where I'm going.

49:34 Bird played Magic in the huge there.

49:38 There's a very famous Larry Bird

49:40 and his Indiana State um Sports Illustrated cover

49:45 and there's two young cheerleaders on each side of them.

49:48 One of which was Tunch's wife.

49:50 Nuh-uh.

49:50 [snorts] Yeah.

49:51 [laughter] Yeah.

49:52 I didn't know that.

49:53 Oh, I thought you knew that.

49:53 Yeah.

49:54 Yeah.

49:54 Yeah.

49:54 That's awesome.

49:56 That's fantastic.

49:58 Yeah.

49:58 I didn't I knew the Sports Illustrated the the the cover of him on

50:01 You probably know what I'm talking about, right?

50:03 Him and his you know like

50:04 Indiana has a new state bird.

50:05 I think

50:06 it was no one knew who he was yet.

50:08 He was like bursting on the scene late '7s or whatever and there's

50:11 two young ladies right next to Larry and one is Tunch's wife.

50:14 That's hilarious.

50:15 I you know I'm sure I'd probably heard

50:17 that at some point but I I don't remember it now.

50:19 That is fantastic.

50:20 Great piece of lore there uh from T a guy in Tunch

50:24 that has a lot of lore attached to his to his legacy.

50:27 And hey, for a six round draft pick,

50:29 one of the uh one of the finest tackles in franchise history to boot certainly.

50:33 Matt, let's take a look here uh at the Steelers

50:36 just I don't know roster contractual guys are up

50:41 maybe is maybe maybe the best way to uh to put things

50:43 here as uh as TV now sends us the picture of college basketball.

50:47 It's a famous Sports Illustrated

50:49 basketball's secret weapon with Larry Bird on the front.

50:52 I've got a massive storage bin.

50:55 I mean like this thing is so heavy.

50:56 I can't even carry it myself in my attic

50:59 of my grandpa and my dad's old Sports Illustrated.

51:02 I bet you that one's I bet you that one's in there.

51:04 That's on one of my list of things to do at some

51:06 point is go through all those and decide what to keep.

51:08 And there's got to be great Steelers

51:10 ones and Pirates ones and Mario Lemieux ones.

51:13 I bet there's ones to frame and or maybe get signed or whatever like that.

51:16 Yeah, I've got I've got two of them in great

51:19 a Jerry West one and a Major Harris one.

51:21 I know that'll shock you that I've got

51:22 those two kind of separated and in great condition.

51:25 I think I still have like 10 years of Playboys up in my attic, too.

51:28 Oh, that wouldn't surprise me.

51:29 [laughter] Matt Williamson,

51:30 right next to your uh Mel Kyper blue books from from the 80s and the 90s.

51:35 So, let's talk about some Steelers who um

51:38 are heading into their last year of their deals.

51:40 And and what

51:41 and now Roger Jones is one of them, by the way.

51:43 And now Jones is you're right, that is now officially official.

51:47 I think the biggest name though is Patrick Queen, linebacker, 27 years old.

51:52 Yeah.

51:53 One more year left on his deal here in 2026.

51:56 Yeah.

51:56 And there was talk of should they trade Queen?

51:59 Should they draft a linebacker?

52:00 I'm glad they didn't because I thought he had a tough go with things

52:05 because I felt like the defensive line was in his his and Wilson's,

52:09 you know, lap way too much last year.

52:12 And frankly, not that I hope people don't take this the wrong way,

52:16 like the old staff had no no idea what they're doing.

52:18 There's a handful of guys that I'm

52:21 just really intrigued what the new coaching staff,

52:24 the new system, year two in the the Steelers building.

52:29 I think Queen could pay off in a big

52:31 way that maybe you'd even slap the franchise

52:34 tag on at the end of the year or try to extend them or I I don't know.

52:37 It's a foregone conclusion that it's one and one more and done.

52:41 I certainly don't think so either.

52:42 But by the way, they have money to sign

52:44 I mean they will have money to sign these guys.

52:46 I am I'm a little bullish on Patrick Queen.

52:53 Yeah.

52:52 And what he will be in this new defense and what he will

52:56 what can do behind I think a defensive line that should be improved.

53:00 Benton should be better.

53:00 Harmon should be better.

53:01 Why Black should be better.

53:05 Agreed.

53:04 Um and the the biggest kicker for me and and Patrick Queen's name has come up

53:10 like the end of the season he was

53:11 in those conversations with potential cut candidates, right?

53:14 Yeah.

53:14 Yeah.

53:15 And then there was some times where some rumors came up about some teams

53:17 like the Cowboys and otherwise that were

53:19 maybe interested in acquiring his services via trade.

53:24 I like that voice in the back of my head is always it's so hard to find

53:30 a reliable down in down offball linebacker in this league.

53:34 You can find the sideline to sideline guys

53:37 who you don't really want thumping in the box.

53:39 You can find the more physical hammers who

53:42 you don't really want running sideline to sideline.

53:44 It's hard to find those true three down linebackers in the league.

53:47 They are a bit of a scarcity right now.

53:50 And I just there was such a black hole

53:53 at that position from Ryan Shayzir for for a handful of years

53:59 and and that to me is just in the back of my mind how

54:02 the Steelers spent so many offseasons in a row

54:04 going up for guys like Devin Bush,

54:07 trading for guys like Joe Shbert,

54:09 going out and acquiring the Mark Barons of the world,

54:11 you know, trying to find Rocky.

54:14 There's probably three or four other names that I'm

54:15 that I'm not mentioning that we could throw in there

54:18 where finally Queen has brought some stability to that position, too.

54:21 And he's 27 years old.

54:23 He's not 30.

54:24 He also really plays with an aggression and a passion

54:27 that I think carries over to his teammates.

54:29 And he's got untapped potential as a blitzer.

54:33 Yeah.

54:33 He has a very good history as a as a pass rusher, as a blitzer.

54:35 That's a good point, too.

54:37 So, he's he's kind of I think the biggest the biggest one in that regard.

54:42 Um because like Cam Hayward is

54:43 especially the guys that aren't coming off their first contract.

54:46 I mean there's

54:47 like Hayward and Highmith are both still signed through 27.

54:52 Um and then so I guess kind of the next big one to be

54:55 would I mean Malik Harrison is up after this year but I don't think there's

54:59 I wouldn't think that these a ton of conversation.

55:01 I'm not 100% sure he'll make the thing this year.

55:03 Exactly right.

55:03 Uh how about the Shawn Elliott?

55:05 He is signed for one more year after this year.

55:08 29 years old.

55:09 That's right.

55:10 I didn't realize he was up after the year.

55:12 Okay.

55:13 29year-old safety probably won't break the bank, but he's been super reliable.

55:18 Well, he has had missed some time, which you don't love.

55:22 Uh, I guess that one's probably a to be determined situation.

55:25 I think so as well.

55:26 Yeah.

55:26 My hunch is he won't demand a ton on the open market,

55:29 even if he has a big year just because of his age and position.

55:34 And yeah, it'll be interesting to see.

55:36 Obviously, his health status this year will depend on the field.

55:39 Exactly right.

55:40 Um

55:40 but the defense is way better when he's out there.

55:43 Brisker's on a one-year deal.

55:44 One year deal, so we're going to wait and see on that one.

55:47 Uh Brick Jones now, another reason why I'm a little shocked they

55:50 didn't take a safety in like the third round,

55:52 but both I mean your two starters

55:54 are hitting free agency basically after the year.

55:57 Yes, it's also not a hard position to find.

55:58 That's the thing.

55:58 You can go out and find Deshawn Elliots and and Jaquan Bristo

56:01 and they found both those guys from other organizations

56:03 without going crazy and breaking the bank, you know.

56:05 Yes, they did.

56:06 Brick Jones, we've had a lot of conversation around him.

56:09 I think you're just gonna let him play out.

56:10 Hope he's healthy.

56:11 Hope he plays out this year.

56:12 And you have

56:13 I I would love it if the season ends, you know, ideally in February, right?

56:18 Because that means you made a really deep run.

56:19 But I would love it when the season ends

56:22 sometime in the winter of 2027 and you

56:24 and I have to have a real conversation about like, you paying Jones now?

56:29 Sure, he's going to cost a little bit more, but are you paying Brick Jones now?

56:31 Like that's what I hope we're doing in January or February.

56:34 And the other thing about this part of the equation is even if

56:38 he's a backup all year because he is a high pedig as long

56:42 as he's healthy and if he doesn't beat out Max or Troy or whatever

56:46 and ends up as your third tackle or whatever and he hits free agency,

56:51 he's going to yield a comp.

56:53 I mean, first round pick still moldable.

56:57 Somebody's going to pay him a decent money.

56:58 You might get a fourth round comp for him even if he hardly plays this year.

57:02 Dan Moore Jr.

57:03 style.

57:04 Dan at least had a lot of tape.

57:05 He got you a third round compact.

57:07 But there is a lot of Broadick tape,

57:08 good and bad, but there's also a lot of pedigree.

57:11 I think the biggest one to have

57:12 this conversation with Matt is obviously Joey Porter Jr.

57:17 Yeah.

57:16 Just turned 26 years old.

57:17 Was one of the finest corners in the NFL this past season,

57:20 particularly after that Thursday night game

57:22 in Cincinnati where the whole defense struggled.

57:25 But after that, he was as good as anyone.

57:27 I got to think that I think he's probably the next priority.

57:29 I would be I would be very surprised if we all leave training camp, you know,

57:33 the second or third week in August and he

57:35 doesn't have [clears throat] a long-term deal in place.

57:37 Yeah.

57:37 And I bet that's the plan.

57:38 No one's told me that or anything of that nature.

57:41 They did draft a corner on day two,

57:43 but still I I think that's somebody you don't let walk.

57:47 How about Chris Boswell?

57:48 He's an interesting conversation all the season.

57:50 Kickers are getting more and more expensive

57:51 because kickers are getting a little more expensive.

57:54 He is 35, which for a kicker isn't,

57:56 you know, you're not knocking on retirement's door.

57:58 No.

57:59 And he was great last year, just not maybe quite as great as he had been

58:04 the year before.

58:05 He was unbelievable.

58:06 It's almost like when you're as great as he has been,

58:08 you the only way you can go is to take a step nowhere to go.

58:11 And I mean, it was a baby step back that he took last year.

58:14 I'm not trying to be dramatic here at all.

58:16 He was still one of the best kickers in the league.

58:19 He just wasn't quite automatic boss from start to finish as he's been.

58:25 But what if he takes another step back?

58:27 And then you're looking at giving him paying him in his age

58:30 37 and 38 years and it's like that could get a little hairy.

58:35 This one's tough because I could understand and I could argue every

58:39 reason that you heir on the side of believing in Chris Boswell.

58:42 Sure he's a he might be the best Steeler.

58:45 We're not saying anything bad about the guy.

58:46 Just is how you invested him.

58:48 Even if now for the next year or two or three he performs like he did last year,

58:52 that's still a hell of a kicker.

58:53 You know, that's still one of the best three or five in the NFL.

58:56 like a top five guy in the league.

58:57 Yeah.

58:58 And that's probably where I would air because it's still

59:01 a kicker salary that's not going to break your bank, but

59:04 if you had to cut him and there was dead money,

59:06 it's still not like Tua, you know,

59:08 but I I also understand why it's not

59:10 just an automatic rush to the podium type decision.

59:14 It's an interesting conversation with Boston.

59:15 Rarely at his stage of his career do you see

59:17 this, but you could live one year by year and franchise them.

59:21 You could franchising a kicker is not hard to do either.

59:23 It's not going to cost you a lot of money.

59:24 And that just is one year.

59:27 Mason Rudolph is up after this year.

59:28 I don't think there's much of a conversation about extending him or anything.

59:32 I wouldn't think after drafting one in two straight years.

59:34 How that relates to his chance to be on the roster for 2026.

59:37 That's why I think he could be a trade candidate or you know

59:41 the other guys are promising.

59:42 Let's talk about some of the other guys from that Joey Porter Jr.

59:45 draft class that are coming down the pipeline here.

59:47 It's a good class.

59:48 It's a really good class and two guys that you and I are both big fans of.

59:52 Let's start with Mount Washington, Darnell Washington.

59:55 He is 25 and is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

1:00:00 Just to cut to the chase, Herbig and Washington, I can't

1:00:03 Herbig's the other one obviously that I was going to get to next.

1:00:05 I can't let those guys leave under any circumstances unless

1:00:09 this is a catastrophe year or there's injuries or something unforeseen.

1:00:14 And I don't want them even hitting free agency a year from now.

1:00:18 I I don't I' I'd love to get them locked up now.

1:00:21 Yeah, I do not want the the carrot to be hanging

1:00:23 for them to potentially h I'm not interested in talking to you guys.

1:00:28 I'm going to go try to test free agency.

1:00:30 No, no, no.

1:00:31 I got to get those guys locked up.

1:00:33 Those guys are going no fun to play against.

1:00:34 They're going to be valuable commodities on the open

1:00:37 market if they were able to make it there

1:00:39 and they would certainly uh command a a decent fee.

1:00:43 Tight ends don't make that much,

1:00:44 but the big blocking guys are starting to make more and more.

1:00:46 I would I would love it if all three of those guys

1:00:48 uh had longerterm contracts by the time we leave Latroe.

1:00:51 I certainly think that's a real possibility.

1:00:54 Um and would love to see that.

1:00:56 Would love to see that happen.

1:00:57 Um let's see here.

1:00:58 A couple more that we need to talk about.

1:01:00 Um Keanu Benton as well.

1:01:03 Yeah, he's not a slam dunk.

1:01:05 I always I keep I always forget that he's part of that draft class, too.

1:01:07 But

1:01:07 it's a good draft class.

1:01:08 It

1:01:08 is a good draft class.

1:01:09 I lean towards wanting to lock him up.

1:01:11 I I wonder what this defensive staff's going to do in terms of alignment,

1:01:16 you know, nose versus three techniques versus five, you know, four eye, etc.

1:01:21 Is he going to be in there in the nickel package?

1:01:23 If he is, you know, do they they see more ahead for him?

1:01:27 I think as a p as a run stuffer, he needs to get better,

1:01:31 but I do think his pass rush production should continue to rise.

1:01:36 Still going to learn from Hayward, but Hayward's not going to be here forever.

1:01:39 I would lean towards extending him,

1:01:41 but I don't know that it has to be priority one.

1:01:46 I think that's a good way to put it.

1:01:48 I He's there's a lot of talent there.

1:01:50 There is.

1:01:51 Yeah, there is.

1:01:52 Those guys don't grow on trees.

1:01:53 It's an interesting one.

1:01:54 They don't grow on trees.

1:01:55 But I But is he your third defensive tackle?

1:01:58 And I that's where I start to think like, hey, if all if all goes well,

1:02:01 this is it's kind of like

1:02:02 the same conversation we've had around Mason McCormick.

1:02:05 Mhm.

1:02:05 If you got to pay Frasier a nice chunk

1:02:07 and you got to pay Falanu a nice chunk and

1:02:09 and something has to give.

1:02:10 If you if you've got to pay Derek Harmon a nice chunk,

1:02:13 you know, if you're paying Nick Herbig a nice chunk, I just Yeah.

1:02:16 I wonder how that puzzle all comes together.

1:02:18 Yeah.

1:02:18 Yeah.

1:02:18 Yeah.

1:02:19 I can kind of see both sides, but I lean towards

1:02:23 probably get him locked up in camp or

1:02:25 and probably won't break the bank.

1:02:27 I say he probably wouldn't be that crazy expensive

1:02:29 if you signed him between now and opening day.

1:02:31 Let me look at it here real quick.

1:02:33 Um he's been making a little over 2 million a year.

1:02:36 So he might sign up for like hey

1:02:39 I know I'm not necessarily betting on myself

1:02:42 but I'm getting a nice payday that I would

1:02:45 would like to see in my game day check too.

1:02:48 Last two that we have to discuss Matt

1:02:50 and they are names that you and I have kind

1:02:52 of uh broached this subject with but we haven't

1:02:54 fully deep dove into Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook

1:02:59 both in the last year of their contracts.

1:03:01 However, there is one key difference.

1:03:03 Spencer is a UFA after this year where Dylan Cook is a restricted free agent.

1:03:07 Okay.

1:03:08 This year, which means Dylan probably isn't going anywhere.

1:03:11 Um, I still lean towards locking both those guys

1:03:14 up because I love this approach from a team perspective.

1:03:18 These players that have made very, very little by NFL standards,

1:03:22 you can really get for 75 cents on the dollar.

1:03:25 I think both are good at their jobs.

1:03:27 I'm convinced that Cook is an NFL tackle.

1:03:30 Is he a starting left tackle?

1:03:31 I'm not 100% sure, you know, that that you want to build yourself around,

1:03:35 but O lineman don't grow on trees,

1:03:37 but since we've had this conversation,

1:03:40 they used a first and third round pick on the the positions

1:03:43 that are going to be fighting with these guys.

1:03:44 They did.

1:03:45 So, you can them walking wouldn't crush you.

1:03:49 And because they are potential starting

1:03:51 offensive linemen by somebody around the league,

1:03:54 they would yield you a decent comp pick, too.

1:03:56 I mean, probably.

1:03:58 That's the whole They're not going to break the bank,

1:03:59 but they're going to somebody's going to want them.

1:04:01 And it's like, would you rather let them You want some guys to watch

1:04:05 comp?

1:04:05 Yes.

1:04:06 You mean that's a comp game.

1:04:07 Sure.

1:04:08 You also though look at those guys and they're like

1:04:10 both have been making about a million dollars a year

1:04:13 and man, they would you could probably get them for a team friendly deal.

1:04:16 Four each, three each year,

1:04:19 give them a nice little pay raise and some job security.

1:04:22 And even if they end up being

1:04:23 I think you can win with those guys.

1:04:25 Maybe they're not your favorite starters, but I think you can win with them.

1:04:27 You need high quality.

1:04:29 You need quality backups at the offensive line in the league.

1:04:32 You're just so rarely I know we saw it like two or three years

1:04:35 ago where the Steelers had the same starting five for all 17 games, but

1:04:39 that so infrequently happens with that position group.

1:04:42 Yeah.

1:04:43 And I don't think you can you can never thing to have an extra

1:04:46 one to have to have some quality depth options there on the offensive line,

1:04:48 particularly ones that aren't going to break the bank.

1:04:51 So to rewind real quick too,

1:04:53 if we assume Rudolph will be moving on after this year, he's a quarterback.

1:05:01 So I know he's not Dan Marino and John Elway rolled into one,

1:05:05 but quarterbacks make money.

1:05:07 And in the comp game, if he signed somewhere as a backup, he's

1:05:12 Jackson Dart's backup or whatever for 5 million a year, that helps.

1:05:16 Might yield you a fifth round pick.

1:05:18 Sure does.

1:05:18 You just because the position he plays.

1:05:20 Russell Wilson didn't break the bank last year

1:05:22 signing with the Giants, but that got you

1:05:24 right.

1:05:24 Exactly.

1:05:25 Fields.

1:05:26 Right.

1:05:26 Right.

1:05:26 Right.

1:05:27 Quarterbacks, offensive tackles, letting them walk usually yields you something.

1:05:31 Yes.

1:05:32 And that's definitely going to be I

1:05:33 would assume that'll be in the Jones situation.

1:05:36 Yes, it does.

1:05:36 Yes, it does.

1:05:37 Let's take a break here.

1:05:38 Let's have a fantasy football conversation on the other side.

1:05:41 talk about talk about some of uh some of these rookies in their uh

1:05:44 in their fantasy football outlook for year one

1:05:47 as we roll along here in hour number two.

1:05:49 Wesler, Matt Williamson,

1:05:50 it's the drive Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

1:05:55 [music] Rolling along here on the drive on this Friday.

1:06:08 Let's talk a little fantasy football.

1:06:10 It's been a while.

1:06:11 All right.

1:06:11 Yeah.

1:06:11 And some rookie uh rookie fantasy football conversation, Matt.

1:06:15 And I want to get into some interesting names for you and, you know,

1:06:19 how you view some of these guys.

1:06:20 I think particularly it's fun to talk rookies from a dynasty perspective.

1:06:24 Yeah.

1:06:25 I am excited to do a dynasty draft this rookie draft this weekend.

1:06:28 Yeah.

1:06:28 I' I've I've never been a part of a dynasty league.

1:06:30 It's kind of the one thing that I I've been

1:06:32 weaning myself off of fantasy sports as I get older.

1:06:35 In some ways, I do too.

1:06:36 But yeah,

1:06:38 like I used to play obviously I'd be in seven

1:06:40 or eight football leagues and I'd be in one baseball and one

1:06:43 basketball and one hockey and I was in a college football

1:06:47 fantasy league for a long time which I used to dominate by.

1:06:51 Oh [laughter] my gosh.

1:06:52 It was like my buddies were happy whenever I stepped out of that one.

1:06:55 Why don't you get out of here?

1:06:55 Yeah.

1:06:56 I'd get all the like Jo wide receivers that would

1:06:59 end up at a Pack 12 program and I knew that they were going to put up 1400

1:07:03 yards and the Washington State Tech guys and Oh yeah.

1:07:09 Um

1:07:09 like I think I have an a fantasy advantage over my buddies but really on draft

1:07:13 day whether I wrote the list or not we're all working off a pretty similar list.

1:07:17 Correct.

1:07:18 You know correct.

1:07:18 I think as the season goes on I you know should I pick this guy up or not?

1:07:23 Waiverwire and stuff like that.

1:07:24 Yeah.

1:07:24 maybe who to start, things like that, or work a trade or whatever.

1:07:29 First thing that I want to ask you before we get into some uh

1:07:31 like longerterm dynasty conversation is like how

1:07:35 much value do you place on Jeremiah?

1:07:36 I should mention this though since we're talking fantasy.

1:07:39 Um I'm in I'm only in two reddraft leagues.

1:07:41 I'm in six or I'm six dynasty leagues.

1:07:46 Wow.

1:07:45 Which I I've hosted a lot of Dynasty podcasts.

1:07:48 I've done a lot of Dynasty work and it's a bit much to be honest,

1:07:51 but I'm not looking to get out of them.

1:07:53 But I'm in two reddrafts.

1:07:54 Won them both.

1:07:57 Nice.

1:07:56 One of which, and I just haven't picked it up,

1:07:59 and I'll bring it in at some point.

1:08:01 I won the uh first ever Dale Loi Memorial Cup from the the league that he

1:08:06 got me and Hock and Chris Carter and a couple of those guys in from the uh

1:08:10 Love it.

1:08:11 Washington Repor the Observer Reporter League.

1:08:14 You're a very worthy uh first winner.

1:08:15 I'm sure that would make Dale proud.

1:08:17 Yep.

1:08:17 Yep.

1:08:17 Yep.

1:08:18 I've seen pictures of it.

1:08:19 It's just there in Washington.

1:08:20 and I have been able to go swing by and and pick up pick up the cup,

1:08:23 but I'll bring it in at some point.

1:08:24 That's all I was going to say.

1:08:24 You got to bring it in and we'll set it up on display here one day.

1:08:27 So, I've been in that league two years.

1:08:29 He's like, "You're going to be in this league.

1:08:31 We got four openings or whatever.

1:08:32 You're in it." I'm like,

1:08:33 "All right." I didn't want to be in another reddraft league.

1:08:36 So, the first year I played Dale in the Super Bowl,

1:08:40 lost to him by less than a point,

1:08:44 which I heard about.

1:08:45 I was going to say, I bet he I bet he had some fun at your expense.

1:08:48 Yeah.

1:08:48 And then the second year, unfortunately,

1:08:50 he passed away around week two or so and his son

1:08:52 took over and then I ran away with the league [laughter]

1:08:55 because Dale was the only one who who

1:08:57 had the knowledge and the chops to match you.

1:09:00 It's not saying all the greatest things about our our friends and uh and Mr.

1:09:03 Carter, I tell you there.

1:09:05 Um that's pretty funny though.

1:09:06 That's a good story.

1:09:07 We'll have to you will have to bring

1:09:08 that you'll have to bring that trophy in one day.

1:09:11 Like is it like a uh

1:09:13 can you drink out of this cup?

1:09:15 I think so.

1:09:15 Yeah.

1:09:16 And I think it'll have like my name on it then

1:09:18 next you like they'll add to it every year you know.

1:09:21 We got this past year was our 20th anniversary.

1:09:25 Me and all my high school buddies the league that that we do.

1:09:29 Yeah.

1:09:28 And we mine way longer than that.

1:09:30 We we've had a trophy since we so we started the league in 2006

1:09:33 I think when which was like our freshman year of high school 05 or 06

1:09:37 and like two years into it we got a trophy made.

1:09:41 Okay.

1:09:40 And we we laugh all the time.

1:09:42 And we're like, of course, we didn't think about this when we were all 16,

1:09:45 but that it's not a drinkable trophy.

1:09:47 We were like, we should have made it so you can drink.

1:09:50 So you could And it's the same thing.

1:09:51 All the winners from every year on the bottom.

1:09:53 They keep up with it.

1:09:54 Yep.

1:09:54 Whoever is in last Whoever comes in last place,

1:09:56 part of your punishment is you have to pay

1:09:58 for the trophy to get the new It's not expensive.

1:10:01 Yeah.

1:10:01 But still, that should be But that's something, right?

1:10:03 Ex.

1:10:04 If you if you come in last,

1:10:05 you have to pay for the beers at next year's draft party.

1:10:08 That' be pricey in our place.

1:10:10 That part's a little pricey.

1:10:11 Uh, and you have to Ours is a long week.

1:10:13 Ours a five or three day weekend and you know a Labor Day weekend.

1:10:17 Yeah, that's right.

1:10:17 You guys make a whole weekend out of it.

1:10:18 Ours we just go to the local VFW and so

1:10:21 the beers are probably only two bucks a piece.

1:10:24 We need 12 people drinking for a few hours.

1:10:27 Um, but yeah, we always joke about that.

1:10:29 We're like if for for some reason there's ever a uh if

1:10:31 something happens to this trophy and we have to get it remade,

1:10:33 let's make sure the next one you can

1:10:35 drinkable pour a little bit into the top there.

1:10:37 I've been lobbying for nobody's buying it,

1:10:40 but whoever loses our league should have to wear

1:10:43 a singlet all day Saturday cuz I can have bad years,

1:10:48 but I'm never going to lose.

1:10:50 Never going to lose.

1:10:50 I mean, there's no way.

1:10:51 I mean, some I have two major bronies that do other things for a living.

1:10:55 Like a bad year for me is like sixth place.

1:10:57 I mean, I have a very high floor,

1:10:59 I would imagine.

1:11:00 So, I'm I'm not wearing the singlet.

1:11:02 So, what's your and and we've talked about him and the Cardinals a little bit,

1:11:05 but how much value is there on Jeremiah Love?

1:11:07 Because he's going to be very featured in that offense.

1:11:10 Yeah.

1:11:11 But is it another Ashton Genty situation?

1:11:13 Worries me.

1:11:13 And again, step one of my fantasy prep, you know,

1:11:19 I'm we don't even say it's step one because I I did

1:11:22 listen to that underdog running back podcast I mentioned in hour one

1:11:27 and they had him at like running back 12 or something along those lines,

1:11:31 which is way lower than Genty.

1:11:32 Like I end up winning my league and I picked

1:11:36 12th in a 12 team league.

1:11:37 So I picked 12 and 13 and I took Genty around

1:11:40 the turn with a Chan and one worked out and one didn't,

1:11:44 you know, and I Love I think's a better player than Genty.

1:11:48 So most years I think that's about where Love would be,

1:11:51 you know, top 15 type of overall pick.

1:11:54 There's just so many running backs you start looking

1:11:56 at that stock didn't go down, you I mean,

1:11:59 it's Bejian and Gibbs will be the first

1:12:01 two running backs take in whatever order you prefer,

1:12:04 but then you can list probably six or seven more

1:12:07 that he definitely would take ahead of Love in his current situation.

1:12:11 He scares me considering the wealth of the position all of a sudden.

1:12:14 Yeah.

1:12:16 Um

1:12:16 cuz he's going to be pricey.

1:12:17 But like, how about this?

1:12:18 The Dynasty League I'm in this weekend, rookie draft, my team is horrible.

1:12:24 I I have the second overall pick,

1:12:25 which means I get the second choice of rookies.

1:12:30 And this one's the only superflex one I'm in.

1:12:32 So, I'm gonna get Mendoza or Love, which I'm thrilled with.

1:12:36 I'm not sure which if I was picking one, which one I would take.

1:12:40 If it was Dynasty, not Superflex,

1:12:43 Love's definitely the first pick still by far of all rookies.

1:12:46 Sure.

1:12:46 It's not even close.

1:12:48 Sure.

1:12:48 But in Superflex, I'm like, I'll take Mendoza for the next 12 years, you know?

1:12:52 Right.

1:12:52 Not a bad not a bad problem to have there.

1:12:56 Uh do you Okay, so let's let's am I crazy

1:12:59 to think because men if especially if you're looking from dynasty perspective

1:13:04 or maybe I should say reddraft perspective, it's obviously Mendoza is QB1.

1:13:09 If you're doing this for Dynasty style

1:13:11 and maybe you're set at quarterback currently.

1:13:13 Yeah.

1:13:13 Yeah.

1:13:14 Could you make any any good faith argument

1:13:17 that Tai Simpson might be a smart bet?

1:13:19 Just if you can wait and he's in such a good situation

1:13:22 that offense with McVey in that organization.

1:13:24 If you can wait, he could end up being a better I'm not saying a better player,

1:13:27 but a better fantasy football value than Mendoza two years from now.

1:13:31 I mean, it's a better organization traditionally.

1:13:34 Probably a year from now, he's probably in a better situation.

1:13:37 I don't think he's nearly the NFL prospect Mendoza is.

1:13:40 That's what I mean.

1:13:41 Yeah.

1:13:41 And the thing, but fantasy football is a different world.

1:13:43 It is.

1:13:44 And the thing is, it's really a different world.

1:13:47 Both will have some rushing yards, but neither one's going to be a great runner.

1:13:51 You know what I mean?

1:13:53 Correct.

1:13:53 Like, this sounds nuts.

1:13:54 But in the last round of that Dynasty Superflex league,

1:13:58 I might take Talon Green.

1:14:00 I mean, even if he's fourth on their depth chart,

1:14:02 if by week 12 he starts three games, I'm plugging him in to start immediately.

1:14:06 He could run for 100 yards.

1:14:07 Absolutely.

1:14:07 Or maybe he turns in wide.

1:14:08 he turns into Terrell, [laughter] thousand yard season as a wide receiver,

1:14:13 then that's a real good problem to have.

1:14:16 Yeah.

1:14:15 Um, okay.

1:14:16 So, we talked about Jeremiah Love,

1:14:17 we talked about the quarterbacks a little bit.

1:14:19 Is there another aside from, and I think you're right,

1:14:22 people doing this from a dynasty perspective, Love, a bad year.

1:14:25 It's not a great year.

1:14:26 And Love and Mendoza will be the top picks.

1:14:29 Is there another one of these guys?

1:14:30 One of the wide receivers, one of the tight ends,

1:14:32 another running back that stands out to you as I

1:14:35 I would love to nab that guy for dynasty purposes.

1:14:38 I'm sure I'll get fonder and fonder of some especially

1:14:42 after I learn ADP and you know he's going 11th,

1:14:46 but man, I'll grab him at eighth.

1:14:47 Conception comes to mind because I bet I just like him as a football player

1:14:51 more than the general public does just

1:14:53 from you know rookie draft dynasty perspective stuff.

1:14:57 Maybe they'll get their quarterback next year and all of a sudden he's humming.

1:15:01 But I really had a hard time with this because I've done

1:15:03 a couple sort of podcasts about

1:15:06 this rookie class more from a reddraft perspective.

1:15:10 One guy I like that's kind of sneaky you

1:15:12 wouldn't think of is Jonah Coleman with the the Broncos.

1:15:16 JK Dobbins always gets hurt.

1:15:18 He's a really really good player and I hate to say

1:15:20 it because I love his style of play and he keeps

1:15:23 fighting back but you might only get him for a couple

1:15:26 weeks and I don't think they're that high on RJ Harvey

1:15:30 and Coleman catches balls and I thought he was a little bit of a bargain too.

1:15:34 I liked him as a prospect coming out of Washington

1:15:36 catches you know tough guy hard to bring down if he

1:15:41 it it's not that hard to squint to see him

1:15:43 being the number one running back in that offense week four.

1:15:47 Yeah, Halloween, right?

1:15:48 Exactly right.

1:15:49 That's the way you need to look

1:15:50 at these things for especially the running backs.

1:15:52 And I I understand on on pretty much

1:15:55 all of these whatever fantasy football website that you're

1:15:58 a fan of, it'll be Jeremiah Love RB1 and it will be his teammate Jadarian Price.

1:16:03 Well, his collegiate teammate Jadarian Price RB2.

1:16:06 But I like Jonah Coleman is the name that you see as RB3 most.

1:16:10 Not consensus, but but you see him a lot as RB3.

1:16:13 And I think I think that's why in that offense um sneaky one.

1:16:18 He could be a sneaky starter by the time you get a little

1:16:21 is a Commander six round pick from Penn State.

1:16:23 Um the other one not the B the boring back.

1:16:29 Uh yes.

1:16:30 Oh, what's his name?

1:16:31 Not Kron Allen.

1:16:33 Kron Allen.

1:16:33 Yeah.

1:16:33 Yeah.

1:16:33 just because he only has to beat out uh Bill and not

1:16:38 much else and it could be a decent offense and he's

1:16:40 just one of those dudes that coaches like because he can

1:16:43 pass block and you block it for three gets four or five,

1:16:47 you know, like those guys just end up getting on the field as rookies.

1:16:51 He might not I don't even think he's particularly good.

1:16:52 Like I'm not jealous that they got him good, right?

1:16:56 He's fine.

1:16:56 But if he's in there by week seven or eight

1:16:59 and he's solid and they can count on him,

1:17:01 there's nobody else on the depth chart.

1:17:04 Grab that guy in the last round of your reddraft league.

1:17:06 You know, little fantasy football conversation for you here on a Friday.

1:17:10 We'll do more of that as we roll along through the off seasonason.

1:17:12 I'll actually maybe next week we'll revisit

1:17:14 how your uh dynasty draft pay out and and can kind of uh use that maybe

1:17:19 as a as a blueprint for some people going forward here because

1:17:21 I do know our our listeners love it when we

1:17:23 can help them earn a little extra money or brag.

1:17:26 become just I'm starting to sniff the fantasy world, you know,

1:17:29 like who who are the definite first rounders and reddraft and things

1:17:33 like that and I just haven't given them much thought yet.

1:17:36 But but this going forward I will.

1:17:37 That means a few weeks from now folks at about 1:15 in the morning

1:17:41 I'll get an email from Matt that says my first fantasy football big board,

1:17:46 something like that position big sheet

1:17:49 and I will make sure that none of my friends see

1:17:50 that and I save [laughter] it for myself for all of our fantasy drafts.

1:17:54 One more segment to go.

1:17:55 You know what that means?

1:17:56 Your questions, comments, concerns,

1:17:58 and reactions via YouTube, via the X Twitter.

1:18:01 We'll hit as many of those as we can before

1:18:03 we get up on out of here for the weekend.

1:18:05 It is the drive.

1:18:06 Wesler, Matt Williamson, Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

1:18:12 [music] [music] Final segment of the day, final segment of the week.

1:18:26 You know what that means?

1:18:27 We will close it down with your questions,

1:18:29 your comments, your concerns, and your reactions.

1:18:32 You know where to get at us on Twitter.

1:18:34 You can also leave them in the YouTube comments where our guy

1:18:38 TV will procure the best ones for us every single day.

1:18:42 One of our regulars, T-MAC, asks,

1:18:44 and this kind of piggybacks off of the conversation

1:18:46 that we had at the start of this hour about,

1:18:48 you know, free agents a year from now.

1:18:50 What's the biggest need for next year's roster outside of quarterback?

1:18:54 Feels like a lot of spots need addressed like safety, linebacker,

1:18:58 maybe edge with with Alex and TJ getting a little

1:19:01 bit older and depending on what happens with Herbig.

1:19:05 Yeah.

1:19:04 Maybe defensive tackle if uh you know,

1:19:06 depending on Cam Hayward and Keanu Benton.

1:19:08 And you could always address wide receivers still with, you know,

1:19:11 Metaf and Pitman not being uh old but not being young either.

1:19:16 It's a good question.

1:19:17 Yeah, it's a great question.

1:19:18 It's a hard one to answer, too, because

1:19:20 I think defensive line definitely because regardless,

1:19:24 we all know Cam's not going to play forever.

1:19:25 Spoiler alert, nobody does, right?

1:19:30 Um Queen Elliot, um Brisker, you could bring back,

1:19:36 you know, if things are successful.

1:19:38 It's always hard to guess because what if

1:19:40 TJ Watt falls off a cliff and gets old?

1:19:42 I mean, like this league is very mean and unforgiving and it's very year-toear,

1:19:47 right?

1:19:47 And that's this is true for any of the 32 teams.

1:19:50 Like to just sit there and be like, "Oh,

1:19:52 we got this locked up for years." You probably don't.

1:19:55 The Steelers O line looks like it's in really good

1:19:58 shape for years and they've invested a ton in it.

1:20:00 It should be.

1:20:02 It's almost easier to think what might not.

1:20:04 I mean, your running backs could fall off a cliff.

1:20:06 I mean, great point, too.

1:20:07 right away.

1:20:08 I mean, like you didn't mention those.

1:20:09 I think I would think tight end O line is in real good hands for now.

1:20:14 I was going to say basically anything except for offensive line, right?

1:20:18 I mean, again, Pitman and Metaf are pricey and old.

1:20:22 Not old, but not young.

1:20:23 I mean, not in Yeah.

1:20:23 Right.

1:20:24 But a year from now, we could be saying we could be saying a year from now.

1:20:27 Yeah.

1:20:27 And the, you know, do you know the rookie was a success?

1:20:33 I mean, this is also the the time of eternal optimism.

1:20:37 We should have opened this week by saying that.

1:20:39 By the way, from now until the end of training camp,

1:20:42 and the NFL's so smart about this, all 32 fan bases are like,

1:20:47 "Oh, my second round receiver is going to be a great player.

1:20:50 This guy's going to return from injury.

1:20:51 Won't even miss a beat." My favorite one this 30 Oh, I go ahead.

1:20:56 Go ahead.

1:20:56 No way can we be as injured as we were last year cuz Yeah.

1:21:01 injuries don't happen.

1:21:03 Our offensive line can't be as bad as it was last year.

1:21:06 It sure can.

1:21:07 Oh, we'll be better at quarterback.

1:21:08 Uh Aaron Rogers won't get old.

1:21:11 You know, like mostly bad stuff happens between now.

1:21:15 That guy heading into his third year is going to take a step forward.

1:21:18 Yeah.

1:21:18 Only one of the 32 teams in the end is going to be happy with how it went.

1:21:21 Basically, I mean, some teams will outkick their coverage,

1:21:24 but this is the time of year where all our draft picks are going to hit.

1:21:29 All the injured guys will come back and that knee won't be a problem.

1:21:32 It's not your knee.

1:21:33 You don't have any idea.

1:21:35 Meanwhile, this guy can't even like get out of bed, you know?

1:21:37 I mean, you know, like it's mostly bad stuff going to happen.

1:21:40 So, I'm not ignoring the question,

1:21:42 but I can write a story for almost every position going south.

1:21:47 Some will go north, but they could all go south.

1:21:50 Payton Wilson doesn't take a step forward.

1:21:52 You won't see him as the answer.

1:21:54 Queen isn't in the mix.

1:21:57 Doesn't develop like you want him to.

1:21:58 Yeah.

1:21:58 Right.

1:21:59 Right.

1:21:59 Block gets old.

1:22:00 Highmith gets hurt again.

1:22:01 And it's like I thought we were fine at edge even

1:22:04 though we invested in her big but we're not you know happens real quick.

1:22:07 Yeah happens real quick.

1:22:09 So you do your best to draft that corner in the third round even

1:22:13 though you didn't quite need one with that in mind.

1:22:16 You know

1:22:17 tough this year's very le this this league is very le year year to year.

1:22:22 Yes it is.

1:22:23 So now than ever before.

1:22:24 Yeah it is.

1:22:25 And and we didn't even mention Dean as a contract

1:22:29 potential guy because he did sign a two-year deal,

1:22:32 but if he's not successful at age 30 or injured,

1:22:35 you can get out of that and all of a sudden

1:22:36 you thought you had Dean and Porter for next year.

1:22:38 You might not even have Dean, you know, like it's very fluid.

1:22:41 I mean, 40 to 50% of most rosters get flipped.

1:22:46 Yes.

1:22:46 That's why they say it stands for not for long in the NFL.

1:22:51 Kyle asks, "Do you all think uh it's

1:22:54 likely that between now and the trade deadline,

1:22:56 the Steelers will trade one or more current players for 2027 draft capital?"

1:23:03 Only if they start out the season really bad.

1:23:05 Just going to say only if the season starts out poorly.

1:23:07 The record would have to be really poor.

1:23:12 Well, I could see them dumping.

1:23:14 Dumping is a bad word.

1:23:15 Implies he's not worth anything.

1:23:17 Rudolph might get you a sixth or seventh round pick

1:23:20 in in training camp because you're thinking about cutting them, you know?

1:23:24 I mean, he I guess he would count

1:23:25 as a veteran you could trade for future assets.

1:23:29 Not like you're going to get first round picks for him.

1:23:32 Could I write a story where the trade deadline you're

1:23:35 really bad and you would entertain a Watt or Highmith deal?

1:23:39 I could write the story.

1:23:40 Yeah, I mean I could write the story.

1:23:41 Sean Elliot deal.

1:23:43 Yeah.

1:23:43 Some one of those guys that's maybe a free queen.

1:23:45 Queen, you know, something like that.

1:23:47 Like, boy, the season has not gone to plan.

1:23:50 We need to accumulate as many picks as possible.

1:23:53 Rogers got old or didn't even sign with us and we

1:23:55 have a really bad quarterback room and we can't win.

1:23:58 Those things could happen.

1:24:00 They rarely do around here and they haven't in decades,

1:24:03 but that's really the only way I could see it.

1:24:06 You'd have to be almost out of it.

1:24:09 Big Bone asks, "Which position group do you guys currently think is the weakest?

1:24:13 And do you have any concerns about where the team lacks depth?"

1:24:17 He says, "My initial thought is I would say I'm concerned

1:24:19 about linebacker depth in the quarterback room is the weakest." Well,

1:24:22 I think the quarterback is certainly the weakest now Aaron Rogers.

1:24:27 Yes.

1:24:27 If we're talking depth though,

1:24:28 I'm I think I'm still going to go with wide receiver.

1:24:30 Wide receiver is going to be my death

1:24:31 choice because I don't know who number four is.

1:24:33 As you mentioned, everything now is sunshine

1:24:35 and rainbows and and and Pitman's going

1:24:38 to be awesome in this offense and Jeremy's going to be a great number three,

1:24:43 right?

1:24:42 What if Bernard's a five or struggles?

1:24:45 What if Jeremy struggles?

1:24:46 What if Roman Wilson struggles?

1:24:48 Yeah, I'm not counting on Wilson right now.

1:24:50 And then all of a sudden it's DK and Michael Pitman Jr., you know what I mean?

1:24:53 Which again is a fine one, too.

1:24:54 But then you got nothing behind him, right?

1:24:56 What if one of those guys, god forbid, gets hurt and misses a couple games?

1:24:59 And they probably will.

1:25:00 Yeah.

1:25:01 Or get suspended.

1:25:02 Yes, you know, you know, something like that.

1:25:05 But I would say depth wide receiver is my biggest concern right now.

1:25:10 What's the non What's the weakest nonquarterback room?

1:25:18 It's a good question.

1:25:19 I don't know.

1:25:20 Maybe safety if I say maybe.

1:25:22 I think they're all pretty good.

1:25:23 But if you include if that's Ramsey Elliot, like that's not a weak room.

1:25:28 I guess I'd go safety if we don't include

1:25:30 Ramsay because I think he's more of a corner.

1:25:33 Maybe.

1:25:33 I mean, now I don't know that any of these rooms

1:25:35 are the best in the league at their respective position,

1:25:37 but I don't think any of them are close to the worst

1:25:40 quarterback aside at the moment.

1:25:42 You know, we know that's a to be determined situation.

1:25:45 Black and Gold Chris says, "I have a very serious question for Matt.

1:25:49 Which table setup for foosball is the correct one?

1:25:53 a goalie rod with just just one or three just the goalie or a a threeplayer rod?

1:26:01 Um I grew up on the Delta Kai foosball table

1:26:04 where there was only a oneman back or a oneman goalie.

1:26:08 That's what he says is the correct answer.

1:26:10 And I think that's the correct answer.

1:26:11 That's your answer.

1:26:11 He said and that's my my blood.

1:26:14 And that means I mean that's like how I I mean that's how I was brought up.

1:26:18 So I'll always favor that.

1:26:21 Sure.

1:26:20 And I never got good at shooting.

1:26:22 I've played with three,

1:26:23 but I never got good at particularly shooting with the two end guys,

1:26:26 which is really hard to do and isn't even a great shot necessarily.

1:26:29 Um, but the tornado tables are the nicest ones and those are

1:26:32 the ones that you like see I'm really being a nerd.

1:26:36 A tornado tables like if you go on tour, they're the best tables.

1:26:40 They're the weird world of Matt Williamson

1:26:42 and I think almost all those are three, but interesting.

1:26:46 Trust me, our table is not a tornado.

1:26:48 Yeah.

1:26:49 [laughter] didn't think you were playing a stratavarious violin either.

1:26:52 No.

1:26:52 No.

1:26:53 We I if there are any establishment owners out there with a

1:26:57 I'd love to get my hands on with a playable foosball table and you would like

1:27:00 to have Matt Williamson and I come out during

1:27:02 the offseason and do a show and you you know try and people can show up and try

1:27:07 I can embarrass myself on the table from what I once was.

1:27:09 We'd be we'd be very interested and and uh reach out

1:27:12 to us and we'll see if we can make that happen.

1:27:14 Um let's see here.

1:27:15 Steeler Nation, Alaska says,

1:27:17 "I've been to Pittsburgh 10 times over the last decade.

1:27:19 I'm growing to love the place, but I've never had a perogi in my life.

1:27:24 Where's the best place for that?" What do you think?

1:27:26 I don't know.

1:27:27 The TV ad I got two for you.

1:27:29 TV's probably got to go, but it's just called the perogi deli, right?

1:27:32 Is that on Forbes?

1:27:33 I think right downtown.

1:27:34 I'm pretty sure it's just called the Polish Perogi Deli.

1:27:38 That place is incredi.

1:27:41 It's something like that.

1:27:43 Um, incredible.

1:27:46 Okay.

1:27:46 And then also, you know who has

1:27:47 amazing perogis is the Church Brewery in Lawrenville.

1:27:51 Unveable perogis.

1:27:54 Okay.

1:27:54 They have and they do like four or five different styles.

1:27:56 They've always got the traditional ones, but and I've had them all.

1:27:58 They're amazing.

1:27:59 They have buffalo chicken perogis that are great.

1:28:01 They have alligator perogis.

1:28:03 Whoa.

1:28:03 That are fantastic.

1:28:05 The perogi deli.

1:28:06 And I say you can even get frozen ones at Giant Eagle that aren't bad.

1:28:09 You know, Mrs.

1:28:10 Te's or whatever.

1:28:11 All right, settle down.

1:28:13 I mean, that's not what you do.

1:28:14 You don't come in from Alaska to go

1:28:15 to the giant eagle and to go to the freezer section.

1:28:17 But, right, [laughter] Steeler Nation, Alaska.

1:28:21 You go to Church Brew Works, you go to the Polish deli.

1:28:24 Really, anywhere.

1:28:25 That seems like strong suggestions.

1:28:26 Really, anywhere on Polish Hill, too, I think would uh Oh, I bet there's plenty.

1:28:30 I bet there's some real good ones there.

1:28:32 Uh R.J.

1:28:33 tweets and says, "I'm excited for the first around

1:28:35 campus for next year." We'll do that next week, R.J., don't you worry.

1:28:38 We'll dig into that a little bit next week.

1:28:40 Um, let's see.

1:28:40 We got a few more minutes here for a couple more.

1:28:44 Uh, Michael says, "I love the show, guys.

1:28:46 I'm an OG listener.

1:28:47 Love it when you tell stories about Dale Tunch and Wolf.

1:28:49 I miss those guys.

1:28:51 Idea for your upcoming list season.

1:28:54 Change the show name to Drivefeld and have a show about nothing.

1:28:58 Kind of like your favorite my favorite TV sitcom Seinfeld.

1:29:01 A show about nothing.

1:29:03 What's your favorite sitcom of all time?" Favorite sitcom?

1:29:07 Seinfeld.

1:29:07 Seinfeld is high on the list.

1:29:09 I love The Office.

1:29:10 The Office is great.

1:29:11 I like How I Met Your Mother a lot,

1:29:13 although it has the worst ending of any TV show ever.

1:29:16 And I will fight anybody that tries to give me something else.

1:29:20 Even Game of Thrones, which had a terrible ending.

1:29:22 It was much better than the ending of How I Met Your Mother.

1:29:25 Yeah, I'm old enough to remember Cheers.

1:29:27 Cheers.

1:29:28 Yeah, I mean, I was young, but it was pretty awesome for its day.

1:29:31 I I don't know if you got Does South have great respect for MASH?

1:29:34 Does is MASH a sitcom?

1:29:36 I think maybe

1:29:37 it's a little s I mean people die and there's some serious stuff in there.

1:29:39 There are some serious stuff in there.

1:29:41 Think about history.

1:29:42 TV.

1:29:42 Does South Park count as a sitcom?

1:29:47 No.

1:29:46 Does Family Guy or Simpsons?

1:29:48 I guess those are more just like animated I don't know.

1:29:51 Does Always Sunny in Philadelphia count as a sitcom?

1:29:53 Yes.

1:29:54 Right.

1:29:54 It's a group of friends who own a bar.

1:29:55 That's a sitcom.

1:29:56 I I think sitcoms have to be half an hour.

1:29:58 I would agree with you on that.

1:29:59 I don't know why I say that because I just don't think any of them aren't.

1:30:03 But Sunny's Sunny counts.

1:30:06 I think I think Always Sunny in Philadelphia is

1:30:08 one of the most underrated TV comedy TV shows.

1:30:10 I think it's my son's favorite show.

1:30:12 It's so good.

1:30:12 It's so It's hilarious.

1:30:14 Frank reminds him of reminds my son of my dad.

1:30:18 Oh gosh.

1:30:18 [laughter] That could be both a compliment and it's all the above.

1:30:22 A little uh a little little derogatory there.

1:30:26 All right, let's hit on another one or two before we get out of here.

1:30:28 We got a lot of tweets.

1:30:29 We'll we'll save some of these for next week.

1:30:30 Friends was really good in it sty my wife.

1:30:32 buddies were making friends jokes the other night when we were watching

1:30:35 the Pens game and I was like I forgot how funny that was.

1:30:37 My my wife made a fooball table too.

1:30:40 Tornado I from what I recall.

1:30:42 Did you get the Stratavarious reference?

1:30:44 Yes.

1:30:44 That's like the Oh, very much so.

1:30:45 Yeah.

1:30:46 Yeah.

1:30:46 It's like a uh a is it Steinfeld Steinway is the piano.

1:30:51 I mean some of those are six figure million dollar instruments.

1:30:56 Yeah.

1:30:56 Many million.

1:30:57 I'm sure.

1:30:57 I think I've told you this story before.

1:30:58 I think our listeners will like this.

1:31:00 When my dad graduated from music school

1:31:02 and was going on his auditions with symphonies,

1:31:05 his older brother was a doctor, graduated from Yale.

1:31:08 Brilliant.

1:31:08 Oh, wow.

1:31:09 And was like, I'm gonna buy you your first legit violin.

1:31:12 And they went shopping in New York City.

1:31:14 Went to a bunch of different high-end shops.

1:31:16 Yeah.

1:31:16 And he bought my dad a really nice violin.

1:31:18 It's like 300 years old violin from Italy.

1:31:22 But there was a They don't go bad.

1:31:24 No.

1:31:24 No.

1:31:24 They're like real estate.

1:31:25 I mean, you take care of them and they appreciate like crazy.

1:31:28 They just don't screw them up.

1:31:29 Yeah.

1:31:29 my there was a there was a stratavarius in there for $100,000

1:31:33 which at the time was out of my you know my dad

1:31:35 I'm sure they're like that's insane

1:31:36 that's insane 100,000 bucks in the 80 you know this is like the early 80s too

1:31:40 I'm guessing it's added two zeros to it since then

1:31:42 my dad's brother said to him like I'm going to buy you this Stratavarius

1:31:45 one day when I just make a little more money and climb up

1:31:48 in the medical field a little bit more like 10 years ago they looked

1:31:51 at it as a joke and it was all worth almost $3 million now [laughter]

1:31:56 and my uncle was like man I wish I would

1:31:57 have just bought it at the time as an investment.

1:31:59 Oh, yeah.

1:32:00 And just put it in the safe.

1:32:01 Yeah, just put it in the safe.

1:32:03 Oh, man.

1:32:04 Let's see.

1:32:04 And I'm sure there's ones that are nicer than that particular instrument, too.

1:32:09 Like, I bet there's the most, you know,

1:32:11 that some queen owned or something or, you know, right.

1:32:15 Yes.

1:32:15 Yes.

1:32:16 Um, let's see here.

1:32:17 Joe says, "Segment idea for each of the Steelers picks.

1:32:21 Give us a realistic ceiling and realistic floor

1:32:23 from the 2026 draft." Maybe we'll do that next week.

1:32:26 That's a good one.

1:32:27 Uh, let's see.

1:32:28 Last one of the day here.

1:32:29 Floor is lower than you think.

1:32:31 He's talking about like he's talking about the draft picks.

1:32:35 Yes.

1:32:35 Yeah.

1:32:35 I mean, floor is floor is very low in our league.

1:32:39 Right.

1:32:39 Right.

1:32:39 Right.

1:32:40 Everyone assumes these years will hit again.

1:32:42 It's optimism season.

1:32:44 Seth uh tweets and says perhaps this is Lazy Helmick's scouting,

1:32:47 but you guys could you do any comparisons between

1:32:49 Drew Aller and Christian Hackenberg uh coming out of school.

1:32:52 Both were fivestar recruits, strong arms Penn State guys.

1:32:56 I wish I remembered Hackenberg as a prospect more.

1:33:00 He was like the number one rated quarterback when he came out.

1:33:03 He came and he was a real early second.

1:33:06 I think he was a lot more immobile.

1:33:09 Um that might be an interesting one to bring up to Chris

1:33:10 Adamsky the next time we have him on a Penn State guy.

1:33:14 He would I remember Hackenberg.

1:33:16 It it wasn't Manzel to uh Evans at&m,

1:33:21 but Hackenberg really was helped by Alan Robinson.

1:33:24 Yes.

1:33:24 in hindsight, like I don't know what to do.

1:33:26 I'll just chuck it up to Alan Robinson.

1:33:28 [laughter] Yes, that's exactly right.

1:33:29 Exactly right.

1:33:33 Um, we got some more here, but we we're out of time.

1:33:35 We got some really really good ones, but I I will save for next week.

1:33:38 I'll bookmark these and uh and and we will save these uh for next week.

1:33:43 Love the participation as always.

1:33:45 Thank you.

1:33:45 We got some more people chiming in uh with with segment ideas.

1:33:48 Maybe we'll tee some of those up next week as well.

1:33:50 But that will do it for us here uh on this Friday.

1:33:54 Thanks to our guy uh resident statistician and video producer, Mr.

1:33:59 Tyler V, Mr.

1:34:00 TV for making us uh look good on the YouTube and video side of things.

1:34:04 For Matt Williamson, I'm Wesler.

1:34:06 Take care everybody.

1:34:06 Have yourself a good weekend and we will talk to you on Monday.

1:34:10 Well, we'll talk to you next week.

1:34:11 We figure out exactly what the schedule looks like and everything,

1:34:14 but we will talk to you next week.

1:34:15 As always, you know where to find us.

1:34:16 It's on your 247 home of the black and gold.

1:34:18 Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers audio network.