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HR1: Live from Training Camp 2026 Day 6 · In the Locker Room presented by Neighborhood Ford Store (Pittsburgh Steelers)

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: This is live coverage op the twenty twenty six Steelers
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Training Camp or the Steelers Audio Network, presented by bud Light,
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• 0:49
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• 0:52
  Speaker 2: This is good.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: Hello everybody, and thank you. This is good.
• 0:55
  Speaker 4: We have that troop here, we have Max Starks here.
• 0:57
  Speaker 4: I'm Robkam. We thank you for being here. It was
• 0:59
  Speaker 4: nice to see Missy Matthews yesterday.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: I know, you know we got aka team mom.
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: We had the team Mom here, but you know what,
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: it wasn't the team mom who brought in cookies.
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: No Wes Euler who brought in cookies.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Or everybody's favorite little brother everybody's everybody's contributing.
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: Everybody's bringing a little something to the table, except because
• 1:20
  Speaker 4: it be seated at the table, which would be you
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: and me, Max.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, Well somebody has to do the heavy.
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: Somebody's got to consume. Yeah, somebody's got to consume.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: You can't bring it here and not have somebody taste test.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: That is our role.
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: And by the way, what is capitalism if you don't
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: have consumers?
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: Exactly there it is. We're helping out the American economics demand.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: That's exactly right, and they have the supply.
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: We're just doing our part, Max, that's all We're just
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: it's always to the greater good, Yes, what we are. Yeah,
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: So practice is winding down. I was kind of hoping
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: we were gonna have a little more practice.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: I know I fished day, but I guess because it
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: was a technically an eleven ten to one pm hard stop. Yeah,
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: so it is the hour fifty. So now that's the
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: last acclamation.
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: So, and I guess the phraseology is acclamation and then
• 2:13
  Speaker 4: ramp up.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: These two were first you got.
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: To acclimate, then you can ramp up, then you can start.
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: So this was technically I was corrected off the air,
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: I said, is this the last of the acclamation period? No, No,
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: the acclamation period ended. This is officially the two days
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: of ramp up. It all, it all adds up to.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: The same thing.
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: The team is slowly moving to the point now where
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: on Thursday they can go.
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: Thursday they can go because tomorrow will be a close practice.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: It'll be a mock game type of situation, so you'll
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: get Thursday, Friday, and then Saturday night lights coming up
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: will be the next open practice opportunities. But Tomorrow will
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: be closed to the public, So make sure if you
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: had plans to come up here on Wednesday, don't don't
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: show up unless you're going to Dinos afterwards to catch
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: some guys. But yeah, now, so another one of the
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: kind of Mike McCarthy two to one two type of
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: deals where you have two days on two hard practices
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: in a row, a review period which is tomorrow, and
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: then this time they'll actually go three days in a
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: row because but it will be a night practice for
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: a Saturday, so we'll get a little bit extended time
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: off in between the practices that you can justify and
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: go with that. So yeah, the ramp up, I apologize
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: I'm not going to Alma's up. Even though they're still
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: acclimating to what a.
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: Full practice is going to be.
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: It's it's legally se verbias, Yes, it's legally, it's exactly
• 3:34
  Speaker 4: what it is.
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: So there are a couple of guys that I thought
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: stood out.
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: One of the guys and I really want to get
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: to the O line D line because I think it's
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: one of the most fascinating parts of this practice and
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: parts of this preseason is Look, who's going to start
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: on the right side of the offensive line. That's a
• 3:51
  Speaker 4: pretty big factor because look, even if even if you decided, Okay,
• 3:58
  Speaker 4: Sebastian Joseph Day is going to see first team reps well,
• 4:01
  Speaker 4: Keanu Bentner, Derrick Carmen, they're gonna play plenty, right, we know,
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: we know you're gonna play. That's not the way with
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: the offensive line. The starters are the starters, and they're
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: not they're not sharing time with anybody. So we'll get
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: to that. But I have to tell you, Max, I
• 4:14
  Speaker 4: think Jamel Dean has looked really, really.
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: Sharp as advertised. Yep, that's probably the highest compliment you
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: can say.
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  Speaker 3: Right.
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  Speaker 2: He comes in here and he plays as advertised, the
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: dude was ranked by all you know, by whether there's
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: PFF or whatever source that ranks percentages, came out as
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: number one a year ago. He plays like a number
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: one corner out here.
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: Matt Williamson had that point as well, talking to Max
• 4:42
  Speaker 4: Matt before the practice and even uh, you know several
• 4:44
  Speaker 4: days ago talking about Jammel Dean and I think we
• 4:48
  Speaker 4: mentioned it on the air that you know, by certain metrics,
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: Joey Porter was ninth in cover corner which is great.
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: That's the top that's an upper echelon cornerback. Jamel Dean
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: was number one. Yeah, so you have two top ten
• 5:02
  Speaker 4: cover corners and a Santa Samuel who has drawn rave reviews.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: It would equally be a former top ten capable corner
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: rights exactly right. Yeah, and he's and he and he's
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: coming into his own because he's gotten these extended reps
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: because Joey Porter Jr. Is on the sideline. Yes, Kent
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: is on the sideline, and Ramsey's on the sideline. So
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: now you've kind of thrust him into an opportunity where
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: he's getting more reps that he didn't get a year
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: ago because he was signed in November and played some
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: relief efforts and got a little bit of burn. But
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: now he's getting an extended look in a brand new system,
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: and they look exce I mean, you could come out
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: of camp stand we have two sets of starting corners
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: to start the season.
• 5:45
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he's a you know, he is a you know,
• 5:49
  Speaker 4: it was sort of a Pro Bowl caliber type of player.
• 5:52
  Speaker 4: Didn't make a Pro Bowl. I don't believe it's Sante
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: Samuel Junior.
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: Nah, he was close, but he was.
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: But he's one of those guys that again top twenty
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: five corner and then you know, the the medicals came
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: back needed next surgery that knocked them back.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: That was going into last season.
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: By the way, he's twenty six, if I'm not mistaken.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a young guy.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: So yeah, he's twenty six, will be twenty seven in
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: a couple of months. So boy, that is a nice
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: place to be at cornerback. But to see Jamel Dean
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: come out here and you know, probably for a lot
• 6:27
  Speaker 4: of people, especially these one o'clock East Coast teams, I
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: mean this stud is yes, they play a lot of
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: primetime games, but the majority you're still gonna be one
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: o'clock East Coast games, you're probably.
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: We're not going west of the Mississippi this year, yah,
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: which is great. So yeah, the worst we get is
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: with maybe a central time game, and you know in
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: the regular obviously Paris is a different story. But yeah,
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: we're not going west of the Mississippi. So everything's gonna
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: be at that one o'clock kick this time of dayish
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: type of playtime.
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: Right, So if i'm if if we're calling a game
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: Max and I get home and I have a chance
• 6:59
  Speaker 4: to watch the second half of the second game.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: I almost invariably will will hope.
• 7:06
  Speaker 4: Now again, sometimes you're stuck with what it is because
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: but usually they don't. There's there's no game opposite the Steelers,
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: so you're stuck with it. Might be you know whatever
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: AFC game, But almost always I will choose the AFC game.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: I don't know how other favor the game.
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  Speaker 4: The NFC game is an absolute marquee game. I might
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: watch the second half of that one instead Ram.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: Seahawks, Right, I might. I'm watching that one.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: Might Packers.
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: I'm watching that type of game. Or even if the
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: Lions get in the mix, like there's about five or
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: six NFC teams, I'm interested in the other ones can
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: go kick rocks.
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and for the teams that are good but not
• 7:44
  Speaker 4: great or struggling or what have you. I mean, look,
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: the Eagles are gonna find their way on national TV.
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: The Cowboys always find their way on national TV. Lately,
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: the Giants haven't. You know, Tampa Bay is not a
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: team that you know, with Brady Gunn, that people are
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: clamoring to see on primetime, and so you maybe don't
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: get a chance to see a lot of a guy
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: like Jammel Dean and now you see him in person
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: and you think, whoa.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Who is this guy again?
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: Right?
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like I've heard of him, right, but now
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: I get to see him and it's like, like I said,
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: as advertised.
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: Right, that's exactly right, That's exactly the way to put it,
• 8:18
  Speaker 4: because that's exactly what he's been and that's really good
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: for the Steelers. So I really want to dive in
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: to these offensive and defensive line battles. So as you're
• 8:29
  Speaker 4: looking at the field from the press box looking out
• 8:31
  Speaker 4: over chuckn Olefield, you know on the right you have
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: seven on seven passing drills right.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: Ye, by the fourboard side of the field, right, So
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: if people have been out here, Yeah, scoreboard baseball field side, and.
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: I'm sure maybe you have a different feeling about this
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: if you're that's like the fun side of the field,
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: right that quarterbacks quarterbacks side of the quarterbacks love to throw.
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a new on I'm watching it.
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: I'm watching so I'm watching the lineman because I think
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: that's a fascinating.
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  Speaker 2: Part of camp, one of the top battles.
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: And yes it is.
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: And then I'm hearing oh, and I'm hearing cheering, and
• 9:08
  Speaker 4: I'm like, I thought that was kind of an even
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: baut Oh. Yeah, there's a touchdown on the other end.
• 9:12
  Speaker 4: Roman Wilson beat somebody. By the way, he's been getting
• 9:15
  Speaker 4: open Roman Wilson and and he's been targeted quite a
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: bit by Aaron Rodgers in the yearly going here of camp.
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: But you know, so the seven on seven that means,
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: you know, the ski, the tight ends, the receivers, the quarterback,
• 9:29
  Speaker 4: you know, those guys are all out running patterns and
• 9:32
  Speaker 4: you know, defending the linebackers are out there, and the
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: and the and the corners. So it's funny they call
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: it seven on seven, but it's really not seven on seven.
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: It's really six on seven. But it's always called seven
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: on seven.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: It always is, And I'm like, I'm like, who is
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: you seven guy?
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: It never occurred to me until right at this moment,
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: and they have seven on seven national camps and everything.
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so it never occurred to me that.
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: It's not seven one.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: Here's how you get to seven on seven. It's the
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: center snapping the.
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: Balls of the quarterback. I guess that's right.
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: He's physically the seventh guy on that side. But he's
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: a he's not affiliated. This isn't flag like flag you
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: could snap and go out into a route.
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: I was like, but but here the seventh guy is neutral.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: There's nothing he does, by the way, adds to the drill.
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: He's a coach.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Well he's a coach or an equipment guy, right, yeah, right,
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: he's not that. It's not Zach Frazier going over for
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: seven or so that.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: No, he's on one on ones. Yeah, for sure.
• 10:27
  Speaker 4: I think we're seeing, Uh, we got somebody here returning
• 10:32
  Speaker 4: or looking at some punts.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: Oh, that's the that's the new receiver. James Keeney Kenny
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: James or James Keeney Junior. Okay, we just signed him
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: this morning. We'll get there, okay, cole Bergess, Yeah, okay, yeah,
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: well that's him. We'll see if we have some six
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: feet hundred and niney pounds so I can tell you,
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: thank you very much.
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: See if you have some more information on that for you.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: But anyway, he's back here returning punts or fielding punts.
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: And so you know, the guys you're still doing counting
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: out of the jugs machine and catching some footballs. Pretty
• 11:04
  Speaker 4: much everybody has gotten off the field. But so uh
• 11:07
  Speaker 4: so this the to your right is the seven on
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: seven drill. To your left is I think the real
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: just below the hillside is where the action that that
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: could dictate a lot of where the Steelers go this
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: year and in the coming years is taking place. Max,
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: I don't think that's an over I don't think that's
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: an exaggeration. I don't they have and again, follow what
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: they've done, Broderick Jones first round pick, Troy Faltano, first
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: round pick, Max Ahnacher, first round pick, Uh Frasier at center,
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: second round pick, and then guards they've got it. They
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: went out and got Hoffman in free agency, and uh
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: you know, obviously McCormick is a fourth was a great pick.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know they've been they've been able to.
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: Find quality there, but it just tells you what they
• 11:55
  Speaker 4: think about having lots of good, big people. And they've
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: done a similar investment, not quite as deep on the
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: defensive line. So and you know, again, Sebastian Joseph Day
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: is the free agent they brought.
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: In this year.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: He's going to help that defensive line as well. But
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: to me, it's I think that it's clear that they
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: want this unit and they're expecting this unit, and they've
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: invested in this unit in such a way that their
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: expectations and no one's gonna come out and say this,
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: but the investment tells you they expect it to be
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: a top tier group.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: Now, especially by the end of this season. Exactly by
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: the end of the season, this should be one of
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: the groups that you're talking about, Yeah, this is this
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: is one of the better units in the in the
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: entire NFL.
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: Yes, rolling in the next season, you know, getting the
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: pieces together. And that's the other thing too, is that
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: it's a group that you know, again, I think somebody
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: really good is going to be on the outside looking in. Health,
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: of course is going to dictate some of that, but
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: I think it's a. It's a group that goes beyond
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: the nine that they probably will keep, but it's also
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: a group I think it's eight.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: Oh, I don't. I don't see how they can do that.
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: Max. I'm just, I'm just, I'm just because there's so
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: many good guys that I would not be. I would
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: love nine as alignment. I'd love nine active guys. Gives
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: you a little bit more flexibility. But I just think
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: that as we're watching more and more of these guys
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: out here, they might say we would do eight and
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: two on practice squad, which is tough because we're nowhere
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: near the decision making time because we've still got games
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: to evaluate. But it is cool. It is going to
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: be it's going to be a.
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: Rock solid crew that is going to be brutal if
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: you have to, and if you have to try to
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: slide to those guys in the practice squad.
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: I think one of them gets claimed. I really do.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah, No, I believe there are two guys on this
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: roster offensive defensive line that are going to sign elsewhere
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: and be on a fifty three.
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's why I'm keeping nine. And I don't know,
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: what do you you know? Again? And these are the things.
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: Like you said, if you're keeping one less tight end,
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: maybe that frees up the slot. I know you're gonna
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: have at least five to six wide receivers. So and
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: then the quarterback issue, that's what also muddies the water,
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: right because if you try and keep all four, you're
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: gonna go. You're gonna cut a guy on the line
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: right right to make to free up that space. So
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: it's gonna be tough. Now right now, we don't have
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: to worry about that. Still got another week or so
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: before we even get into the first case, and there's
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: only one cut, but it will show it up. The
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: cream will start to rise to the top.
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I think that the other thing is
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: too is and again this is a it's worth pointing out,
• 14:38
  Speaker 4: is that, you know, let's say you're battling at inside linebacker,
• 14:44
  Speaker 4: just as an example, Well, you're not just battling it
• 14:48
  Speaker 4: inside linebacker. You're also battling you know, if you're that
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: if they're gonna carry five inside linebackers, let's say, or
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: they or they're what they really are saying is that
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: they might be on the bubble. Do we need five
• 15:00
  Speaker 4: inside linebackers? Is that inside linebacker that fifth inside linebacker
• 15:06
  Speaker 4: better than that, say, ninth defensive lineman or that fifth safety.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: That's what it.
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: Comes down today, Nickel. Right, let's say you're the fifth
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: line back inside line. I just we're just using that
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: of linebacker. They call it that, right, so I'm gonna
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: go call it inside lineberger.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: You got the fifth.
• 15:22
  Speaker 4: Inside Like, hey, I'm I'm the fifth best inside that
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: that's great. Okay, Well, your fight's not over, man.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: No, you gotta stop looking at your room, look at
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: your side of the ball.
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: You have to. You have to.
• 15:32
  Speaker 4: There's just so much and that's where special teams comes
• 15:34
  Speaker 4: into play. Maybe, or just look, this guy's just got
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: too much upside, this ninth defensive lineman.
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: We can't let him go.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: He's just wowed us in camp. That ninth offensive lineman.
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: I'd like it to be nine, maybe going to ten.
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: This guy.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: I know it's never gonna happen.
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: To get it.
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: I get it, but hey, this guy is this guy
• 15:56
  Speaker 4: is too good for us to try to to try
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: to gain.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Nineties, right because yeah, but I mean.
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: Look, you don't want to get And we talked about
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: this a little bit yesterday, like you're waiting, Hey, we
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: think you know, back in the day we're talking about
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: John Stalwart. Yeah with uh, with Bill Nunn and Kevin
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: Colbert and all the other stuff. You know, we you know,
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: Bill Nunn absconded with the you know, the John Stalwart tapes.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: Yes, anybody see him? I don't know what you mean.
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: Oh did I already leave with those? Are they in
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: the bar about that? Work him out separately. That's just
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: good scouting, working them out separately. But you know, you
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: might at some point you're like, okay, man, look we
• 16:37
  Speaker 4: held our water long enough. This guy's a really good player.
• 16:41
  Speaker 4: We drafted other really good players in the meantime, but
• 16:44
  Speaker 4: now is the time we're the only one on them.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: But it only takes one to be on them. The
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: same thing with with this, you might you don't want
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: to get so clever that you have a guy who
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: you think, Okay, we we really like this guy, but
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: we got him stashed, and you don't want to get
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: too cute.
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: And all of a sudden you look.
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: Up and that guy's is starting left guard for somebody
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: for the next eight years in the league.
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: And unlike the Bill Nunn, Gil Brandt, John star Warts situation,
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: there's way more tape out there now. Yeah, and it's digital, right,
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: so I ain't got to ask. I don't have to
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: ask for the eight millimeter film in a can that
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: I need you to actually put in the post off
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: postal service and send to me. Right. They could dial
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: it up on any of the numerous scouting and video
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: services that are out there, and they can see them.
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: So a lot less stones to uncover the fine talent.
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: Right.
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: So I got news for you people, whether you're watching, like,
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: I'll just name two guys on defense, Jack Henderson and
• 17:46
  Speaker 4: Kevin Jobidi. Okay, everybody knows that those guys had great
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: relative athletics scores. Everybody knows that. And so if they
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: start turning heads in preseason games and you think, and
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: I just named two guys who were I'm sure some
• 18:02
  Speaker 4: fans listening to this are like.
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: Whoo, who are you talking about? Are they on the roster?
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: They are on this roster, and they had great relative
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: athletics scores.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: They bounced around, been around with a couple. I know.
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: Henderson I think was on two or three different teams
• 18:13
  Speaker 4: last year. So everyone's looking for that next guy. So
• 18:17
  Speaker 4: there are fewer, and to your point, marks fewer and
• 18:20
  Speaker 4: fewer secrets around the NFL.
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's fewer and few secrets. And that's why it
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: almost comes down to, you know, the greatest thing that
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: the Steelers had last year and the ability to stash
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: Will Howard. He didn't throw a single pass, yes, so
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: that's why. And he was a six round draft pick.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: Then he got hurt, so yeah, he got hurt. So
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: it made it easy and they didn't have to have
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: this tough decision. But now all things, you're not going
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: to have that opportunity this year. That's right to stash
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: and then I don't have to make a decision. You're
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: gonna have to make a decision this year. Yeah, I mean,
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: think think about if you're a bad roster. Right, let's
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: say you're a bad team that's just looking to rebuild.
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: You're waiting. You might have six seven veterans you're just
• 19:02
  Speaker 4: only too happy to replace, and if and if they're
• 19:05
  Speaker 4: lottery tickets, okay, but if two of them work out, okay,
• 19:09
  Speaker 4: So you just replaced you know, two of your veterans.
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: You didn't want to pay any third of the guys
• 19:15
  Speaker 4: you already didn't yeah, I mean, yeah for nothing, because
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: you already hit your draft already came through.
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: It's like having another little mini draft out there exactly.
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: So there. You have to be very careful with these things.
• 19:25
  Speaker 3: Very uh.
• 19:27
  Speaker 4: It's what makes part of it so so much fun,
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: you know, part of what makes camp so much fun.
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: So we want to dig into these offensive and defensive
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: line matchups because they're really fun. They're over there practicing
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: one on one. We have Max Starts with us to
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: break these things down. I know you're watching. We're going
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: to get to that when we continue in the locker
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: room here on the Steelers Audio Network.
• 19:46
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• 19:50
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• 20:31
  Speaker 4: Welcome back inside the locker room conversations continues during the break. Yes,
• 20:35
  Speaker 4: it does, as always, Yeah, and it revolved around the
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: topic we want to talk about, so again seven on
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: seven over there to the rights running around coverage things
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: happening over on the left.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: It is the nuts and bolts.
• 20:50
  Speaker 4: It is the old line and the D line and
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: they line up and it's one on one pass rushing drills.
• 20:57
  Speaker 4: So where do you want to start? You want to
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: start with? Do you want to start with the defense?
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: Is anybody on the defense? We know who the defense is.
• 21:07
  Speaker 4: Anybody anybody?
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: Excite you there? Or you want to just go right
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: to the office.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: Sebastian Joseph day has been solid. I think he's yesterday
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: he was kind of figuring it out a little bit
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: and then today kind of which I think is always
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: the case. Right, the defense is always going to come
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: on strong, reactionary. I think day one, even though it's
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: a defensive emphasized drill, offense has the advantage the first day,
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: right switching up to snap counts, you know, we know
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: that they're running down a specific lane. So day one,
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: you know, I thought it was fifty to fifty. People
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: were like, oh my god, no, the offense kicked their butts.
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: I thought it was fifty fifty when I watched the film.
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: I thought everybody had solid moments and looked good. Nothing
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: was spectacular. Today. You had a pissed off defense.
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: Okay, good and it started right out the gates.
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: And Alex high Smith, No, he didn't have his best
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: day yesterday. He got it started real quick. First rap
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: against Troy Fatanu put him in the spin cycle. Troy
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: is three or four yards to the left. Alex Highsmith
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: is staring at the box, which is where the proverbial
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: quarterback would be, and there was there was all the
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: room of separation that's necessary. Clear victory. Now, I know
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: they're saw stuff defensive chirping, they're talking. Yeah, it's different
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: when you have anybody did it blah blah blah. TJ.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: TJ had a great set off the edge on the
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: opposite side. There we go. We've gotten the known guys
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: out of the way. Cam Hayward pissed off, looked a
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: little slow yesterday, got trapped twice by Mason McCormick and
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Zach Frasier. Came back, old dog, new tricks right. He
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: came in, picked the edge, rusted the edge, got the
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: guy off of him, and he had a better day
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: against against Cam Hayward, against Mason McCormick. I thought, you're
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: known guys or the get here guys. Those are the
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: guys that get the sacks, and those are the guys
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: that make the place. Did an excellent job. They did
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: what they're supposed to do today. The surprises, I thought
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: Derek Harmon had some moments, but he still has to
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: come on. He's still a little inconsistent. This early in
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: camp for his pass rush kind of got trapped a
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: little bit easier he did. He did get a couple
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: of edges, got an edge on Spencer Anderson, got a
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: edge on brock Hoffman as well, So I mean he
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: had his solid ones.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: I was watching those two reps as well.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I will say this, y a black. He's
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: baby hewey. You know, the guts out. He looks a
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: lot larger on the field. Because I ran down to
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: the field for that segment, I got off air and
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: I literally.
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: Trucked it down.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: I am not going to go this whole camp without
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: going on the field to watch one on ones. I
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: was able to make it down there. Why is humongous?
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: He he?
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: When I say yeah, he's yeah, he's got he's got
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: as as Wolf would say, two act handles across the
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: back side. Like I was like he was big last year,
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: he's big this year big. So he's going he's the
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: one that's going to fall into stuff on accident. It
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: will never be on purpose. He's baby Healey, right, you know,
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: he just he steps on stuff and and buildings crashing.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: You know, it's like when you watch the old Godzilla films, right,
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: Godzilla's in downtown Japan and like just buildings are knocking over.
• 24:27
  Speaker 4: That's why a black right, So he's still he didn't
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: Godzilla didn't know he crushed the Ministry of Defense building.
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: No, he did, just crushed buildings.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: It was just it was in my way. I wanted
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: to go straight. This prevented me from going straight. So
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: I went through. That's why no longer, it's no longer
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: than exactly, I'm here now, so I got where I
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: wanted to go. Dean Lowry he's steady, and he's not
• 24:53
  Speaker 2: he's he's he's he's in the get near category, right,
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: So that's just Joseph Day getting near with some capable
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: of get here. And they are your solid vets. But
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: like you like jacob Y we talked about he surprised me,
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: but he was over with the second unit. So it's
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: are you Are you the tallest guy in a very
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: short room right over there? Yes, Like I need to
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: see you guys, Mason McCormick and Zach Fraser.
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: But you know what, bless you.
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: But if you're fighting, if you're fighting for a spot,
• 25:25
  Speaker 4: you better be the if you're if you're in that room,
• 25:27
  Speaker 4: you better be the tallest guy in that room.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly right. And I think he's showing that you're
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: seeing You're seeing the wiggle, you're seeing the athleticism, some
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: good movement mechanics. Still gives up the chest a little
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: bit too easy, okay. And then of course Nick Herbert's
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: Nick Herbert. Nick Herbert put guys in spend cycle. Dylan
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: Cook had a tough day against Nick Herbig when he
• 25:46
  Speaker 2: was playing at the right side, off the edge, like
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: Nick Herby just blew past him one play, you know,
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: I think so for offensive, for defensively, we saw some
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: solid guys. Logan Lee out right now, he was he
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: was on the he was sidelined today. Logan's a guy
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: that I'm also looking at that win healthy, how he moves,
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: he shows me flashes, so I'm waiting to see that
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: from him.
• 26:10
  Speaker 4: He quietly might be one of those guys that is
• 26:15
  Speaker 4: affected by a new coaching staff because he had some
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: he was, you know, he's been nicked up a little bit,
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: and he had a little run and then he didn't
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: and I was like, well, you know, I I'd like
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: to see a little bit more of him. But maybe
• 26:26
  Speaker 4: he gets the opportunity to show, Okay, fresh slate, clean
• 26:30
  Speaker 4: slate exactly, exactly new, new new set of eyes on him,
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: different perspectives. But by the way, are you are you
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: an old funk fan at all? I do enjoy funk
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: Clean Slate by Tower of Power.
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: Great song. Check it out anyway, Yeah, I like.
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: I like it. I like I've heard that before. I
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: need to go revisit that one.
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: Such a great song, love Tower of Power.
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: But I think that's that's one of the guys you
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: talk about. Couldn't could a new set of eyes breed
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: a new opportunity. But yes, gotta have the pads on,
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: gotta home on to get the tape.
• 27:01
  Speaker 3: That's right, That's exactly right.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Only I wonder, hey, you took the day off can't
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: take the day off on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: Yeah, like you got to.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: You gotta come on because guys are getting quality reps
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: because they're going two lines at the same time.
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: Yep, and it's bang bang, bang bang bang.
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: All the way through the period. There's really no break.
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: Nope, you know.
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: So he's got to get back in there because he's
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: missing seven, eight, nine, ten reps that he could potentially
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: have had that other guys are getting over him. So
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: you got to make sure this unlike the old days
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: where it's like, ah, he was only going to get
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: two reps anyways, no harm no foul. No, you're missing
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: more than a handful. You're missing a dozen plus reps
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: per period because of the speed with which they play.
• 27:41
  Speaker 4: Right, And I think that again will we will spend
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: some time talking about the defensive line because it is
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: it has been another area that the Steerers. Again they
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: draft Derek Harmon, you know, they draft Keanu Benton uh
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: second of Benton's a second rounder, a first round Around Harmon,
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: they picked up why a Black late, They went out
• 28:03
  Speaker 4: and got Sebastian Joseph Day, who I have some thoughts on.
• 28:07
  Speaker 4: They continue to invest in that area churn.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: They turned this roster very quickly.
• 28:12
  Speaker 4: However, yes, that is for a little tiny future tongue
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: before we get into the talk about the offensive line.
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: So here's what's happening again for the people that haven't
• 28:22
  Speaker 4: been out here. The offensive line lines up, and then
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: I think basically the person let's say it's an inside rush.
• 28:31
  Speaker 4: Let's say you've got brock Hoffman at right guard and
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: he's going against Sasey told me, well, I believe the
• 28:38
  Speaker 4: center and the right tackle will also be down in
• 28:41
  Speaker 4: their positions, but it's a.
• 28:43
  Speaker 3: One on one drill. They're not helping.
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: Although I think that I think Spencer Anderson got a
• 28:48
  Speaker 4: little I think you got a little nudge one.
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: He got a nudge a couple of times.
• 28:55
  Speaker 3: There is an outside really, you know, on the center.
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: They released to the left and happened to running to
• 29:01
  Speaker 4: Spencer Anderson a little bit as just happened to be there,
• 29:04
  Speaker 4: even though it wasn't his blocking drill. Anyway, this is
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: something we're debating in the press box. Who has the
• 29:13
  Speaker 4: advantage offense or defense.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: It's a defensive drill because the offensive guy's not the
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: other adjacent offensive line is not allowed to touch in
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: real life pass protection adjacent offensive lineman that don't have
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: a job, fine work right, So you're never just rushing
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: on on one right, you know. We we we like
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: to we like to say that we like to be
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: barbecue pit masters when we're free on the field, we're
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: finding ribs.
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: Okay, I like it.
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we are going to tenderize something, right, you know.
• 29:49
  Speaker 2: And that's the thing. Like when you get what we
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: call a four to two open nose, the nose tackles
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: not there. He's on a guard, so the centner is
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: completely free. Nobody on either edge. That center is going
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: to find whoever is supposed to be in that a gap,
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: and he is going to put the nose or the
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: crown of his helmet right and said third to fourth
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: ribcage when that guy's extending. So Cam Hayward is going
• 30:14
  Speaker 2: to get tender rized. You know, if you are Keanu
• 30:18
  Speaker 2: bitten and you're coming to the end, you're making an
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: inside move, you are going to get hit in those moments.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: So it's a combination type drill.
• 30:25
  Speaker 3: Because you have.
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: Five guys blocking, four to five guys rushing, there's going
• 30:30
  Speaker 2: to be an open guy.
• 30:31
  Speaker 3: By the way, I thought he was good yesterday. I
• 30:33
  Speaker 3: didn't see him today.
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: Keianu. Keanu was solid. Kiana was solid.
• 30:36
  Speaker 3: Didn't do anything.
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: It wasn't like, oh my gosh. He was so open
• 30:39
  Speaker 2: because he's going against a good quality competition. He got
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: to the point he drove the guy back on a
• 30:43
  Speaker 2: couple of bull rushes. He got an edge and guys
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: kind of kind of fell off of him. So another
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: solid day for Kank.
• 30:49
  Speaker 3: So we are looking at a drill that favors the
• 30:52
  Speaker 3: deep slightly or or in a large way a little bit.
• 30:55
  Speaker 2: I would say it's a little more defensive, okay, minded
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: and like I said yesterday, advantage office because it's the
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: first day of the drill.
• 31:02
  Speaker 3: God just figuring it out.
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: And if your lineman don't move, they create that alley
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: for their guy to succeed. Right. You know, if you're
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: Cam Hayward and you're at a three technique at Troy
• 31:12
  Speaker 2: Fautano's right, there would have one and a half foot
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: split and he's trying to take the bee. Cam's obviously
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: wider than one and a half so he's going to
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: run into that guy, which then creates contact.
• 31:23
  Speaker 3: Yes, oh my bet.
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: And at the end of that drill, Sebastian Joseph Day
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: going against Mason McCormick.
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: Last last play.
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: Of the drill, rushed Troy not really the quickest to
• 31:33
  Speaker 2: kick out of there and give the give the look,
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: so to speak. Sebastian just today has something to.
• 31:38
  Speaker 3: Say, did he?
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: And they were yelling, chirping and a By the end
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: of it, they were face mask to face masks. You
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: could tell what each other had for breakfast. That's how
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: close they were. And but that was as far as
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: it went. It didn't get physical like in years past
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: would have been.
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 31:52
  Speaker 4: So this description of what's going on out there, and
• 31:54
  Speaker 4: we talked about the defense, but we haven't got to
• 31:57
  Speaker 4: the guy that I want to know about and that
• 31:59
  Speaker 4: I think think most fans want to know. But he
• 32:01
  Speaker 4: gets this segment, and that, of course is the rookie
• 32:04
  Speaker 4: right tackle, Maxahonatchor We're going to talk about him when.
• 32:08
  Speaker 3: We continue from Saint Vincent College in the locker room
• 32:11
  Speaker 3: here on the Steelers Audio Network.
• 32:16
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• 32:21
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• 33:00
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• 33:02
  Speaker 4: Oh we're back, maxic as the show continues once again
• 33:06
  Speaker 4: during the still talking offensive line. Oh, we can't get
• 33:10
  Speaker 4: enough of it. Thanks for being with us in the
• 33:12
  Speaker 4: locker room. It is the lifeblood of the offensive.
• 33:15
  Speaker 2: Football team right well of the entire football team.
• 33:18
  Speaker 3: Okay, side of the ball.
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: We are the drum beat and the cadence for the
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: rest of the team.
• 33:28
  Speaker 4: We need to turn your mic up. Oh no, you're on.
• 33:31
  Speaker 4: That went out over the air. That didn't go out
• 33:33
  Speaker 4: over there. That was that was live. That was live,
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: all right? Bookmark now, okay, book market day. So Maxahnachar,
• 33:43
  Speaker 4: who by the way, that's a great first name. Yes,
• 33:48
  Speaker 4: that is a great first name. He is uh and
• 33:52
  Speaker 4: I mean this in the best possible way. He looks
• 33:55
  Speaker 4: like a like his upper body is like a rectangle,
• 33:58
  Speaker 4: like he's just a big It looks like no matter
• 34:01
  Speaker 4: where you ran into him, it wouldn't go well for
• 34:03
  Speaker 4: you, you know what I mean. Yeah, hit him in the
• 34:05
  Speaker 4: hit him in the waist, not good. Hit him in
• 34:07
  Speaker 4: the chest, not good. He's just a large, big dude.
• 34:10
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: I think we've all anybody that you know has gone
• 34:13
  Speaker 4: and looked at his tape and the Senior Bowl and
• 34:15
  Speaker 4: that kind of thing.
• 34:16
  Speaker 3: So the buzz going.
• 34:18
  Speaker 4: Into the going into the Combine and the Senior Bowl
• 34:21
  Speaker 4: was okay, you know, second round pick as sending player,
• 34:25
  Speaker 4: that sort of thing. By the time we left Indianapolis
• 34:31
  Speaker 4: and the and the Combine and all the scouts talking
• 34:33
  Speaker 4: to him, you knew that this guy wasn't getting out
• 34:36
  Speaker 4: of the first round.
• 34:37
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 34:38
  Speaker 4: There was a mock draft and uh one of the
• 34:41
  Speaker 4: places the athletic or ESPN I want of them talk
• 34:44
  Speaker 4: to executives and they had a haunt a chore going
• 34:48
  Speaker 4: like twenty fifth right, yeah, And the executive's comment.
• 34:52
  Speaker 3: Was you really think he's going to get to us? Yeah?
• 34:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah, right, I mean that, like like there are guys
• 34:57
  Speaker 4: that that the scouting world the people around it to
• 35:03
  Speaker 4: swirl around it love. There are ones that they undervalue.
• 35:08
  Speaker 4: You know, we just saw the trade deadline in baseball. Hey,
• 35:11
  Speaker 4: they only traded their twelfth ranked prospect. Yeah, and then
• 35:13
  Speaker 4: that twelfth ranked prospect winds up being pretty good. I
• 35:16
  Speaker 4: remember the Pirates traded Tony Wattson, a very good reliever
• 35:18
  Speaker 4: for a young Dominican kid who wasn't on the top
• 35:21
  Speaker 4: thirty of anybody. Well, that guy winds up being Oneo Cruz,
• 35:24
  Speaker 4: you know, several years later. So what happens. It's not
• 35:28
  Speaker 4: always connected perfectly, you know. For example, Shador Sanders, right,
• 35:31
  Speaker 4: so you know, and I think mel kiper went on
• 35:34
  Speaker 4: and that Steelers should have drafted him, and what a
• 35:36
  Speaker 4: terrible mistake. Mel might be right three or four years
• 35:38
  Speaker 4: from now. But the industry, just like we tell you,
• 35:41
  Speaker 4: when a team invests the first round pickets because they
• 35:43
  Speaker 4: believe in him.
• 35:44
  Speaker 3: When the industry.
• 35:46
  Speaker 4: Passes on a quarterback, the most important position in all
• 35:49
  Speaker 4: of sports, till the fifth round, that tells you what
• 35:51
  Speaker 4: they think about. It doesn't mean it's a proper evaluation.
• 35:55
  Speaker 4: It just means that's the current evaluation of that player. Yeah,
• 35:58
  Speaker 4: So with Max, all this preamble being that with Max,
• 36:03
  Speaker 4: the buzz just grew and grew and grew with him.
• 36:07
  Speaker 4: It grew in the three or four days I was
• 36:09
  Speaker 4: in Indianapolis. I could feel it growing. And you know,
• 36:13
  Speaker 4: then you look at the Senior Bowl tape and it's
• 36:15
  Speaker 4: just he is just has that nasty demeanor that you
• 36:20
  Speaker 4: want from an offensive lineman. So yeah, that's the preamble.
• 36:26
  Speaker 4: What'd you see out there?
• 36:28
  Speaker 2: He looked like the best offensive lineman in Pass Pro
• 36:32
  Speaker 2: two days in a row. Wow. And I cautioned this
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: because PURSUEDA and I were talking about this on the
• 36:37
  Speaker 2: Training Camp Live show. I said, he will never get
• 36:42
  Speaker 2: an A from me because I can't give a rookie
• 36:44
  Speaker 2: in A. But he did get a B plus plus.
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: I got a B plus plus, and today he got
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: a B plus plus plus. I thought he handled himself well.
• 36:57
  Speaker 2: He never looked out of position. He was never out
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: of of what we call contact balance, which is two
• 37:03
  Speaker 2: feet on the ground and body and position. The worst
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: thing you worry about is a guy with one foot
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: off the ground and kind of lean in and trying
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: to hold on type of deal. The teeter totter drill
• 37:14
  Speaker 2: he was always with two feet in the ground on contact.
• 37:17
  Speaker 2: He was always in position that even if he didn't
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: win the drill, he still body blocked himself into a
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: confusing position for the defensive lineman because the defensive lineman,
• 37:29
  Speaker 2: you know, the biggest thing that you could do as
• 37:31
  Speaker 2: an offensive tackle, force a defensive lineman into a one
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: way go. You never want to give him a two
• 37:37
  Speaker 2: way go. Two way go, you lose one way go.
• 37:39
  Speaker 2: I'm funneling you to where I need you to be
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: for me to do my job effectively. And every time
• 37:46
  Speaker 2: he was in a position he was able to counter
• 37:48
  Speaker 2: the inside move by Jack Sawyer yep, very easily. It
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: was almost like it was like Jack Sawyer told him
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: that this is what he's going to do before he
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: did it. And granted Jacksawyer was running a little slow today.
• 38:00
  Speaker 2: Another guy that kind of struggled. I didn't talk about
• 38:01
  Speaker 2: him a much when we were talking about defense, but
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: handled Nick Herbig got a good challenge against him. They
• 38:08
  Speaker 2: fought hand battle, stayed in balance with himself. TJ. Watt
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: had a good rep TJ edged it at the end
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: because TJ has that extra gear at the end of it.
• 38:19
  Speaker 2: But for the first two and a half seconds of that,
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: TJ wasn't a factor, so he just continually shows progress.
• 38:27
  Speaker 2: Now it's great out here on a practice field. It
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: was probably the hottest day they've had so far of practice.
• 38:34
  Speaker 2: What does that look like in a stadium and a
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: guy that you haven't gone against him practice and you're
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: just seeing him for the first time live and again
• 38:41
  Speaker 2: that's a different story. But for what I've seen out
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: here so far, I don't think that's going to be
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: a problem as the way that it's trending. So I
• 38:51
  Speaker 2: thought he was probably my most consistent offensive lineman. Was
• 38:54
  Speaker 2: he on the chore and he looked like the first
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: round pick.
• 38:58
  Speaker 3: Good?
• 38:59
  Speaker 4: I like hearing it. That's again my untrained eye. The
• 39:02
  Speaker 4: one thing you can't tell is guys try to go
• 39:05
  Speaker 4: wide right yeah, And it's hard for me to ascertain
• 39:11
  Speaker 4: did he push him beyond the quarterback box or And
• 39:15
  Speaker 4: there's no boxes drawn over there's no.
• 39:18
  Speaker 2: Physically field line markers. Normally, there used to be the
• 39:21
  Speaker 2: white lines that you had five different spots that the
• 39:25
  Speaker 2: offensive line was and then you had these lanes drawn
• 39:28
  Speaker 2: to a square. There's no lanes drawn on this field
• 39:32
  Speaker 2: at all. The closest place was over on the far
• 39:34
  Speaker 2: side of the field, towards the midline area. There's the
• 39:39
  Speaker 2: vague outline of what the drill was supposed to be
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: and where it was supposed to be. The drill has
• 39:43
  Speaker 2: not made it over there because that's the a zone.
• 39:46
  Speaker 2: That's seven on seven right right, that's right, and it's
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: technically in between two fields, so even worse.
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: Oh I see it now.
• 39:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's where everybody's standing watching practice. So getting in
• 39:58
  Speaker 2: the end zone here is where you want it. But
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: there's no lines drawn right on that field. There's only
• 40:04
  Speaker 2: the big offensive line rectangle squares where you work in
• 40:06
  Speaker 2: your space on the near end zone. So it's very
• 40:10
  Speaker 2: tough to ascertain unless it's a clear victory or a
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: clear separation from the guy. But having the opportunity today,
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: I ran down there. I watched the drills from behind
• 40:21
  Speaker 2: like I normally like to do, so I could see footwork,
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: I could see engagement, I could see counter moves a
• 40:27
  Speaker 2: lot easier, and it was just he stood out and
• 40:30
  Speaker 2: he's also they have two lines going at the same time.
• 40:33
  Speaker 2: You got your first first string to the quote unquote
• 40:37
  Speaker 2: right from my perspectives, I was behind the drill and
• 40:40
  Speaker 2: second team is working on the left side and they're
• 40:42
  Speaker 2: going simultaneously. And then you have your plug and play guys. Well,
• 40:45
  Speaker 2: brock Hoffman and Maxiana Shore are plug and play with
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: the ones, right, Broderick Jones a solid two, and that's
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: how they rotate the drills. So Broderick, Ryan McCollum, Jack driscoll,
• 40:59
  Speaker 2: all those guys are over there is kind of Stephen Jones, well,
• 41:02
  Speaker 2: Steven Jones starting with that second unit, So Steven's already
• 41:06
  Speaker 2: come there. The guys are coming in, are coming in
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: for those guys and so and like you said, Dylan
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: Cook's working cross training left and right. Maxi andre is
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: strictly working right. Brock Hoffin's working center and guard between
• 41:18
  Speaker 2: Spencer Anderson and Zach Frasier, and then Jack driscoll switching
• 41:23
  Speaker 2: both sides as well. So you're getting a lot of
• 41:27
  Speaker 2: different perspective. But Maxi Andre is over working with the ones.
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: He's the one beer along with rock Hofflin. So they
• 41:33
  Speaker 2: have seven on each side that are working this drill simultaneously.
• 41:37
  Speaker 4: So again for those unfamiliar with Max's story, grew up
• 41:40
  Speaker 4: in Nigeria, family moved to the La area.
• 41:44
  Speaker 3: I think it was the La area right now, Los Angeles.
• 41:46
  Speaker 4: And so it's he has not played a lifetime full
• 41:50
  Speaker 4: of football.
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: And has not been a kick growing up as a
• 41:54
  Speaker 2: fan of football.
• 41:55
  Speaker 4: Right, So these are all these are all things there's
• 41:57
  Speaker 4: not you right, So the osmosis you get from watching
• 42:01
  Speaker 4: the game and playing players.
• 42:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, he didn't have backyard football. Such a great point.
• 42:08
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that little, that little sort of intangible you get
• 42:11
  Speaker 4: from growing up with a sport.
• 42:13
  Speaker 3: He doesn't have that.
• 42:14
  Speaker 4: And yet you know he started what three years at
• 42:17
  Speaker 4: Arizona State?
• 42:18
  Speaker 3: He did.
• 42:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, So it wasn't like you know, he hey we
• 42:22
  Speaker 4: got eleven he started the last eleven games of his
• 42:25
  Speaker 4: Uh no, no, he started right away at A at
• 42:29
  Speaker 4: a uh it.
• 42:31
  Speaker 3: What is it? Back?
• 42:32
  Speaker 2: What pack?
• 42:32
  Speaker 3: What is it called? I don't know what it's called.
• 42:34
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 42:34
  Speaker 3: Well it's big twelve now, oh that's right, it's a
• 42:37
  Speaker 3: big pack. Ten doesn't exist anymore, does it? Thanks? Max?
• 42:41
  Speaker 2: Nope, I'm removed from college foot What are you talking
• 42:43
  Speaker 2: about now?
• 42:44
  Speaker 3: It was the Pac twelve pack twelve.
• 42:46
  Speaker 2: Hey, you went back to even my day like probably
• 42:48
  Speaker 2: like I was, I was, I was a packed ten.
• 42:50
  Speaker 2: I was recruited in the Pac ten. Max.
• 42:52
  Speaker 3: It was the pack eight at one point.
• 42:54
  Speaker 2: It was when my uncle played. It was the pack
• 42:56
  Speaker 2: eight pack.
• 42:58
  Speaker 4: It was just a pack, right, Yeah, So anyway, but
• 43:01
  Speaker 4: he he was able to play major college football and
• 43:04
  Speaker 4: be a starter. And yet, you know, what you really
• 43:07
  Speaker 4: like is a guy who you put a first round
• 43:10
  Speaker 4: great on but also has upside, and I think Max
• 43:12
  Speaker 4: has those things. Look it's I can't say I know
• 43:16
  Speaker 4: him just in talking to him. You know, he certainly
• 43:19
  Speaker 4: is saying the right things about and appears to be,
• 43:22
  Speaker 4: you know, eager to get there and study film, eager
• 43:25
  Speaker 4: to to think about football when he's not playing football,
• 43:29
  Speaker 4: you know that that sort of thing. Now, we'll see,
• 43:31
  Speaker 4: you know, he's a young guy and we'll see how
• 43:34
  Speaker 4: it goes. But a lot of things tangible and intangible
• 43:38
  Speaker 4: seem to be pointing in the right direction for Maxahonachor.
• 43:41
  Speaker 2: He is still rising in camp. You're waiting for the lull,
• 43:44
  Speaker 2: right because there's always a lull that's rookie where he
• 43:47
  Speaker 2: kind of feels like they drop off a cliff for
• 43:48
  Speaker 2: a practice. But right now he's still ascending, and the
• 43:51
  Speaker 2: two padded days we've had, he's looked like the best
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: lineman and he's gone against top competence It's not like
• 43:57
  Speaker 2: we're saying, oh, MAXI beat Malik Harrison three reps in
• 44:01
  Speaker 2: a row. Right, that's not your front line. He's going
• 44:04
  Speaker 2: against Jack Sorrey, he's going against Nick Herby, he's going
• 44:06
  Speaker 2: against t J. Watt, he's going against Alexe high Smith. Right,
• 44:09
  Speaker 2: you're projected top four outside rushers. He's doing that job.
• 44:12
  Speaker 2: And he's acquitting himself well as a rookie raw in
• 44:16
  Speaker 2: this situation. So you're getting apples to Apple's comparisons with him.
• 44:20
  Speaker 4: Yep, that's good to see and I think it's a
• 44:23
  Speaker 4: very positive sign for the Steelers. But your point, you know,
• 44:26
  Speaker 4: I would expect to see him quite a bit. What
• 44:29
  Speaker 4: is it nine days from now, whenever they're playing the.
• 44:31
  Speaker 2: First preseason game against Green Bay, and.
• 44:33
  Speaker 4: This is gonna be These are gonna be critical reps
• 44:37
  Speaker 4: for him now, whether you know, again, you can't control
• 44:41
  Speaker 4: who they're going to play.
• 44:42
  Speaker 3: And I don't know whether coaches. I'm sure some coaches.
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: Have Micha microar. Yes, that's the one thing we can
• 44:48
  Speaker 2: that's one thing we can guarantee.
• 44:49
  Speaker 3: Yes, But you know, who are you gonna be going against?
• 44:54
  Speaker 4: I don't know, if you know, I think sometimes maybe
• 44:56
  Speaker 4: coaches communicate and say I'm gonna we're gonna do this, okay,
• 44:59
  Speaker 4: you know, and again, but you have to have a
• 45:01
  Speaker 4: relationship to do this, because most people are they're just
• 45:04
  Speaker 4: worried about their own team and exacting out there, so
• 45:07
  Speaker 4: you can't. That's, by the way, that's one of the
• 45:10
  Speaker 4: values of these scrimmages that we've seen is you can
• 45:15
  Speaker 4: go to a coach. For example, the Bills and the Steelers,
• 45:19
  Speaker 4: obviously the coaches knew each other quite well.
• 45:21
  Speaker 3: You can go and say, hey, listen, let's work this
• 45:23
  Speaker 3: guy against this guy. Okay.
• 45:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah, see, I'd like to see that too. You get
• 45:26
  Speaker 4: have those kind of relationships. Once the game comes, all
• 45:28
  Speaker 4: bets are off, right. You're doing what's best for your team.
• 45:30
  Speaker 4: They're doing what's best for their team. And so I
• 45:34
  Speaker 4: just think that for all of those guys. And and look,
• 45:38
  Speaker 4: we haven't even talked about the left side of the
• 45:40
  Speaker 4: offensive line, which we're going to. That's we're acting like
• 45:43
  Speaker 4: that's or I'm acting like that's just cemented and done. Yeah,
• 45:46
  Speaker 4: But the only that I know that cemented and done
• 45:50
  Speaker 4: is Zach Frazier at center is going.
• 45:53
  Speaker 3: To be really really good.
• 45:56
  Speaker 4: The other stuff I want to ask you about switching
• 45:58
  Speaker 4: from right to left because are some things involved. I
• 46:01
  Speaker 4: know foul Tia played both in college, but you know,
• 46:04
  Speaker 4: what are the what are the challenges moving from the
• 46:06
  Speaker 4: right to the left side. What's more important that you
• 46:09
  Speaker 4: master that left side, or that you bring your buddy
• 46:12
  Speaker 4: h Mason McCormick with you, and that you're you're a duo,
• 46:15
  Speaker 4: you're a you're a twosome. Mike McCarthy's talked about that right,
• 46:19
  Speaker 4: working in groups of twos and threes, and and how
• 46:22
  Speaker 4: that how that affects what you're able to do. So
• 46:27
  Speaker 4: these are all questions that Max Stark's, luckily as somebody
• 46:30
  Speaker 4: who's been there and done that, can answer for us
• 46:33
  Speaker 4: and can start to talk about what that left side
• 46:35
  Speaker 4: of the offensive line looks like and the battle, of
• 46:38
  Speaker 4: course for the right offensive line. We're gona talk a
• 46:39
  Speaker 4: little bit more about that because it is such a
• 46:41
  Speaker 4: critical position for the Pirates or for the Steelers.
• 46:44
  Speaker 3: Sorry, I got Pirates coming up later tonight.
• 46:46
  Speaker 2: Man, there's another black and gold team.
• 46:47
  Speaker 3: It is.
• 46:49
  Speaker 2: It is Insight Penguins.
• 46:51
  Speaker 3: No, No, I didn't, I didn't. I'm the head spinning
• 46:54
  Speaker 3: a little bit right now.
• 46:55
  Speaker 4: Anyway, we're gonna get into that offensive line talk when
• 46:58
  Speaker 4: we continue in the locker room here.
• 47:00
  Speaker 3: Steelers Audio Network