In the Locker Room with Wolf & Starks (Pittsburgh Steelers)This is in the locker Room, presented by Ford and brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig Wolfley and Max Starks.
All right, we are inside the locker room here.
Welcome, welcome one in all.
Our good buddy, and of course you know our brother Craig still out, still on the mend, but we shall keep proceeding. Please make sure you keep them in your thoughts and prayers, you know, for.
Speed, for our full recovery.
We don't say speedy recovery around here, A full recovery.
Yeah.
So you know, I, you know, I hope we can get Wolf's back soon, you know, just so we can close things out properly. But health is more important than anything else.
Health is wealth. So I want him to get want him to get healthy.
Uh.
It is a it is a Thursday, and on Thursdays it just means it's.
Just two more days closer to Sunday.
So all right, I we are we are quite literally waiting all day for Sunday.
Night at this point.
Yeah, yeah, because I mean there's not much. Nobody's done anything stupid yet.
Although Max, did you see that one of your former teammates and a former opponent we're close to throwing fists on Radio Row yesterday?
And yeah, yeah I was. I mean, but here's the funny thing. So I'm sitting there.
And because I thow because when I went into Radio Row, I saw I saw Joey Porter, and I saw Peas and I'm like, oh, I'll catch up with Peas a little bit. And then I saw Jerome. When I got to the set, I got the.
Jerome was doing. I was doing an interview for.
Fantasy Football Radio, one of those, so I saw him. And then I saw Miles Garrett come into Radio Row and and he went and did a He went and did an interview with People magazine. Okay, And I'm like, Okay, this is weird because he walked into her.
Because People has like a setup to do. There's stuff kind.
Of in in the SXM area film, but yet it's radioed.
I don't get it.
Most radio is filmed, now, you know what I mean, Like, what are we doing here? Yeah?
Everybody has a clip, right, I mean, I guess that's what it is.
It's like kind of how streaming south streaming services have almost turned into cable. It's like, wait a second, we're just going back to We're going back to the future here.
Exactly pretty much.
So I was like, all right, okay, and then I hear this rackus sound because the iHeart slash you know, yo, that Nightcap show.
I think as well, yes, yes, that is.
The uh it's the Ocho Cinco and Shannon Sharp show called Nightcap.
Yeah, mm hmm.
And I heard I heard, like, you know, I could hear Deebo's voice. Yeah, and I heard the it was like laughing, right, because Debo wasn't serious correct at the beginning, right, and and Ocho took it personal. And then you know what ensued was Ojo getting sensitive and he was because he was talking about he you don't listen, don't don't threaten about we need to get in the ring, you know, and and duke it out.
I would pick another target, yeah, I would.
Pick a different target than Debo.
And he's like, ah, my wind is too good, I'm too athletic. I'm like, man, okay, all right, I bet whatever you understand.
You understand, David and Goliath is such a famous story because because David never beats Goliath, right, Like, that's a that's a one off thing there, oh Joe.
Yeah, exactly. And also that was in the Bible. Your your fight is not getting written in the Bible. But yeah, because guess how many David types probably went against Goliath in the past before we got to David.
That's exactly right.
You only hear about the triumphs, but you don't see all the all the defeats.
Exactly.
There's a reason why Goliath was Goliath. He had legis started somewhere. You'd hear Zachariah and Goliath. No, Zachariah is in the ground with a headstone somewhere.
You know what I mean.
He's gonna be a heck of a to get a name like that as well too.
I mean, come on, yeah exactly.
So you know, for O show to kind of catch those type of feelings, I was like, man, a little inappropriate and you got two steeler dudes there, I'm like, why are you talking so much?
Mass Now?
Pas was the most subdue that which is crazy for me to say, crazy that the most abdude person.
On the stage was pasy Joey Porter.
Joey Porter is a calm one in the situation.
I mean, you really got something going on, There's no doubt about that.
And he was.
He was, by far, I think, the most level headed person, no doubt.
Yeah, like, man, I'm just walking by man now, I was I'm about to get slapped.
He was like, I was just trying to chop it up on a podcast for a few minutes.
I'm not trying to get in the middle of a rumble here.
Yeah exactly.
Almost like, hey, y'all asked me to come on here.
Yeah, yeah exactly.
You bring bring guests on here and just throw them right into a pay per view? Is this how you guys are roll?
Yeah?
It's man, I'm like, it's it's just it was so so yeah, so so yes. I did hear about the spat and kind of just what the guys.
We're talking about. And I mean it didn't happen.
Too far from from where I was at, so it was just like, oh my god. So you know, I mean that I feel like that's kind of, you know, par for the course. I mean, you put a put a Bengal and a Steeler together, could happen, could happen very easily.
Yeah, no, there's no denying that.
And it did, like it was kind of because you're right, just the tone of it was bizarre because at first you're like, uh, you know, it's just two old rivals.
These guys used to go at it all the time.
They've probably got somewhat of a relationship now, right, I mean kind of like maybe maybe like you and the Helodi Knada story that you shared, right, not that they're besties or anything like that, but they've maybe kind of made nice a little bit from their playing days. And then all of a sudden, one of them is is is clearly not having the same energy as the other one has has taken things personally, one is kind of escalating the situation, and you're like, oh, this is not just some you know, some playful friendly banter between two guys who used to compete his division rivals, Like, oh no, this is escalating a little bit here.
Yeah, I mean because I mean because I feel like James was already kind of in a lighter mood, like he wasn't trying to get serious, yes, right at the beginning, and Ojo kind of escalates the situation and then you know, you start seeing a little like engines on the baseboard right where you know there there there, there's.
A little bit of chipping away at it. Oho, you know, smile.
He starts to become a little bit more pointed, you know, and then choo choo chew, you know, and then Debo recognizes it. So Deebo didn't get goes into petty mode, you know, and then he asked him about how many rings he got this, that and the other, and then next thing you know, it's it's just full on devolved, you know, bickerig back and.
Forth, steels, you know.
He was like, oh my god, I'm like, this is like pre pregay Steelers Bengals. After after the the new rule had been implemented that you couldn't go to the forty nine and a half yard line because the last time we did that, we had we had we had we had we had the Brown Steelers brawl. And yet that one.
And that that was the day the Debo really started to make his mark in the in the NFL as well, too. Kind of funny full circle there in the conversation. But yeah, two, Max, I also want like I'm I am as you know with some of these things, there's always the cynical side in me that is, like, what was was Ocho just doing all of that to get everyone to do what they're doing today? Talk about that situation which gets them to bring up the podcast, which drives listeners and downloads and clicks and impressions to his podcast. Like, there's the cynical side of me that thinks Ocho is just doing it all, like, you know, for the publicity of it, if you will do he does he really think you get in a ring with Deebo, you get what I'm saying, like, or does he just want people to listen to this podcast?
I don't know.
I feel like you know he does.
He does a certain amount of things for attention, right, Yes, they'll say whatever, but then he will actually do some of the stuff.
So in lies the irony. I have to believe that he could he I mean, he could. I could see him realistically wanting to believe that he could do so against Debo. I believe that, sure, sure, But I also know that you want your subscribers up so you can make more monetary games, So maybe you do just randomly pick a balanced fight to customize the suit that you want, I don't know, from the money that you make from doing the podcast, and then you know that you've already spent in your mind, you know what I'm saying, Like I could, I can see it both ways sadly with Ocho, right, you know, normally it's a clear one. But I truly believe that dude, he did do things he can he can he can knock out debo. Well, because that's the way he was talking about remember like some of the points, right, yeah, he's like, you know what I got to speak why I'm tired of people always just because you're smaller, you don't mean you automatically lose blah blah blah. And you know that kind of clip got a lot of likes. Yeah, I want to say, like ten thousand likes like really quickly. I'm sure, so you know that, I mean there was there was like some gloves and stuff, so I mean I would say, I mean there was. I also, you know, we just need to find a sponsor and actually just do it.
Let's see if he actually gets to the ring. How about that?
And that's the thing too, I mean, you know if they did it, would do numbers because that like now everybody.
It's become. The thing is these like I don't want to.
Say celebrity boxing matches because they're both athletes and highly accomplished athletes, but you also get what I'm saying, like they're not highly accomplished boxers, and that that would be another one of those like I.
Would much rather watch.
I would much rather watch Debo and Oho duke it out than like one of the Paul brothers. To say, you know, so there would be that intriguing element as well too.
You need to say you wouldn't want to see Logan Paul getting the ring with Ojo Sinker.
No, I'm good on that.
I'm good on watching the Paul Brothers box random people for the rest of time, or even someone like Mike Tyson.
But Debo versus Ocho, there would.
Be obviously a ton of storylines, there would be a ton of attention, there would be a ton of intrigue. But yeah, I mean, I guess that's the next the next point, right, can you find a sponsor? Could you find somebody to stream it or broadcast it? And then going from there, But man, Ojo, I don't know, buddy, I don't know if you want this smoke.
You know, but I mean, but that's what Chad does, man, I mean said that. Chad's been that way for the longest time. Yep, you know so, I mean you know there's no surprise there that you get on get on a show with him.
And we're all in the same era.
Yeah, he's gonna feel some type way super Bowl week, we took away one of their super Bowl chances.
Mm hm. You know he still feels like we purposely took out Carson Ponent. We did not.
It's true.
Watch the film.
I was like, Hemo gets pushed from behind into Carson, So don't act like that. But yeah, it's one of those things that you you just look at it just you know, like some things will never change. I mean, this is that also goes to show you that we came from an era where we're not all just trying to be friends.
That is.
Yes, that part is refreshing. I I I uh, that part is refreshing.
I'm not gonna lie.
I'm not gonna lie, like do I do miss that that Like true old school vitriol, it still pops out sometimes but isn't nearly as relevant as it used to be.
In your Guys day.
Yeah, I don't like you because I don't like you because you play for the opponent, because you know your your shoes are yellow today, I don't like you.
So, you know, we just had and it wasn't anything. Later.
Max Motes told me one time he used to think, like, there's seven billion people in this world. I'm not gonna get along with everybody. I'm not supposed to get along with you.
Oh my gosh. See there we go.
See sometimes it's like, hey, listen, listen, I don't like you, and don't think I'll ever like you and be okay with that.
Like you go this way, I'll go that way. It's just fine, you know, it just is what it is. We don't have to like each other.
Yeah, and we don't ever have to look back and wonder what if just keep walking, dude, if we if we ended up on a circle who run into each other again, maybe we could revisit it.
But no, I'm done. I'm done.
I got enough friends, so you know, and that's kind of just that mentality that we.
Had back in those early two thousands. You know, I was talking with Actually, you know what, We're.
Gonna go to break and then I'll come back to the other shide Boom teased it all right, We'll be back with more here inside the Locker Room on Steel's Audio network.
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig Wilfley and Max.
Stark's alrighty back.
In the action, which is the locker room. You know, I was kind of talking about alluding to who I was having a conversation with before we went to break.
Yeah, I've been waiting. I've been waiting with baited breath on this.
So I got a chance to talk to Bernie Kozar.
Ooh, Cleveland's finest.
That's right, I mean, probably one of the best.
I guess he'd probably be one of the best quarterbacks to ever played for Cleveland.
I think, is that easy to say? West No doubt.
I mean, I think he's got to be at the top of the list, right, especially in terms of like what he what he did in Cleveland, right, Like you could argue some of these guys like a like a Joe Flacco his career being better, but he didn't do that in Cleveland. So yeah, in terms of like what they did in a Browns jersey, I think it's got to be Bernie Kosar.
Yeah, yeah, there we go.
I think that's the best way, what he did in a Browns jersey and consistently did in the Browns jersey, which is also another thing that's tough to say for the q BE position in that.
Part of Ohio, no doubt, no doubt.
Eastern Ohio.
Most famous Eastern Ohio professional football player team participant quarterback.
Yeah I mean still quarterback.
Yeah, still Jim Brown overall for sure, but quarterback.
And like you know this, I lived in Youngstown, Ohio, you know, kind of that northeast area, only like an hour outside of Cleveland for two years when I was working.
For the hockey team.
They love Bernie Kosar like he he would be the He was like the celebrity guest at our hockey team's golf outing every year and people love them like like so he is. He's a very beloved figure there amongst Browns fans, without a doubt.
Yeah, so so yeah, so I'm sitting there and I have an opportunity to talk.
And by the way, pretty Cozar, pretty freaking tall.
Man, pretty tall Max, no doubt. And I don't know if he still does. But when I was working for the hockey team and he would come to our golf outing every year, he could put him down back in the day too, I tell you.
Yeah, yeah, no, so he has he has slowed down on putting it down.
Happens to us all. You know, darn shame what they did to that dog.
But you know, I think, you know, because he was you know, he kind of was sharing with me like kind of some of this story.
And you know, he was talking about, uh, you know, it's.
Type two diabetes diagnosis, and you know, just about some of the like dimension things from the hits and all that kind of stuff, and was just talking to me about some regenerative stuff that he's been doing. He's like the beautiful thing about being down in Miami, because I was. He went to University of Miami. For those that didn't know, Yes, he played undergrad at University.
Of Miami, so had a lot of success there, a lot of.
Success there, and so you know, he was kind of talking to me just about some of the things that he's found that's helped him, you know, some of the things that you know, lower glucose and things that have helped with you know, trying to repair the mind and getting him to a point where he could be, you know, here right now, because he's like, man, yeah, he's like being able to sit there and have these conversations. He's like, you know, it's it's something that's valuable and you know, and I can keep my thoughts together. He's like, you know, cause there was there was a time a couple of years ago before I started doing all his research, and he said, you know, jumping on like pilot programs at the neuro department at University of Miami at UM being close to it, and he's like, the one thing I found has been you know, doing raw coffee powder and pee protein like as a combo.
Interesting.
So yeah, I was like, oh, he's like, yeah, we're just starting.
I'm like, dude, let me know. As soon as y'all start making it, just just let me know.
Yeah, I want to do whatever it is correct.
Uh He's so here's what he said. He said.
He said, Uh, he has type three diabetes. Which is Alzheimer's.
Okay, so yeah, so that's what he has.
Yeah, not quite Parkinson's, but yeah, but he's the Alzheimer's and the dementia combo that he's he's trying he's currently trying to fight.
So that's that's kind of similar to the same thing Jim McMahon is dealing with.
Correct correct similar things and and so, I mean, so it was, it was. It was a fascinating conversation. But he wasn't down. It wasn't like he was telling it as a downer type of conversation.
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, now he was. He was showing that.
You know, he's like he he wants to fight and he and he wants to you know, let everybody else know that he is fighting and that he's not saying it.
He's like, I don't want to pity. I don't want I don't I don't want, you.
Know, people to say, oh man, you know, feel bad?
Whato was you?
He's like, absolutely not. He's like, in fact, it's the opposite. I want people to understand it. But also see that hey, I'm kicking these things butt and I'm a fit and you know, people you know, the research dollars count, and you know, I'm one of those guys has benefited from those richards, and more and more guys like me, you know, especially in the NFL side, you know, could benefit from these type of things.
So please keep you know, you know, supporting. Don't think that.
It's it's something that doesn't count, that that you're just giving it away for a tax. Right off, He's like, you're actually helping and changing people's lives. And so that's why it's kind of what he was delivering his messaging, you know. And you know, he was talking about the quarterback situation, but I I thought that was really the big thing, was him talking about just the willingness to fight and the fact that he's here to show people that it works. I mean, which I'm like that that's pretty awesome. That's pretty awesome, you know, because i mean, you know, people could fade into the background.
People can do you.
Know, nothing and suffer in silence or think that they're in a silo by themselves and nobody will understand. And Bernie was like, Nope, I'm gonna sure whoever wants to hear it. I'm proud about it. And so and he was just you know, he was just delighted to talk to me, and you know, and we just had a really really good just conversation just over about to said, I mean we talked. I would say we talked for abrouatly about twenty five minutes. It was a very very good conversation.
And then of.
Course, you know, I was like, hey, you know, might might might have played with one of the you know, I might work with one of the guys you played with in Cleveland. And it was like, you know, it was I was like, yeah, Ron Wolfley. He's like what Ron, Oh my god. Ro's my god. And he really opened up with that, he said, and then he was like, and you know, you ever come across Craig. I'm like, yeah, I come across. He's my color analyst. And on the side he's like, and we did it.
We do it showed you, Oh my god, yeah Craig did. So it was it was like it was really cool.
You know, I'm like had had had had to had to throw around my Wolfly connection card.
You know what I'm saying.
I feel like, you know, I need like some type of like business card that says like between.
Two wolves, you know, two Wolves and.
Uh between two Wolves the Max Stark story.
Yes, exactly exactly. You know, I feel like that would be a really good title.
If if I was, if I was ever has to make up my own content, show that is good.
Next time, it'll be two years till we're scheduled to travel out to Arizona for the Steelers to play out there again.
We'll have to do something for the pregame show a segment.
Uh, you know between two between two Wolves with Max Stark's or something like that.
Yes, yes, I mean we we we did have it on air when we had that lightning.
We did, Yes, yes, which.
Right, I was gonna guess if they're of all the times for us to get a lightning delay, you never want to get a lightning delay.
But at least it was then when we had Ron Wolfley in.
The booth right next to us, and we're able to uh to create some some some fun memories in that regard. But no, Matt, I'm glad you share all that, and and and your conversation with Bernie and and what he's actively hunting down and working towards and researching, and how you want to you know, be involved, be a participant, in those type of things. Like I think that stuff means a lot to the general public. When you see athletes, when you see like big, successful, hulking humans who are open about their health struggles, I think that does a lot for the general population, Like I really do, because I think for so long, with so many of these things, these different things in life, we had stigmas around these of like you bury it deep down insides, you don't talk about it, you fight your battles yourself, you suffer in silence, that type of thing. And I don't know if in the last decade or so, we've done a lot of good things as a society, but that, to me, I think is one of them. Really In my kind of adult life, I've seen a lot of mental health issues, a lot of different health issues, a lot of different things that we used to never talk about before that people are now very open to sharing their struggles, sharing their triumphs, so all these different things, And I do think that means a lot to the general public because when you see, you know, these big six foot five, hulking human beings that are being open and real and emotional about their day to day grind and struggle, I think a lot of people relate to that.
Yeah, I mean, and I think I think it is important, right because I think some people kind of you know, not to say everybody does, but some people kind of put athletes in this superhuman category. Yes, you know that we're kind of immune to life, you know, to a certain degree. Now, I mean, I believe there's a lot of you know, more mature fans that would understand, yeah, now you're.
Human just like everybody else.
But some people still kind of hold that regard, right, because those athletes you hold and you know, in high regard, and you know, you don't want to believe that they fall ill of those things because you know, quote unquote, you have access to the best stuff.
We don't. We don't have it. You know, you have to find it, you have to work towards it.
And when you have guys who are struggling, who are going through you know something, it's like, well, well, how could he he has all this? You know, you think of the success, like you said, for Bernie Bernie Cozar, I mean, you know, to be you know, one of the all time great quarterbacks of Cleveland in their franchise's history. You know, you don't think about him being that type of guy, right, because you know, you probably say, you know in the you know, in the Browns Annals of history, like you said at quarterback.
I mean, Jim Brown's still.
One of those guys you know, you know, you have you have Kellen Winslow, and you have you know now of course Joe Thomas, I mean, and of course now one of the guys that's looking to have a new start in Miles Garrett. Yeah right, I mean, he will go down as one of the all time great Cleveland Browns. I mean, he amassed one hundred and two and a half sacks in his time in Cleveland, I say in his time because he's requested a trade if anybody hasn't heard, and he's looking.
To move on elsewhere.
But he will still go down as you know, an all time great in Round's history.
Especially especially in the twenty first century as well too, right, like their modern history.
Yeah, exactly, exactly, so so yeah, so, I mean it's gonna it was really intriguing because I think you have to share those things because sometimes people forget, and you know, you want to make sure you share it with as many people as long as you can, right, And you know, if you can change somebody else's life, I think that's the kind of thing, right, If you can change somebody else's life or the better by sharing your story and you get somebody to open up that might not have wanted to open up, then that's what you do, right, That's what you have to have, the fight.
For the human experience.
Man, No, it is. It is. Well, Hey, we're gonna step aside. We'll be back with more.
We've got an intriguing little tidbit that we got to share with you guys. Some certain Fox Sports insiders shared shared a shared a phrase in a quote, and I want to I want to get your kind of I want to get.
You know, our reaction to that.
So I'm gonna share that next after we come back from these commercial breaks. You're inside the locker room. Wolf starts in the ewler uh you know here on on Steelers Nation Radio and Stealers Audio Networks.
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, p n C, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next. Now here's Craig Wolflee and Max Starr.
Alrighty back inside the locker room here, and you know, business.
As usual, just just just just a normal.
Thursday, huh. You know, nothing to see here. You know, it's Eagles Chiefs. You know, that's the storyline around here, and the Big Easy or the boot however you want to call it. But then you know, we heard from a credible source, and that would be Jay Glazer, Fox Sports kind of insider. You know, he's he's there guy that tapped in for all the breaking news and everything else.
I know, we hear about Ian Rappaport and the like.
You know, but you know, Jay Glazer dropped a bomb on the what was it the football.
The fantasy Fantasy football happy hour, Yes.
Happy hour, Yeah, Fantasy football happy hour with Matthew Berry.
Uh.
Jake Glazer uh said this about a certain Western pa QB and I believe we have audio West. You know you want to roll that audio.
I have a guy like that.
Russell Wilson obviously has had a long career and going back to free agency, Pete Carroll, I mean this is kind of connecting down happen That one's over right, that one's over. Do you think it's more likely Russ goes back to the Steelers because the ending there was also a little weird too, So just a new start for us.
I think you'll see a new start for Russell Sumrall.
Yeah, So who is the starting quarterback of the Steelers? You think it's justin You think it's somebody.
I don't think.
I don't know.
I And again, like these guys are the Senior Bowl. I was texting with my Tom on the other day. He's the Senior Ball, like they're thinking about so they can compartmentalize only so much so Senior Bowl, Right, and then all of a sudden next week they have come on meetings, right, and so they've got to start talking about free agency and what's out there. But I don't think they know who they're their starting quarterbacks can be up.
Who wow wow wie wow wow wow.
I mean, not only are Russell Wilson bomb in there, but maybe Justin Field's bomb as well too.
Max.
Yeah wow, I mean talk about you know where you're at now as a team. I mean for the Steelers you already kind of blew up you know the quarterback room a year ago, right, no, mister brisk you know, Mason Rudolph, No.
Kenny Pickett.
And you you bring in three brand new guys, right, you bring in Russell Wilson.
Uh. You know you also bring in Justin Fields and Kyle Allen. But now all.
Three of those guys are free agents, and now you're looking at revamping the entire room again. Now mind you, this is allegedly this is this is off of Jay Glazer's thoughts. But you know, like you said, you know he was texting back and forth with uh, with Mike Tomlin, and he was just going through the process because once again, this isn't final, right because you still have to go through combine meetings. You're down at Senior Bowl. Everybody's looking at everybody at Senior Bowl. And you know, anytime there's a quarterback issue or a quarterback that's not on the roster because you have to remember you have to go through negotiations. Free agency will hit before you get to the draft. So this is an evaluation time, like, hey, can You're always going to ask this question, can we do better? That is the entire point. If you're not in the Super Bowl at thirty, teams are saying can we do better, you know, and even if it's a quick conversation, you have to answer the question. Right in every personnel meeting and every you know, thought process of constructing a team.
You've got to ask that question. You know.
Now the only two teams that don't have to ask that question are the two teams playing in the Super Bowl, right right, you know, you don't have to ask the question, Hey, who's who? You know, what's can we do better at quarterback? I'm the Cansaite Chiefs. No, all right, move on to the next question. You know what I'm saying, can we do better with the Eagles with the quarterback situations and Jalen Hursts the gut us to a second Super Bowl in three years?
We don't have to.
Answer that question, you know what I'm saying, Like, we still have to say it because that's the exercise, right, that's the exercise of doing this. And so you know, when you kind of go from that perspective, you know, the Steelers, we have to ask that question. But you're like, well, can we you know, what does it look like out there? Think about where we're drafted, think about what the prospects are who played you know, well at the Senior Bowl. Who's going to do good at the Combine? That we don't know because there's always guys who jump up, you know, and you know, just as a quick exercise here, Wes, I mean, let's kind of just play through it. You know, quarterback tiers. Okay, you know there's there's two Tier one quarterbacks. Agreed, that's Cam worsher Do or Sanders right, yes, those that's where you start the conversation ship and then after that you go into tier two. And I did this with with one with one of my guys at p f F Trevor, and I'm gonna mess Trevor's name up. Trevor's a Gator, so that's what that's what is it?
Trevor Sikama.
There we go, Trevor Sikima, There we go.
Oh yeah, he's motes and I do his show, have him on our show, part of me at the Combine every year.
He's a good dude, and he is Max.
Starks Florida Gators. That's right, he is a proud Florida Gator. So Trevor.
Trevor was nice enough to join us on on a off campus on serious XM earlier this week, and I pose that question to him. I said, hey, tier one, let's talk about tier two quarterbacks. You know where team is going to reach for a QB. And we kind of went we kind of went through the drill. So the tier two's where your Jackson darts R Dylan Gabriel's Jalen Millroe. Quinn, Yeah, I always forget about Quinn said, isn't it.
You got your you got your eyes, you got your eyes on arch already. I get it.
You know, I'm trying my best.
I'm trying my best because listen, if that doesn't work with Texas next year, all the money that they spent.
It's gonna be it's gonna be a bad day.
And especially when you got to do with the last name Manning on the back of his jersey representing your team.
Yeah, you better do it. You better do it.
So would you put Kyle McCord and Will Howard in that second tier as well too, or they maybe a third tier?
He did.
He added little Howard because of the last month of the season, right, because of the run, and you win a national championship, and he did it because of their of his arm talent, right, which was different how they were running most of the season. So you know, so they were like, yeah, no, you need you need to He used his arm to beat these teams and it was a new level. Teams weren't expecting it. And that's how I kind of, you know, you know, took advantage of the city situation and wildsome people. Right, you know, you take on Tennessee and you blow out Tennessee, you go Oregon, jesus. I mean that Rose Bowl game, what was in the world. You were not expecting the game to be over with, you know, halfway through the second quarter. So they were saying that Will Howard worked himself up into that second tier and teams are going to pay attention to that. And he has a prototypical body, right, he has you know, he has a prototypical arm. So you know, it was it was interesting to hear that tier two and you know, where you're going to reach, you know, because let's say it's not going to just be two quarterbacks in the first round. There's be two in the top ten easily, but where are teams going to reach? And so he went through the guys who teams will probably reached for. You know, they said, Jackson Dart, there's some things but there's also some questions about Jackson Dart because during the Senior Bowl, you know, he's been a shotgun quarterback, and so the Senior Bowl they like to do things different. They want to put you in uncomfortable situation. And so they said, you know, they figured that he had been working some under center to get ready for the Senior Bowl, and they said, you know what, go from pistol, which throws them off right because you're not completely under center, and you're not all the way in a shotgun.
You're in that halfway no man's land.
And he said, he fumbled the first snap, so and then when he went under center a little bit later, he got he got tripped up by the guard that was pulling on a counterplay because he was laid on pulling his hands out after receiving.
The ball because he wasn't used to it.
So they just did some different things and he kind of fumbled his way through the beginning of that. So it's like, you know, that leads a little lesson to be desired because in let he say, he said, I want to say it was like he said, nine hundred and forty three snaps over his two years, only nine of them were under center, and most of those were victory formations, you know, at the end of game.
Wow.
So that kind of pushed me in a little bit of a questionable spot, you know, I had I thought I had a high thought about you know, watching Jackson dirt butt. You're right, I mean, if you can't go from under center, you know, a lot of the NFL is under center. So you know that kind of that kind of left me like, hmm, that doesn't sound good.
Yeah, that's a very good that I hadn't considered with him, and you know that kind of that Lane Kiffen offense there at Old Miss.
Yeah, so I was like, oh, wow, okay, well you know what we're here now. So I was like, that is something to consider and something I you know, you kind of watch the game, you kind of watch the flow of it. You don't think about under center versus shotgun used to look at the production, right, And so yeah, that's gonna be a big point because not a lot of guys can can make that transition now because you're so used to one way. You know, I think about Kyler Murray, Like Kyler Murray, they're they're they're getting him under.
Center a little bit more. But I mean, how many years is it? What? Five? Five?
Yeah, a long time.
He's well into his second contract now, yeah, so now I look at it. Sorry, no, that's okay, Yeah, sorry I was. I should have covered there for you for a couple extra seconds.
My fault.
Yeah, but no, but I think that is an intriguing point that now so he so he had Will Howard higher up there.
He hesitated on.
Kyle McCord just because you know, it's the highs and the lows that you get with him, right, yes, I mean you could get some amazing games from him and then you get some duds.
So highs enough.
Yeah, his high his highlight, his highlight tape is as good as anybody's in this draft. But his low light tape is as bad as anybody's, particularly when he came when he came here and played Pitt Max. I think he threw like three pick sixes in that game alone, Like it was four or five interceptions, two or three pick sixes. Like you watch him play that game and you're like, this guy shouldn't be playing Division one football. But then you go and you watch, you know, when they knocked off Miami, for example, and he looks like maybe the best quarterback in college football.
It's it's bizarre.
Yeah, yeah, so it's so So that was one of the issues that we had, right, was that how where where do you put him? How do you stack it up? And so I'm just I'm one of those guys. It's like I try and look at it, you know, as objective as possible, but I'm like, in my head, I'm like, there is going to be great value in like day two and three for these guys you know here too, no doubt, but with how many quarterbacks are needed for the vacancies and they're not being a lot of guys in free agency available. This is this is kind of the world you live in, right, because I mean here, here's your potential free agents, just going off the top of my hair and not having a list in front of me. Obviously, Russ and Justin are are free agents, right unless something else happens. Then you have Sam Darnold, who potentially will be a free agent just because you have JJ McCarthy there.
You want to see what he can do.
You know what Sam has done, He's earned himself kind of top billing in this free agency run.
You know, you wonder.
And then after that, I mean, where are we at Aaron Rodgers, yes, will be a free agent.
Yes, Jameis Winston, I mean.
Yeah, Jamos. And then there's a lot of that was.
Like, there's a lot of candidates, right. I think Kirk Cousins could end up being a free agent. I think Gino Smith could end up being a free agent. But they're not right now.
It's right now, Derrek Derek Carr could be no doubt, that's another great one.
But yeah, right now, it's like Donald, it's the two guys we saw here in Pittsburgh, I mean, Jamis Winston.
There's there's not you know, a a massive you know name of.
As some quarterback who's thirty years old and still has you know, plenty of tread on his tires and has accomplished a bunch. At this point, it's a lot of different question marks around the quarterbacks that are available.
Yeah.
So so now if you can't get a free agency, where do you do you turn to the draft?
You're I mean, somebody is going to talk themselves into a mill Row or a Dart or a Howard or an Ewer's being you know, worthy of a top twenty, top thirty selection. By the time we get to April, there's no doubt it's going to happen.
Yeah, and the chatter's going to pick up because you're realizing that man, free agency ain't what we thought it was.
And you know, April's like the draft.
Now hope springs eternal with the future that maybe I can change this guy, Maybe I can break him out of his bad habits.
Baby, I can.
Build a system around him, you know, to have some success. That's where we're at because yeah, there's no real big names unless you kind of unless somebody gets cut or a trade gets worked out. But we got to see movement because you wonder even if hey, it's Kyler Murray, all you know available you know via trade based off of you know where he's at and what he's accomplished. And then you start looking at all the backups. You know, is a Carson wentzur viable off you know, you haven't seen him and he's here in the Super Bowl, right, so you kind of you kind of put yourself in a very quarterback you know, starved outside of starters situation, especially what you're thinking about, you know what the Titan situation is, right, you know, they're they're drafting number one overall. You can tell they're not happy with will Levice, But you have so many other holes you need to fill.
If you're Brian Callahan that.
Do you trade back and try and get more resources out of the number one or do you know, do you take what like an abdual Carter I think will probably be at the top of their list if you're Tennessee and you know, make that type of decision, But you know you don't. You don't have consistency at quarter That's the reason why you're drafted number one overall. Quarterback played terrible. I'm stunk exactly.
But there's not there's not the guy coming out this year that is the There's not the Caleb Williams or even Jaden Daniels, you know what I mean, Like, there's not the guy that, oh, yeah, take this quarterback first overall and have the chance to change your franchise.
Could could be, but not as kind of.
Just thought of that with this with these top two guys, as maybe some of the years of past. So it is an interesting place for Tennessee.
Yeah, in Tennessee, and of course the Giants, we know what the Giants did Jesus Christ. Uh, you know, they they paid Daniel Jones all that money and then they cut him. They cut him out right, you know what I'm saying. So they so they've got a decision to make. We had Jalen Hyatt on one of the shows I was interviewing, and just you know, he he you know, he's.
The current player.
He can't really bag on anybody, but he he was hurt when when DJ was traded and so I was like, WHOA.
I was like, you know, and we saw, we saw him.
He didn't and here's a he didn't look bad when we played against him.
The offensive line and that.
You know, and other pieces didn't look good. But you know, and he he made, you know, a minor mistake here and there, and that's what he said. He said the problem with Daniel was that he made the momentary lapse in judgment. You know, everybody's he can have it, but he made it at more critical times than other people. And that's eventually what led to him, you know, being relieved of duty in New York. And I thought, you know, that was very salient for a second year guy. Right wide receiver, right, his success is dependent upon who can throw him in the football and he didn't really get the football thrown his way. And this dude's a Bolitica Cough winner, you know, and very highly touted, you know, receiver that's on a team with another Bolitna Cough Award winner, highly touted receiver and elite neighbors. And you know, Wandell Robinson had a great year. So he's sitting there, he's like, we got all these what we just need a quarterback. So hearing that, it's like, okay, well that's another team and then that's going to.
Take a quarterback, you know.
And so you look at that, You're like, you can argue the Raiders who are right up there in that top five, Yep, they all need they'll need a quarterback because you had Aiden O'Connell and Gardner Minshew and those guys will be I'm sure up there in the in the good old you know, free agency round up as well, you know, potentially now Aiden's still under contract, but you know, if you if you don't like the situation that you have with him, if you're Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, do you move on there? I mean I think they you know, they were the guys we were talking about, you know, before the end of the season is needing a quarterback. So you know, you have some intriguing ones. And right now I just named what there's four teams any quarterbacks, So we're well into Tier two now, yeah, potentially, And that's not even talking about teams that are further back, you know, because like I said, the Steelers, we're gonna we're looking we're evaluating that position as well, but we're on the back half of the first round of the draft, so we're not gonna be a position We'll have to look really hard at the middle of that Tier two and decide if that's who we really like or not. So you know, we just went through that and it was about five different options right there, and we said we only had two and tier one and everybody else is tier two. You know, there's a lot of decisions to be made. So Combine will be red hot, just like Senior Bowl was red hot just last week. And so we're going to figure this out. But what we are going to do, we are going to step aside. Here, take a break, reload for hour number two. We'll be back with more here inside the locker room. We come back after these commercial breaks
