SNR Drive with Matt & Dale (Pittsburgh Steelers)At least.
He's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly, he is the Matt Williamson. And well, as we promised yesterday, we would do a mock draft today, working off the basis that we're moving forward with justin fields at the quarterback position. How does that say not a ton?
I mean, I would put a slightly less emphasis on running back, but you still need one and you're not going to ignore it. Does it put a little bit more emphasis on defense for you play a little lower scoring, grind the clock a little bit, maybe a little bit, you know, right, I mean, try to get teams off the field, create turnovers, create a little more splash to help the younger quarterback maybe a little bit, you know, I mean.
Like breaks ties that way. Yeah, I agree, and in either.
Case, so I'm open to drafting the right quarterback though at the right price.
You know. We're using, of course, as we did yesterday, the Pro Footballnetwork dot Com mock drafter, and we're picking twenty first, as is the case here, and so we're coming down to our pick here and see what happens here. Guy falling right now? They shouldn't be falling. He just went, okay, yeah, well all right. So we got trade offers, as we usually do, three of them. Tampa Bay. Once again, we're not interested in Tampa Bay. You're trying to trade us your second round draft pick. No, thank you. Reject that. Philadelphia wants to give us pick thirty one, pick sixty three and the twenty twenty six fifth round draft pick for pick twenty one.
Doesn't so bad. I would consider strong. Consider that, yeah, especially if we're on the fence between.
Who to take more piece more picks.
Maybe we could even talk him into a fourth instead of fifth.
San Francisco wants to give us forty three to ninety nine and next year's second round draft pick. Really far, Yeah, that's too far. We'll do that in a month. Consider the thirty first pick. But I want to see who's available, no question. So Tyler Warren who we took yesterday? There?
Okay?
Jaylen Walker linebacker out of Georgia. Benjamin Morrison, cornerback at a Notre Dame. Derek Carmon defensive tackle from Oregon, Nickmari safety out of South Carolina, Josh Simmons offensive tackle from Ohio State, TYLERK. Williams defensive tackle from Ohio State, Walter Nolan defensive tackle from Ole Miss. Jonas Sivenia offensive tackle from Arizona. Jed A. Brown or Baron I should say the safety from Texas, Mike Greene, edge rusher out of Marshall, Trey Amos cornerback out of Ole Miss.
Okay, So it brings up a little bit of a different angle to me in that now it's Fields not Wilson. I think Fields is more prone to throw to the middle of the field, less likely to.
Throw go balls.
You know, back to our tight end conversation from last year or from yesterday, would you be more apt to go for Warren if you had Fields or if you had Wilson? Like, is he more attractive to you one way or the other? Not verse out of the field, just like, would you consider a difference making tight end more so gonna run more heavier personnel, maybe throw the middle of the field more he does.
I don't either.
I mean, I'm just throwing it out there, and we took him yesterday. I think you trade down.
I think you trade down too.
Yeah, and plus would be a little difference. I take the same guy.
Yeah, let's see if we can counter that and get something more les.
I tried to get to turn the fifth in four.
So thirty one and sixty three would give us thirty one, fifty two sixty three eighty three. I like that. Oh that's the part. I'm loving that. Yeah.
Can I turnump a seventh and try to turn a six five into a four? Always good to dump a seventh.
Actually, they have picked one sixty five. I'll see if we can get that, all right, So that would be three picks for two. So I'm offering twenty one and two thirty seven for thirty one, sixty three and one sixty five instead of next year.
Yeah, okay, that's a lot for them to give up in one draft, but we can always come back to the next year.
Rough THREUTEAE. They accepted it all right.
Great, it's a pretty far jumped down.
They came up to take Walter Nolan.
Wow, pretty good group of defense tackles. Yeah, Milton Williams a free agent. Milton Williams is a free agent. Trey Amos just went nah, that would have been a nice market. So he's a corner and people will be linked to this Steelers a lot.
Yeah, I'm going to reject both offers that we got here because they're both trading out of the first round. Guy top guys available. Derek Harmon, defensive tackle out of Oregon. I don't know if he's a first rounder.
I don't either need to do more work on him. Like I see the allure, but the little I watched.
Them, I was not blown away. Nick and Maori the safety out of South Carolina. I heard he's like six seven, yeah, and he plays a slot. He does everything, he does everything. Yeah, Xavier wats a safety at a Notre Dame. Somebody wants to turn into a linebacker again, Like maybe maybe they think he's a Cale Hamilton type. G Hud Campbell linebacker out of Alabama. Harold Fannon the tight end from Bowling Green, Shamar Stewart edge rusher out of Texas A and m Omari and Hampton running back out of North Carolina.
I'd be more prone to do that now that we have extra picks.
Yeah, Trey Harris, wide receiver out of Ole, Miss, Xavier Rostropo, wide receiver from Miami, Landon Jackson, Kenneth grant Is there princely human ame Alynn ed Rusher, at Ole, Miss Deontay Walker, Deane Walker, I should say Caleb Johnson.
I like there's two of those noses, Walker and Grant that are still out there.
I think I'd probably go with the running back Marion Hampton. Yeah, I think I would too. Swing for the fencer.
Yeah, I mean a home run hitter that can do all that, just playmakers on offense. If we hadn't made the trade, I wouldn't just because not Eve an extra Day two pick, though, you can still go receiver, corner nose, yeah, you know, and fill your needs with all you know day two.
But Matt, you never take running backs in the first round. They don't, and.
Frankly, I'm mostly a believer in that, you know. I mean, I think they're the cherry on top.
Here's the thing. The thirty first pick in the draft is a little essential. Is there really any difference between taking a mari and Hampton at picked thirty one and the Browns taking Nick Chubb with the first pick of the second round five years ago? Zero except a fifth year option, right, that's only a nice berg. Yeah, it's the only difference. I think you do it Mario and Hampton. You're gonna run the ball a lot.
Yeah, and now you have three ball carriers that are scary with fields. I mean we're talking about Field as a runner now too.
Yeah.
That's and I said I was gonna be less apt to take a running back. But he's the best player.
On the board. Yeah, all right, I'm gonna pause here just for a minute. We're picked forty six. We have our first pick at pick fifty two. The top guys available Landon Jackson. I don't know if he fits the defense here. Kenneth Grant is still there, very appealing. Prince Ly you you Malaia? Yeah, I can't. That's his name, you la? Yeah, Prince, there you go, Prince Hugh oh miss arianta URSII from Minnesota, the offensive tackle, Jylen Milroe, quarterback from Alabama. J T. Twamaloa uh ed rusher out of Ohio State. Jackson Dart is there, Emery Jones, Barrett Carter, Donovan Azraku the edge rusher out of BC, Isaiah Bond, Kyle Knard, TJ. Sanders. There's some guys there I'm interested in. There's one guy in particular, and yeah, where did you pause? It. We're picked forty six. So the next team's up are Atlanta. Atlanta's not going to take him, Arizona. Arizona's not gonna take the San Francisco.
I don't think he's a I mean, I don't know how much these the software does, these sites dig into it, but he's not a Shanahan type of player, right.
The Bengals they're not taken out. The Seahawks, they absolutely they could Denver they're not taking. So we roll the dice.
Yeah, because I think if you lose and to end up with Grant, I'm happy. Yeah. The receiver from Texas Golden that we discussed and almost took yesterday, but we took Grant because they both shouldn't have been there. I assume he's still available.
For somebody else out there that I'm interested in too. Andrew mccoub mccoub by the safety.
From Texas, Okay, yeah, yeah, he makes a lot of place a slot. Yeah, that's he's just a good football player. I'm not saying he's Branch, but he kind of has that profile to him.
I think he just wait, Okay, I'm with you.
I mean there's enough names there that I you know.
Another guy that I would have been interested in was t J. Sanders. He just went Jaylen Milroe goes to the Seahawks.
Nah one pick, and maybe in the real world we would have bumped over those guys.
Maybe you know, now Seattle wants to make a trade with us, No, thank you, guys, unless you want to give you know, if you want to give.
Us Milroe, give us Gino. We already got fields.
Yeah, yeah, I'm not interested. That's okay. So Landon Jackson is still there, Kenneth Grant still there. It's a nice consolation price.
That's absolutely fine. What's the best receiver or corner I guess we picked sort of soon though.
Yeah, we have picks now at sixty three and eighty sixty three, eighty three coming up. Just grab because he's the best player on the field. He is the best player available. Yeah, looking here at wide receiver, you got Matthew Golden, Jayden Higgins, Jalen Royals, Ricky White, Torry Holton. There's some guys there, I.
Think, Yeah, they'll be there are ten picks from now or whatever.
Defensively, cornerback, you're looking at Darien Porter from Iowa State. Davison, Yeah, he big your son from Ohio State, Denzel Burke from Ohio State, Dorian Strong, Daleen Everett, AZII A. Thomas. I think you take Grant, ik, you take Grant.
Yeah.
Plus you don't then have to pay on the open market for a big.
Dude, right right, I mean Benton Fokan Jobi's here or not goes to that role. Yeah, Grant immediately in searchs there doesn't play on passing downs, you don't lead them to anyways.
Now there's another guy there that I'm interested in at the defense of.
This third pick or before you you didn't put the Grant pick in yet, I have not yet, so Omar Norman Lot is there from Tennessee.
Yeah, you mentioned mister Now he's an end these warm an end Yeah. Yeah, but Grant Grant, I think the size. Yeah, I'm with you. I've got pushed around a little bit in the more than a little bit in the game. Not gonna happen with Kenneth Grant on the field.
It's the conference or division you play in. Yeah, the need of the D line. I think it's better for Benton too.
Okay, Denzel Burke just went okay, we're up again, and New England is calling their offering pick sixty eight and next year's fourth for pick sixty three and two forty six. Yeh, that's fine. Fourth is okay, but bad. I like future some bad teams. Yeah, but I'm going to reject all that. We're going to make the pick because it's better. So Omar Norman lot is still there.
We'll be making strengths, extreme strengths and just having the best D line ever. You know what I mean.
Like none, I'll tell you none of the cornerbacks, like the receivers are what the appeal to me, that the receiver would be something that I had to look at. Matthew Golden is still there. Jayden Higgins is still there. Jalen Royals is still there. I like Royals, I don't like me some Jalen Royle. Yeah.
I prefer Golden though, and I'm flat out pillaging this form mel kiper I was listening to their podcast this morning, I Guess tomorrow his mock's coming out.
And he basically said he absolutely thinks Golden's.
Going in the first round, that he's a hot commodity right now. I was also listening to mcshay's podcast, said Golden's the names no one's talking about as a mid to late first round pick.
See, I think Jalen Royals could go if he works out the combine and runs a fourth three. He's a run the fourth three? Yeah, how big is he? Like six to one, he's gone. He's a track guy, yeah, yeah, but he catches everything. And when I say he's a track guy, he also high jumped six to four. I know this is a guy who's all kinds of athleticism.
How long do we have to our next pick?
We go again at eighty three?
Either school with me?
We probably need a receiver, I would.
Say, I I meant either receivers. Yeah. Now the next one could be whatever you want. I mean, if if you get if they're the best defensive lineman's on the board, Tennessee, dude, I'm fine with it. Yeah. I mean again, you probably have signed a corner at this point.
Let me just look to here at the mccuba is still there as well. The safety is available. Kevin Winston Junior from Penn State. He's a highly tired guy. He I don't know that he's played enough that I want to. I wouldn't pick him over the receivers. Mccouba is still there, Jalen Reed. The other safety from Penn State is there, Rod Moore, Sebastian cast Malachi Moore, Lathan Ransom.
Suddenly there's some defensive backs that have a chance to fall Ransom.
Yeah, what receiver do you prefer? I like him both. I don't know how realistic it is that Golden is going to be there at sixty three, right.
I think if it's Wilson, you'd definitely take the Speedster. If it fields, I don't think it matters either way.
Yeah, all right, we'll take Golden either school. Yeah, take Golden. Okay, now we got to start thinking running back here too. At some point we took one in the first round. Oh yeah, what am I thinking?
Yeah? We're good. There is the biggest need.
Corner, Yeah, a defensive back.
Even with a trade down, though, we're not going to feel every need.
That might be something that you have to fill in free agency.
Yeah, that's a whole nother segment. But there's six or seven names that should be twelve million to sixteen million.
That I would be very interested in a free agency. I also want to see what Corey Trice can be. Is a you know, he's not a throwaway all right, we at the Minnesota's on the phone. They want to give us pick ninety seven and one thirty nine for eighty three and two forty six.
I don't think trading down in the mid round.
Yeah, I'm gonna hold jack that. Yeah, all right. Top players available regardless of position. The edge rusher out of BC. Oh, he's not going to be there. Dorian Strong, the cornerback out of Virginia Tech. It's a big guy.
Yeah, that's appealing.
David Walker, edg rusher out of Central Arkansas.
Ed rushers are great and they're gonna be a lot of them. I can't imagine using a pick on one.
Ashton Jilot the edge rusher out of Louisville. Holland Pierce offensive tackle from Rutgers. DJ Giddens running back from k State. Elijah or Rojo tight end from Miami. It's a past Casch tight end. Jalen Reid safety at a Penn State. Jabbar Mohammad cornerback out of Oregon. Shamar Turner defensive tackle from Texas A and M. He's more of a nozo too, Okay, I believe I think so. I'm thinking to the right guy there. Six four to three hundred.
I know they have three that are gonna be picked.
Yeah, the guys are more endish. Gray's Abel was there the offensive tackle on in North Dakota State. Will Howard interesting, we haven't taken a quarterback. What quarterbacks are there? I think Howard is the best of the group, but let me take a look here and who else is available? So Howard, Quinn, yours, Curtis Rourke, Dylan Gabriel, Kyle McCord, Brady Cook from Missouri. He's kind of interesting.
McCord's another one Kuyper was alluding to, is gonna go a lot higher than people think, like a round two type guy. Yeah.
I don't know enough about him. I know that the Ohio State fans hate them. Pure pocket passer.
Yeah, I don't think if we went with Fields, I don't want up your pocket passers his backup.
I don't have a problem with going with Will Howard.
I don't know that. I was also thinking the the V tech corner.
He would be attractive. He's high on the list and corners are massive. He's six one five, that's fine. Yeah, probably get the one ninety in a year or whatever. He's never going to be huge. That would be my vote, but I don't mind the Ohio State dute either. All right, we'll take him cornerback. It is Dorian Strong in Virginia Tech. Now we don't have another picked until one sixty two. Gap. We got one sixty two, one sixty five, and two twenty six. No, we have one at one twenty one. I'm sorry we didn't trade that away. It doesn't show. It shows you your next pick over to the left. It doesn't show you. Then it has your other picks remaining over on the other side.
So makes you a little difficult deep tight end draft. And there could be someone of interest there. I know it's a terrible place to shop for tackles, but I love getting a developmental tackle that could be maybe your swing guy as a rookie. Another back seems crazy after you use the first round pick on one, but the seventh round I'd consider it, yeah, especially.
If he's a kind can ask for you know, your first round draft pick to return kicks. Dallas is on the phone. Dallas went saw off for pich one pick one twenty one, Jerry Getaddy. That's a lot of work. Yeah, all right, so top players available, base sholl tooton running back out of Virginia Tech. Anthony Belton, offensive tackle and c State A much.
About him, But a tackle here, if he's high on the board, would be appealing to me.
Lander Barton, linebacker out of Utah, film offa running back out of Clemson. Charles Grant, offensive tackle.
Charles Grants, that'd be great.
Yeah, I definitely like that. Jordan Phillips, a defensive tackle out of Maryland.
I actually have heard good things about Charles Grant. Number two is yeah, small schools. Why he's just low right now?
Yeah, well, you gotta think that Mike Toma might know a little bit about the William and Merry guy.
Yeah, yeah, said things going off in my head like crazy with him too, because supposedly he's a really good athlete. You have you drafted tackles in the top two rounds. I mean, he could basically red.
Shirt this year and maybe is a guard down the road maybe right, I don't know, I would be very appealing. I think that's appealing. Yeah. The top quarterback available is Kyle McCord.
Okay, so but if he's only a pocket passer, I don't think that's the fields back up that I want.
Charles Grant, Oh yeah, Charles, Charles.
How happy that makes me. We're gonna line those guys up with the first rep of camp.
Oh yeah, Grant, Grant, Yeah, he's so great.
Yeah, you know, those things tickle me to know, and I know, right right, but I think that's a decent picky the way, all right.
So thus far then we have gotten Omarion Hampton at picked thirty one, Kenneth Grant picked fifty two, Matthew Golden picked sixty three, Dorian Strong, cornerback out of Virginia Tech at eighty three, and then Charles Grant not the guy out of the defensive tackle from Michigan, but instead the offensive tackle from William and Mary.
I'm good. I like it. Big guys, slot safety, special teamer would be something to look at. Tight end I'd consider start throw quarterback doesn't sound crazy? I mean, right now, how many quarterbacks are being in camp as of this draft sounds like two Adams Thompson, Robinson.
Right, yeahright, Kyle mcgonaghey running back out of Rutgers, Raheem Sanders running back out of South Carolina, Jordan James, running back out of Oregon, Marcus mcbow offensive tackle from two Yaha Black defensive tackle still there. Yeah, some people think of him as the first round pick. I've seen a lot of guard stuff with him. Yeah, I haven't watched him yet. Yeah. Olie Gordon running back out of Oklahoma State. RJ RJ. Harvey running back out of UCF. Danny Stutsman, linebacker from Oklahoma.
See, like, if we hadn't gone running back in the first round, if we'd taken corner or whatever, a lot of these dudes are pretty appealing. Yeah, at this neighborhood.
Yeah, oh, no doubt.
Yeah, it's a crazy draft for those guys. Take two of them in the fifth and sixth round.
I'm just looking here. Ifisian's Price Sock cornerback out of Washington. Okay, have you seen that name yet? Because he is six four one ninety point.
No, we took one, but I don't care. You can never have too many. I would never.
He is a definite outside cornerback.
That's what they like.
I'm just looking here.
The defensive back here makes some sense to me of any shape we're going to get that this draft. The safety that can play.
Zah Frasier's there, the cornerback from UTSA who at the Shrine Bowl that the guy we just talked about.
So we took one recently, but another corner just to throw a lot to fans. He would stick.
Defensive tackles again. Wouldn't bother me to double down at the episode. I don't want another nose. I want to any other huge guys. Yeah, nothing is also of interest. Nothing there that's super interesting to me.
I mean, I don't think prove it will be back. You're gonna keep four. Hayward might only be a special team or at this point.
So you got Jake bringing stool, brings his own stool to the bringing the school. He's from Clemson. Gavin Bartholomew from Pitt Jalen.
Comedy is a kind of a fit too. He's a tough guy in line dude.
Yeah, Jalen Kanye's from Texas Tech. Thomas Faedon from Nebraska, Drake Dabney from TCU, Jeremy Jermaine Terry from Oregon State, Cole Taylor from West Virginia, Mitchell Evans from Notre Dame parthol Of. He is the one I know and I wouldn't have a problem with.
Yeah.
Bryson Nesbit from North Carolina is kind of interesting to me tight end. Yeah, Okay, last year he caught a ton of passes because well they had a good quarterback. This year now gone, Yeah, this year not so much, but more of a pass catching tight end. I think he's more the seventh round guy though.
Okay, okay, that's a name to know though.
Yeah, I don't know this. I don't love any of this really, to be honest with you.
The best available regardless position.
Regardless of position, not it's blowing your doors off. It's all running backs. Yeah, yeah, like one of take another running back by Dallas, want to trade up with it? Maybe, so maybe you take Marcus Macbow. Oh yeah, I think that's a mistake from what I've learned a little bit about him. Well, say R. J. Harvey is still there too. Again, some of those guys may fall. But Jalen Noel from a wide receiver from Iowa State. You doubled out the wide receiver position in this one.
What's his profile? What's he doing?
He uh has an explosive release in stride, improving route running. Should be a Day two pick in the draft. Recording of this had one thousand yards and six touchdowns this season.
I wouldn't object to bringing another receiver.
And another receiver to the mix. Let's do that, all right, few receivers.
That's not terrible, right, traded down you get the little bonus press. So now we just have seventh rounders.
We got uh yeah, we got two twenty six remaining two twenty six and two forty six remaining here. So it's gonna take us a little while or to get there. But just thing paused on me here? What's going on here?
I'd consider any position at this point, but some of these face special special teams.
Stands out. Oh we're up now? Did I not make that pick?
I thought I did.
That's bad radio.
Yeah, that's all right. We won't lose any listeners over that.
No, of course not h No, we're actually up again here. We must have. I didn't realize we traded for that pick. So we are up again here, and.
I'm sure it's not real fruitful of what's No.
It's not it's not a great I'm just looking here at safeties. Yuck cornerback. Well, if esian's price sock is still there, six foot four corner.
Yeah, take me right right right?
We like big corners.
Yeah, I practice squad it all year or whatever. But have a rookie year like Trice or something like that, you know, might be happy about the four corner. Yeah, I mean land of the giants in that cornerback room.
That's what you're looking for. That's exactly their profile, right. I don't know if any of them can play the slot. Probably not, But that's to find those guys too. Yeah, you got Beanie Bishop for now, right, there'll be competition for him too, And there's no question in my mind. Yeah, all right, we're cruising down here. Now we get two picks left and pick two twenty six coming up here. I should have speeded this up a little bit.
This could be running back land.
I would take a second running back here to somebody that was Again, he could be smaller, he could be doesn't even matter.
Yeah, I mean, these are guys are going to get the fifth round grades in the seventh round.
But I think you know, one of the things to your point, what you want to do, if it is fields, is you want to continue to build your defense. Oh yeah, yeah, keep that very strong in my mind.
You need a big play defense. It doesn't can get off the field. Yeah, another D lineman wouldn't break my heart. I mean at this point, if there's an edge you'll like, I mean, there's nothing to shy away from me, tide linebacker.
So the top guys available Glendon Miller, safety out of Maryland. Yeah, but Glenn done. You got Javari Ritzi, defensive tackle from North Carolina. I'm just looking at you. See if there's anybody that Mario Anderson junior running back at A Memphis five eight two oh six. Not much about them, but okay, I do know that the Memphis running backs have They've always done well, always done well. Here's one guy that is kind of interesting to me, and that's JJ Pegas from Ole Miss running back, no defensive tackle. Oh, he's more of a long.
Oh okay, I have no problem taking a big compete with like Logan Lee yep, louder Milk replacement type.
Yeah. Probably into the Yeah, into the middle, I'd say him. Or the safety that's the top of the boarder. One of those took Vegas. We'll see about to see what happens here at the last last pick. Here we get coming up at two forty six. We're getting close here and and we're out all right. Uh, Top guys available. Aiden Huntington from Tulane defensive tackle, Tyler Battye ede rusher out of b Yu Nash Hutmasher, defensive tackle from Nebraska Lea Quin Allen, running back out of Syracuse.
Oh, he's a good receiver, he's got I think that's a nice pick too.
Yeah, all right, there it is the Quinn Allen.
No, he's he's kind of like a Tyrone Tracy type. Yeah, kick return probably possibilities. Why not. I'm going with that.
We had some extra picks there, we used them.
Yeah, Yeah, we doubled down a compositions.
Absolutely, there's corners two d line. All right. So we ended up with the Amari and Hampton running back out of North Carolina pick thirty one. At pick fifty two, we took Kenneth Grant picked sixty three, Matthew Golden, the wide receiver out of Texas. Eighty three was Dorian Strong, cornerback out of Virginia Tech. One twenty one was Charles Grant, the offensive tackle, might be a guard from William and Mary. At one sixty two, we took Jayalen Noelle, the wide receiver from Iowa State. One sixty five Ephesians price sock. I'd have to learn how to spell that one? At one sixty five, cornerback out of Washington two twenty six. We took JJ pegas defensive lineman out of Ole Miss, so we doubled down on the defensive line there. But they're different ones and edge ones and those.
Yeah.
And then Leaquin Allen, the running back out of Syracuse at two forty six. Cool, Okay, there we go, there we go. I like the trade down. Yeah, not bad.
Yeah, yeah, not bad.
You get more, give me more, give me more. Absolutely, anyways, let's get through a break. He is the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. This is the drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt. Now, I'll be back with more right after this.
At least, he's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Welcome back. I am Dale Lollie. He is the Matt Williamson and Matt Pro Football Focus as their top seventy five players set to enter free agency list out there. And it's interesting because I don't know that it necessarily matches up to some of the beliefs that Steeler fans have. I could see that.
I was looking through it today. I was mostly interested in what they projected for contracts, you know, in some positions that I think will be interesting to the Steelers. And there's some Steelers on there that are set to make a pretty good buck several facts. I mean, yeah, quite a few, and I don't think many of them will be We'll be back, to be honest with you.
Yeah, So it led me to think this might be a year where you don't want to spend a ton of money in free agency unless you're signing guys who were cut by somebody.
Else for com reasons.
You're talking right right angle.
Yeah, Yes, and no, because I do think they will when it's all said and done, have a lot to spend, and their draft capital is good, not great. You want to get better, and I think free agency is more of an avenue this year than most in terms of your resources. I love the comp game, But to your point, if it's DeVante Adams versus Godwin and they want the same amount of money and Adams got cut and Godwin didn't, won't get me it right?
Right? Yeah?
I would.
I would definitely take that into consideration because on this on this list of the top seventy five. Yeah, free agents, these are the guys that are probably going to get the bigger contracts. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, are justin fields. Mm hmm. Obviously both quarterbacks quarterbacks are on or on seventy five. Also on this list is Naujie Harris and also I think he's gonna make eleven ish. You know, James Daniels, Yep, he graded really.
Well for them. They're big James Daniels fans and Dan Moore. M h that's a pretty good power of contracts that could be leaving town now. Probably one of those quarterbacks isn't in the mix of levers the guys that are taken out, and there's also the Landon Roberts of the world and guys like that, whether you bring them back or not, they're going to add up. Mike Williams, you guys like that too. The other thing that I'd been thinking about too, and it comes back to kind of the Metcalf conversation. We started the show with some of those Steelers three seventh round picks. You could basically trade for a player that someone's going to dump, right because you have cap space and they don't.
You know, like you're just flipping them. I mean, you got one year left wonder deal and you're just yeah, taking them off their hands.
Right, Like, where either going to cut this guy because we're the Saints and we have no money, or you guys can eat the contract and you'll get a much better player than a seventh round pick.
You just gonna have to pay whatever's left on that deal.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean you're basically trading a seventh round pick for cap space. Yeah, but you get a good player, right, And those deals happen all the time in the league. I could see the Steelers making a move or two like that. Yeah, you're not gonna get Tyreek Hill for a seventh round pack, but you know, right or right, but you could get quality players. Yeah.
The interesting thing about again I mentioned this, this is the top seventy five, and.
They go pretty quick.
Yeah.
They couple of those guys with franchise, couple won't even hit free agency to begin with. Same as always.
But you know, again, I think if you can get some comp picks back, if you don't spend like crazy and these guys get good contracts out, whatever you're gonna make, you're gonna be all right.
Be nice. To pick up thirds in the future.
Yeah, or even a fifth, an extra fifth or whatever it may.
Yeah, those things are valuable, right.
I heard people somebody mentioned today Naujee Harris was a wasted draft pick by the Steelers. Gave the ball like eight thousand times. It four straight thousand yard seasons. You're gonna go and because they didn't pick up his fifty year option, you're gonna say that's a bust. That's not how this works anymore.
Right, you think running backs are not We've had that conversation.
This is what I wanted to talk about.
Okay, So people think he's been on Dale's mind since the first segment, and.
I couldn't think of what it was. This was backing his brain over there and the alarm just went off.
There we go, ding ding ding.
So when the comp when the I'm sorry, when the fifty year option was first a thing, yes, and players were paid. The first ten picks got the big money, and then after that everybody was slotted in and picks yeah, he picks eleven through thirty two were kind of slid the year options were new, Yeah, and they didn't make massive amounts of money. Every Body picked up the option it was very team friendly. It was very team friendly for teams to pick up the option on that fifty year if your guy was drafted outside the top ten, if your guy was drafted inside the top ten, it was not as friendly because they got comparable you know, they got the basically the transition tag in their position.
And of course there's a lot of quarterbacks and tackles and hard to find positions in the top ten, so.
You had to really, you know, be a star. Yeah.
Yeah.
With the new CBA, they changed that rule big time in a big way because if you if you do things like what you did, if you did things like make a Pro Bowl, now you're getting that transition tag. How hard to make a Pro Bowl?
Yeah right, I mean it's an accomplishment, don't get me wrong. Right, a lot of guys get a Pro Bowl, or if.
You've been a starter, you get this. It's you're paying these guys at a much higher level now than what you would have paid them before because it just because of the fact that you drafted them in the first round. Yes, and so now not as many first round draft picks are getting that fifth your option picked up across the league. This is across the and it's maybe thirty three percent of what it's gone. It's gone way down, way down, way down in the last few years because of this new CBA. But I still hear people say, well, so it's such and such team didn't pick up his fifty year options, so they must not have liked him. No, that's not the case.
It's not the case. And I also think it's a flawed system of the day you have to make that decision because the day you make that decision, you're guaranteeing them x amount whatever.
The year years from now, two years from now, so you're essentially guaranteeing the final two years of their contract.
Right and Nausey in particular, has been remarkablely reliable and durable. They're two of his best traits. But he's a running back that had a lot of damage. You're going to guarantee those two years when he you're giving him the ball that much.
He also made the Pro Bowl after his rookie year, so he's more expensive, so you're not going to pick up that fifty year option. He would have to be one of the best backs in the league to really make that.
Have to be Barkley to want to do right, right, and if he misses time, you still lose, right. I mean the guaranteed part of it that early in the process is flawed to me. I don't understand why they think that's smart.
Yeah, so maybe this is something that gets changed in the next CBA when they find out this doesn't work. Yeah, this is the whole idea, or the system is bad. It could be as well that the guys who end up getting drafted in the first round like this because they get to become free agy players like it.
Yeah, they don't want to be the fifth year option picked up.
It's not. But realistically, I mean you watch when when they're the numbers come out for this year's class, and who gets there a fifty year option picked up and who doesn't. It's going to be about a third of the first round. Yeah, I would say.
I think it's usually like nine to twelve guys last year or two out of thirty two.
Because of the way they change the rules. But people were still looking at this like it's the old rules that were much more team friendly.
That's not the case this case, right, And frankly, like who was it that traded up into the first round to take a receiver this year, Bills went from like twenty nine to thirty. Oh the Panthers to get Legett.
I'm like, that's dumb.
Yeah, and they almost did it. I felt like because all those receivers went together as peer solid, Lagett and Mconkee and they were all available unless they loved Lagett so much more than those other dudes that they had to have him. It makes no sense to give something up, to go up three picks just to get the fifth year option. And frankly, the Panthers are one of the dumbest teams the league, you know. I mean, I'm sure the Bills are like, I'll gladly move down three spots. I don't care about the fifth year option. It's not as valuable as it used to be on draft days.
So here here's so for example, this is the twenty twenty two first round draft class. Gosh, so these are the guys who are going to have to have their options picked up this year.
The decision time comes.
When is the date to get I remember I hate when the date is.
It's basically two years.
It's mad yes, after the draft, yeah, I know, it's after the draft. So Trayvon Walker was the first overall pick in the draft, he gets a playtime The way this says, you have the basic option, the playtime option, which is based on how much you've played, if you've been a starter over I think fifty percent of the time, you get if the average third to twentieth high highest salaries. Yeah, so the playtime option is the third to twentieth highest paid salaries at their position over the last five season, provided their snap count meets seventy five percent or greater over two of their first three seasons. An average is seventy five percent or greater over all three seasons, or fifty percent or greater overall three seasons.
Which I know is a little hard to follow, but that means he played a lot.
Yeah, he's probably played over five hield right, right, right, sixteen million dollars for Trayvon Walker Aiden Hutchinson because he's made a one Pro Bowl.
Mitey Walker has not made a Pro Bowl and won't by the time it comes around, because that's not too late.
Twenty two point six million dollars for Aiden Hutchinson. That's a pest. I pick up the fifty year option, yes or not. Derek Stingley is made a Pro Bowl ten point two million dollars.
This is big money.
I mean, like Sauce Gardner. I mean those guys are yeses, yeah, yeah. But the difference between that and just the basic uh for extingly for example.
And probably the same for Sauce, he made a Pro Bowl.
It's eleven million, eleven point seven million compared to seventeen point two it's a significant amount of Yeah, Gardner's twenty point four million. Basically he more than Stingley because he's made multiple probra so multiple I think that's the thing that's he gets. He gets the highest level of that. So if you if you look at, for example, Kenny Pickett, the Steelers would have been making a decision on Kenny Pickett this year the basic play level for him, because he would he didn't play the snap total in his rookie year and he didn't get there obviously this past year. Right, So for Philadelphia to pick up the fifty year option would be twenty point seven million dollars. I mean there's no chance they will. Had he stayed with the Steelers and not made a Pro Bowl, would have been twenty three point basically twenty three point eight million.
So here's a weird question you might not be able to figure out. But let's say he was great and you loved him and you didn't trade him, and Russell Wilson ever existed, the pick worked out, and he's your franchise quarterback. You know what that would have cost? Would it had been the same as Sauce? I guess depends on well, if he made a Pro Bowl.
I was going to get to that. You're drimping ahead too much here. If he would have made a Pro Bowl one.
Right, one out, mahomes Alan Lamar.
Thirty five point twenty six million. If he makes two Pro Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, it's forty one point three million. But if he was awesome, you're happy about it, right, If he's awesome, happy about it. But there's there's no delineation here like there used to be past those top ten picks where you just got slotted in wherever you were picked at and you just made one hundred and fifty thousand more than the guy who was picked ahead of your. Right, now it's it becomes much more.
And some positions are easy to go to Pro bols than others. Yeah, right, you know, easier to go as a corner than.
A quarterback Tyler Linderbaum, for example, expense the Ravens have to pick up Tyler Linderbaum's first round tender. Well for offensive lineman, that's just lineman, right, it's just offensive lineman. So Tyler Linderbaum to pick up his fifty year option for the Ravens twenty five point one five million for a center for a center, right, they're not picking that up. And he's a successful pick. They're not picking that up.
They're not picking it up. They'll try to work out another I deal with this mansion, right all right, and they well, but they could not pick it up and then franchise them.
But that's still a line. It's going to be more than twenty five million in.
That because it's tackle money, right, yeah, it's it's the system is broken, system screwed up. They made a good pick.
They also had Kyle Hamilton in the first round that year. He's a safety. Well, his he made prow His fifty year option is nineteen point six million dollars. They probably pick it up, but that's an auci. So to pick up both of those options would cost them over forty million dollars. They're not picking them both up. And doesn't mean they don't love the player.
Or that it was a bad pick or ust or whatever. They're perfect examples, even more so than nausey. Right, these were great picks.
You hit on those picks. They're the only three guys between That's the thing. Sauce Gardner, Kyle Hamilton, and Tyler Linderbaum are the only three guys from that first round who have made multiple.
Multiple Pro Bowls. But you can get safeties. I mean, like corner is an expensive position. Safeties and centers aren't. It's one of the arguments why you don't.
Take Tyler Smith, who has taking one pick ahead of Linderbaum in that same draft and has been a good players, made made a Pro Bowl. You could make the argument he's been a better player than Yeah. Right, he's twenty two point seven million because he's only made one Pro Bowl, which is easier to pall it.
Yeah.
Still, it's a lot for guard. They probably will do it. So folks, when you're talking about the fifty year option and team's not picking it up, yeah, it's different than it used to be.
Massively, massively Okay, that's interesting. I was curious about pick it just as a mid round quarterback that hits because maybe it was I went next year. Whatever.
You know what, Zach, you're almost better off taking cheaper positions in the first round so you can pick up that fifty year option on them as opposed to taking a premium.
Well, then you get the problem that the Baltimore's have them with a safety and center, that they're too expensive because well, but if.
You have two first round draft picks. Yeah, if you don't have two first round draft picks.
But they wouldn't probably pick up linder Bombing.
It's the same argument I had last year with people when I said, you don't take a center in the first round because of this, Because of that, you're not going to You're not going to pay a center twenty five point one million.
Well, I think we're saying the same thing I thought you were saying the office standards. I'm like, no, right, taking a center in the first round is bad because yeah, wait until Frasier Creed Humphrey.
Taking a guard in the first round is kind of like, what are you doing.
The fact that the NFL puts all offensive linemen together for franchise tags and stuff and this type of thing is so dumb.
Yeah, it's the same thing linebackers. Whether you're an edge rusher or linebackers, you're the same thing. You get you get the price for a linebacker, whereas they need different position designations, Like there is no designation here for defensive end. It's either defense. There's no there were no defense line or linebacker. There were no defensive tackles taken in the first round that year, so they're all, Okay, that's a weird year there, yeah or no. Deontay Wyatt was the only one. He was the first guy, and he's thirteen million as opposed to George Carl Loftis.
I think Jordan Davis went in the first round at the year too.
Yeah, where's he at? Yeah? Okay, so yeah, defensive tackle is eleven point four to six for and that's just the basic because he hasn't made a Pro Bowl as opposed to it would be twelve point six or eighteen point nine to nine five if he had made approb.
So like when Jalen Carter is up a year from now with them, he's gonna be eighteen, but for him to be more.
Than that, he can might be multiple Pro Bowls by then, and then you're looking at you know, way more than what this is. Now, where where'd he go? He would be uh twenty like Sauce Land. Yeah, you're talking twenty three point four million. It's different. It's not not what it used to be, folks, that it's just not. It's Yeah, these are big bites. A lot of these guys are not going to have their fifty year option picked up.
No, I bet there's tennish. Yeah, some of those guys to be getting Will Hutchinson instantly.
It's another reason why not to go too far down the rabbit hole thisss. But it's another reason why some of these guys are getting traded before that fifty year option becomes an option. Absolutely, just I don't want to let somebody else deal with that because I want to get I want to get something for the guy now.
Because oh, by the way, you could pick up Sauce and then he could blow at his knee. Yeah, because again you're guaranteeing two years on the road, which is dumb. Yeah.
Anyways, let's get to a break where for that he is. Matt Williamson, I am Dale, Lolly. You're listening to the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I'll be back to finish up the show right after this. At least.
He's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Welcome back. I'm Dale Lolly, he is the Matt Williamson and just some news and notes from around the league here. Matt Kevin O'Connell gets a multi year extension with the Vikings.
I think he's on a bang up job in the playoffs, but he's going to start hearing that real soon.
You know.
It's crazy league.
Won a lot of games, but.
A lot of coaching news, a lot of rumors, you know.
Yeah, the Colts have officially hired lou An Arimo as their new DC.
I like that move for them. I think that's exactly what.
Ben Johnson officially in with the Detroit Lions.
Yeah, and it sounds like the most recent Saints head coaches are likely to be the DC and special teams coordinator for him.
Yeah, so they're going to the veteran route. Looks like Josh mcday aniel was going to return to New England as offensive coordinator with Oh really, yeah, there you go?
Okay, I mean with Ray Boy. I guess that adds up.
Yeah, yeah, Brian Schottenheimer is going to interview with the Cowboys for their head coaching position, for their head job.
Okay, how about that? Yikes. The big one is Glenn is in New York with the Jets right now and Schefter and those guys are like, they're not gonna let them leave without a contract, you.
Know, So maybe we get that news next. The Buccaneers also feel like Liam Cohen is going to get offered the Jaguars job.
They brought There was three of them that they tried for a second interview. He's the only offensive minded one. It seems like that's there's going to be the choice for the Jags. That's hard on the Bucks though. You you lose an offensive coordinatory two years in a row, the chances you're going to hire the next one hit three in a row is a hire is pretty slim. Yeah.
That hurts the Bucks bad. That does absolutely. So We'll continue to see what happens here with some of these changes that take place in guys moving around in the league.
But there's probably a couple of things between now and tomorrow.
That was one of the things that people talked about with Detroit did well. They were able to keep both of their coordinators. Well maybe not this year, but.
They'll definitely lost one. And Glenn's a hot ticket because I know the Saints are heavily after him too. That's why the Jets want to lock the doors on him. Yeah, so we'll see if Campbell can overcome that. He's not a schemer.
No, he is biting a kneecata right right, raw, raw guy.
You know, I think they could be take a step back.
And get some former Steelers on that staff. Maybe one of them will get.
I wonder I play Randa l or one of those guys gets a bump. Yeah, they had a lot of former players on that team. Absolutely, so see where that goes. But Matt, that's going to do for the show today. Good good stuff absolutely for my partner, Matt Williamson. For Justin Miller here on site running the soundboard and the Justin Miller hot Line. Somebody needs a sponsor the Justin Miller hot Line like the such and such Justin Miller Hotline would be a has a nice ring listen to. Yeah, the Widgets Up American Widgets Company, Justin Miller hot Line for Tyler Viittmeyer out here running making sure our.
Yeah, there should be a cooler of them right here all the time. Tyler making sure our video gets up there on the YouTube. They should have the Tyler Viitmeyer YouTube section there. And uh, I am Dale Lallie. We thank you for listening to this edition of the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.
