Former Steelers WR Making NFL Comeback | Pittsburgh’s A.J. Brown?

Former Steelers WR Making NFL Comeback | Pittsburgh’s A.J. Brown?

What is up, Steelers nation? Thank you so much for jumping on to another episode of All Steelers Talk. I’m No Shackpine, joined always by my main man, Jacob Punuri. Find us on youtube.com/allsteelers talker. Subscribe anywhere you get your podcast. The Pittsburgh Steelers. I hope everybody had a great Fourth of July weekend. The Steelers didn’t get much news, but some exciting things arose over the weekend. We have Troy Palamalu making headlines in the best way humanly possible. a former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver saying he wants to come back to the NFL and gave some details on what happened last season when we all thought maybe it was just over. And then a guy in black and gold right now is drawing comparisons to a Philadelphia Eagle in a way that I think everybody should be excited. We’re diving into that plus more on this good old Monday. Make sure that you’re going to the YouTube page and jumping in to win this Chubbies golf polo. It is a size medium. Remember that. Uh the post is in our community page, post page. I don’t remember what YouTube calls it. Uh but whatever it is, it’s there. Go apply. Enter. I’m having a tough time words this morning. We’ll get into it. Jacob, how you feeling, my friend? I am uh I am doing all right, man. This is my uh this is my Michael Jordan flu game. Um I got stung by something over the weekend on my on my pointer finger, no less. My typing finger, no less, folks. Uh, and I am allergic to things that sting. Uh, so I got an ice pack on my finger right now as I’m ready to talk Steelers. Thankfully, I’m having a little bit of an easier time than Noah is with words, but we’ll see if that holds true for the rest of the episode. But yeah, man. I’m I’m feeling good. We had a good uh weekend all things considered. Um, but yeah, what a what a start to the week. You know, I woke up this morning just scratching my hand relentlessly. So, yeah, here we go. That sucks. Is it a B? you get stung by a bee. Is that what you’re thinking? Honestly, couldn’t tell you. I just felt it like hit my hand or sting my my finger and I was just let out an expletative. Um and then I was like, “Oh, I think it’s fine. I don’t see anything.” And then, you know, woke up Sunday little swollen. Woke up this morning a little more. So, we’ll see. I’m like one of those guys that has to have an EpiPen on me, but thankfully it wasn’t. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz if it gets me in like the neck or like the thigh, like one of those like key areas, oh yeah, that swelling is going to be a problem, baby. But uh thankfully it was just an appendage. Um and we were able to weather the storm and just keep on celebrating. That’s awful. I hope that you’re good. The pointer finger of all fingers, dude, for a journalist is as bad as it gets. That’s a That’s a tough one. That’s a tough one. I I I apologize. As a kid, I was an EpiPen. I had to add an EpiPen guy. Or at least they told me. They were like, “You’re allergic to bees. You should be cautious.” Never once owned an EpiPen. Never one time. Like I was stung by bees. Went to the hospital for being stung by bees. Thankfully never died. And uh you know, here we are. Shout out life. Shout out life. Shout out life. Dude, that’s a crazy time. Glad uh glad you’re glad you’re on the hopefully the the over the hill. Over the hill on uh the beast thing. And the best part about getting stung by a bee is instant revenge. You’ve already won on the bee. You know what I mean? Bee’s dead. You’re going, “Well, idiot shouldn’t have stung me.” You know? As excited as you. Yeah, there was a flower right there, pal. Better time for you, better time for me. That’s what we say. All right, let’s start talking Pittsburgh Steelers. Over the weekend, Troy Palmu and uh Ryan Clark made some headlines for FaceTiming Jaylen Ramsay. And I know, not a big story, not a not a news breaker here to start on this Monday morning, but a feel-good for sure. Troy Paul Malu introducing himself to a guy who’s a seventime Pro Bowler, three-time AllPro, next star defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, working with the greatest defensive back in Pittsburgh Steelers history, at least just on the phone, you know, teaching. And for those of you who don’t remember how awesome Troy Palamalo is at teaching things, um let me uh let me read to you his just again because this gets everybody fired up. Let me read to you his explanation of what the Pittsburgh Steelers is and what Steelers culture is from his Super Bowl induction in Canton, Ohio. This is what he said. Quote, “It’s it is unnatural in the most competitive environment to train your replacement. Yet, this is our culture, Steeler culture. These virtues I learned while playing for the Steelers are what make the legacy of the Black and Gold timeless. They are passed down in the locker room from the steel curtain to anyone who valid who valiantly wears the black and gold creating a brotherhood that is deeper than money, business, and winning. To be a stealer is to consider others before you consider yourself. To protect your brother even from himself. To give support at your own expense. And when wearing the black and gold suit of armor, make sure nobody desecrates it. disrespects it. Most importantly, we ourselves don’t dishonor it. The only approval any Steeler should seek is the early approval from previous legends who have dawned the black and gold. And if you’re really if you’ve really earned the respect, they’ll say you could have played with us. Now, I don’t know about you, I got chills. Instant chills on that one. Troy is and remains the GOAT, dude. love that guy. And to learn to just have a conversation with Jaylen after hearing that, you could only imagine the lessons that he was able to pass along in probably a short amount of time. I mean, you saw it. It’s not a there’s no there’s no news here. It’s just a simple question. And how fired up were you to know Troy Palamalu is giving Jaylen a warm welcome to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization? Oh, it I am extremely fired up for for two reasons. Uh first, you know, as the speech that you so beautifully read pumps me up more than like the Gettysburg address. Okay, maybe that’s a hot take, but to hear Troy Palamalu speak in any sort of fashion, he is one of the most eloquent and articulate players maybe in NFL history. And the way he describes playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers makes it sound like an like a vocation, a calling, like something higher than yourself uh in such a beautiful and sort of selfless way. It is it’s it’s inspiring. It sends chills down the spine and it fires me up because you know that that is not just a facade. It is not just an outward appearance. Anyone who’s had any run-ins with Troy Palamalu, any stories about Troy Palamalu, anyone who’s been a teammate of his tells you how incredible this person is on and off the field talking about the sport, talking about life, whatever. to hear him ha to hear about him having a conversation with Jaylen Ramsay, whatever the extent of it was, and just the fact that Ryan Clark was sort of like the bridge between two gaps here, like it really speaks to what I think Troy Palamalu was saying in his Hall of Fame speech and that there is this brotherhood. There is this connection that goes from generation to generation of Pittsburgh Steelers. And to see that, to see a reminder of that in what has been, I don’t know, maybe the the most turbulent, you know, with positive and negative connotations off seasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history. To to see someone who kind of hearkens back to that tradition, that culture, um, everything that makes the Steelers such a unique NFL organization, it it not only fired me up, it sort of like, you know, it it gets you gives you optimism in a different way. It tells me that these people from the past, the legends of the organization are embracing this new path forward as well. It’s uh it fired me up in so many ways. It was really cool to see. It was It was awesome to see. And I could only I mean to be a fly on the wall during that conversation would be so awesome. And to be honest, like the Troy side of it is sick. Like gets you super excited, fired up. You’re you just feel good about it. It’s been a weird week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You know, it’s been a lot of just strange conversation about have they lost their way? Is is Mike Tomlin suddenly like the most unrespected coach in the NFL for some reason? Does TJ hate everybody? Does the Steelers hate TJ? Like, what’s going on? Like, it’s just been so much strange conversation to wake up really to go to bed because we all got that. It was like the 4th of July, which shout out to Troy for being like, “Oh, yeah. I’m going to walk away from, you know, the fireworks and I’m going to go FaceTime J.” Although I don’t think it ever gets dark in California, so I’m pretty sure that there are no fireworks. um to have that and and just have Jaylen on the other side of it just listening and being into that conversation and and being a part to want to learn gets me jazzed up in a way that I don’t think I’ve been in all summer because it’s been a weird summer and you’re just going just ride the wave and hope for the best. This is an optimistic time but at the same time it’s a weird time. This brought some normaly, some excitement I think in in a way that we haven’t had with Jaylen. And I’m going to be honest, I’m I’m more fired up about what he can do for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now than I was three days ago before this little picture came out from Ryan Clark. So, shout out to Troy. Shout out to Jaylen Ramsay. Shout out to Ryan Clark even who, you know, has has done his fair share of smack talking this summer on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Has certainly made up for it with one simple phone call. And I feel pretty good about uh about that situation. On the other side of of the news that arose this weekend is Chase Clay, who posted a very lengthy post on Instagram on the 4th of July, just acknowledging everything that has happened, where he is in his NFL journey, giving us some insight to what went down last season when he was in Buffalo, suffered a toe injury, which I think as a fan and as a a member of the media and as the outside, we’ll call it the outside. You hear toe injury and you go, “Yeah, bro. You got nine of them. Get over it.” You know what I mean? Get on the field. Nobody ever takes a toe injury. Ser like turf toe, I’ve heard is one of the nastiest things possible. But if you told me I got turf toe, like, “All right, dude. I stub my toe all the time.” Like, what are you talking about? You know, it just doesn’t it’s not it’s not a body part that you’re like, “Ah, broken arm. That sucks.” Um, Chase Clayool has has acknowledged or or let it be known, gave some insight that he suffered a couple of torn ligaments, had to have some surgery, went through a completely yearending recovery, the first time in his career, and now he’s back, wants to play in the NFL. He’s 26 years old. He hasn’t had a good season since he left Pittsburgh, but he had pretty decent ones in Pittsburgh. There are some conversations that I think you you know everyone will immediately jump to nah screw Chase Clayool that dude was drama blah blah blah and I don’t disagree with that. You know Chase Clayool brought some question marks. It was also a different situation. Chase Clayool was here in the midst of Deontay Johnson and the the stuff the the issues going on there. George Pickins shows up. The Pittsburgh Steelers go, “Dude, this is just getting bad really really fast. These guys are getting loud. This is becoming a bit of a an immediate issue, a growing issue in our culture that it’s just going south and sideways. Things are different right now. Calvin Austin isn’t going to be influenced by Chase Clayool. DK Metaf could care less if Chase Clayool is drama. And Roman Wilson may be young enough to be influenced, but I don’t think holds enough ground in the Pittsburgh Steelers future right now for them to really care. So you look at the situation, the locker room as a whole. Chase Clayool wants to make an NFL comeback. I’ll answer ask you a very simple question. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers just have a conversation and consider the possibility of bringing back Chase Clayool? Yes. Yeah. To answer your question, Chase Clayool. He’s 27 today. Oh, all right. He’s 27. Happy birthday. Happy birthday, Chase. Happy birthday, Mapler. Um, yeah. I I think it’s worth having a conversation because to me I don’t think the debate hypothetically around Chase Clayool would be can he come in here and be an impact player or not. I think the question is, is he like a fourth receiver or is he just like person that could give you just some insurance? Someone that you’ve seen have success much like Robert Woods and and Ben Scronic and just sort of like you see these players might have a specific role to fill uh but won’t give you anything super impressive uh statistically and is not going to be any sort of gamecher. But, you know, 27 years old, he’s clearly learned from, you know, a a few tough years in the NFL and sort of I would gather that that has given him some perspective hopefully for the better than when he came into the NFL. Uh, and if he’s just, you know, time and and maturity is is sort of a salve for a lot of issues that I think were the biggest problems when he left the Steelers. So if if those things are sort of mended and if he’s you know just wants to come in here and earn a job, it’s worth the conversation. How much worse could he be than Robert Woods hypothetically or, you know, uh can he be someone who outperforms like Rock Taylor in training camp or something like that? If that’s the question you’re asking yourself, then yeah, it’s a very easy answer. It’s a very easy conversation. Might as well explore it. Don’t do I think it’s going to happen or would I guarantee it right now? I don’t know. But I I think it’s worth having the conversation. I agree. D David brings up a good question here and I I don’t want to pass it up before we keep this conversation going. I understand the immaturity in the past, but Clayool is a pretty good deep threat. He’ll be cheap and I would take him over an older Robert Woods. I think I agree with both of you guys. Robert Woods to me is a guy that is very much so in the end of his career. He is a guy that I do not see as a guarantee to make this roster right now. I I think it’s a a 5050 shot that he gets a spot depending on how many wide receivers they keep. And if he proves to be good enough to keep him over maybe a Corderell Patterson or a Connor Hayward or DJ Thomas Jones or any of the above, you you just look at a Chase Clayool and say you’re younger, you’re taking a shot. I think the thing here with Chase Clayool, okay, is when it comes to Chase, you got to look at the options around you. There aren’t many in free agency. Like people toss out Tyler Boyd’s name all the time. And I don’t know. I’m just not a to me like Tyler Boyd gives you minimum return. Like you might get 400 yards from him, couple of touchdowns. He’s a good slot guy, but like you have a good slot guy. You hope you have another one in in Roman Wilson. John Smith and Pat Frymuth could both play the slot. You’re probably going to utilize both of them there. You’re looking for a little bit of something different. To me, Chase costs literally no money. You’re going to sign him to a vet minimum contract with nothing guaranteed. He’s going to show up. He’s gonna I think honestly I think it’s too late to sign a futures, but he’s going to show up. He’s got to earn his place in training camp. And to me, that’s okay. Like that’s okay to have a Chase Clayool be the guy competing for a roster spot alongside Robert Woods and Rock Taylor like you said and all these guys that probably won’t make the roster but there’s a shot to make the roster and if the Steelers aren’t going to go out and get a wide receiver too right now which everybody just brings up like are they going to when are they going to is it going to happen? I don’t think it’s guaranteed. I I hope I feel that they still need to. If they aren’t thinking that or at least not thinking it right now, I don’t see the harm in it. You know, if Chase shows up and he stinks, he’s not good and Chase shows up and he’s a problem and he’s talking all his smack, great. You know, move on. But if Chase shows up and he’s quiet and he’s getting to work and he’s pretty okay and he could be the fourth or the fifth guy on your roster, great. You know, and Chase Clay, I mean, people forget, but Chase Clayo had two 800 yard seasons to start his career, and then it went downhill real fast, like real fast, but he’s still young enough to uh to take a shot. And every year there are these conversations where we get to the place of like, should the Steelers bring back Juju Smith Schuster? Should the Steelers go out and get this guy? Should the Steelers go out and get that guy? Like, I I think Chase is in the same boat here. like, you know, he’s younger and he’s got more deep threat potential and maybe, just maybe, like you just take a shot of him. I wouldn’t say no. You know, there are a lot of guys out there that I think I’d say no. And I think the Steelers culture has changed so much that like Aaron Rogers isn’t going to let Chase Clayool ruin things. You know, DK Metaf probably fight him in the locker room. You know, I just don’t think I don’t think that that’s gonna I don’t think that they have to worry about that the way that they had to worry about it a year ago where Chase is gonna talk smack, George Pickkins is gonna run with it because that dude’s a mess. And then you have all this drama all over the place. Like if you’re fourth string wide receiver saying something on Instagram, nobody cares, dude. Nobody cares. It’s a different situation. I think I’ I’ I think I would I think I’ I’ I’d take a chance on on on Chase Clayool. think there’s any chance that he like still has enough left in in the tank to like make an impact on a team? I mean, sure. I think just because of his age, like he’s on the the right side, you know, he’s 27. He’s not too old. It’s not like you’re looking at him and like, well, maybe the wheels fell off entirely. I think you you see him and and yeah, he’s young enough where there could be enough left in the tank and there could be enough drive and determination to sort of uh prove that he still has something left to give at the NFL level. So maybe you maximize that and maybe it’s just the right uh right time, right place sort of thing for a reunion. Um I don’t see it as an overwhelming like uh I don’t think it’s likely to be quite honest. Um but I think you have to at least have the chance and and for a team searching for answers, you know, and searching for depth and production throughout the wide receiver uh position. Yeah, it’s certainly possible. It like it is. It is uh it is certainly possible. Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of not doing this, but this is your this is not this is not the your normal Pittsburgh Steelers. And if they find themselves saying, “Why not? Why not?” You know, Mason Rudolph, welcome back, my friend. Welcome back. Just saying. You never know. Uh you never know. And I would I would I would I would look at Chase Clayool and say, “Yeah, there’s worse options out there. There are definitely there definitely worse options for the Pittsburgh Steelers. they can end up with Rock Taylor as their wide receiver four and then you’re going all right there it is here we are you know you could Anthony Miller was on this team at one point there was Ray Ray Mloud my friend you know what I mean there they’ve been through Marcus Wheaten there they have been through what they need to give to to get through and I’m just saying there’s a possibility is there anyone like any of the free agents that are expected to land on an NFL team this year Gabe Davis you know, the Amari Coopers, etc., Keenan Allen. Um, would you take Clayool over any of those three players? I would take Clayool over I don’t know, probably not to be honest with you. Probably not. But I but I think that like Gabe Davis to me is Clayool but has a little bit more upside if he’s healthy. Amari Cooper’s reli but I think Amari Cooper’s wheels are about to fall off. Like I think it’s over. I think it’s just about done. Um, and then because you could tell he just wasn’t healthy last year and I don’t know if he’s going to be health. He’s so he’s he’s up there in age to the point where like maybe he just doesn’t come back. Um, Keenan Allen I think I would, but I don’t think Keenan Allen wants to come to Pittsburgh. I don’t think the Steelers have any interest in Amari Cooper and Gabe Davis isn’t healthy. So, it’s just like uh you know, you’re just you’re running out of options to me and that’s just where the like yeah, I would I would go and do all that, but I just don’t I don’t think that the options are there for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take right now. And if there was one, I’d be like, “All right, there it is. Chase Clayool conversation’s dead.” But I just don’t I genuinely don’t think they have any interest in Amari Cooper. I really really truly don’t think they have any interest in Amari Cooper and Gabe Davis maybe. But that’s like a later. And again, like Chase doesn’t come in here for a roster spot. He comes in here to compete for a roster spot. And I think that’s I don’t know. I don’t know. I I think it might I think it uh it might work out. And then a lot of people again keep tossing Tyler Boyd out there. I’m not a Tyler Boyd guy. I don’t think Tyler Boyd is anything more than a four yard per reception target. And you already have those guys. You have seven tight ends. I just don’t think you need another one. All right. On the other side of the wide receiver though, there is uh DK Mechaf who is being compared to good old AJ Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles and the impact he can have with the Steelers. Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports wrote this the other day. Quote, “Meetaf has been one of the most productive wide receivers since he entered the NFL. A consistent deep ball threat with the ability to change a game. He’ll be the number one receiver in Pittsburgh with an easy target to thrive with Aaron Rogers. Metaf’s numbers should improve in Pittsburgh as he’s a focal point of a good passing game. Would it be surprising if Metaf has the same impact in Pittsburgh as AJ Brown ha has had in Philadelphia? AJ Brown has this guy named Devonte Smith next to him. He’s got a quarterback named Jaylen Herz. And last season he had this guy named Saquon Barkley, which don’t get me wrong, he only had for one season. So there’s, you know, certainly stuff going on there. He’s also has one of the best offensive line in football. And I just got to ask, you put all that on the table, do you see DK Mechaf becoming this? And I mean, you got AJ’s first year in the league. He tore Aello Witherspoon and Minka Fitzpatrick up. It wasn’t even remotely close to a competition in those showdowns. Do you think that DK can have that level of impact with the Steelers or are we just, you know, maybe overhyping it or at the same time underhyping it if you think that he could? I think it’s a bit of overhyping right now. It and it’s not because DK Metaf is being overhyped. He is a a sensational football player with game-breaking abilities. The the physicality is nearly unmatched across the NFL. he himself is not being overhyped. I think he’s going to have a much improved 2025 season with the Steelers, especially compared to the last couple that he had in Seattle. I think it’s overhyped because the pieces surrounding DK Metaf don’t really measure up to what the Philadelphia Eagles were running with the past couple of years. Uh, as you already pointed out, the number two wide receiver position, the gap between where that is in Philadelphia and where it is in Pittsburgh is considerable in my opinion. Uh, and because of that, you know, I think that leaves a lot, it makes it a lot easier for opposing defense in the 2025 season to come up with a game plan to stop the Steelers. you’re g you’re fine essentially with the idea of Calvin Austin or Pat Frier Muth beating you if you shut down DK Metaf when you’re game planning for the Philadelphia Eagles. You don’t necessarily have that same luxury of like, oh well, we’ll just let Devonte Smith and S and Saquon Barkley beat us because we’ll shut down AJ Brown. You know, that’s a recipe for a loss. You can take that gamble with the Steelers right now. So, because the pieces, you know, I I think Jaylen Herz is a very easy pick over Aaron Rogers right now. Uh, I think Devonte Smith is a very easy pick over Calvin Austin III or Roman Wilson. Uh, and I think Saquon Barkley is a pretty easy pick right now over uh Jaylen Warren and Caleb Johnson. Not that the promise isn’t there for the Steelers offense. I want to repeat and maintain that. U, but I do think right now it’s overhyped and I think uh it would be kind of a very impossible bar to reach if we set it at Philadelphia Eagles 2024 AJ Brown standards. I I I think I agree. I mean, there are there are things that make me excited, okay? There are connections that everybody wants to talk smack on Arthur Smith, which I like I get like I’m not going to sit here I I defend Arthur Smith quite a bit. I think he’s a good offensive coordinator, but I understand the criticism that comes his way. Like I definitely get it. There’s some good connections here. Okay, AJ Brown was a stud in Tennessee before he went to Philly. This was not like a new thing. He didn’t just show up with the Eagles and be like, I’m immediately the guy. He was the guy in Tennessee. That’s why his GM got fired 15 minutes after he got traded because the owner went, “What the hell did you just do? What? What was I didn’t say yes to that. That wasn’t a move that we wanted to make.” He had Arthur Smith as his offensive coordinator. Cory Davis as his wide receiver, too. Granted, Derrick Henry was his running back, and that creates a lot of room for the passing game. Ton of room for the passing game. He had pretty good offensive line and he had the comeback player of the year in Tennessee. But that guy’s name was Ryan Tanhill. I’d put 41-year-old Aaron Rogers over 35year-old Ryan Tanhill any day of the week. Any day of the week. I think Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, and the misfit bunch of wide receivers in Pittsburgh could equal Cory Davis pretty fairly. I think I think that’s a good way to look at it. John Smith, Pat Famute, that adds up to a pretty decent like second receiving option. I think the running game in Caleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren, not Derrick Henry, but still very good. Offensive line is a massive question mark, but I just look at it and say Arthur Smith knows how to do this. And that’s what excites me about this situation. It doesn’t have to be AJ Brown level impact of this guy is an absolute animal and deserves all the money in the world and there’s just no stopping him. All I’m looking for is some hope to say DK Metaf is about to be the dude like a dude in the NFL. A guy that by the end of the season, you are going to say everyone is going to say DK Metaf is one of the best in the NFL still. And I can’t believe that we overlooked this guy because Gino Smith was his quarterback and we were trying to act like he wasn’t good. Because that’s what’s happening is I think you get a lot a large chunk of people that bring up the AR DK wasn’t the wide receiver one in Seattle last season. His quarterback was Gino Smith. Okay. And again, Gino Smith is not in Pittsburgh. And if he was, we wouldn’t be talking Steelers are all in. They might win a Super Bowl this year. We wouldn’t we wouldn’t be at They can make the same moves that they’re making now. And if you place Aaron Rogers with Gino Smith, it’s a different situation. It’s it just it just truly is. Didn’t have a great offensive line. The running game was injured most of the time. I just feel that Pittsburgh gives them a better situation and that excites me for sure. Like for sure excites me. And I think Arthur Smith is the key component here to uh to figure it out. Plus, there was this guy named Jonnu Smith in te Tennessee when AJ was in Tennessee and now he’s in Pittsburgh when DK is in Pittsburgh. I don’t I just I don’t know like what’s your confidence level in DK just like being a a superstar in Pit because that’s what the Steelers need is a super that’s what this article is. That’s what this comparison is is DK can be a superstar for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t think people are like super over-the-top optimistic that that’s going to happen. Are you What’s your confidence level? He could be. I think I’m I fall into the the camp of being a little bit suspect of it. I I think my confidence level is like scale of 1 to 10, I’d go a six. I think it’s I think it’s possible. I just it has been so long since Antonio Brown to be quite frank that we have had a superstar true superstar um by definition at the wide receiver position. I think DK Metaf what I feel 10 out of 10 confident in is that he gets to probably 1100 yards receiving at minimum. That’s where I would put him. I think he’s going to be he’s going to eat. He’s going to get targets. He’s going to get catches. He’s going to get more touchdowns than he has over the past couple of years with Gino Smith throwing him the ball. I just don’t feel confident in the Steelers ability yet to create a superstar on offense in 2025. The pieces are there, right? You the the components of what made Arthur Smith so desirable around the league are already in place for the most part in the Steelers offense. The potential is there. You know, when you look at what the the Eagles did last year, you know, AJ Brown wasn’t the only person who had a successful year. here. I mean, he missed a few games, but you know, it was a down statistical year from what he had done previously. So, there is some spreading out happening, but I also think that eliminates the possibility of one player rising above the rest so much so to be like a superstar like and to me that is like a 1500 yard 10 12 touchdown season for DK Metaf. I think that would be like wow that’s like return to superstardom for him. How did we stop why did we stop thinking about him in this elite tier? But I think what is more realistic is like a thousand yards, seven touchdowns, something like that. And I think for me that’s a huge improvement as the Steelers number one wide receiver. But I don’t think that guarantees him as a superstar again or at least leaguewide does not put him in that status. I look at I I I want to say I agree. I agree right now. I hope for more, you know, like I think the door is still open for that to happen. I people will like it’s just tough like if Terry McLuren shows up in Pittsburgh is he the wide receiver two or the wide receiver one two would you consider Terry McLuren a superstar in the NFL would you consider closer than DK probably closer than DK yeah which is is is contradictory I understand that but you know this is this is DK Metaf’s uh position group right now you know. So, even if you bring in someone who might be closer to the superstar tier, I don’t think it uh changes the fact that this is like DK’s room. Yeah, you’re not wrong. You’re not You’re not It will be DK’s room. It’s DK’s offense. It’s the Steelers made the DK move, which is I mean, let’s be honest, Terry McLaren isn’t coming, but it’s just like a comparison of like people are looking for like the addition of these names. Mhm. And some of them I think surpass what the the outlook on DK Mechaf is. I don’t know. I don’t think you pay a guy that much money if you don’t think that he’s got 1,800 yards in them. You know, if he could if he could still pull it off. I’m not predicting that could happen. But what I am saying is I think the pieces are there and I would be not so surprised if DK Metaf surprises us this which I hope. Which I hope. And I think we’ll we’ll finish it with this one. If DK, let’s say, 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, is that enough to give the Steelers a real shot at a Super Bowl? If if if let’s say you’re getting 800 yards out of your running backs each and defense is playing all right, is that enough to be the X factor? For sure. If if they have a 1600 yard, 10 touchdown wide receiver in DK Metaf and they’re not a Super Bowl contender, they done messed up real bad. Yeah. Uh, yeah. You’re not wrong. You’re not wrong. All right, that’s everything on our agenda this morning. We’re going to close it off by answering all your guys’ question. Make sure you’re tossing them in the chat. We will be right back. Pittsburgh, this one’s for you. From the voices behind all Steelers talk comes Black and Gold apparel, your go-to for bold fan-driven merch that reps the city, the Steelers, and everything in between. Whether you bleed black and gold or just love that Pittsburgh grit, we’ve got something for you. It’s more than a podcast. It’s a community. And thanks to your support, we’re proud to bring the passion from our mics to your closets. Gear up, stand out, and show the world what real fans look like. Shop now at black and gold apparel.mmyshopify.com. All righty. Shout out to all of our super chatters. Shout out to all of our members. Make sure you are tossing your questions in the chat. We’ll get to as many of them as we can. And one more time, make sure that you’re going to our post in our community page to enter to win the medium chubbies golf polo. As always, we’ll probably wrap that one up on Friday, I would believe. Give everybody an adequate amount of time to apply, get their get their their stuff in. Appreciate you guys who have already done it. I Dude, I checked the other day. I think we have like almost 150 over 150 almost 200 reviews on Spotify. I had no idea cuz I’ve been so hooked on this Apple. This is the nonsense though of that is is from what I and I don’t know if this is true, but what I’ve heard is that Spotify doesn’t actually count towards any of your analytics. So Spotify just like is their own thing, which is just like if you listen on Spotify, it doesn’t like go towards like nothing towards the creator. The creator gets almost nothing from from it. Whereas in like Apple accounts towards like it’ll it’ll tell you how many people are watching or listening or all this. So, anytime somebody listens on Spotify, I don’t think we have any idea. I don’t think we we know that we have an audience over there. I know, right? What a bummer. Crazy because I hate Apple. So, I’m all about Spotify is my only go-to. I And nothing that’s what And this is just rumor. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s that’s what I’ve heard. That’s what I’ve heard. Make sure you’re applying. Let’s kick it off with good old smooth boot is here. Clayool couldn’t live with his own failure. So, where did that bring him? right back here to us. Incredible comment to kick this one off. Look at to me Chase Clayool is a name that I don’t think the Steelers will look at right now, but and this climate and the way that they have done things this off season. It would nothing surprises me and that means conversations about if Chase Clayool is a real option when they get to Latroe and realize that their wide receiver core isn’t that great. I wouldn’t rule it out. I really wouldn’t. Like there are going to be steps in the process of, okay, the Steelers need to do this, the Steelers need to do that, Steelers need a wide receiver. Let’s go get a wide receiver. Well, Chase is out there. He’s not a wide receiver, too, but he’s there. But he’s there. And maybe they consider him, but I again, like I think it’s it’s deep it’s deep down the rabbit hole of of potentially could happen. Uh, and there’s two more that kind of stick with this one that is good to answer. Enigma After Dark needs second stint success stories to convince me. They haven’t had many of them. They have not. Mason Rudolph, I think kind of, you know, maybe a little bit. If I’m going to be really honest, before Ju Guu got hurt, his second stint success story was pretty all right. Terrell Edmonds was was not the the greatest. For sure. Not the greatest. It’s been a minute since uh second stint success has has worked in Pittsburgh. Did Did Debo come back for like a game after Yeah, but like but he wasn’t good. Yeah, it wasn’t it end. He wasn’t it. He did come back for that stretch after Cincinnati. Played all right, then got benched for TJ, was pissed about it and then and then dipped. But I still don’t think it was like the worst, you know. But I I agree with you. I don’t think that I I don’t think that you’d look at anything that the Steelers have done the last maybe 10 years and say there’s a second stint, but they’ve ne they’re not second stint guys. They’re not they’re not second stint guys for sure. There is a comment in here. I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Deontay Johnson, Juju Smith Shuster, or Chase Clayool. Who would you bring back? Oh, here it is. Torellini Salad. I got an answer. I got an easy answer. I think Deontay Johnson is the only one who you think could get wide receiver to production. Yes. Um or close to it, but I mean all three. It’s like asking me to pick like which of these terrible options do you want? Look at if Deontay Johnson didn’t come with like a weird attitude situation once in a while, he’s a great wide receiver. like he’s a really talented wide receiver who still could be one of the best route runners in football. obviously fell off last season and like you know again like came with the whole yeah I mentally checked out my feet were cold blah blah blah like what you what so you can’t bring him back but he is the best of the three by like a large margin at their best and if there wasn’t there like there’s no reason in my head not to bring Deontay back if I had to pick between the three. The problem is is that like you know I mean you you get into fights in the locker room you can’t come back you just can’t come you can’t come back which again you know Chase got into some fights too but Minka Fitz bad is also gone so you never know open the door still the greatest still the craziest day of practice I’ve ever been at in my whole life shout out to Chase and Minka throwing hands on the sidelines that was awesome big Al if the wide receiver room week one is DK Calvin Austin the third Roman Wilson Clay Pool Scoranic Rock Taylor and whoever else we bring in. I would be okay with that. Would you guys? Um, I don’t think Rock Taylor is on the team come week one unless things drastically change. You know, he didn’t really look like there is not a moment, not a single moment where he stood out during OTAAS and mini camp and you said that guy looks really good. There wasn’t a single time that he just got lost in the pack. The pack looked boring. That’s that’s exactly what it was. Um, I’d be against the Rock Taylor thing. The rest of this I’d be okay with and go add somebody else to replace Rock Taylor. I think I’d be okay with that. Yeah, I I really want to see Rock Taylor end up on the practice squad this year. Yeah, I think there’s a lot there’s a lot there. There’s a lot to really like, but yeah, there’s just nothing really showing you that he can do much at the NFL level right this second. Lots to maybe explore, but not right this second. So, I’m with you on that, Noah. I I don’t really think he has a space on the 53man roster come regular season. The rest of that like those other five I I I don’t think that is like a crazy scenario for the Steelers to go into the season with. I would not be okay with it. But I do think it kind of fits more in line with sort of what I’ve been, you know, proclaiming the entire summer about this team not going out and getting another flashy sort of option for wide receiver, too. So, I could see it happening. don’t think it’s good enough to get them deep into the playoffs, but you know, who knows? Who knows? You know, and and again, I think it all depends on Roman Wilson. Is Roman Wilson gonna take a significant step forward? And if he does, a conversation to have about how good this team and how good this receiving core could actually be. Matty here, I don’t have any other questions, so tell me what the Steelers need to do that would set them up for success. Also, Jacob, ready for the Fantastic Four? When does the Fantastic Four come out? soon. I want to say like the 17th or something, but I’m not I’m honestly not 100% sure. I do know that I’m gonna buy tickets to go by myself because my wife is not a big comic book fan and I won’t drag her there against her will. Um, nice of you. So, yeah, I’m pumped. What is going to do? Set them up for success. Good question. I guess address these two, you know, there’s some glaring holes I think uh in the secondary. you have to either find a solution in house uh or you have to go out and get somebody. And I think if you address the wide receiver 2 position as well, you would be not only set up for success, but set up for a legitimate Super Bowl run. Um but yeah, there’s still some outstanding issues here. Do you do you have a a priority today? Is it safety for you still? For right now, it is safety. Go get a safety. It’s the easiest position to fill unless Jaylen Ramsay is going to be your safety, which I I think I’m like cool with, you It’s like exciting. Gets me a little jazzed up. Um, I’m going to be honest, though. What could the Steelers do to set themselves up for success? Make sure the offensive line’s great. I don’t know how you got to do it. I don’t know who you got to call. I don’t know who you have to get here to teach these guys and to to take these guys to the next step. But when this is all said and done and the Steelers roster is in place and this team is ready to go, the deciding factor on how good the Pittsburgh Steelers are in 2025 is going to be the five big guys who block for Aaron Rogers. That is going to decide how good this team is. And I don’t know if I’m sold that they’re going to be great because we don’t know. They have the pieces. I’m not saying go out and sign anybody or trade for anybody. Your offensive line is what it is. And I think you’ve done enough investing in it to hope that it works. Make sure your investment works. That’s my that would be the move to me to say get like you’re ready. You know, this could be a big step forward for for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Macaroni Salad’s got two of them here. Remember, for five months already. This is crazy, guys. Thank you guys. Maddie as well for five months. Wild. One vodka for each month of service. All Steelers talk on the rise. Let’s keep it trucking. And he also gave a good shout out here to the picnic pack and the salad crew. Shout out to y’all. Appreciate you as always. And with that one, we got a new member, Torrellini Salad here. What a trio. What a run here. Shout out to T toolini Salad. Shout out to Macaroni Salad. Make sure you guys are calling in for the call-in show on Wednesday. I’m excited for it. Make sure if you fit in a medium, you’re applying or you’re uh entering to try to win this uh this good old golf shirt. Looks good. My brother-in-law showed up in the XL yesterday. It uh it’s a good one. It’s a good one for sure. NBA bibby here. What’s been up with all the TJ trade content you’ve been putting out on YouTube? Is there something I need to prepare my heart for? I don’t think I could take a TJ Watt trade happening. No, I don’t think that there’s anything to prepare for right now. My expectation is still that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to trade or going to sign TJ Watt and he’s going to get a lot of money. That is my uh that’s my my thought um where we stand right now. Things could change. I don’t think it’s going to happen before training camp just from the things that I’ve I’ve kind of the rumbles. I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t say it’s like guaranteed, but my interpretation is it’s not going to happen until during training camp. I still think they’re going to sign him. Anything’s on the table, obviously, but I think when this is all said and done, my my prediction on the Pittsburgh Steelers and TJ Watt is that we make a big deal out of nothing. And then when he signs, you get Mike Tomlin being classic Mike Tomlin and all these people saying, “Well, people were overreacting for no reason.” It’s like, “Well, you traded half your team away. TJ Watts making cryptic Instagram posts when he never goes on Instagram.” Just feels like it’s there. Feels like there was enough to to latch on to. Yeah. Yeah. And just just to be perfectly clear, NBA bibby, like we Noah and I have not been the ones saying the Steelers are going to trade, the Steelers are exploring a trade. They are not. We can’t help that this is a huge topic, you know, across the entire league. Like, people want to know what’s going on with TJ Watt. They want to know if there’s something more to the situation than just two teams negotiating and it not going exceptionally well. You know, there it’s the it’s the offseason abyss to use Noah’s word. So, like the it’s that time of year where everything’s on the table for sure. Uh, and I’m sure there has been lots of calls or maybe even, you know, inquiries about what’s going on with TJ Watt and the the negotiations. But that all being said, I fully expect him to be a Steeler. And that doesn’t change until the news breaks right after we finish a podcast that that’s not the case. Which it might happen. I’ve had three phone calls uh from unknown numbers actually since we’ve been on this podcast. So, I don’t something’s going on somewhere. I’m trying to check Twitter and nothing’s popping up. So, we’ll uh we’ll see what happens. Nick Crest here becoming a YouTube member. Shout out my guy. Appreciate you guys. Make sure you’re calling into the show. Nate Moore here. How good can Jaylen be if the Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Steelers? How much does he have left in the tank? How long will he be in Pittsburgh? Right now, he’s under contract for a minute. It’s got to through 2028, I believe. believe the Pittsburgh Steelers plan is to at least keep him this season and most likely next and then see where it goes from here. I think he’s got a lot left in the tank. You know, he’s 30 years old. I think if you can move to safety, you got another at least two years in you before you got to really worry about a decline. But Darius Slay is 34 years old and still running. It’s not out outlandish. It’s not unheard of for guys to play into their 30s at the cornerback position anymore. I would say if I had to guess, I’ I’d give him a a minimum of two years and I still think that he’s a multi-interception guy in Pittsburgh for at least those two years. That’s my bold prediction. Yeah, man. I I think I’m just not as sold on it yet. Um just because there’s been so much change and sort of turnover. Uh I think we we’ve seen firsthand, you know, he’s a multiple time allpro, multiple time Pro Bowler. He he can deliver the goods. He can be a turnover machine for sure. As far as a ceiling with the Steelers, I I think the just returning to AllPro form is sort of the the most that we could see out of him is is the most that the Steelers will be able to get out of him. I I am, you know, wary of anyone who’s 30 or over in the NFL. You just you just never know. Uh but it’s clear that he is excited to be here. like his willingness to talk to Troy Palamal who tells me that he’s not only interested in joining the Steelers, but interested in like actually becoming uh maybe a better safety. You know, I know we haven’t heard anything definitive yet, but he has a lots of um flexibility as to where he will play for the Steelers. So, lots of things to be optimistic about. I I think the ceiling is a little bit, you know, little lower in height for me regarding Jaylen Ramsey, but I expect good things. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, Hollywood 931. Does that mean he’s playing safety? Referring to Troy Palo and Jaylen talking to two former Pittsburgh safeties. I think Ryan Clark and Jaylen were just like close going into it. He introduced him to Troy, but I do I do think the Steelers have some plan for him to play safety. I don’t know if it’s full-time, but I do expect Jaylen to be a safety in Pittsburgh, at least part-time, you know, heading into the season. Do you feel differently? No, I think it’s certainly on the table and I think it might be their best way, especially if they go into, you know, I know they’re they’re probably planning to use him in the slot whenever they’re, you know, in nickel or dime or something like that, but what if they have other plans? Like I I just I I think he’s going to move around the field much like Minka did, you know, in the first season or two with the Steelers until they kind of settled him into center field. Um, so I think that they’re going to try to mix and match, move them all around, see where he works best, see where he is the most productive, and you know, all right, let’s go. Yeah. I I think that’s where it it could come out like you almost get forced into it if you walk into training camp, put everybody on the field, Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., for Beanie Bishop and Jaylen’s on the sideline and Mike Tomlin’s going Juan Thornnehill and Beanie Bishop are really the really the guys that we have out here right now instead of Jaylen Ramsay. I don’t think I think we have to move that. I think changes need to be made. So I I just think that at the end of the day like you’re going to be forced to put your best guys out there. Where Jaylen plays will be determined by that. I I think Maddie here, how many wide receivers do the Steelers typically keep? uh four to five or uh five to six depending on how many they have, what their room looks like. Um right now my guess on who makes the roster if they don’t make additions is DK Calvin, Roman Wilson, Ben Scoronic, probably Robert Woods, I would guess. Um but I think that they’re going to add somebody and I think it would go that group minus Robert Woods, replace Robert Woods with uh with a with a new addition. But five to six depending. Uh this year I think guys like Cordell Patterson, guys like John Smith, um keeping a couple extra offensive linemen, um keeping Beanie, you know, keeping Dante Kent, like there will be reasons for the Steelers to look at wide receivers and say, “We don’t need six.” Um it’s it’s not an all the time situation uh for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Donovan Shaw here. What days do the shows air? Uh, we go Monday through Friday live every day, Mondays and Fridays at 9:00 a.m. The rest of the week we go live on YouTube at 4M, but you can also find us anywhere you get your podcasts as always. And uh, if you ever miss one, we’re usually they’re usually posted on si.com/steelers as well. Dope show. I was wondering if you think that we may have acquired an extra tight end maybe to make a Chris Ave trade. D. Oh, Darnell Washington or Jonnu Smith at a fourth slashf. I don’t think John leaving. You know, you give Jonnu an extra year. You guarantee it. Which is wild to me. It kind of says you’re you’re keeping Janu Smith. Arthur Smith loves Janu Smith. If you watched if you got did you did you get through the Terron Armstead thing? Did you? No, of course not. No, dude. It was It was rough. It was I just For anybody who hasn’t watched it, it’s rough. There’s no way I was willingly watching that after the way you described it, how difficult it was to get making you want to throw up as you watched it. The whole Yeah. Yeah. It wasn’t good. Um, but I John like really opened up about him how him and Arthur were actually like talking leading up to this and everything. I don’t think John’s gone. Darnell Washington in a fourth for Chris Lava. You think it gets it done? No. No. I’d be sick if it did. I man from the Saints perspective I I just I don’t I don’t get what they get out of that you know um just besides Mount Washington they get the Taesm Hill’s got to retire eventually. Okay. Okay. Now okay could you imagine just like a full gadget just like playbook for for Darnell Washington. Darnell Washington playing quarterback. That’d be unreal. I think they’d have to go they’d have to up the draft pick with with DW to get a Chris Olive. Um in full agreement with you that John Smith isn’t going anywhere for probably because of Arthur Smith. They see him as a very vital piece of this offense for this in next year. Um so yeah, I think you’d probably have to probably still go to a third or a second round pick if Darnell Washington was a part of this trade. a lot for Chris Ave from the Steelers perspective, but I don’t see how else it’s worth it from New Orleans perspective otherwise. Yeah, I I look at I don’t think I’m giving up a second round pick for Chris Ave where we stand today. Um I just think the Steelers have done enough to make me feel comfortable enough not to give up that draft capital, but I’d give I’d consider a third and Darnell I consider a fourth and a fifth for Darnell. I’ I’d be okay with that to be totally honest with you. Um, I don’t think John was on the board, but again, anything could happen. Anything could happen. Grayson the Ginger. Hey, Noah. What do you think went wrong with Chase Clayool after his rookie season? He was nicknamed Mapler for a reason. His size, speed, and hands should have netted him a good NFL career. So, one thing I have to I have to make very clear here, and I’m not being a jerk to Clay Chase Clayool, but I’m just stating facts. That was a self-given nickname, okay? which is the worst types of nicknames, but that was a self-given nickname. That’s what I’ve learned. I don’t know what went on with Chase Clayool. I just don’t think he was all in on football. I I honestly always got the vibe of Chase was very naturally gifted and was very aware that he was naturally gifted. I think that’s where uh I think that’s that’s where it went. Um, but I also think that he’s still young enough to to make something of this career. And if he worked at it, I think it could I think it could work. I do. But I think he’s got a long way, you know, to kind of go, but I I just I don’t know. I don’t know. He adds on to this one, and this is a good one. The demise of Chase Clayool and Deon Bush need to be studied. Both had a lot of potential, and they were slated to be future stars in the league. Was it strictly an attitude issue? So Chase, I think was like uh once he got moved, he never really had an opportunity. I think mentally kind of got like a little down on himself and his playing and I think it took a toll. Devin Bush, man, I have never once met anybody in the NFL who felt as entitled as Devin Bush ever in my life. That guy walked into the locker room and was like, “I am the freaking bees knees, my friend. I’m the greatest linebacker to ever play.” I still remember the quote that said, “I don’t care what I do in my NFL career. I’ll always be a top 10 pick.” Ryan Leaf was the number one pick in the draft, brother. Like, does that make him the greatest? No. No. What are we talking about? This is that I’ve never met a more entitled football player. I’m gonna be totally honest. and Devin Bush. Um, and then he just once he got hurt, he just was afraid to play football. Like that’s honestly what it looked like. He was afraid to play. But I’ve Chase, like Chase had his issues. I wouldn’t even put them remotely close in the same category. Attitude issues. Nobody’s ever George Pickins is the closest person I’ve ever met to to Devin Bush. And uh I do think it’s close. I do think it’s close. I think Deon I think George Pickins is more talented than Deon Bush and that’s why it’s holding up as long as it is. Um, but I those those two names were the worst two to in my time covering the Steelers to ever come through. Yeah. I think they’re just like a a case study in I think attitudes for sure. like and just sort of how the that can impact your career negatively or or positively because also shame on the Steelers for probably drafting Devin Bush in the first place because he made it pretty clear what type of person he was at Michigan. Like he was a baller for sure. Like he was like a top linebacking prospect coming into the NFL. Like I’m not taking away that. But like he seemed like he had some character flaws entering the league and then you trade up all that draft capital to get him and then you give him a starting job immediately. Yes. So yeah, you know, I think overconfidence is a killer. If you have the confidence to give yourself a nickname, you might be overconfident. If you have the confidence to say you don’t care what happens after you achieve your goal, you just want to get there, you might be too confident. So maybe maybe we need to be humbled a little bit. I don’t know. I agree. I agree. Look at the thing with Chase is when I I was told coming out of Notre Dame that like I I know I started when I was in college, I wrote a lot about Notre Dame and I I had a lot of people in the Notre Dame community tell me Chase is a good dude, man. He’s head on his shoulders, hardworking, comes from I think his parents were like caries or something. I I don’t this isn’t a fact, but yeah. Like dude grew up like knowing what hard work was. I don’t know what happened. Devin Bush. Yeah. Different. Different. Egyptian rough neck. I member for five months as well. Shout out. I solved the TJ issue. Get pieces in place. Beef up the D. Get other holes filled. Then drop TJ with the biggest contract. Trust the con. I agree. I I think that’s honestly at the end of the day, I think that’s what’s going to happen. I think DJ is going to get a ridiculous contract that we are going to talk about and there will be people that are mad about it, but I think it’s welld deserved and then we go into the season and everything’s fine. But it is going to be a dramatic couple of weeks. It’s July 7th. We got three weeks before they report for camp. Two and a half weeks before they report for camp. It’ll happen. It’ll happen. I have not heard any other way except for that. It’s it’s coming. It’s coming. Duranimal DK gets smothered first three or four games Calvin and Roman start the ball start to ball out by game five DK really opens up. What are your thoughts? I mean I think a lot of people say like George Pickkins was double team so heavily last season and you know the Steelers are in the same boat this year with DK Metaf. I I agree. But I also think if you’re if John Smith has 600 yards by the middle of the season and Pat Frymuth has five and Jaylen Warren’s able to run the ball and Caleb Johnson is a stud, like defense is eventually going to have to be like, “Oh, okay.” Like, we should do other things besides just double team DK Metaf. I do think it opens up. I think the Steelers are well-rounded enough to take away from the DK double teams. Not last year. They were not. Van Jefferson wasn’t. I mean, you could have put a small child on Van Jefferson. I still think he’d be okay. I don’t think he’s getting 100 yards in a game. I don’t think you’re getting the same with DK Metaf and the the guys there. He caught all those balls on the on the jug. 100 a day. 100 jug balls a day. And he really did it. I watched him. You’re putting Pop Warner’s top corner back on him and locking him down. I don’t I don’t I don’t think I’m putting the top corn I think that’s an easy day for the top corner. I think I think if we just took a random kid off the street and just said, “Look at my neighbor across the street yesterday was riding a bike. That’s athletically gifted enough for me to say, you could go cover Van Jefferson for one game. I think you’ll be okay.” I just don’t like I think there’s more that goes into it than catching jug machines and we clearly found that out last year. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year. Like I think there’s enough going on and the quarterback’s good enough to make that’s the second thing here is that like you every time the ball was snapped you were like oh I wonder what side of the football or what side of the the field Russ is going to throw it up to DK or to George Pickkins here you know on this play like is it going to be the right side or the left side but you know it was a 20-yard pass in the air to George Pickins that’s what it was going to be. I think you mix that up a little bit and a lot of things I think a lot of things change for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yep. Nate Moore, I bought a TJ Watt jersey a couple of days ago. Am I crazy? I I wouldn’t say you’re sane. I would I you know, risktaker, my friend. I would say you are a risk taker, but I feel pretty good about it to be really honest with you. I feel feel like you made the right choice here. For sure. For sure. I do have a I have a cousin who is cursed with buying the wrong jerseys and we would actually ask her to buy jerseys of players we didn’t like years ago. Um, so and but she hasn’t bought a TJ Watt jersey recently. So that’s good. Um, you’re good, Nate. You’re good. Totally good, brother. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully. Totally good here. All right. And we’ll finish it off with good old Maddie here. Noah, how did the Minka trade slide under the radar? Well, I think like many of us, I I think we all just kind of avoided the inevitable. And while Rumbles happened. Okay, so let me tell you my side of how things happened and and you know where where things were. Um when it came to Minka, I you know it was floated out there that like oh what if the Steelers traded Minka in like April May like that’s when I People say like oh in March I didn’t hear it in March. April May I was like h like Minka makes some sense. Minka makes a lot of sense. And you kind of just combed it with like, yeah, but they would never. They wouldn’t do it. And then you start hearing like, uh, but you know, the Steelers are pretty open to anything. What is anything? What are we what is what is anything this off seasonason? Not TJ Watt related. Okay, great. And I just think from there, we just ignored it and just said Minka’s a dude and Minka’s not going anywhere and things are fine. So, I think the noise was there. I think we just overlooked it. Whereas in the TJ situation and how it’s different because I’m not saying this is what the comparison is, but I think people will try to compare to it is there is like clear comeings from the Steelers saying like, “Hell no, it’s not going to happen. It’ll never happen. TJ’s not getting traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’re going to get a deal done.” Like, it’s it’s going to happen. Those words are being spoken directly to me constantly. So, I think in in years past, you know, you’re looking at it going, the anything’s on the table, but that’s really limited. This year, it’s anything’s on the table outside of TJ Watt. Maybe we should uh listen to that a little bit more. And I think that’s, you know, on my side of things, on the reporter side of things, I think that’s where I kind of went wrong on this uh on this situation. Also, Ryan Leaf was the second pick in the draft. I apologize. I apologize. My bad. Unreal. My bad. Unreal. All right, one more from Matty and then we’ll finish off with good old Big Al. If the Saints get the first overall pick, do they go Garrett Nuomemer? His dad was the OC there now or is the OC there now. Who would we go after then? I I don’t I could to be totally honest. I have no idea where we sit right now. What the order of the quarterbacks is going to be? I think it is a long ways away before we know know that. Drew Aller is a name I would watch for the Steelers. Arch Manning is certainly a name I would watch for the Steelers. Uh Lenor Sers is a name I would watch for the Steelers. Uh Fernando Mendoza is a name that’s climbing up that I think people are going to be interested in. Kubnick’s a name that I think people are going to be interested in. I think it’s too early. I would I mean to be honest with you, if this if Arch Manning’s in the draft and the Saints go, “Yeah, we’re gonna take Garrett Newsomer first.” Cool. Sounds good. Have him. Have a good time. You know what I mean? Popping sun, you guys. You guys do your thing, brother. Leave Arch open for everybody else because I don’t care what anybody says. Arch is the guy I’m going to get. People can say he has never played. I don’t care. Like I don’t I don’t care. You draft quarterbacks for what they can become, not what they did in college. Nobody cares what they did in college. Like almost ever. You know, that’s why Jaylen Herz was a third round pick. And you know, guys like Trevor Lawrence, who’s unbelievable, was a first round pick, but or his first pick of the draft, but wasn’t but Josh Allen’s a maniac. You know, that’s that’s what you do here. Patrick Mahomes is a maniac. Super average college player. You know, that’s what you’re looking for. Arch Manning, man. I love it. I love it. Could you imagine the Saints like what do you think would be more cinematic or more cyclical in a literature sense? like the the Saints drafting their offensive coordinator’s son or drafting another Arch Manning to be their franchise quarterback. Either way, I mean, that’s pretty sweet for the Saints. I’m not going to lie. It is pretty sweet for the Saints. And if we’re going to be honest, they definitely have. If you had to put money on who the worst team in the NFL is this year, if it’s not the Titans, there’s a pretty good chance. And maybe the Browns, you know what I mean? Maybe the Browns because Kenny Picket’s an MVP. Come on. I just don’t know. I like what’s the what’s more likely? Here’s a good what’s more likely because Big Al’s got a good one coming up for him. Um what’s more likely this the Browns winning more games than or Browns have more starting quarterbacks or more games won in 2025? Oh, I’m just gonna I don’t even care. They’re gonna have more starting quarterbacks because I don’t care. I’m not giving them any benefit of the doubt. They’re going to have four starting quarterbacks and three wins. How about How about that? Cleveland. Yikes. That could happen. That could happen. That could happen. Cleveland again. One more time. David, shout out becoming a new YouTube member. Can’t thank you guys enough. Make sure you’re calling in to the Wednesday call-in show. And Big Al, we’ll finish it off with you. What’s more likely? Rock Taylor making the team or trading TJ Watt? Rock Taylor making the team. Yeah, that’s like that’s it. That’s where we stand today. I would go Rock Taylor making the team. Like you never know. Could surprise us. Could come in here to surprise us. I would be so blown away if TJ W gets traded. It would be crazy. It would make no sense. you would hear me go on a 30 minute minimum rant about how nonsense it is and how terrible of a move the Steelers just made because I’m sorry, you could trade 52 people on this roster. I’d be okay with all 52 of them. TJ is the one guy I’d say you are a lunatic, my friend. What the hell is wrong with you? And I that’s that’s where I stand. Rock Taylor, you never know. It’s early. You never know. Anything could happen. If he is a great special teamer, if he is a guy that Danny Smith loves, the opportunity is always there. The opportunity is always there. All right, y’all. With that one, we’re heading out of here. Thank you guys so much for jumping on to a good old Monday morning episode of All Steelers Talk. Make sure to subscribe to us on YouTube, YouTube.com/allsteelers talk. Once again, shout out to all of our members and our super chatters. Find us anywhere you get your podcast, I guess. Go to Spotify, Apple, wherever. and make sure that you’re entering to win the good old Chubbies golf polo which you can find in our community page on YouTube. YouTube.com allsteelers talk and as always find all of our work at si.com/nflers. With that said, it’s a good one. Go enjoy it. We’ll be back tomorrow. Enjoy another beautiful day in the Berg. Peace.

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