DK’s Double Shot of Steelers: Here we go!

DK’s Double Shot of Steelers: Here we go!

Hey guys, Dan Kawatich of DK Pittsburgh Sports. This is Double Shot of Steelers. It comes your way, weekday afternoons. That’s going to be eh for a little while here because we’re going to be adjusting to things that happened in Latroe. I was out there uh this morning and Chris Hock’s been out there all day and there’s different things going on. There’s still more to come. I came back downtown. He still has uh the run test at 4:00. They’re not making him run. And uh then Mike Tomlin will be after the run test. Omar Khan just got done speaking. Uh TJ Watt just before him, a bunch of other guys. And uh there’s there’s been, you know, so far there hasn’t been like news. And I I as I’ve been saying for a while here, the one thing that I was most looking forward to today was hearing from Jaylen Ramsey really more than anybody about what position he might be playing this season because it’s kind of important. And he was like all koi about it and you know, you’ll have to see how it goes and having some fun with it. Okay. I mean, I did I did offer that as a possibility to occur as well. So, there there’s there wasn’t like a ton in the way of wow, this happened or that happened. Um, we’re going to be bringing in right after this this this brief break here, we’re going to be bringing in Chris from out in Lrobe and uh we’re going to be talking about uh well, a whole bunch of stuff. In fact, why don’t we just get right to that? Let’s uh let’s go right to the break and then and then bring Chris in. At DK Pittsburgh Sports, we take pride in coverage that connects our city’s fans to their favorite teams. Now that connection stronger than ever, introducing our all-new state-of-the-art app. Find expert inside reporting and original podcasts, Tech Live Fox scores, track the latest stats, chat it up with our community of thousands of fans, all in one place. The new app from DK Pittsburgh Sports. Coverage that connects. This live episode of the Double Shot of Steelers is brought to you by Dazzle Sports, a premier source for sports memorabilia. From the National Football League to Major League Baseball, everything in between. Autograph memorabilia from your favorite athletes, including jerseys, photos, game used items. You can also find cards and collectibles. Show them some love. Get 20% off on your entire order. Use the discount code double shot at checkout. That’s Double Shot as in one word. Go to www.dazzleheyports.com. Dazzle sports isn’t just a store. It’s where sports memories come to life. Hi Chris again out in Latroe. Feel like we just saw each other. We did it. It it it feels like it’s been a a lot longer than it really has. There’s just been so much going on over the past couple of hours. It’s just crazy. I don’t echo me, do I? Life goes on. It’s uh I mean, we’re we’re understanding what you’re saying clearly, which is what counts. Uh when when there’s a volume of stuff, but I don’t know that there’s been some big old headline from the day. Would you agree with that? I I would agree, but actually what I’m in the middle of writing right now and obviously there will be more detail and you know support for it based off of the things that we’ve that have been said today is these guys are all about business. I mean how many guys showed up doing something silly or you know Vince Williams showing up dressed up like Stone Cold or Aaron Rogers dressing up like Nicholas Cage from Conair or anything like that. it it just guys coming in and dropping their stuff off and a lot of I mean even TJ Watt talking about you know his contract situation he was focused more on like hey I’m just glad that this got done so that this isn’t this isn’t distraction yeah so I just I think it’s interesting that that that just it just seems to be all business right now uh that’s kind of the vibe that I’ve gotten here today yeah Mr. CJ’s talking about our new setup and whatever. We’re we’re still working on it. This isn’t it. Okay. We I told you that the real training camp stuff starts tomorrow. We’ll figure out exactly how things go then. That’s when practices and all that other stuff. Uh today is is a weird day where there’s just access periods in the morning. Really, training camp starts tomorrow and and uh and and so will we uh with all of our stuff here. Uh, you know, and I I guess the thing that jumped out at me more than anything else, Chris, if I had to come up with a theme for it was not only was it I mean, I’m just going to say it. I mean, boring, but it was boring in a way that it was predictably boring. Like, I wasn’t expecting anything either. It used to be that whenever you would hear those tires coming down that hill there, cuz there’s no other cars up there at that that area that we’re waiting and we we would hear them and we think, “Ooh, here comes something.” And even the the reporters would all jump up and the TV camera people put those 900 lb cameras on their shoulders and they go sprinting a little bit and you see and and and now you just look up and you go, “Oh, it’s just like it’s Beanie Bishop in a hatchback.” You know, there’s just there just really wasn’t. And I’m not knocking it. I think that’s going to serve this team well. But what about some swag, though? You know, Chris, I I want to see some attitude, too. You know, I think I think there’s going to be plenty of that. But I think and this might be intentional, that swag and that attitude is going to be on the football field. It’s not going to be, you know, heading into the into the dorm rooms at at St. Vincent College. It’s it’s going to be, you know, the fiery personalities of DK Metaf and Jaylen Ramsay who have literally fought each other in previous matchups whenever they’ve played on on different teams. I think that kind of stuff is going to show. I think you know whenever you I mean the you know there was talk earlier in the offseason about there being needing to be more physicality and TJ Watt spoke to that today and you know said when you take a defensive tackle in the first round you know that’s pretty much telling that’s them sending the message being like this is what’s important and I think that’s the kind of swag and attitude that you’re going to see more often and I think probably if you’re a fan of the team you’d prefer that you’d prefer that that attitude be displayed on the field in between the lines rather than trying to get any kind of clout or anything like that on social media. Yeah. Know when when you know the way TJ was talking about it and he says you know that he he wants to the defense to be feared. He wants the defense to have that that energy about it. Sometimes that can just come from facing a bunch of stonefaced professionals. you know, guys that aren’t going to be intimidated, guys that aren’t going to be uh impacted at all by your trash talk and other stuff like that. Um, and I believe it was Patrick Queen who said today that, you know, when he was asked what Jaylen Ramsey could bring to the defense, the first thing he said was trash talk. So, you’re going to have those or maybe more than one of those on your side. Uh there does have to be there does have to be some sort of identity that gets forged and players from the past will tell you that does not happen in the preseason. That does not happen in the regular season. That happens right there in Latroe. Yeah. You know, that’s when these guys get to know each other in some cases get to meet each other. TJ said he’s he’s still not met Rogers. You know, think about that for a second. you know, now not that they have to, you know, have chemistry or something, different sides of the ball. I’m just saying these are two really, really, really important guys, and they’ve yet to shake hands as you and I are speaking right now, at least not to our knowledge. Um, it’s going to take it’s going to take some time. It it is it’s going to take uh some additional familiarity. But I also think Chris and I’d love to get your opinion on this especially after you know after you know hearing from the players today and everything as we did that this team needs to find a find a common goal and a a common belief. you know, the whole, you know, the one-year thing, the older guys thing. Omar Khan almost almost referenced it. You know, he in a glancing blow in his press conference by saying something like, “Well, next year we’re going to be looking at future this, future that.” Well, what’s he saying about this year then? You know, it’s now. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I he did say exactly that. He said, “We’re building the team to compete for a Super Bowl this year.” Right now. Yep. Yeah. and and you know that that they they’ve been pretty clear about that. Uh but I do think that what Omar was saying when it came to like the future is that when you have 10 to 12 picks and if you use all 10 to 12 picks, even if they trade away a couple and use 10, that’s a lot of youth coming to your team. That’s an infusion and a half. Yeah. Yeah. So, like even if they were to, let’s just say, use the the Kansas City Chiefs package to move up in the first round, well, that’s only turning away one current year draft pick. You can end up with 10 to 11 draft picks that I mean, again, that that really is an infusion of youth. And so, yeah, next year will be different based just because of that alone. Uh but yeah, I do think that they need to find a common goal. But I do think that it I mean obviously their goal if you ask any of them it’s going to be to win the Super Bowl. But I do think I’m sorry, but I do think for the defense, the the thing that I keep hearing and what when when TJ started speaking like the way that the Steelers of old talk about like taking like playing like the Pittsburgh Steelers and people when they face them when they face this team and they know who they’re facing, I said if we need to be talking about that more then we need to be doing that. whatever we need to do. That was like the first time I was like, “Okay, this is like this TJ’s now becoming like that kind of a guy.” Not that he already wasn’t. He’s already the greatest pass rusher in franchise history, but that that hit a little bit different today. Yeah, there’s there’s there was a lot about TJ’s demeanor uh in a good way that I thought hit a little bit different. That wasn’t the normal TJ. Carol comes in with 20 gifts. We appreciate you, Carol, as always. I hope you know that our barber dropped a couple bucks here. I’m not sure what a 2000W is with slashes in there. I see the Norseman, so I’m going to think that’s some Norwegian currency. I really don’t know. Feel free to share. U Sean Harker comes in as a new member as does uh David Chilton, uh Kevin Eids, Terry Hollinger, Big Tuna, you just became a member now. What’s up with that? Big tune has been around here forever. That’s That’s not new. Greg asks a question here. Dropping five bucks says, “Any truth to this?” DK Aaron Rogers sleeping at Latro yesterday. I did not see Rogers anywhere on campus, Chris. Did you? No, but I did. I’m sure he’s there. I’m not trying to. Okay. I mean, he he has to be here because conditioning test is in 45 minutes. Better hurry if he isn’t. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, but I mean, no, there were I mean, shoot, when Jaylen Ramsay was first seen, he was on a golf cart and was literally driven right past us to around the other side. And the next time we saw him, wasn’t until I think at least an hour later and then he was brought out through the front doors by by the team’s PR. So, there are players who have I mean, we didn’t even see Cam Hayward today. Like, you would think of like all the Yeah. Cam, I mean, there’s there’s something about those upper steps where we were waiting for people there. That’s not a Ben Rothllessber or Troy Palamalu thing. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t a Cam Hayward thing. Just saying. And there’s no controversy about who cares if they stop and talk to us or not. That doesn’t matter at all. Yeah. uh you know there’s a there’s a there there’s a sense of some issues that came from some of these guys as well individually and that’s the way it works. The player stops we talk to them and we’re going to talk to them about issues. Some of them are going to be broader but some of them are going to be specific to them. Some of them are going to be specific to their positional group. I’m going to share with you here real quick. Uh couple of questions that I had for Spencer Anderson about well you know what? How do you how do you feel in general about the offensive line that you have the whole room the depth that you got? Um I feel like we’re in a good spot. Um obviously we brought back majority of the guys we had last year. Um we have some younger guys. I mean I know we say young but I mean Mason’s older than me and you know and I mean they’re young as far as NFL playing days like Zack Troy and Mason. So, um, I feel we’re in a good spot. We got good leaders in Max, uh, Isaac, obviously, and then, uh, Calvin. So, I think we’re in we’re in a pretty good spot. From your own standpoint, you played all these positions and everything else. Uh, being a guard, um, I think my, uh, my tackle days are put to rest. But, I don’t know. We’ll see. Wherever I’m needed, I’ll be at and, uh, put my best foot forward. Spence is a dude. Mhm. I just want to throw that out there. Spence is like he is he is seen internally as a dude. Um I’m going to try to find a way to translate that for everybody because I I I get it when I I could tell Chris knew exactly what I meant when I said that uh players love him. They gravitate to him. They don’t treat him like he’s a backup. Uh as you can see he doesn’t carry himself like he’s a backup. He’s I’m a guard. Um he’s you know he pointed out there if you heard it sly there that he’s uh he’s got some seniority on uh I’m sorry that he’s younger actually than Mason McCormack. So he’s saying that you know his ceiling hasn’t necessarily tapped out yet either. So you know there were a couple of players who I don’t want to say they made waves. We’re not looking to stir up stuff here or whatever, but when you have uh you know, Robert Wood saying, you know, I’m WR1. I consider myself to be that even though DK Metaf is here. Okay, that’s the way you have to approach the camp. Don’t take this stuff too seriously, everybody. Uh they have to go in there thinking thinking believing that they’re capable of being one. That’s why they’re there. They’re there to get on the field to play football. And to do that, you usually have to be a one. Yeah. No, I mean, you expect that kind of mentality from from players, and this is the time of year in which it it should come out probably more than ever. I mean, if Spencer Anderson should be coming into this camp with the mentality that he’s going to beat out Mason McCormack for the job at right guard, that should be his mentality. I mean, it should be because if if that’s not his mentality, if he’s complacent, that’s the easiest way to get Mike Tomlin to say, “Yeah, I I don’t need you. We we’ll we’ll dump you for uh seventh rounder or you just won’t make the the 53 at the end at the end of August.” Um so, yeah, it doesn’t surprise me and and and knowing and having a lot of conversations with Spencer um especially last season like He’s he he’s a very determined person and he will um I expect him to to go into into this camp with a full head of steam. Well, see, I want I want this I I want this. I I’ve been saying for a while here, and you heard me ask Spence the question directly here, what’s he think of the offensive line’s depth? Well, he’s part of that. Okay. Um, you know, Calvin Anderson’s a really, really important player in this camp and nobody’s going to even know his name. He is the backup tackle on either side. Okay? So, something happens to Troy Falanu. He’s your right tackle. If Broad underperforms again, Brick Jones, then he’s your only prayer for pushing him or for showing that you could have somebody else over there if needed. Uh there is not a situation like there was last year where you had Dan Moore and remember when Broad struggled mightily in Denver and with the like whatever that was 19 consecutive holding flags but and that Tom Mike Tomlin could just look and find you know Troy Fanu and say oh yeah here you other first round pick go out there and take his place that doesn’t exist in this scenario and I I still can’t get past that as issue number one for this football team unsexy as it is. No, it is. And even then, like yeah, the depth is is uh important because like as you said, if any of these starters begin to fail or they get injured, like those guys get thrust into the and the 2022 season in which you have the same starting five offensive linemen all 17 games, that doesn’t happen very often. Spencer Anderson’s going to play in 2025. Calvin Anderson will likely play in 2025. Um, it just obviously given the Steelers situation, you would hope that they don’t have to play that often. That being said, even for some of the starters, Troy Fatanu talked today and he talked about how much he’s been waiting to get to this moment of playing football again. He talked about how hard it was. He said the rehab is one thing, but getting back to playing football again is a completely different animal. And so this is a very important camp for him because last training camp he’s coming in as a rookie and yeah, he has something to prove because he’s a rookie, but he did enough to give Mike Tomlin and all them a complete confidence to be like, “Yeah, this dude can start right away if he if if he’s healthy.” And obviously he had injuries and he didn’t. But this is a completely different situation for him. He’s now coming in coming off of a significant injury that kept him out for all but 55 snaps last season and now he’s he talked about how hard it is to get back to playing football. So these three weeks are all of a sudden when he puts it in that perspective become very important for him. Yeah. Everybody has to remember now he doesn’t want anybody to calling him a rookie. Okay. He wants this to be year two. He told me that back in mini camp and and and and I’ll respect that just like I did for Calvin Austin, just like I did for Cory Trace. Denny says the Robert Woods will be WR2 until his play convinces Omar Khan to add another, but Woods has the experience. You know, Omar was asked pointedly today, Chris, uh, as you know, is he looking for outside help? And he said, “We’re we’re satisfied with the team that’s here.” Now again, everyone’s going to take that at face value and say, “Oh, that’s it. He’s I told you Omar’s ducking this again. He’s this is He’s pulling the rug out from under us here.” It doesn’t mean anything. He can say that and not be lying. He can say, “I I look at this roster right now and I see a team that I can live with.” However, as you’re pointing out, Denny, and I like the way you worded it, actually, Woods will be WR2 until his play convinces Omar to add another, that can happen right right in Latroe. That can happen in the preseason. In fact, it it it likely will. I’m not dumping on Woods. I’m saying that it it’ll be determined in one direction or the other here. Um Chris, I I know you’ve looked at film of Woods, you know, is can the guy still play? Can he can he be somebody who, you know, at least supports DK Metaf as WR1? It’s It’s difficult to say because way too long of a hesitation there, Hickle. I saw you there. He just like I go back to I mean last year, now granted, last year he was in a very very very deep wide receiver room in Houston. I mean, Houston, even before they added what they did this past off season, they had a very good and deep wide receiver room last year. And I just I think it’s all up here. He definitely has it all all between the years. You just got to wonder at this stage. I mean, can he still be productive? Can his body outsource the job pretty much to to steal from a the phrasing of a John Melany joke? Um, It’s it’s it’s just difficult. Receivers age differently than than than most guys. And but Omar did say he kind of gave himself an out with that whenever he said, you know, the training camp is about evaluating. And they might get through a week of training camp and he c he might say, “Yes, right now I’m very satisfied with the way the the the team looks, the roster looks. In a week’s time, he might be singing a different tune.” He also might not because he talked about how much he loves Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson too. So, we’ll see. And and you know, think about this too. Consider the alternative. Consider Omar being asked that question and then Omar saying, “Oh god, yes. Are you kidding? Did you see these guys we have?” Oh, I can’t wait to get another another WR2. It’s at the top of my list. As soon as I’m done with you guys, it’s all I’m going to do is chase down a WR2 because these guys just suck. I mean he he has nothing to gain from that. He he wants the people and he should want the people who are there physically on the campus at St. Vincent to rise up. Oh, so why denigrate them in advance? Makes no sense. There just there’s nothing to it. Don’t read into that is all I’m saying. I’m not, you know, saying he’s absolutely gonna go get one. I believe that he will, but you know that that doesn’t mean much. Lester Holmes comes in with a $5 contribution. Asks, “Would you give up a significant draft pick in 2026 to acquire wide receiver now or would you roll with the core that you have? Do you have to give up a significant draft pick, Chris? I mean, Terry McLaren, you know, I don’t think you have to.” Yeah. Yeah. I think I think Steelers fans are hoping that things continue to fall through with Terry McLaren and the Commanders and that he becomes available. I mean, I think everybody should, but that doesn’t mean it’s plausible. And and even then, I mean, I don’t think I don’t think thing anything can look as bleak as it did between Brain Auka and the 49ers last year. and then all of a sudden out of nowhere they get an extension done and then no trade happens. I mean Steelers and 49ers had a trade in place that as soon as the 49ers decided, “Yep, we’re trading Brandon.” All you had to do is pick up the phone and call Omar. They didn’t need to do anything other than submit the paperwork to the league that everything was ready to go in case they decided to trade and it didn’t happen. Like they got it done. I I just don’t think that we’re at this stage and I don’t know if the Steelers want to go down that road again. Um that being said, I Omar is never one to turn away from something if it’s a possibility to make the team better. So, um I think that’s why you go into training camp. You you you get to a certain point where you’re like, “Okay, enough additions. Let’s at least get to training campus, do what we have, and then let’s re-evaluate in however much time, whether it be a few days, a week, two weeks, however long, let’s reevaluate. Let’s see what else is out there, and then possibly make any additions elsewhere because again, there will be moving pieces over over the next several weeks until teams finalize their 53 man rosters at the end of August. We’re going to take a couple more today here. Sergio says, “When should Omar make the move in your opinion?” And I I’m going to assume you’re talking about WR2 as opposed to safety depth or whatever. By the way, Juan Thornhill was one of the people uh who stopped to be interviewed and he doesn’t know what the plan is for him or Mike Tomlin told all these guys to shut up before today. Yeah. There there’s just there was just way too much commonality to this that if if there’s going to be anybody talking about what the positions are and who they are, it’s going to be Tomlin himself uh later this evening after the run test. And even then, like Chris and I were talking about in the grass earlier, you know, it might not even happen. What What’s he have to gain by telling us stuff like that? Absolutely not. Nope. And that’s all he’s thinking about. He’s not worried about us, okay? He he’s worried about what he has to do for his football team and I I’d never begrudge him that as a priority. Uh we are certainly not it. U but there there’s there was just a lot of coiness about this and Thornhill was one of them. So, you know, let’s see where let’s see where all that stuff goes today with Tomlin, but I’m not expecting much there either. Sean Harker asks, “Does it cost anything to come and watch a training camp practice?” The answer to that is no. You do have to get a ticket, but they don’t. They’re free. They They just want that for, you know, accounting purposes and so forth. Make sure you get in and out. Make sure you, you know, they can control crowd sizes, knowing who’s coming in advance. But, uh, it’s free. In fact, Chris, I’m trying to think of anything that they charge you for there because like those those games and stuff like that that they have, you know, behind the I’m sure that though that they charge for those, but I should actually know the answer to that question because uh last training camp, it was right after my family had moved up here and my wife brought my kids several times because we only live about 30 minutes from from St. Vincent College and so my wife brought the kids up several times. Um but no ad admission is free. I think part I believe parking is free and I do think that maybe some of those things you know obviously like any kind of merchandise or anything obviously is going to cost money but um getting there is there there’s no cost to that. No no it’s it’s a true family fun experience. You bring a blanket, sit under a tree, the whole deal. Damen Ellswick asks if there were any sides of the sleds for the run test. I walked the entire field complex uh today and there were no sleds anywhere. Presuming that you’re being serious, but the sleds wouldn’t be out on a day like this. Again, this isn’t training camp. Some of you are asking how so and so looks or they literally have done nothing until this run test, which Chris is going to go watch. We’re not even allowed to report on it. That’s the old Casey Hampton rule. Yeah, don’t necessarily want to embarrass the guys who can’t finish it. Chris and I can have a good laugh about it, but doesn’t mean anybody else is going to find out, at least not from us. Um, the fields, my goodness. I a couple of things I wanted to bring up with you here, Chris, about about St. Vincent since obviously we haven’t been there since last year. None of us have. Um, a man, they look like they’re going to use more fields than ever. I I I see I see five looking like they’ll all get utilized as opposed to, you know, how they would just leave the one over by the the locker room, they would leave that just for the kickers and the specialists. This looks like they’re going to really spread out. Yeah, they’re they’re in I mean there were some fields in some really good shape. And then obviously there’s the there’s artificial grass one that’s right there that they typically go on whenever it’s raining so they don’t tear up the fields. Like I do remember they went over there during a training camp, not last year because there wasn’t a day where it did it, but there was another training camp that I’ve covered in which it was like a torrential downpour and that’s where they went so they didn’t tear up the field. Um, but yeah, I mean they they will make use of as much room as they possibly can and that’s what they do here. Yeah, there’s also speaking of some of you were mentioning weather conditions under construction and I was told by an official there that this thing shot up out of the ground like this. There’s this massive indoor looking complex thing that’s that’s being built. And I asked like what was that for? Because I thought it was for sure something related to Saint Vincent. And I’m sure the the college and the campus will use it. Looks like a like a small level basketball arena, right? Mhm. But it’s going to be an indoor facility for the Steelers. It’s going to be a place to take stuff indoors whenever the weather is. That way they don’t lose practice time in the 17 days or whatever that they’re there. But I’m going to say this again. I really hope the college gets to use it too since it’s going to be sitting there for the other 340 days of the You know what I’m talking about, Chris? It was across the parking lot from the Mr. Rogers Center. Yeah. huge like couldn’t can’t miss it when you drive onto campus. You guys are all going to see it when you go there. It’s like what in the heck is that? Looks like a UFO landed uh you know right there on the heart of camp the the campus. So uh yeah, Justin Watson says the field gets unbelievably soft when it rains. That field is soft all the time if you’re talking about Chuck Nullfield. It feels that way all the time. Uh and yes, it does get even more so. Uh let’s take a couple more questions today. Damian says, “Do the Steelers replace or finance the grass for the college or does the college just know what quality they have to have?” There’s just a constant communication. I can answer that for you. Uh Ramon Foster actually serves on the board of St. Vincent. Uh there’s a really tight relationship between the Rooney family and those uh who who administer the college. Everything they do is in a well, here comes a pun, but in a collegial spirit. Craig wants to know and Chris you can field this one here. Do the players appreciate going to Latroe or would they rather be home? Oh no. I mean I I I think the majority of the time and probably nobody embodied it more than Russell Wilson last year. Uh but a lot of these guys embrace it. they they they they they really embrace the idea of of of this setting, giving them more of an opportunity to bond with each other. Um it is interesting to hear some of the new guys and their perspectives, but I didn’t hear anything today about like this being some sort of gigantic inconvenience or anything like that. Um, usually you hear a lot of positive things about like this type of of environment because not all training camps are like this where they go way out of the way. Um, I think there’s only a half dozen teams if memory serves. Yeah, it’s not it’s not many. Obviously, I know the Cowboys go out to California. Um, but you know, the Steelers obviously do this. Um, and again, the m if not all the players, the vast majority of the players respond very positively to it. And the the ones who really end up having longevity with the Steelers are are the ones usually talk about it the most in terms of like how valuable it is and TJ even alluded to it again today. So, well, speaking of TJ, you know, Tyler Longgher says, “I I love seeing that $123 million smile on Mr. Watt’s face. No distractions, just ball. Uh, let’s go. This is uh this is a question that Chris had for TJ at his press conference a little bit a little more than an hour ago or so. There’s turnover every single year, but is this year just a little bit different or is there something you’re like that happened in this particular offseason with the way this defense has changed that excites you maybe in a different way than it has in the past? I don’t think it’s possible for me to get more excited going into each and every season. Honestly, I think that there are a lot of narratives and a lot of things that are flashy out there in the media for uh you guys to cover as far as the people, the high-profile guys that we acquired. But every season, I’m very confident in the guys that we have in our locker room, whether high-profile guys or not. I mean, just thinking of a guy like Cory Trice, a guy that doesn’t isn’t going to be known in the national media, but I’m excited to see what he brings to the table um this fall. So, I’m excited every year. I don’t think it’s possible to be more excited than I have been in the past. How about him bringing up Corey Trace? How about that? Corey Trace is the guy that he singled out. Trace has that impact on people. He is a what’s the word I’m looking for here? He’s got some magnetism to him, that personality. Okay? He wants to be a differencemaker. He is not there to be anybody’s seventh round uh you know, lost thought. He’s there to be a player. And I I love that about the kid. I really do. That is not the first time I have had a player in which I’ve asked a question bring up Corey unsolicitedly. Um, I have been t I have been talking about like a number of different things with a number of different players and when they are responding to whatever I’ve asked, they will bring up Corey and either what he’s like like TJ did today, what he might show that he could contribute this year or last year when he was rehabbing. I was talking with a couple of the other guys who were also rehabbing and they talked about Corey’s work ethic and how hard he was working to get back and saying like, “Dude, that that that dude has one of the best work ethics in this entire room.” And when you Yeah. And so when you hear that kind of stuff, like when you hear the teammates rave about him and then you look at the depth chart and you’re like, I can’t picture him any higher than fifth on the depth chart right now. So yeah, he has a lot to prove because you got Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay and Jaylen Ramsay and and Brandon Eckles at least ahead of him and you got Corey Trice who’s going out there, it’s year three and he’s battled injuries, there’s a lot to prove, but when you have TJ Watt bringing him up unequivoc like unsolicitedly. No, I I love it. I have a feeling it’s going to become a thing, too, just the way it was when Aaron Rogers brought up Darnell Washington and everybody made it sound like they all of a sudden became brothers or whatever. Mike in Texas says, “DK, I saw what you were talking about with TJ’s upper body.” Uh, what do you think, Chris? Did he look different? It was kind of hard to tell because he was wearing a long sleeve shirt. Uh, and he even said that he’s at the same at the same weight that he normally is. So yeah, sometimes it’s just a photo like he had his arm like this and you know you do that you can flatten it out or whatever and make it look like it’s a bicep and a half. I’m not suggesting TJ’s some wimp or whatever. Don’t get me wrong here. I’m just saying that that one photograph that had everybody talking. The one of him and Nick Herbig together working out about a week ago. TJ looked like he put on like 50 pounds, but all of it in his arms in his muscle. Uh, our last question for the day comes from Scott Sansom. He says, “DK and Chris, are there any thoughts about paying TJ that it forces a price tag on Hendrickson?” A man, why do we care about him? He He plays for the Bengals. Or actually, he doesn’t even do that. And maybe keeps the Bengals from signing him and thus subtracting him from their roster. Aren’t the Bengals down two of these guys? They their first round pick or second round pick. What was it? First round pick. first round pick doesn’t want to play for them because he wants some kind of guaranteed money if he goes to jail. Like what the heck was that? And then you have to have the owner of the franchise address and I’m not paying him if he ends up in jail and you’re like what to the whole thing. It was just the most Bengals mess ever. Uh but Trey Hendrickson is a heck of a football player. I don’t think the Bengals have any choice. I think he has them by the you know what, but to pay him, they have to pay him. They don’t have any players on that side of the ball. Yeah. If if they go into this season without their first round pick and without Trey Hendrickson, that is Well, it’s like here Swan says the Bengals are like an afterthought fart. I I don’t even know what that means. What’s an afterthought fart? That’s actually Are you allowed to say fart? I don’t know. We’ve said butthole one on here. I don’t know how many times. Wasn’t that one of the George Carlin seven words? Wasn’t fart one of them? I don’t know. If so, I just totally like But I mean, but I I I just like when it comes to Trey Hendrickson, like I I I don’t know how they can possibly hand like make the situation worse. Um, yeah, it’s it’s it’s bad. It’s it’s bad. And and plus, the Steelers don’t make any moves with the intention of it possibly affecting somebody else. They make moves to address. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I think this is the kind of stuff that ends up, you know, that was the whole the Ravens drafted Max Williams, the tight end, just to spite the Steelers, whatever. Come on, man. You’re not wasting a draft pick on that. Now, I will say I know the Steelers don’t make decisions based off of that. I’m not going to say the Bengals and Browns don’t do that because the Bengals and Browns operate a little bit differently than Yeah, they’re just they’re just stupid. The Bengals are going to be playing 48 to 47 games all fall. They really are. I mean, and I and I don’t think they’re going to be the ones with the 48. Yeah. You know, it’s bad. Yeah, it sure is. Uh guys, we’re going to take care of a little bit of business when we come back uh here on the I’m going to pull this off. It is on the double shot of Steelers show transition two. See how I embarrass him when I do stuff like that? He’s know transition two. Just like that. Let’s get Chris out to the run test there so we can see how Chris fares against the athletes. Oh my goodness. I want to thank Lester for the $5 contribution. Carlos for $500. That looks like Mexican pesos. I guess that’s what that is. Uh appreciated no matter what it is. Thank you, Carlos. And cheers right back to you in Aapulco. Uh John came in with five gifts. Carrie with the usual one. Uh David became a new member. Sean became a new member. The Norseman came with 5 million W swishy something through it. So we really appreciate that. Again, we don’t know how much that is, but we appreciate you regardless of how much it is. And I think that’s Norway. Don’t ask me how. From Norman. Yeah, I could I couldn’t I deduced that one. No, Carol came in with 20 gifts. We always appreciate you. Uh the barber is excited for football season. I’m excited that uh Big Tuna, Terry Hollinger, and Kevin Eids all became members today. You guys are the best. Uh tomorrow’s the real deal. Tomorrow’s practice. And you’re you see now that we’re at 20 thou or 2013 members, that’s not enough. We need to get to 3,000. Uh for us to be offering membersonly programming and that sort of stuff. Uh let’s let’s let’s get those numbers up. Uh Dwight Jefferson just popped in this second with 10 gifts. Uh be sure to capitalize on those and get your own too. dkps.net/join. 2013 members. Let’s get to 3,000. Chris, I’ll see you out there tomorrow. Pass that run test, baby. Yeah. So, you want to see something funny? My mom just sent this to me. You want to see the last time I played football? I was that little that little 80. Wow. He had the shoulder pads just to make him look like like he was Darnell Washington at that time. Those those shoulder pads. The first thing I said when my mom sent that to me was those shoulder pads are massive. Massive. They look like they were the workout. Like just wearing the shoulder pads constituted the workout. I So at that at that age at that age I could run a 4840 and I swear those shoulder pads would have slowed me down by at least two ten of a second. I’m sure I’m sure. Well, take them out to the run test. Carol wants to see you run, Chris. Run. Let’s Let’s get it going here. I think I could break six seconds in the 40, but I don’t think I can do f break five and a half. We’ll see. That That’s something. All right, guys. Let’s hook up again tomorrow from Latroe.

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