DK’s Double Shot of Steelers: Cam speaks up

DK’s Double Shot of Steelers: Cam speaks up

[Music] [Applause] [Music] Hey guys, welcome to Latrobe and the penultimate day of the Steelers training camp. He’s Chris Hick. I’m Dan Kvachovic. We’re from DK Pittsburgh Sports. It is hot and miserable. Not necessarily in that order. No, it is terrible out here. It was It’s funny cuz like the the training camp started off terrible. Like uncomfortable, hot, humid. We had a really nice week where it felt really good out here and here we are. Nice book end to the training camp. Kick in the gut on the way out here. Uh but if we’re complaining, imagine how the athletes felt. Mike Tomlin uh put them through the full uh almost two hours. Two hours and a little bit of change if you count the stretching and so forth. They’ll have one more of these tomorrow. Then the day off, then the talk about rigorous joint practice with the Buccaneers at Acer Stadium. That is not open to the public. day off and then the preseason game against the Buccaneers Saturday night at Acer, which of course is open uh to the public. What stood out more than anything today uh really is that Darius Slay got hurt. Others had to step in. Um what’s the best read that we’ve got right now on on Slay’s status? So Mike Tomlin after practice said that uh he rolled his ankle. It was in the first uh drill of seven shots in coverage on DK Metaf. Uh he called him dayto day. didn’t say it was uh didn’t have any kind of significance to it. He said we’ll get him back out there soon. So, didn’t sound like anything was major from that injury, which is obviously good news for the Steelers. Yeah. And it was also good news. It’s been also good news that the Steelers have gotten solid play from Brandon Eckles throughout camp. Uh including today. He had one whiff. I’m going to be honest here. He had one whiff and he knew it too. He He was laughing. He turned around and said something to who was it? Roman Wilson. and you went like, “You got so lucky.” Something like that. But some some words we don’t want to say on here, too. He also said that as well. Uh but Brandon got Brandon’s gotten the job done. Uh he was in a good state of mind both during and after the practice. Juan Pierre was out there as well. We’re talking about a veteran who’s been in NFL stadiums and so forth. So, if Slay were to be out for some kind of longer term, not to downplay his contributions, or by the way, not to overstate what could just be a rolled ankle, ankles are funny things. It it might not be the end of the world. It might not be. But also, when we talk about the the potential for what happens if Slay or if Ramsay or or any of these guys end up going down with an injury, who’s going to be the guy who steps up? You know, how do how do things get get shuffled? And if Slay’s out, you know, you could see Ramsay bounce outside. And Brandon Eckles today played in the slot. That’s the first time we’ve seen all training camp that he’s done it. He’s also done it in the past, but it’s the first time we’ve seen him do it with the Steelers, too. Yeah. Shade, shade and a little bit of breeze. I got a little bit I got a little bit distracted there. Uh, another bit of news came after the session, and that was in Cam Hayward finally talking to people who actually cover the team, and we’re going to get to that right after this very brief break. At DK Pittsburgh Sports, we take pride in coverage that connects our city’s fans to their favorite teams. Now that connection’s stronger than ever. Introducing our all-new state-of-the-art app. Find expert inside reporting and original podcasts. Check live box 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. Come on. Welcome back. Cam Hayward, of course, was not a participant uh today and and really being, you know, real about all of this stuff here. He wouldn’t have been participating in a lot of these things anyway. No. Uh he was this was this is I I’ve said this before. This was never any kind of hold in or anything like that because he was out there for the early part of the the acclamation period of training camp. He’s not out there now banging bodies. He’s also 36 years old. And after not speaking uh with people who actually cover the team for what it what’s it been now three days uh including in Jacksonville by the way, which incidentally is one of the reasons that at least one of us wasn’t going to ask the head coach questions because I was trying to chase Cam around which would have been a significantly bigger story. Um here he he talked today uh to people who do cover the team and he had what to say? I didn’t even go over he held court for several minutes. Uh this I would define this as a a a full-blown hold in right now um with everything that he said today. So he said uh we we’ll get to actually a bit of what he actually said, but the big thing that stood out to me was the the term Holden was brought up multiple times. He never said or corrected or anything like that. Um, and then I asked him the hard-hitting question of whether he was willing to miss games over this. And well, here’s what he had to say. Um, looking for my contract to be addressed. Um, you know, um, honestly looking to be valued. Um, in my eyes, uh, when I look around and, you know, at my position, um, I think I’m like what, 22nd as a DTK. I’m 36 as a D lineman. Um, and you know, I know what I bring to this team. Um, and what I’m capable of on and off the field. Um, and so it’s hard for me to, you know, have it after the year I’ve had to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at. Um, you know, I understand I signed a contract last year. um to be but to be completely honest with you um when I signed that I told him you know when I have a allp pro year expecting me to come back um and you can look at the contract and see what it was but um you know I think everybody kind of giggled a little bit but in my heads uh I used it as motivation to go out there and prove it is this something you’re willing to miss games over possibly um you know I think they’re definitely you know, options out there that um that could reflect that. You can count on Hock for the hard-hitting questions. See, this is what we do for a living. We’re not going after the head coach in a setting where we can’t get any original information. We’re going to look for stories. Uh Cam, I’m sorry. This is this just this whole decision just strikes me as so dumb that I have a hard time even getting into something that sounds like a rational discussion over it. What was your impression? Your own. My my impression is I’m trying I’m trying to see both sides of this. I’m trying to be as objective as possible being the reporter and you know being the the guy that covers the team on a regular basis. I’m trying to see things from the team’s perspective and from the players perspective. The players perspective on this is his contract did not have any more guaranteed money left on it. the roster bonus that he had and back in March that he was paid which was 13.4 13.45 easy for me to say million dollars that was not guaranteed. The team could have cut him and he would have not have gotten that roster bonus but he did. He did and he was still on all up front. He’s been paid for this season entirely up front. Yeah, except for the 1.3 million salary. So, yes, but he also ranks 22nd among all defensive tackles. Signed the contract. He signed the contract. But my the less than a year ago, the question I pose with this and feel feel free to to to come back at me on this is when teams, you know, have these contracts with players and the guaranteed money runs out. If the player doesn’t play up to the level of the contract and the guaranteed money runs out, boom, you’re gone. Doesn’t matter if you have two years left, three years left, seven years left, doesn’t matter. You’re gone. Your history, thank you for your service. Only in the NFL endeavors only in the NFL. But when a player outperforms a contract and the guaranteed money runs out and they go to the team and they say, “Hey, I want to renegotiate.” Why is that the big problem? Less than a year later. Just saying. No, I understand that. I I just think I think it’s a every single component to this has been just a terrible look for Cam. And take that from somebody who has both spoken and written of him in only the most glowing tones. I have had an outstanding professional relationship with him, okay? And I’m proud of that. This is a swing and a miss, okay, for him as as far as I see it. He needs to get on that field, trust the people he’s always trusted, who’ve always trusted him incidentally, and get ready for a season that is at least purportedly being played in the name of Cam and TJ, and let’s win one for them. while he’s going to be a hold in and Aaron Rogers is out there every day and Rogers is the one he challenged. Rogers is the one he challenged. I’m I am so out on this Chris. I I you can tell I no I I understand that and and and I understand you know the team’s perspective and whenever you the big thing and this I think I feel like situations like this are going to keep coming up not just for the Steelers but in the NFL in general and because this keeps happening and because the NFL is going to continue to ask more of the players they’re going to continue to ask hey what about an 18th game for the regular season but we don’t want to give you an extra by week or anything like this when do the players finally come back and say, “Okay, what about fully guaranteed contracts?” So, this whole crap about me having to do and stuff like that. When do full fully guarant because Major League Baseball has them, the NFL has way more money. Everybody has them. Yeah. So, that that I think right here is the big bugaboo that’s eventually going it might be kind of small right now, but when a Walter Peyton man of the year and Cam Hayward is beginning to have this kind of stuff happen after because he signed a three-year contract and the last two years weren’t guaranteed. This isn’t the time for him to be fighting union battles. That’s my point here. Okay. There’s this is this is a pivotal point in his career if he does want in fact to prioritize winning a Super Bowl. That’s enough of this subject. Okay. There also was a practice there also was football actually being performed out there. Um you know there were there were some guys missing but for the most part and there were no pads we should mention. Yeah. But it was a spirited practice that showed us some stuff. Uh, more than anything, it showed us yet again, he knows what I’m going to say, that Aaron Rogers can really throw a football. And he can throw a football from so many different angles, so many different ways, and yet and yet with the required or excessive zip to it. Yeah, it’s this this is why when we talk about like all-time quarterback arm talents, John Elway’s up there, Dan Marino’s up there. You have to put Aaron Rogers in the conversation. You do because not only is it the fact that he’s done this for 21 years, but here he is going into his age 41 season. He’s going to turn 42 in December. And this is not a Payton Manning situation in which he can survive at the NFL level because he has so much brain power and and can see the game so much faster than anybody else can because of how much he knows. Rogers can still actually throw the football. Yes. Better than like and there might be like maybe four or five quarterbacks who have a better arm talent still to this day. Yes. Rogers in this league right now. Right. And Rogers can still sling it. He still has the quick release. It’s still all there, guys. I agree that Rogers would be top five. My all-time top four, even if nobody asked, and this is in no order, would be Dan Marino, John Elway, Warren Moon, who never gets brought up in these conversations. And I’m going to throw one more at you who rarely gets brought up and should, and that’s the legendary Dan Fouts, who was putting up rockets, not moonballs, rockets to the moon and back uh to his guys in San Diego for years. So, that’s my little side commentary on on elite uh arms in the NFL. Uh the defense had its chance. Everybody really had a chance today to kind of get their feet back on the ground. Yeah. Uh I had an opportunity to talk to a couple of players that we weren’t able to run into in Jacksonville. You know, while we were doing our jobs in the locker room, not where the coach was because we didn’t need anything from the coach. No. We went into the locker room and talked to players. One guy that I wasn’t able to find that night, I was able to catch up to here and that was the first round pick. Here’s Derek Harmon. Derek Harman, Pittsburgh Steelers. How’d it go the other night? It went good, man. Um feel like for myself, I play a little better. Um but just got to come out next game and be better. Wasn’t speed of the game something that no matter how much you practice it out here, you’re out there and it’s like, you know, you see NFL first tamers. Most definitely. Um it’s a difference. Um just got to adjust to the game. You say you want to get better. What what are you looking at after filming? What do you want to see? Um this this little thing is part of my game that I can do better far as my pass rush and um it went on my first move now later on. Correct me if I’m wrong. It looked like you were getting stronger as the game went. Is that my imagination? You can say that that it was my imagination. No, that uh you what went right for you there? Just more of a push, more aggressive, being yourself? No, just really just getting um the flow for the game. Um and just really just working what I know. Last thing I have for you, just what’s it like being out there, man? NFL uniform, NFL stadium. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. Chris, there’s going to be continuing a lot of conversation about the top two, three picks in the draft and how they fared in Jacksonville and how they’re going to continue fairing throughout camp. A tough read from the first preseason game. That’s not hiding or, you know, or running from the from the from the dialogue here. It’s just it was a tough read. Uh we talked about Caleb Johnson from Jacksonville and the kind of night that he had uh which was a little bit of a hit or miss where Harmon was concerned. He he got Listen, he looked more effective against Jacksonville’s backups, which he should. What did you think? I thought he played okay. I I didn’t think it was anything that was going to blow anyone’s doors off, but I also don’t think it was any reason for people to be like, “Oh, no. This is a first round bust.” You know, no. I mean, come on. No, nothing like that. Now, I’d like to see more like what YA Black did in only 12 snaps. Yeah. I mean, YA Black What was that all about, by the way? Play the kid. Yeah. I I don’t know. Harman played three quarters. Yeah, it was really impressive. There were some run uh defense reps for him in that game for for Black that were really impressive. But for Harmon, again, I think it’s just something for him to build on. It’s his first time in a stadium. It’s I mean he’s playing against mostly starters which you know that’s what you want to see. That’s what you want to see. Um but I didn’t think he was bad. I didn’t think he was great. I thought he again you’re going to go out there. You’re going to continue to work. There’s nothing to We thought Kenny Picket was going to go win an MVP after he had a perfect passer rating in 2023. I did not think that at all. I’m just saying. I did not think that whatsoever. I’m just saying like preseason is whether it’s good or bad, it’s preseason. So we’ll see how it goes. Harmon, the other thing to remember about his his evening in Jacksonville, one of the things that Tomlin has loved to do over the years with rookies that he is forecasting as being starters, as being every snap guys, he wants them to feel that wear and tear. They’re young. He feels they can handle it. Yes, he knows that over the course of the season, they’re going to be getting into a schedule length that they’ve never come close to encountering in their lives. And they will hit a wall. And they will hit a wall. But this way you at least get to see a lot of them and you get to see a lot of them uh in settings that you know that sort of count. And for my mind, you know, as you heard me saying to to Harmon in the in the conversation, he’s he at least passed that part of the test because he did get stronger as the game went on. He didn’t fade. He didn’t get pushed around in the third quarter. Yeah, it’s it’s important for these guys, you know, when we when it comes to preseason, you can judge so much off of did he win this rep, did he win that rep. A lot of this is, especially for rookies, as you mentioned, it is about building up stamina to go from training camp starting in late July, to getting all the way to the end of the regular season, which is now the first week of January, and then if everything goes according to plan for the Steelers, being able to continue playing football after that, hopefully for them into late January, maybe even the second Sunday of February. That’s what their goal is. And that’s a long time that they have to play football and that requires a lot of stamina. Guys, we appreciate you. We’ll be back here in Latroe one final time tomorrow and offer you up one of these double shot of Steelers. In the meantime, go get the app. Not YouTube, not Spotify, not something else. Go get our app DK Pittsburgh Sports. It’s free. All you have to do is to go to your uh Apple App Store, your uh Google Google Play on Android and just type DK Pittsburgh Sports up there. The app will come in. I’m not trying to sell you something. It’s free. We don’t bite. Just come and see all of our stuff that we do, all of the reporting that Chris is doing throughout the day. Yeah. I mean, seriously, it’s all there. I mean, like these training camp practices have been great because I can just update as as things go. won’t be able to do that during the season because that’s not the way practices operate during the season now. But but we still have up tothem minutee content uh coverage of this team. We always go where they go. It’s uh our readers love it. So come aboard and see why. See you guys tomorrow.

Cam Heyward finally speaks to reporters who cover the Steelers about his training, camp and contract situations

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