00:00:06
Speaker 1: Oh, it feels so good to be back again with my good buddy Bob Labriola here on the ass and Answered Podcast. It's been way too long, Labs, almost a month since we've sat down and answered some questions from Steelers Nation, and let's do it again real soon. I gotta be honest with you. It felt great.
00:00:26
Speaker 2: I did make you know when when the phone rang, I looked at the number, I almost hit block.
00:00:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, because you thought it was spam again or something, these stupid spam callers. Yeah, no, it's just me more annoying than spam calling. And this is our final Asked and Answered podcast before training camp starts next week. Next week from today, as we record this, on Tuesday, Steelers will be moving into their dorms at Saint Vincent College and we start practice on Wednesday with the acclamation period. It really is every year you blink and Steelers football is back in action.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's and it's it's I don't know what to expect. You know, before we went through, you know, nineteen years of Mike Tomlin and towards you know the second half of that his tenure, you could pretty much you know what to expect, you know, practice we've practice times a couple of times, but most of the most of the nineteen years up there, you could pretty much, you know, predict what was going to happen, you know, and you knew that the first competitive period was seven shots yep. But now, uh, based on practice time is different. When Mike McCarthy will speak to the media. Uh, each day that there's practice is different. You know. Mike Tomlin always spoke to the media after practice. Micha McCarthy's going to do it before practice, so he's he's It's the first offensive coach that the Steelers have hired since to be the head coach since before Chuck Nole, right, So you know, I don't know what to expect and in a lot of ways, it's somewhat energizing. Should not be boring.
00:02:23
Speaker 1: No, I think that is the main theme when it comes to this training camp. Of course, there's position battles of interest. What's gonna happen on the offensive line, the backup quarterback one is the apple of a lot of the fans eyes. Stuff on the defensive side of the ball. How's that secondary shakeout? You know, all that normal stuff that comes with every training camp and the minutia of the roster sorting itself out. But you're so right, Like at the top of the list, the headline is just how much difference is going to be experienced by this team, by the veterans on this team from what Mike Tomlin brought to the table. It was already seeming a little different during the mini camps and the OTA portions of the offseason. So I have to imagine that training camp is going to be something very different and very refreshing to some of these new players and the older players that have been here for a while, and.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: The fans right and the other somewhat notable difference is Mike Tomlin always had the players. He would schedule the player's day off on Mondays so that practices would be held on weekend days, which was he his reasoning was gave fans more of an opportunity to make a day of it at Saint Vincent College. Mike McCarthy is going with off days on Sundays because of his schedule and the way he's you know, plotting out training camp. So you know, again you know, some different a few differences, and as I said, you know, I'm interested in how it unfolds and it is certainly going to be something you know to be paying attention to should make it interesting. I will use that word a lot, I think in speaking to you for our training camp report, and you know throughout interesting is I think a good description of how to describe, you know, Mike McCarthy's inaugural season here inaugural training camp leading into his inaugural season.
00:04:31
Speaker 1: And what also I think is really good to LABS is we have a sense of security with Mike McCarthy along with him bringing a lot of newness to the table because he's been there, done that at two different extremely established franchises. You know, also Champagne franchises like the Steelers, has had success in both of those stops, won a Super Bowl in Green Bay. So it's really like the Steelers can can walk in the best of both worlds.
00:04:55
Speaker 2: Here.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: They get something new, they get something refreshing without the worry of can this coach is he able to lead an NFL team? We know that for a fact.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, there weren't. There weren't many available candidates, you know, during this most recent head coaching hire, our head coaching cycle in the NFL with over one hundred regular season wins in a championship on his resume. You know Mike McCarthy has that.
00:05:25
Speaker 1: Well, we'll give you some more details, a little bit more about the training camp report and it's return next week. And Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio network, has the best coverage for you all throughout training camp live every day that there is practice. So if you want to stay up to date on what is an interesting camp and what is a new training camp under Mike McCarthy, this is the place for you. But before we get to all of that, let's get to the questions for today. Our first one comes from David Lucci from Henderson, Kentucky. With Drew Aller not yet signing his rookie contract, does he count against the ninety player roster if he doesn't sign? Does he go back into the draft next year? What appears to be the problem with his contract?
00:06:08
Speaker 2: Well, let me start with some of the ones that can answer easily. First, players not under contract do not count against a team's roster limit, so he would not count if he does not if he is not signed by the time players are due to report on Tuesday, July eighth. July twenty eighth, excuse me, he would not count. Yes, if he does not sign and goes through the entire year not signing a rookie contract, he would go in back into the draft next year. What what appears to be the problem? You know, I'm specting lating here, but let me tell you this. There were ten quarterbacks drafted in April. The first four of those guys first four picked, Fernando Mendoza number one overall, Ty Simpson thirteenth overall, Carson Becker third round pick sixty fifth overall, and Drew Aller third round pick seventy sixth overall. None of them have signed their contracts yet. You know, even though a lot of this stuff in terms of rookie contracts was settled in twenty eleven. With that, CBA, agents and teams still kind of go back and forth a little bit as they try and each carve out i don't know, different carve out different things that are beneficial to their side of the to the issue. So what we have seen is that now all of the first round picks, they signed their four year contracts, and they have a fifth year option. Four year contracts, but the money is totally guaranteed. Now, a lot of second round picks, their contracts also are guaranteed. You know, I think the thing with Carson Beck, his agent is trying to get him some guaranteed money as a third round pick. So the other thing at work is when you know, when you're looking at Mendoza for sure, you figure he's going to be playing Ty Simpson going to the Rams, you don't know when he might get on the field first, and rookie contracts cannot be extended until after the players third season in the NFL. So, for example, if you're Ty Simpson's agent, or excuse me, if you're Carson Beck's agent, you're trying to figure something out in case he turns out to be a full time starter in his second year, because you know, what can you build in to the to the deal that might compensate him for being a full time starting quarterback as opposed to just you know whatever the base salary is normally for a third round pick in his third NFL season. So a lot of this stuff is what's going on. Okay, they all remain unsigned. I would think for Drew Aller, Carson Beck's contract is a critical one because once Beck's agent comes to terms with with his team. There's really nothing much for Drew Aller's agent to do with the Steelers except, you know, kind of fall in line. But you know, I cannot come to grips with the fact that Drew Aller would be so shortsighted that he would be a holdout from training camp because he's not allowed to be on campus. So there's no he could watch from the sideline, or he could go to meetings. He's not allowed to be there.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, this isn't like a hold in situation.
00:10:31
Speaker 2: Right, So to me, he would be missing something so valuable. You know, when the head coach is the quarterback whisper. The head coach wanted you to be, he picked you, so to speak, and you're not there for him to work with you. I mean, that's that's just crazy. It makes no sense.
00:10:57
Speaker 1: I'm with you, and it would not make sense to the head coach. I don't think either. Mike Federico from Collierville, Tennessee. If a drafted player doesn't sign and re enters the draft the following year, does the team that originally drafted the player receive any compensation?
00:11:11
Speaker 2: No.
00:11:14
Speaker 1: I love those answers, short and sweet. James McPherson from Beechwood, New Jersey. Seems to me like coach Mike McCarthy is paying a lot of attention to the two young quarterbacks and doesn't really talk about Mason Rudolph Ben Roethlisberger stepping in as a rookie and producing is a rare occurrence. Does the NFL scrutinized players who are put on ir That is the only way I can see us getting four quarterbacks protected.
00:11:37
Speaker 2: Okay, contrary to what some reports that we're circulating out before we went on vacation, the Steelers did carry four quarterbacks in the modern era. That was nineteen ninety five. Bill Cower kept full were on that team. And the reason behind it was the situation at the time was there were two veteran quarterbacks atop the depth chart, Neil O'Donnell and Mike tom Zach and they were both nineteen ninety five, was both for each of them was their last season and they were going to hit unrestricted free agency after that. The other two quarterbacks on the depth chart, Jim Miller, was a nineteen ninety four to sixth round pick and he had a really good training camp, and then the Steelers drafted Cordell Stewart in the second round in nineteen ninety five. So train camp in nineteen ninety five, you know, there was no movement naturally with O'Donnell and Tom Zach Miller had a great training camp and a good preseason, and you know, Cordell Stewart, you're not cutting a rookie. It was the second round pick, so they kept four. Now, the issue of whether Kywer wastes a roster spot with that fourth quarterback, they became a moot point when Cordell Stewart came out of nowhere and you know, filled in and gave the team NFL caliber play a wide receiver, so you really didn't waste the roster spot. But you know, I just I don't see McCarthy going with four quarterbacks on his initial fifty three unless he's getting big time play during the preseason from everyone at the position not named Aaron Rodgers. But I still think that's a really slim possibility. And that's where I are. The NFL has access to each team's videos, practice videos, so I got to believe that there's somebody in New York who would be looking this stuff over to make sure you know that a guy isn't practicing practicing, practicing practicing, and all of a sudden he's on IOF at that position. You know, I think that I don't know how they do it, how they would question it, but I got to believe that the league is watching, keeping an eye on these kind of things, so there's no monkey business manipulating ir list coming out of the preseason.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: That's why you got to pull the old Rodney dangerfield at some point late in training camp. Oh my arm, my arm. Oh, it's hurt.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: It's hurts.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: Frank Vitchi from Mesa, Arizona. How many years does coach Mike McCarthy have on his president Steelers contract?
00:14:39
Speaker 2: Mike McCarthy's initial contract with the Steelers five year deal.
00:14:45
Speaker 1: Jeff Franks from Toledo, Ohio. How do you see the running back usage being handled this season? I know coach Mike McCarthy doesn't like to split carries among the running backs. Will he change how he has coached in the past.
00:14:58
Speaker 2: I gotta be honest with Jeff, I'm not really that familiar with how Mike McCarthy has coached in the past. You know, I had my hands full just worrying about what was going on in Latrobe and Pittsburgh with the Steelers, to know what was going on in Green Bay and or Dallas with their running backs. But you know, coaches, NFL coaches who have succeeded have done so because they understand that in the NFL you win with players. You know, sometimes in college you can maybe come up with a system that takes advantage, uh, you know of personnel deficiencies in other teams, on other teams rosters throughout your schedule. For example, when Steve Spurry or first became the Florida head coach, you know he would he would all his wide receivers. He was able to be very successful with that because the teams that he played didn't have four and five defensive backs who were that that caliber. So every time he took the field his third and fourth receiver, he knew, we're going to be better than the opponent's third and fourth quarterback. In the NFL, that's not the case because all the NFL players are NFL caliber where they wouldn't be on a roster. So you win with players at the NFL position at the NFL level. So you know, I don't know what might have been perceived as Mike McCarthy not liking to divide touches. You know, maybe that was just a reaction to the personnel he had on a roster that particular NFL roster, how it fit into the concept of his offense that season. Me personally, I liked the Jalen Warren Rico Daldal tandem uh and I believe McCarthy and his offensive staff is going to do some things to work to utilize the strengths of both of those players. So I don't think it's gonna be just a one man show at running back.
00:17:23
Speaker 1: Danny Why from Cornelius, North Carolina. Will seven shots carry over to the new regime.
00:17:31
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say no because the drill was not part of ot a's or mini camp at any point. It's not a McCarthy drill. Mike was Mike Tomlin drill. It wasn't a Bill Coward drill. It was a Mike tomlind drill. So I'm gonna go with no. And like I said, maybe I'll be shocked when when they practice for the first time and then we'll talk about it on our training camp.
00:17:59
Speaker 1: It's beautiful. Nick Moses from Simmi Valley California. Do you think we might see Peyton Wilson in on more downs this year? They seemed to want him to largely be in coverage, which I know he's very good at, but I see him as a potential sideline to sideline tackling machine. What are your thoughts.
00:18:17
Speaker 2: I've gotten a lot of these kinds of questions about a lot of different players, and I find myself answering them the same way. I mean, it's a new coaching staff, new offensive and defensive systems, so how players were utilized as recently as twenty twenty five really has no significance today. I believe the Steelers like Peyton Wilson. He's going into his third NFL season, which is a important season for him in that he is going to now be given he is now entering in the period of his contract where he is going to have an opportunity to convince the team that, you know, as he gets closer to free agency, he's worth an investment. Second contracts are important in the NFL, and that usually are the ones that show a nice bump from the rookie deals. So, you know, so we're gonna have to see how what the Steelers think of Peyton Wilson and how he performs, how that all fits into his playing time, and that's going to be determined once we get to Saint Vincent College. So you know that there is not an infinite number of players available, frontline players available. You know, fans like to say, we'll make a trade for somebody. You know, it's not Madden. You know, it's it's not a video game. You know, you just don't go out and get some and if you do or try to, it's usually very costly because everybody at this time, every team at this time of the year, has decent hopes, you know, to either contend fight for a playoff spot. You know, there's no teams going into this period in the NFL anyway thinking well, we're going to be you know, five and twelve. So I think Peyton Wilson is one of the Steelers good players on defense. And we'll see what Patrick Graham has up his sleeve. And it's again, it's going to be here's my word again, it's going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.
00:20:41
Speaker 1: Our last question comes from Carl Koser from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. In a recent astin answered you brought up the nineteen seventy two AFC Championship game against the Dolphins. Miami was undefeated and obviously had the better record, So why was the game played in Pittsburgh.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: That's because the NFL didn't go to the home field advantage system you know, for determining the venue for playoff games until the nineteen seventy five season. Okay, in nineteen seventy two, the Steelers hosted the undefeated Dolphins in the AFC Championship game because at that time the NFL used Before they went to the home field advantage system, they used a rotational system to schedule the playoffs. So in nineteen seventy two, it was the AFC Central Division's turn to host the conference championship game. If a team from the AFC Central Division got that far the Steelers got that far, it was the AFC Central Division's turn. So the undefeat of Miami Dolphins came to Pittsburgh and played the Steelers at three River Stadium for the nineteen seventy two AFC Championship.
00:21:56
Speaker 1: Well that'll do it for ask that answer for the time being. We will have a return when the season starts again, but don't worry. You're gonna get a lot more of LABS in myself and a lot more of coverage on Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio Network next week with all of our training camp coverage live every day that there is practice, and it starts with the training camp report with myself and LABS. So I don't know exactly when the time will beats TBD, but sometime in the morning before the Steelers practice, you'll hear from us and we'll set the day for you. So LABS can't wait to do it again this year. You're moving in on Tuesday, right, No Monday, Well, you get there even earlier, right, you get the little lay of the lake. Make sure you get the King sweep before like Rogers gets there and claims it.
00:22:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, Tuesday. You know players are going to be available to the media starting between.
00:22:47
Speaker 1: Eight and nine thirty, So you got to do your job.
00:22:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I don't want it. You don't want to be there trying to check in.
00:22:54
Speaker 1: Your job, yeah, trying to check in.
00:22:56
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, because I could tell you who would get prior already If me and Aaron Rodgers both walk into the camp office at the same.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: Time, it would be you of course, yeah, yeah, Well we will be back next week with the training camp report. Thanks as always for giving us to listen here, watch us on that space, and like I said, all day long, we have live coverage up at training camp any day that the Steelers practice. Tuesday they move in and Wednesday we get this thing started with the first of the Acclamation Day practices. He's Labs. I'm Tom as always again, thanks for listening to Ask and Answer podcast on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1: Oh, it feels so good to be back again with my good buddy Bob Labriola here on the ass and Answered Podcast. It's been way too long, Labs, almost a month since we've sat down and answered some questions from Steelers Nation, and let's do it again real soon. I gotta be honest with you. It felt great.
00:00:26
Speaker 2: I did make you know when when the phone rang, I looked at the number, I almost hit block.
00:00:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, because you thought it was spam again or something, these stupid spam callers. Yeah, no, it's just me more annoying than spam calling. And this is our final Asked and Answered podcast before training camp starts next week. Next week from today, as we record this, on Tuesday, Steelers will be moving into their dorms at Saint Vincent College and we start practice on Wednesday with the acclamation period. It really is every year you blink and Steelers football is back in action.
00:01:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's and it's it's I don't know what to expect. You know, before we went through, you know, nineteen years of Mike Tomlin and towards you know the second half of that his tenure, you could pretty much you know what to expect, you know, practice we've practice times a couple of times, but most of the most of the nineteen years up there, you could pretty much, you know, predict what was going to happen, you know, and you knew that the first competitive period was seven shots yep. But now, uh, based on practice time is different. When Mike McCarthy will speak to the media. Uh, each day that there's practice is different. You know. Mike Tomlin always spoke to the media after practice. Micha McCarthy's going to do it before practice, so he's he's It's the first offensive coach that the Steelers have hired since to be the head coach since before Chuck Nole, right, So you know, I don't know what to expect and in a lot of ways, it's somewhat energizing. Should not be boring.
00:02:23
Speaker 1: No, I think that is the main theme when it comes to this training camp. Of course, there's position battles of interest. What's gonna happen on the offensive line, the backup quarterback one is the apple of a lot of the fans eyes. Stuff on the defensive side of the ball. How's that secondary shakeout? You know, all that normal stuff that comes with every training camp and the minutia of the roster sorting itself out. But you're so right, Like at the top of the list, the headline is just how much difference is going to be experienced by this team, by the veterans on this team from what Mike Tomlin brought to the table. It was already seeming a little different during the mini camps and the OTA portions of the offseason. So I have to imagine that training camp is going to be something very different and very refreshing to some of these new players and the older players that have been here for a while, and.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: The fans right and the other somewhat notable difference is Mike Tomlin always had the players. He would schedule the player's day off on Mondays so that practices would be held on weekend days, which was he his reasoning was gave fans more of an opportunity to make a day of it at Saint Vincent College. Mike McCarthy is going with off days on Sundays because of his schedule and the way he's you know, plotting out training camp. So you know, again you know, some different a few differences, and as I said, you know, I'm interested in how it unfolds and it is certainly going to be something you know to be paying attention to should make it interesting. I will use that word a lot, I think in speaking to you for our training camp report, and you know throughout interesting is I think a good description of how to describe, you know, Mike McCarthy's inaugural season here inaugural training camp leading into his inaugural season.
00:04:31
Speaker 1: And what also I think is really good to LABS is we have a sense of security with Mike McCarthy along with him bringing a lot of newness to the table because he's been there, done that at two different extremely established franchises. You know, also Champagne franchises like the Steelers, has had success in both of those stops, won a Super Bowl in Green Bay. So it's really like the Steelers can can walk in the best of both worlds.
00:04:55
Speaker 2: Here.
00:04:56
Speaker 1: They get something new, they get something refreshing without the worry of can this coach is he able to lead an NFL team? We know that for a fact.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, there weren't. There weren't many available candidates, you know, during this most recent head coaching hire, our head coaching cycle in the NFL with over one hundred regular season wins in a championship on his resume. You know Mike McCarthy has that.
00:05:25
Speaker 1: Well, we'll give you some more details, a little bit more about the training camp report and it's return next week. And Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio network, has the best coverage for you all throughout training camp live every day that there is practice. So if you want to stay up to date on what is an interesting camp and what is a new training camp under Mike McCarthy, this is the place for you. But before we get to all of that, let's get to the questions for today. Our first one comes from David Lucci from Henderson, Kentucky. With Drew Aller not yet signing his rookie contract, does he count against the ninety player roster if he doesn't sign? Does he go back into the draft next year? What appears to be the problem with his contract?
00:06:08
Speaker 2: Well, let me start with some of the ones that can answer easily. First, players not under contract do not count against a team's roster limit, so he would not count if he does not if he is not signed by the time players are due to report on Tuesday, July eighth. July twenty eighth, excuse me, he would not count. Yes, if he does not sign and goes through the entire year not signing a rookie contract, he would go in back into the draft next year. What what appears to be the problem? You know, I'm specting lating here, but let me tell you this. There were ten quarterbacks drafted in April. The first four of those guys first four picked, Fernando Mendoza number one overall, Ty Simpson thirteenth overall, Carson Becker third round pick sixty fifth overall, and Drew Aller third round pick seventy sixth overall. None of them have signed their contracts yet. You know, even though a lot of this stuff in terms of rookie contracts was settled in twenty eleven. With that, CBA, agents and teams still kind of go back and forth a little bit as they try and each carve out i don't know, different carve out different things that are beneficial to their side of the to the issue. So what we have seen is that now all of the first round picks, they signed their four year contracts, and they have a fifth year option. Four year contracts, but the money is totally guaranteed. Now, a lot of second round picks, their contracts also are guaranteed. You know, I think the thing with Carson Beck, his agent is trying to get him some guaranteed money as a third round pick. So the other thing at work is when you know, when you're looking at Mendoza for sure, you figure he's going to be playing Ty Simpson going to the Rams, you don't know when he might get on the field first, and rookie contracts cannot be extended until after the players third season in the NFL. So, for example, if you're Ty Simpson's agent, or excuse me, if you're Carson Beck's agent, you're trying to figure something out in case he turns out to be a full time starter in his second year, because you know, what can you build in to the to the deal that might compensate him for being a full time starting quarterback as opposed to just you know whatever the base salary is normally for a third round pick in his third NFL season. So a lot of this stuff is what's going on. Okay, they all remain unsigned. I would think for Drew Aller, Carson Beck's contract is a critical one because once Beck's agent comes to terms with with his team. There's really nothing much for Drew Aller's agent to do with the Steelers except, you know, kind of fall in line. But you know, I cannot come to grips with the fact that Drew Aller would be so shortsighted that he would be a holdout from training camp because he's not allowed to be on campus. So there's no he could watch from the sideline, or he could go to meetings. He's not allowed to be there.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: Yeah, this isn't like a hold in situation.
00:10:31
Speaker 2: Right, So to me, he would be missing something so valuable. You know, when the head coach is the quarterback whisper. The head coach wanted you to be, he picked you, so to speak, and you're not there for him to work with you. I mean, that's that's just crazy. It makes no sense.
00:10:57
Speaker 1: I'm with you, and it would not make sense to the head coach. I don't think either. Mike Federico from Collierville, Tennessee. If a drafted player doesn't sign and re enters the draft the following year, does the team that originally drafted the player receive any compensation?
00:11:11
Speaker 2: No.
00:11:14
Speaker 1: I love those answers, short and sweet. James McPherson from Beechwood, New Jersey. Seems to me like coach Mike McCarthy is paying a lot of attention to the two young quarterbacks and doesn't really talk about Mason Rudolph Ben Roethlisberger stepping in as a rookie and producing is a rare occurrence. Does the NFL scrutinized players who are put on ir That is the only way I can see us getting four quarterbacks protected.
00:11:37
Speaker 2: Okay, contrary to what some reports that we're circulating out before we went on vacation, the Steelers did carry four quarterbacks in the modern era. That was nineteen ninety five. Bill Cower kept full were on that team. And the reason behind it was the situation at the time was there were two veteran quarterbacks atop the depth chart, Neil O'Donnell and Mike tom Zach and they were both nineteen ninety five, was both for each of them was their last season and they were going to hit unrestricted free agency after that. The other two quarterbacks on the depth chart, Jim Miller, was a nineteen ninety four to sixth round pick and he had a really good training camp, and then the Steelers drafted Cordell Stewart in the second round in nineteen ninety five. So train camp in nineteen ninety five, you know, there was no movement naturally with O'Donnell and Tom Zach Miller had a great training camp and a good preseason, and you know, Cordell Stewart, you're not cutting a rookie. It was the second round pick, so they kept four. Now, the issue of whether Kywer wastes a roster spot with that fourth quarterback, they became a moot point when Cordell Stewart came out of nowhere and you know, filled in and gave the team NFL caliber play a wide receiver, so you really didn't waste the roster spot. But you know, I just I don't see McCarthy going with four quarterbacks on his initial fifty three unless he's getting big time play during the preseason from everyone at the position not named Aaron Rodgers. But I still think that's a really slim possibility. And that's where I are. The NFL has access to each team's videos, practice videos, so I got to believe that there's somebody in New York who would be looking this stuff over to make sure you know that a guy isn't practicing practicing, practicing practicing, and all of a sudden he's on IOF at that position. You know, I think that I don't know how they do it, how they would question it, but I got to believe that the league is watching, keeping an eye on these kind of things, so there's no monkey business manipulating ir list coming out of the preseason.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: That's why you got to pull the old Rodney dangerfield at some point late in training camp. Oh my arm, my arm. Oh, it's hurt.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: It's hurts.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: Frank Vitchi from Mesa, Arizona. How many years does coach Mike McCarthy have on his president Steelers contract?
00:14:39
Speaker 2: Mike McCarthy's initial contract with the Steelers five year deal.
00:14:45
Speaker 1: Jeff Franks from Toledo, Ohio. How do you see the running back usage being handled this season? I know coach Mike McCarthy doesn't like to split carries among the running backs. Will he change how he has coached in the past.
00:14:58
Speaker 2: I gotta be honest with Jeff, I'm not really that familiar with how Mike McCarthy has coached in the past. You know, I had my hands full just worrying about what was going on in Latrobe and Pittsburgh with the Steelers, to know what was going on in Green Bay and or Dallas with their running backs. But you know, coaches, NFL coaches who have succeeded have done so because they understand that in the NFL you win with players. You know, sometimes in college you can maybe come up with a system that takes advantage, uh, you know of personnel deficiencies in other teams, on other teams rosters throughout your schedule. For example, when Steve Spurry or first became the Florida head coach, you know he would he would all his wide receivers. He was able to be very successful with that because the teams that he played didn't have four and five defensive backs who were that that caliber. So every time he took the field his third and fourth receiver, he knew, we're going to be better than the opponent's third and fourth quarterback. In the NFL, that's not the case because all the NFL players are NFL caliber where they wouldn't be on a roster. So you win with players at the NFL position at the NFL level. So you know, I don't know what might have been perceived as Mike McCarthy not liking to divide touches. You know, maybe that was just a reaction to the personnel he had on a roster that particular NFL roster, how it fit into the concept of his offense that season. Me personally, I liked the Jalen Warren Rico Daldal tandem uh and I believe McCarthy and his offensive staff is going to do some things to work to utilize the strengths of both of those players. So I don't think it's gonna be just a one man show at running back.
00:17:23
Speaker 1: Danny Why from Cornelius, North Carolina. Will seven shots carry over to the new regime.
00:17:31
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say no because the drill was not part of ot a's or mini camp at any point. It's not a McCarthy drill. Mike was Mike Tomlin drill. It wasn't a Bill Coward drill. It was a Mike tomlind drill. So I'm gonna go with no. And like I said, maybe I'll be shocked when when they practice for the first time and then we'll talk about it on our training camp.
00:17:59
Speaker 1: It's beautiful. Nick Moses from Simmi Valley California. Do you think we might see Peyton Wilson in on more downs this year? They seemed to want him to largely be in coverage, which I know he's very good at, but I see him as a potential sideline to sideline tackling machine. What are your thoughts.
00:18:17
Speaker 2: I've gotten a lot of these kinds of questions about a lot of different players, and I find myself answering them the same way. I mean, it's a new coaching staff, new offensive and defensive systems, so how players were utilized as recently as twenty twenty five really has no significance today. I believe the Steelers like Peyton Wilson. He's going into his third NFL season, which is a important season for him in that he is going to now be given he is now entering in the period of his contract where he is going to have an opportunity to convince the team that, you know, as he gets closer to free agency, he's worth an investment. Second contracts are important in the NFL, and that usually are the ones that show a nice bump from the rookie deals. So, you know, so we're gonna have to see how what the Steelers think of Peyton Wilson and how he performs, how that all fits into his playing time, and that's going to be determined once we get to Saint Vincent College. So you know that there is not an infinite number of players available, frontline players available. You know, fans like to say, we'll make a trade for somebody. You know, it's not Madden. You know, it's it's not a video game. You know, you just don't go out and get some and if you do or try to, it's usually very costly because everybody at this time, every team at this time of the year, has decent hopes, you know, to either contend fight for a playoff spot. You know, there's no teams going into this period in the NFL anyway thinking well, we're going to be you know, five and twelve. So I think Peyton Wilson is one of the Steelers good players on defense. And we'll see what Patrick Graham has up his sleeve. And it's again, it's going to be here's my word again, it's going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.
00:20:41
Speaker 1: Our last question comes from Carl Koser from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. In a recent astin answered you brought up the nineteen seventy two AFC Championship game against the Dolphins. Miami was undefeated and obviously had the better record, So why was the game played in Pittsburgh.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: That's because the NFL didn't go to the home field advantage system you know, for determining the venue for playoff games until the nineteen seventy five season. Okay, in nineteen seventy two, the Steelers hosted the undefeated Dolphins in the AFC Championship game because at that time the NFL used Before they went to the home field advantage system, they used a rotational system to schedule the playoffs. So in nineteen seventy two, it was the AFC Central Division's turn to host the conference championship game. If a team from the AFC Central Division got that far the Steelers got that far, it was the AFC Central Division's turn. So the undefeat of Miami Dolphins came to Pittsburgh and played the Steelers at three River Stadium for the nineteen seventy two AFC Championship.
00:21:56
Speaker 1: Well that'll do it for ask that answer for the time being. We will have a return when the season starts again, but don't worry. You're gonna get a lot more of LABS in myself and a lot more of coverage on Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio Network next week with all of our training camp coverage live every day that there is practice, and it starts with the training camp report with myself and LABS. So I don't know exactly when the time will beats TBD, but sometime in the morning before the Steelers practice, you'll hear from us and we'll set the day for you. So LABS can't wait to do it again this year. You're moving in on Tuesday, right, No Monday, Well, you get there even earlier, right, you get the little lay of the lake. Make sure you get the King sweep before like Rogers gets there and claims it.
00:22:40
Speaker 2: Yeah, Tuesday. You know players are going to be available to the media starting between.
00:22:47
Speaker 1: Eight and nine thirty, So you got to do your job.
00:22:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I don't want it. You don't want to be there trying to check in.
00:22:54
Speaker 1: Your job, yeah, trying to check in.
00:22:56
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, because I could tell you who would get prior already If me and Aaron Rodgers both walk into the camp office at the same.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: Time, it would be you of course, yeah, yeah, Well we will be back next week with the training camp report. Thanks as always for giving us to listen here, watch us on that space, and like I said, all day long, we have live coverage up at training camp any day that the Steelers practice. Tuesday they move in and Wednesday we get this thing started with the first of the Acclamation Day practices. He's Labs. I'm Tom as always again, thanks for listening to Ask and Answer podcast on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
