Full Transcript for NFL Draft Talk With Special Guest Dave Dameshek

we don't 60 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:32.800 know. Well, it's it comes from yinser, comes from the the truncated 61 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:39.680 you guys or whatever slang. Just as you have y'all down south Pittsburgh's have 62 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.959 ye Jane's one guy. We could go downtown. United Steelers is in town 63 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.439 on you know, it's in town. Later today, we get down there, 64 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:50.120 we got we got some get some beers and and sit down and watch 65 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:56.920 the game. Dude, So what we should do? Uh? But yeah 66 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:04.199 that's the I guess, the long and short of of doing that. Yeah, 67 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:09.680 it's funny. It sounded remarkably similar to a Chicago accent. Basically a 68 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:13.839 bunch of people that that jig a lot of beer and like to go hang 69 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:17.000 out and watch their their local homecome boys. Uh down there at the it's 70 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:24.000 funny Chicago Chicago is I got that that that a that you know, I 71 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:29.879 find that unattractive. The Boston accent is is maybe worse than Chicago. And 72 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:31.920 I gotta say, I love all things Pittsburgh, but the worst thing about 73 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:36.920 it is the accent. And I disliked it so much when I was a 74 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.959 teenager going into you know, my twenties or whatever, that I sort of 75 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:46.600 forced myself not to have it because because my mom she got it, and 76 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:49.160 you know a lot of people my family got it, and so I was 77 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:53.439 like, I don't want to have any Pittsburgh accent, and so I forced 78 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:58.439 myself not to have one. And what it yielded was this weird accent that 79 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:04.439 isn't a Pittsburgh accent, but confuses people to this very day. Yeah, 80 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.800 Like, what's your accident? You're like, it's nothing. I made it 81 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:12.360 up. It was to intentionally not be a y inser basically. Yeah. 82 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.240 And now since I've been in LA I mean for a long time now, 83 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.839 but at least eight or ten people over the years of askmir like, are 84 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:23.560 you from like Alabama or something like Alabama? I sound like I'm from the 85 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:27.800 Deep South. Boy, We've really Dave's really talked himself into a weird place 86 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:31.240 in the on the map of the US. You know, it's it's it's 87 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.720 interesting talking about, you know, the Steelers. And I don't know if 88 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:36.199 you guys know, but we have an NFL draft coming up in a couple 89 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:40.079 of months. So the next week is the NFL Combine. So we got 90 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.560 a lot of a lot of players coming out. And because you're a Steelers 91 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.800 fan and coming into the season, I was actually kind of high on the 92 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:49.560 Pittsburgh Steelers. There was kind there was a lot of talk about, hey, 93 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:53.639 the Steelers could be pretty good and funny enough to ended up going to 94 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:58.120 the playoffs. So what is how do you really feel about this current state 95 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.839 of the Steelers as it stands today, Well, I think there's a really 96 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:10.000 interesting just on face when you look at the two conferences. You know, 97 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:14.240 Baseball had rules that made it so that there was a designated hit or only 98 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:17.360 in the one league and the other league the pitchers had to hit. But 99 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:23.680 football just sort of naturally has sort of unfolded in a way over the last 100 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:28.800 decade or so where almost all of the superhero quarterbacks are on one side of 101 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.040 the bracket. They're all in the AFC. So the way you approach team 102 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:36.360 building in that conference, at least in this mini air and things will change. 103 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:40.240 Caleb Williams, it would appear, is going to wind up in Chicago. 104 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:44.920 Drake may may wind up in Washington, and so maybe that shifts things 105 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:50.439 to a degree. But as it stands right now, all the superheroes are 106 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:55.319 on the AFC side. So when you talk about the Steelers, you can 107 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.879 wring your hands and say, if you're a Steelers fan, how are they 108 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:01.120 ever going to get around these guys? And then my pushback to that is, 109 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:07.079 and maybe I'm trying to talk myself into something and rationalize it, because 110 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:13.279 there is no practical way way short of really trading a ton of assets, 111 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.600 and by the way, maybe the Steelers will do that. You don't have 112 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:20.720 to buy this thing that everybody attempts to sell, like the Steelers are old 113 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:26.000 school and they don't make moves like that. That's all predicated on stuff that 114 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:31.319 happened literally with decision makers last century, last millennium, and then since then 115 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:35.799 Kevin Colbert did the ball that Omark Hunt's just getting going. You don't know 116 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:41.200 what he's gonna do. The notion that the Steelers philosophically don't operate that I 117 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:46.039 kind of honestly feel like is potentially out the window if they really want to 118 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:50.159

try now don't. But all that wind up to say, I don't think 119 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:54.320 it's realistic to go from twenty up to say three, to get Jadeen Daniels 120 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.080 or Drake May. And I also like when people get cavalier about like just 121 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:01.639 trade up and get one of those qbs, like which one do you want? 122 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:03.799 Like, dude, dey go illa get one of them. It's like 123 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.720 they're not all the same though you understand, you understand it's not like Dave. 124 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:11.080 Look. A lot of people in Pittsburgh hit me up during the season, 125 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:15.200 like, dude, look at Will Levis that's all the Steelers call a 126 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:18.200 day. They gotta go just get a guy like Will Levis in the second 127 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:22.360 round. It's like, I don't know that the circumstances of Will Levis getting 128 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:26.200 to you doesn't equal Michael Pennick's falling and being like, well, see, 129 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:28.360 if we want to be like the Titans, that's all we have to do. 130 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.000 And do we want to be like the Titans anyway? But anyway, 131 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:37.120 but yeah, that's neither here nor there to answer your question. I feel 132 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:43.759 like, after seven minutes of babbling for me, I kind of like where 133 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.960 they are. And again, you can ascribe this to rationalizing from a Steelers 134 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:54.000 fan, but the Bills have had Josh Allen for a while now, and 135 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:58.480 Lamar Jackson has been in charm City for a while, and Justin Herbert with 136 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:03.000 the Charge for a while. None of them beat Patrick Mahomes. They have 137 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:09.320 superhero qbs and that wasn't enough for them. So maybe zigging against the zag 138 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:15.879 of obsessing over getting that QB instead in this conference, maybe there's something to 139 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:18.919 be said for building it the line of scrimmage. By the way, Omar 140 00:10:20.039 --> 00:10:22.639 con one of the first things he did was steal Andy Widel from the wrong 141 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.480 side of Pennsylvania and brought him over to the right side. He's a Pittsburgh 142 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:33.559 guy. Andy Widel made the Eagles relevant over the last decade by always in 143 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.559 those drafts with Roseman and company loading up on both sides of the line of 144 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:41.960 scrimmage. And you know, that's kind of what they're doing. And you 145 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:48.080 can get very easily distracted by and Tony Romo and all the talking heads will 146 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.559 take you there. They'll make it easy to say, like there's no beating 147 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:54.679 at the end of the day. You just can't beat Patrick Mahomes. Jim's 148 00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:58.159 like, hey, Patrick Mahomes, score great, great, Romo good, 149 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:05.960 wasn't it good? He so like you kind of out of man Titan the 150 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:09.360 gut a little bit there, Jim, Yeah, it's yeah, it's good. 151 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:13.519 It's good. I just think this is great. You get Beam. 152 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:20.879 But of course the hand beat Mahomes and and Joe Burrow is the kryptonite. 153 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:24.480 But okay, this side of Joe Burrow. A lot of these teams that 154 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:31.440 have built around QB still excuse me, have not been able to do what 155 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.559 they built around the QB to do, which has worked their way around fifteen 156 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.279 in the Kansas City Chiefs, and I don't feel sad about it. A 157 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:41.440 lot of people like, oh, you just got a better You're in the 158 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:43.360 conference with Patrick Mahomes. What are you gonna do. It's like, yeah, 159 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:48.360 I was in a conference with Tom Brady too, and h and the 160 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.759 Dallas Cowboys were in an NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventies and that 161 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:56.799 gotten their way from winning Lombardes. And then in the eighties Brett Farv was 162 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:01.279 in a conference and the nineties with Troy Aikman and Joe Montana and then Steve 163 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:03.440 Young, and that got in the way of his getting some Lombardies. And 164 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:07.000 that's the way the cookie crumbles. They are always gonna be good quarterbacks and 165 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:11.600 now it's the quarterback League. All that said, I get it. Can 166 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.440 he Piket two years through is not the difference maker for the team. But 167 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:20.679 Josh Allen didn't make enough of a difference to beat Patrick Mahomes in the divisional 168 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:26.720 round himself. And so I do think that the teams that have taken the 169 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:30.720 best runs at the Chiefs over the last couple of years, the Niners and 170 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:35.600 the Eagles did it via bully ball. Pushing them around a little bit. 171 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:41.039 So that's my long answer to your to your simple question. So ironically you're 172 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:48.879 speaking with a Bills fan and Daniel is a so we have a little bit 173 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.879 of a say in this AFC conversation here. I like to tell everybody Casey 174 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:56.519 didn't know that I'm a lifelong Bills fan since October. I went through this 175 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:03.399 whole thing where I was picking my future team because I was feeling disenfranchised and 176

00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:07.559 floating in the NFL stratosphere and out of sided. Landing on the Bills after 177 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:13.399 doing a very extensive research project. But I think ranked it that ten years 178 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.039 ago him he did, He did, Yep, he did, which is 179 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.759 funny because I flipped from the Bears to the Bills. So we just traded, 180 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:26.519 we traded places. But speaking of the Bears, and you're very obviously 181 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.919 not Chicago accent, may I interest you in one justin fields, there's been 182 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:37.519 talk about that that's been swirling around. You're looking at potentially looking for a 183 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:45.399 difference maker at the quarterback position. He has a sky high ceiling. It's 184 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.759 just the consistency hasn't been there. Do you think that maybe a change of 185 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:54.279 scenery to a situation like Pittsburgh with an established coaching staff and culture and stuff 186 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.960 like that could could be a kind of bargain bin way of getting a potential 187 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:07.240 top twerr quarterback. First of all, we fixate on like you gotta trade 188 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:11.120 up into the top five picks to get one of those qbs or your goose 189 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.200 is cooked. And we sell this during the draft process every year. And 190 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:20.000 Matt Miller of ESPN, who knows what he's talking about, said, bottom 191 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:24.120 line, reacting to that Super Bowl, if you don't have Patrick Mahomes or 192 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:26.799 someone who can play on his level, you have no shot. It's like, 193 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:30.600 well, no one's on Patrick Mahomes. It's closer, I think than 194 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:35.440 a lot of people will sell it. But nevertheless, the results are in. 195 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.559 Patrick Mahomes is a tick better than pretty much all the other guys. 196 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:48.879 So he's playing against the court at QB. So I think with Justin Fields, 197 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:52.440 the thing that the two biggest things don't I mean, he hasn't been 198 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:58.480 very accurate in the NFL, and I don't love that long wind up he's 199 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:07.960 got to take unloaded. But he's an imperfect guy and that's why in perfect 200 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:11.159 quarterback. But that's why he's available. Presumably we haven't been told that one 201 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:15.679 hundred percent, but you can pretty much read the tea leaves that it and 202 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:18.279 it does make all the sense in the world. If you're the Bears where 203 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:22.200 they are, it wouldn't make sense for them to pay out justin fields when 204 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.720 they have the flaws they have with their roster for the Steelers. And I 205 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:31.320 get the cynicism about, like, I don't see it with this guy. 206 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.600 I don't think he's the answer, and you'd have to give up a lot. 207 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:37.360 I don't want to give up a second round pick. Better to give 208 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:41.080 up a third round pick as far as that goes, if we have to 209 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:46.840 get justin fields. But either way, if you kind of look at this 210 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:52.440 draft and much can change with these college kids and how they profile a year 211 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:56.840 from now versus now. But the other side of that was two years ago 212 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:03.159 now Spencer Rattler was like, oh man, he's he's the guy. He's 213 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.679 now, you know, almost an afterthought, And now there's a late push 214 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:10.480 like, well, the kid's got a live arm, that game cock. 215 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:12.840 You know, he's a guy Like yeah, did we forget about the arc 216 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:19.919 of his seventeen year college experience? Yeah, But anyway, so maybe things 217 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:22.440 can get better for some of the kids out there. But as it stands 218 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:26.799 right now, the twenty twenty five draft is not nearly as good a QB 219 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:33.799 as this one is. And but I do caution everybody, or just encourage 220 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:38.000 you to not have amnesia and look around as we tick through those qbs. 221 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:44.519 Was Jalen Hurts one of the top five picks in his draft? Justin Herbert 222 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:47.519 was what did he go? Six? Or wherever he went? But he 223 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:51.879 went behind two other quarterbacks, you know, Russell Wilson. I don't know 224 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:53.879 if you heard where Tom Brady was drafted, but it was late. You 225 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.279 can tick through all those. So the obsession with like if you don't get 226 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:00.840 one of those quarterbacks and the only way to get one those quarterbacks is to 227 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.879 trade way up to get there, really stink it up and go one in 228 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:06.480 sixteen. That's the only way you're ever gonna get one of those guys. 229 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:15.279 Ain't necessarily true. One Two. If you don't love the crop in this 230 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.160 draft, the next look at the free agents right now at QB and look 231 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.240 at the ones that are gonna be available at this time next year. It 232 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:26.519 ain't great. Kirk Cousins is a nice option, but you are gonna have 233 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:32.640 to pay him probably ninety million dollars to get him into into your place. 234 00:17:33.599 -->

00:17:37.279 Russell Wilson, I do not want the vibe. Ain't right and walking into 235 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:41.920 the Steelers locker room is the guy who's gonna make the difference. It just 236 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:45.200 it has a stink on it now. I think what you do is you 237 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:49.960 flood the zone if they can keep Mac. Also, we're at a point 238 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:52.839 now where, like you say, the combine is on its way, then 239 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.079 free agency, then the draft and so these are all moving parts. We 240 00:17:56.119 --> 00:18:00.680 don't know if Mason Rudolph the Steelers have a better sense than we do right 241 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:03.960 now, if Mason Rudolph is going to wind up back with the Steelers. 242 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:10.039 They can read what's going on out there if it's going to be and if 243 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:14.000 it is Kenny Pickett Mason Rudolph, I know a lot of people in Pittsburgh 244 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:15.480 and out are going to say, like, well, they're doomed, they 245 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:22.119 have no chance if that's what they're gonna roll with again this year. I 246 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:27.119 would say to your point about where the ceiling is for justin fields, it's 247 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:33.480 pretty high. And I think if you now, if you have to extend 248 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:36.400 him, not just pick up his fifth year option, but extend him for 249 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:40.599 five years beyond that. Then I would not make the deal. But if 250 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:42.640 you can get if you can pick up his fifth year option, you're talking 251 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:49.279 about like thirty two or thirty three million dollars over two years for Picket and 252 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:53.519 Fields, Well that's a great deal. You know, most most teams that 253 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:57.559 are contending teams or fancy themselves contenters are paying a lot more than that for 254 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:03.279 one guy over one. If the Steelers can have an advantage created by paying 255 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:08.880 their QB and two qbs that I get, the draft pick that they would 256 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:14.359 have to give up is not a small thing, but still you're picking up 257 00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:17.559 what I'm laying down. There is an advantage that they would have in the 258 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:21.039 ability to build the rest of the roster out that those teams that are paying 259 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:26.160 fifty something million to josh Allen Lamar Jackson don't have at this point. Yeah, 260 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:27.480 I think that that makes a lot of sense. And when you talk 261 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:32.359 about the Bears and Justin Fields, that brings us like to the top of 262 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:34.519 the draft, Like they obviously have control of what's going to be happening. 263 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:38.799 And with Justin Fields being in that whole realm. I want to get a 264 00:19:38.839 --> 00:19:42.799 little insight into what you think the Chicago Bears should do, because obviously they 265 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:47.359 have the number one overall pick. If this was what you were going to 266 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:49.519 lay out, what your plan for the Bears, and that really the how 267 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:55.960 this draft is going to go, what would you do. It's funny that 268 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.039 there are and this is the cycle, and it's funny you guys, Like 269 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:04.599 I've tried to track it, but you might might find it fun the beats 270 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:10.960 of the draft process every year and like they hit in within like almost the 271 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:15.319 same week every year. And we're in that place now where now we got 272 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.599 to start dinging some of these guys. Caleb Williams has been too praise. 273 00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:23.440 How we must chip away at that and create some intrigue that maybe it should 274 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:30.599 be Drake May, maybe it should be Jayden Daniels over him. They definitely 275 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:37.039 need to take one of those quarterbacks you justin fields where he is. The 276 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:42.480 results are in in this millennium, even the even in the age of Tom 277 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:48.839 Brady and Peyton Manning. Half of the quarterbacks who start in Super Bowls over 278 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.640 the last twenty three years now twenty two to twenty three years now, this 279 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:56.680 millennium have been on their rookie contract, even the great ones. Joe Burrow 280 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:00.279 has been to a super Bowl, but of course was in his second season. 281 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.880 And if you go through it as I have and take away, you'll 282 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:08.160 find that half of those guys, this is including the era of Tom Brady, 283 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:12.039 as I say, who played until he was in his fifties or whatever 284 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:18.359 he was, he I mean still skewing that number, and it was half 285 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.720 the guys. You want the real deal, QB, but you want him 286 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.039 on his rookie deal. And if you want as hot a take as I 287 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:29.519 can give about pro football one that I mean, I can throw out a 288 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:37.359 lot. I don't believe I'd rather have all available quarterbacks starting with this draft 289 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:44.119 down versus josh Aden Lamar Jackson in terms of who I think is going to 290 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:48.920 win more Lombardies over the next decade. How say you add that up? 291 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.720 Up? Add it up? Do it? Do it? Everybody is so 292 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:57.960 cavalier talk about

again. Here's one of my favorite takes. Jim Joshi's got 293 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:00.759 nothing to hang his head up. He's gonna be back here, He's gonna 294 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:04.240 have other chances, Like, how do you know that Tony like he's Patrick 295 00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:08.440 Mahomes ain't leaving, Lamar Jackson's sticking around, and guess what, Joe Burrow's 296 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:14.000 coming back next year. This idea that like you're you're, you're entitled to 297 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:18.799 because of individual greatness A Lombardi. I know that Dan Marino is the guy 298 00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:23.079 who's always cited. I hereby predict that he's gonna have a whole bunch of 299 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.319 company in a decade, at least two of these guys who we swoon over. 300 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:33.680 I just last week did this with Scott Pianowski from Yahoo, and nobody, 301 00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:36.680 not not nearly enough people weighed in. So I'll thank you guys to 302 00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:38.640 do it because I'm vain and I like when people respond to the questions I 303 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:45.039 ask on social media. Sure go through the next decade. Here's the big 304 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:48.599 thing that happens as they're walking off the field, like, dude, yes, 305 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:52.759 Josh is gonna get in. You know, Lamar's gonna there's a great 306 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:57.720 situation and they're gonna The Ravens have nothing to hang their head about. Yes, 307 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:02.400 they do have something to hang their head about. They just devoted a 308 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:07.359 full year of their lives, of their professional lives to doing this and getting 309 00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:10.519 past this team to get to the Super Bowl and they failed. Of course 310 00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:14.799 they should hang their heads. It's not it's not an infinite number of shots 311 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:18.799 they get. Lamar Jackson probably at this point in his career, Josh Allen, 312 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:23.000 those guys probably have eight to eleven more shots at it. And the 313 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.480 older they get, the more it's gonna have to be around. They need 314 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:30.519 some help. They're not as dynamic as they used to be. They're already 315 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:34.519 getting to that place, respectively, are those two cats? And Patrick Mahomes 316 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:38.759 is in the way? And then once a decade, something like Joe Flacco's 317 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:42.559 Ravens or Brad Johnson's Bucks are gonna are gonna spoil things. And that's one 318 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:48.640 less Lombardi you're gonna get. It's the one Lombardy per year QB conundrum. 319 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:55.119 This promising well he'll get his doesn't add up in terms of math, and 320 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.599 I hate math. They're only gonna give out

one at the end of the 321 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:02.359 year, and Patrick Mahomes keeps taking too many of them. So where are 322 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:08.000 these available Lombardes? And everybody's gonna win multiple Lombardes. It's it's some weird 323 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:14.440 digital empathy that people attempt as they're like, hey, Bills fans, wild 324 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:22.400 ride this year. Keep your chins up. But why there's so much The 325 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:26.039 Bills went to four straight Super Bowls, like they know what that's like to 326 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:30.400 just not be able to get it done. And that's why when like Dan 327 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:33.759 Campbell was so with his team afterwards, like we might not get here again. 328 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:40.240 That's what needs to be said more because media and the announcers like you 329 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:44.240 were saying, they're always like they're too good not to That's not how the 330 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:48.839 NFL works. Unfortunately for everyone else. Patrick Mahomes has been too good for 331 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:52.799 that to not happen. But for a lot of these other teams, don't 332 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.359 forget. C. J. Stroud's coming too. He's there. Their defense 333 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:00.319 is gonna get better, their offensive line is gonna get better. There all 334 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.160 going to collectively get better. These teams, man, you gotta find ways 335 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:08.160 to get out of their own way at times. And I know I'm not 336 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:11.920 trying to bring this Chiefs centric, but they this was the worst team, 337 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:18.400 the worst Chiefs team that Patrick Mahomes is had. Okay, I agree, 338 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:22.119 funny you say that offensive. I said. What I said three years ago 339 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:26.119 is that I was doing making the same doom and gloom talk. So don't 340 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:33.880 so so don't resent me too much, John about because I said that and 341 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.880 then they traded. This is before they trade traded Tyreek Hill. I said, 342 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:41.680 like, it's not to say Patrick Mahomes is never going to win another 343 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.279 Lombardy because he's great, but he's already been on the best team he's ever 344 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:48.960 going to be on. The The The thing that the Bills have to do, 345 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:53.400 which is super easy to float out there, but and the Ravens need 346 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:57.880 to do this and so on, is uh they they need to pull a 347 00:25:57.880 --> 00:26:02.279 straight flush like the Chiefs just have done in the last couple of years. 348 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:06.759 With the drafts, especially defense like that, how can we get past the 349 00:26:06.759 --> 00:26:11.880 Bills? Forget the swooning genuflection to Patrick Mahomes. He's awesome and all that, 350 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:15.160 but again, one touchdown against that Niners defense, It's not like he 351 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:19.480 was the difference. He made some special plays, and I believe me, 352 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:25.759 I've watched Josh Allen make some special plays that that feel like, oh it 353 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:30.079 was so close, but in the last minute, seventeen steps up and it's 354 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:33.599 like, oh yeah, I mean like he was that wasn't available to him 355 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:37.880 all game. But when this when they had to have it, Josh Allen 356 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.559 did it. And that's the difference between him and the Remember that frozen game 357 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:45.880 in Buffalo two Decembers ago against Miami and was like, well, they have 358 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:49.160 no chance too, it keeps getting hurt. And then they had him on 359 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:52.480 the ropes. I'm not talking about the Skylar Thompson playoff game. I'm talking 360 00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:56.720 about the two A game up there. Yeah, yeah, those Florida boys 361 00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:00.599 gonna fly up the snowy Buffalo and compete with the Bills, please, And 362 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.960 they were hanging with him, but I remember in the last minute, Josh 363 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.079 Allen snapped off a couple of runs and a big time crazy throw and that 364 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:11.839 was the difference. And so maybe you can delude yourself into thinking, or 365 00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:15.599 maybe I'm deluding myself into thinking like they can get by by zigging against the 366 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:21.519 chief zag. Maybe they can't. But I also know that based on the 367 00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:26.119 evidence that we've seen that the Bills method hasn't worked. I mean, it's 368 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.319 gotten closer than it has the Steelers, but it hasn't worked out. And 369 00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:34.799 now they're into Josh Allen as that number is really going to get heavy in 370 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:38.720 terms of salary cap in the in the percentage that one cat is going to 371 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:44.680 suck up is going to make it harder to And the thing I know we're 372 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:48.079 not nobody asked about the Bills and now I'm just punishing you, John. 373 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:53.599 But the other thing is really in their way. That is that Stefan Diggs 374 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:56.920 contract. I don't know how they're getting out from under that thing. But 375 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:59.920 like with those two things on the books, I don't know how that team 376 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.680 gets better. And they weren't great this year. They were Josh Allen they 377 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.480 I mean that was like they were Josh Allen and at times a real heavy 378 00:28:07.519

--> 00:28:11.720 pass rush, and that was what made that Bills team, you know, 379 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:15.880 look like that maybe they could they got a puncher's chance against Mahomes. I 380 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:21.519 didn't buy the Bills all season long. But by the way, to answer 381 00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:25.480 the question on the Bears, it's a different premise, Like you know you're 382 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:29.119 gonna have an edge, you would think as long as Caleb Williams and keep 383 00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:32.559 in mind, it's a sixty forty proposition for all the people like you gotta 384 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:36.400 get this guy, he can't miss. It's sixty forty. The guys spend 385 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:40.559 their entire lives breaking down tape, get it right, you know a little 386 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:44.160 bit more than half the time, whether they're on an NFL team in the 387 00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:47.440 scouting department or they're on TV talking about it, the best do it, 388 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:52.400 like I say, a little bit more than fifty percent accurately. But okay, 389 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:55.119 let's assume they get Caleb Williams right Well, now they have a huge 390 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:59.839 advantage in the NFC that because they're just or not those so by year two, 391 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:03.400 give them, give them another weapon and just create what has not existed 392 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:08.079 in Chicago. Just I know, Bears fans, I lived in Chicago for 393 00:29:08.119 --> 00:29:14.559 a decade. Maybe you do have some Chicago accident, and yet I got 394 00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:22.200 the Chicago up on the North side. They they I just I feel like, 395 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:27.680 become this. The defense is already sound. So if it breaks so 396 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:33.839 that they could get let's say, Caleb Williams, and I don't think it's 397 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.680 going to work out for them to get Marv Harrison, but if they can 398 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:42.519 get a weapon like that and the pieces from last year plus DJ Moore and 399 00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:48.079 Johnson, I mean, you're getting to in a soft conference. You're getting 400 00:29:48.119 --> 00:29:51.160 to a team that is going to be intriguing as soon as next year, 401 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:53.799 as soon as autumn of this year. But yeah, I think, I 402 00:29:53.839 --> 00:30:00.279 mean, obviously you take a quarterback, you move Justin Fields and basically also 403 00:30:00.759 --> 00:30:04.720 leverage it if you if if he remember the noise about three weeks ago was 404 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:10.319 that he kind of preferred DC. Okay, then the whole DC hostage with 405 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:14.599 that, you know, make them trade to get the first overall pick, 406 00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:18.119 make them move up by one. They're gonna have to trade you something legitimate. 407 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:21.240 They're gonna have to give you a legit pick to make that move. 408 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:23.920 So add even more draft picks to the load, really build it up around 409 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:27.559 Caleb Williams. I don't think that seems that far away. Yeah, I 410 00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:32.599 am in agreement with you, and I've always been a huge Justin Fields supporter. 411 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:36.079 It's funny you were talking earlier about the pre draft process and how we 412 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:38.400 go through these ebbs and these flows and how you start knocking on people and 413 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:42.519 stuff like that. I remember all the pre draft slander that came out about 414 00:30:42.599 --> 00:30:45.279 Justin Fields. I was up in arms. I was so mad. I 415 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:49.920 remember that there was a clip where or a certain commentator that I won't name, 416 00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:56.039 was saying that Fields wasn't a hard worker or it wasn't a good leader, 417 00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:59.599 and I was just like, what the are you talking about? And 418 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.359 then the next day comes out and he's like, no, Fields is the 419 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:07.759 consummate pro. So I've always been like in Fields camp and like that outraged 420 00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:10.039 me to no end. And then he did slide on draft Day and I 421 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:12.440 was so mad. I was living in downtown Chicago and River North at the 422 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:19.359 time when I was again drifting between football teams, and they traded up and 423 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:22.319 they took Fields, the guy that I'd been banging the table for all off 424 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:27.519 season when I was in downtown. I heard my building shake when Justin Fields 425 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:30.240 was drafted, and I was like, Okay, bear down, let's go. 426 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:37.160 I'm in on. Chicago didn't last. But anyways, it's hard for 427 00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:41.640 me as an avid Justin Field's advocate to sit back and say no, the 428 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:45.640 right thing strategically to do is to move on from Justin because I still believe 429 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:48.680 that he does have a ton of upside. I still believe that he can 430 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:52.000 be a good NFL quarterback. I think that there's many teams around the league 431 00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:59.039 that would provide him with maybe a more established situation to go to that also 432 00:31:59.079 --> 00:32:01.799 still need a quarterback. Right now. That could give him a shot at 433 00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:07.079 kind of just a change of scenery, revamping things and go from there. 434 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:08.920 He's a Georgia kid. But if he goes back to Atlanta, you know, 435 00:32:09.160 --> 00:32:15.359 I'm going for him. That makes sense, you know, for you 436 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:19.480 know, and you know,

obviously they're human beings. And so if you're 437 00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:22.039 Caleb Williams and you're twenty one or twenty two whatever he is, and he's 438 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:25.599 like I grew up in Washington, d C. What a thrill it would 439 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:30.640 be to get to do it for the local football collective, then that's something. 440 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:32.880 And if Justin Fields pines to do that, But if he's looking at 441 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:37.519 football situation, I do think Atlanta is a good one. I think that 442 00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:45.240 the optimal guy for them is Russell Wilson. They need they have young talent 443 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:50.960 in there, and I don't think and they've made it pretty clear that they 444 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:53.920 are anxious to get a QB this year. I don't know. Maybe they 445 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:57.240 could move up and get one of those Big three. And if they do, 446 00:32:57.359 --> 00:33:04.480 then then that's one way to go. And with Fields, I think 447 00:33:04.839 --> 00:33:08.880 if you put him in Pittsburgh or a team that's a little further along than 448 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:14.000 where the Falcons are. Yes, the Falcons present as a dynamic team in 449 00:33:14.119 --> 00:33:16.200 fantasy, but they're not stretched in such a way that they're going to in 450 00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:22.519 real football take things over. In twenty twenty four, Pittsburgh has a chance 451 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.079 to be to be real good. And it's very strange to me. I'm 452 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:35.119 talking about this year. They the asterisk is obviously a QB. I still 453 00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:39.319 like him, and people always tell me all your people always accuse me of 454 00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:44.920 being such a homer, except that in twelve years or thirteen years, I 455 00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:49.200 can't remember how long it's been. I haven't missed the Steelers' final record by 456 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:52.720 more than a game when I predicted, So that includes eight and eighths and 457 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.119 some bum years and all that kind of stuff. So it's not like I'm 458 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:59.079 always pie in the sky about what I think is going to be. I 459 00:33:59.119 --> 00:34:04.240 mean, this team just won ten games a couple of weeks ago, just 460 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:07.760 got the tenimated to the playoffs. There's zero reason for the cynicism like they 461 00:34:07.800 --> 00:34:10.920 they're gonna go eight, eight and one this year they're gonna be bad. 462 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:15.800 There's no indication that that would be the case. They're gonna have a relatively 463 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:22.039 favorable schedule, they are I think going to continue what I mentioned, that 464 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:27.719 wide philosophy of building up at the line of scrimmage, and all that being 465 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:32.960 said, it wouldn't complete me, completely floor me if you heard Wait Con 466 00:34:34.079 --> 00:34:37.599 did what they traded all the way up to two to get Jade and Daniels. 467 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:42.599 I know that's highly unlikely. I am not predicting that that's gonna happen, 468 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:46.480 But the idea that that's not something the Steelers have ever done therefore it's 469 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:52.880 not something they'll do now is stink and thinking that's owed to something attached to 470 00:34:52.280 --> 00:34:55.840 former regimes. And well, the Rooney family is still there, Okay, 471 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.000 Art two is in charge now, before that Dan was in charge of before 472 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:05.360 or that Art was in charge. They're different human beings operating in different generations 473 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:10.119 with different rules in place and all that sort of thing. But you know, 474 00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:15.719 for for the Bears fan out there, another interesting year awaits. But 475 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:21.239 man, that that division is is going to be rough this coming season, 476 00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:24.519 right, assuming that Kirk Cousins does wind up back in Minnesota, which I 477 00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:30.920 think he will. Yeah, Kirk comes back, the Lions are legit and 478 00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:36.920 just are going to fall off a cliff. Obviously a little bit better so 479 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:40.320 Packers look like they're improving. Jordan Love's second half of the season looked really 480 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:45.440 good. I think that. I think that the uh, the Chicagoans are 481 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:47.800 are pretty pissed off watching Jordan Love second half of the season, Like, 482 00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:52.920 really, you guys did it again? You really went from quarterback to quarterback 483 00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:55.800 to quarterback with with no gap. I think it's uh, it's it's it's 484 00:35:55.920 --> 00:36:00.800 rough. It's rough there in Chicagoland right now. Jes just remember what I 485 00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:06.800 said five years ago now and now it has five years tacked on to whatever 486 00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:09.960 the number was then. I think, what has it been thirty one, 487 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:15.679 thirty two years or something like thirty three years where they have never had Now 488 00:36:15.760 --> 00:36:20.320 Jordan Love, Okay, he's on his way, he's ascendant, but he's 489 00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.239 not there yet. But prior to Jordan Love, the Packers never had worse 490 00:36:25.079 --> 00:36:30.159 than the third or fourth best QB in all of football. Same number of 491 00:36:30.199 --> 00:36:34.480 Lombardes as Joe Flacco and Trant Dilford delivered to Baltimore. So that should make 492 00:36:34.519 --> 00:36:38.840 you feel better. That's great. I think that that's a beautiful I think 493 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:43.199 it's a beautiful nugget to end it on. It's a great stat there. 494 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:45.920 Thank you so much for joining us, Dave. I really appreciate the time. 495 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:51.159 It was great. Love to have you back. Hey, the draft 496 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:54.840 is in what's my countdown, say sixty two days. It's going to be 497 00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:58.880 here really fast. So maybe we can we can talk shop a little bit 498 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:01.199 after the draft and and see if Pittsburgh pulled off a crazy trade to get 499 00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:05.599 the quarterback of the future, if they're riding with the same duo and three 500 00:37:05.679 --> 00:37:07.239 quarters of Steelers fans are going to be pissed off going into next year, 501 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:14.599 or maybe justin Fields is the new Buffalo bill starting quarterback when John I don't 502 00:37:14.599 --> 00:37:17.480 know what's going to happen, and no one does unless unless you have a 503 00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:21.280 copy of the script, in which case send it over. I got to 504 00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:24.199 get those scripts. You know. Journalisms, I always say that when they're 505 00:37:24.199 --> 00:37:28.480 when people always are like, man, don't you know that the news is 506 00:37:28.559 --> 00:37:30.679 fake? That they're just like It's like, man, I went to a 507 00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:36.360 pretty good journalism school, and then I've worked in the media in some way 508 00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:39.039 or the other for the last twenty five years. If nothing else, my 509 00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:43.519 feelings are hurt that no one's looped me in on the big scheme. No 510 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:45.400 one pulls me aside and it's like, hey, Dave, just show you 511 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:49.920 know. Here's what we're doing is media. We're lying to the American people 512 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:52.559 about this, that and the other. Why don't why why don't I get 513 00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:55.400 kissed in? You know once, if anyone's got a plug, it's going 514 00:37:55.440 --> 00:37:59.559 to be Adam Rank, So feel free to give them a text and we'll 515 00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:00.480 see, well, see if we can get the plug there. Thanks so 516 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:05.280 much for joining us. This again was cover one Draft Weekly John Helmcamp, 517 00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:09.599 Daniel Harmes, joined by the incredible JaMarcus Russell. Thank you for taking the 518 00:38:09.679 --> 00:38:13.079 time with us. They really appreciate it. Drank