The Terrible Podcast — Talking Divisional Round Games, Steelers Logical OC Candidates, Mason Cole

January 22, 2024 –

Season 14, Episode 80 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Monday show, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Divisional Round playoff games that took place over the weekend. Within that, we discuss a controversial rule related to touchbacks that might be changed this offseason.

Alex and I look at the offensive ANY/A stats of not only the remaining four teams in this year’s playoffs but also the teams that made the playoffs this year. We also talk about the Steelers’ options at quarterback this offseason should the team surprisingly go outside the organization via a trade, free agency, or the draft.

The Steelers will hire a new offensive coordinator this offseason and ahead of that happening, Alex has compiled a list of the most logical candidates. We go over his list of names and discuss a few others not included on it.

Will Steelers C Mason Cole survive his roster bonus due date in March? Alex and I discuss the possibility of that happening and, more importantly, why it might happen. We also discuss several other Steelers due March roster bonuses.

With the annual Senior Bowl getting close, Alex and I discuss one defensive lineman that the Steelers might have eyes on in Mobile, Ala.

Several other minor topics not noted are also discussed in this 93-minute episode, and we end it by answering several questions sent in from listeners of the show.

steelersdepot.com

Welcome to the terrible podcast with your host from Steelers depot.com where you can find all your latest and greatest Steelers news it’s Dave briyan and Alex kazora always lit talking Steelers and now here’s Dave and Alex welcome to the terrible podcast season 4 14 Episode 80 he’s day Brian I’m Alex kazora Steelers depot.com thanks for being back with us here this Monday Steelers Nation and then there were four after the divisional rounds you have the in the AFC the Baltimore Ravens hosting the

Kansas City Chiefs this upcoming Sunday in the NFC it’ll be the Lions headed out to San Francisco so it’s the one and three seats in both conferences really good game to end the playoffs day between the Chiefs and the bills how you doing yeah I’m doing uh well relatively

Speaking here got some interesting you we’ll obviously talk a little bit about uh who’s left and and and what all happened in these in these games over the weekend uh here but uh I guess first and foremost on my mind I know you you tweeted about this yesterday

Uh people are not going to want us to go this Direction first singing the podcast but uh it it it’s on my mind uh the rule about fumbling the ball through the end zone yeah uh I am 55 I am a traditionalist I am I don’t like things changed I hate when

They change even a label on a package of food or a beverage it drives me absolutely baddy uh even at at being a middle-aged man like now I have become old man shakes at at Cloud whenever given the opportunity uh on that uh I was thinking though uh yesterday when that was

Happening you tweeted about it how how essentially that you’re fine with the rule I no look I I’m I’m with you I think that anything that happens as of late in a Bill’s Chiefs game uh ends up being a rule change uh and I won I think

A lot of lot of uh in you know higher up you know are are are dignified or I use that word Loosely but uh uh reputable you know reporters or whatnot who cover the NFL or or surrounded by the NFL think that might ultimately be the case

This offseason as well too uh I don’t hate the role because everybody knows what it is and it’s been around forever now does does that mean uh you know you can’t can’t change it make it better I guess where I’m going with this is what do you believe was the initial

Emphasis or reason behind that rule of fumbling the football through the end zone being a a a a Touchback it’s a good question I was wondering what the origin story is for that is that some sort of weird cork holdover that somehow just kind of got shoehorned into something

Like this you know kind of like the if you’re the way that God when euk was out of bounds and touched the football and the rule was never really intended to do that but it does do that they just never changed it I’m not quite sure but I Mike

Tomlin has convinced me over the years you know to prioritize ball security so offenses just can’t have that free reign to try to extend AC cross and score and at least there’s one rule that benefits the defense in the NFL it’s probably the only one that actually does the defense

Of favor in this offensive driven world so if they change that it just becomes that much harder to play defense in today’s modern NFL yeah uh and I as everybody was complaining about it yet again look we go through this three three four times a year where where you

See an instance of that happening and the initial push back on Twitter worst rle ever created I was thinking yesterday well what is the and I have not had time to to to go back and and look at the or I guess where I’m getting at is what you know it’d be interesting

To research the origins of of that role yeah I don’t know what the backstory is there um but again I’m okay with it it’s been reported earlier this year the NFL was going to take a look at it and maybe there was some momentum to

Change that now if if if you’re not in if you don’t love the rule how would you like like to see the rule be changed because there’s a a bunch of different ways you could you could change this too and that’s kind of an outstanding question I mean yeah it feels like you

Got to penalize the offense some some way for it right what what it be lost to down or you know I don’t know 10 10 yard penalty or or or or or something like that but but you you hit on a a key point there the de defens has already seem to be

Disadvantaged for the most part anyway you’re gonna take away one more element of it you know Bill bellich talked has talked several times about why he doesn’t like players extending the football like that you know for for for for for that very reason and all and you

You know you hit on Mike Tomlin talking about it as well too but anyway you know that that’s obviously going to be you know people going to be talking about this week and just coming out of yesterday I figured why not start the show with that that I I don’t have

Anything more to add than that but I won’t be surprised if they look if if if the competition committee or rules committee or whatnot look looks at that this off season I can see that as well so it’s been a slow newsfront weekend for Pittsburgh right now there are some

Steeler things we want to talk about but before we do that since we’re on the topic of playoff off theyve just a reaction to divisional weekend the Ravens blowing out Houston in the second half uh the Chiefs holding on the bills missing wide right again oh my goodness

You have to feel bad for these Buffalo fans and then Detroit there great run continues in San Francisco Green Bay giving them a scare but holding on and we’ll see the status of Debo Samuel for the NFC title game but you’re just overall impression I think maybe you had

A direction about quarterbacks that you wanted to go down at some point in this podcast so just your thoughts on the playoffs this weekend yeah look I mean you got to be impressed with what Detroit’s been able to do coming out of what 2021 with what was it a 3113 and

One record and and you know obviously make a couple of Trades get some draft picks hit on those draft picks and you’re right back in they’re right back in this thing uh here so I think uh that that’s impressive uh you know you look at there’s I’m a broken record here but

I mean you can’t help but look at the quarterbacks you know a as a whole uh not only in in in the remaining four teams but you know the going into the weekend remaining eight here and I’ll leave you with this and you know put on if you don’t like

Hearing about adjusted net yards rep passing a dip stat F fast forward through this part of uh the the the podcast here but uh when you comes to regular season play of the four teams remaining now in the playoffs the 49ers the Ravens and the Lions three of those teams finished in

The top five of Team adjusted net yards for passing attempt stat uh 49ers lead the list at a whopping 8.6 uh the Ravens Believe It or Not uh Lamar Jackson and Company 7.2 the Detroit Lions a lot of people probably be a bit surprised by this 7.0 uh justtin net yards for passing

Attempt stat now uh the uh the dragon with the cros eyes and in other words which one doesn’t seem to belong here uh the Kansas City Chiefs uh with Patrick Mahomes 6.0 uh ranked 14th or tied for rank tied for 14th in the league with several

Teams I think if you work out the decimal and all like that several places they are 14th overall though with a 6.0 adjusted net yards for passing attempt uh number here uh but if you want to Circle back two teams that were eliminated uh over the weekend here the

Green Bay Packers seventh uh during the season 6.7 adjusted net yards for passing attempt stat Buffalo Bills 6.5 uh who else was eliminated the Buccaneers 6.5 uh t uh 10th overall uh who else was uh uh eliminated over you mention Buffalo yeah Buffalo uh ranked eight 6.5

Not surprising there with Josh Allen in company and if you want to go back and look at you know just the teams in general that made the playoffs the lowest ranked team uh as far as team adjust in N yards for passing attempt stat that that that

Made the playoffs was of course the Pittsburgh Steelers at five .6 the next lowest would have been the Eagles and even they were 6. uh o uh as far as that’s concerned there so uh you you better have a quarterback you better be able to throw the football

Down the field I mean I it’s not earth shattering when it comes to that but I think if you look in individually at these final four teams right now you know Lamar Jack uh Patrick momes uh Jared gof and who am I leaving out there uh oh

Uh Brock pie you know uh now Brock py obviously not not not a pedigree guy uh there but is has has definitely done well in the short time in the NFL there if you’re going to make hay in these playoffs you got to have got to have

Good quarterback play I mean running the football and playing defense obviously are elements during the season that you have to have but if you’re going to get to the playoffs and if you’re going to make you know win a game and if you’re going going going to get to the uh

Conference Championship I mean that this is year in year out uh you got to have you got to have good quarterback play and I guess where I’m going with this is you know where where are the Steelers going with their quarterback position sure that’s a point that we’ve made and

We’ll continue to make and I’m sure that’s not going to stop going forward given the landscape of of the AFC so having good quarterback play does not guarantee you you know the chance to to go to the Super Bowl but the absence of it makes it really really difficult to

Do so um and I look at the Chiefs for example you know some of their metrics you know for the regular season day the chiefs were negative 11 minus 11 in turnover differential they only had 17 takeaways it’s a really low number but they have Patrick Mahomes he does

Patrick Mahomes like things so that allows them to overcome some of those things and when you’re uh Baltimore or San Francisco and you have a great turnover differential and a great defense with that really strong quarterback play Then you become that really complete team that seems very

Difficult to beat so as you said it’s not earth shattering I think people understand it but the point remains especially in the AFC ton of great quarterbacks none of those guys are going anywhere anytime soon some guys are going to get back healthier draft picks likely to be added at some point

In a relatively strong quarterback class that’s what Pittsburgh will be competing with for the next five plus years yeah and there was obviously the stat last night uh that seems to surface every year and and surfaced again because of Patrick Mahomes you have to go all the

Way back to what was the 2011 season I think for the last time that the AFC Championship game did not include either Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes yeah he’s made six straight and Brady I think has the record of going to eight straight at one point in his

Career so you know you expect those guys and those teams to you know be in it until the end I mean you’re obviously you’re seeing kind of a you bit of a Changing of the Guard I guess if you will on on on on the NFC side but uh uh

You know it’s not hard to inv Envision at this point now a guy like Brock birie showing up in this thing every couple of years uh you saw you I mean you saw some quarterbacks really come on this year I mean Jordan love we talked about going

Back to to the game against the Steelers and and at that time we threw out to uh uh to to to the beat right there uh you know who who who would you take moving forward Jordan love or canny pick it you know uh I think it’s unquestionable at

This point uh the way Jordan love has played that he’s he’s over the hump at this point man you know Baker Mayfield there’s no way the Buccaneers let Baker Mayfield get way this offseason right wouldn’t expect it he wants to come back he’s happy there he’s had success there

So I would expect him to remain in Tampa Bay yes and then the Texans I mean at least on the surface with CJ strout seems like they’ve hit hit gold there uh is just I think you know your overarching takeaway as as a as a Steelers fan and and and analyst

Is yeah what is Steelers going to do at the quarterback position and and obviously you’re going to be interested to see the OC hire that this team has and that’s going to be another segment that we’re going to talk about segue into here here pretty soon uh as far as

This show goes but you know is one of Kenny picket or Mason Rudolph that guy sure and I think most people would be at the least skeptical of that at least when compared to the names we just mentioned and the other point I want to make that maybe is a little bit less

Obvious you know obviously some of these quarterbacks are you know top three picks you got a couple of number one overall picks who played this weekend in Goff in Baker CJ stra a very high pick but not all these guys were Mahomes where’ Mahomes go 14th overall I think

Josh Allen was seventh Lamar Jackson was 32nd Baltimore remember Baltimore they drafted Hayden Hurst over Lamar Jackson the Old South Carolina 26y old tight end former Pirates pitcher and then they traded back up into the last pick of the first round to take Lamar Jackson Brock pie obviously you know seventh round

Pick so while obviously your Blue Chip quarterbacks are you know often taken in the top know number one overall top five picks some of these names have fallen down through at least in two relatively attainable places for Pittsburgh to potentially trade up in if they wanted

To go to seven that’s possible it would take a lot it would cost a lot but it’s not trying to go to number one where it just feels impossible to do so or in the you know 101 type spot or something like that so just an interesting point that

Not all these quarterbacks well they have been first rounders pry aside not all of them have been top three selections right right uh and look I mean to to me you just and it’s been this way for for years I mean ever since the Inception of this show uh been

Talking about the importance of quarterbacks and you don’t have a good quarterback it doesn’t feel like you’re gonna win a Super you know you might get in there like the Steelers did this year and and you know who knows you know uh uh you might win a game here and there

But to to to get to that next level to get back to winning you know championships feels like you got to have one of quote unquote the guy I mean and throw the stats aside you just look at some of the some of the some of the

Throws and some of the plays that these quarterbacks made just this this this past weekend alone right I mean even stal uh some of those uh you know the dagger Concepts and his ability to throw in the middle of the field Jordan love did some really nice things uh uh uh in

In you know these last couple of weeks here Mayfield can still even though he made you know made a a crucial mistake there at the end of that game he’s still able to push that football down the field uh G still still able to throw uh

And and and throw to the Middlefield and obviously you got guys that can use their feet in in Josh Allen Patrick Mahomes obviously Lamar Jackson uh you know you and then you look back at the Steelers situation right now and you just wonder you know is just just

Going you know what’s what’s what’s the ceiling when it comes to the quarterback position assuming they get a guy like Mason Rudolph back to compete with Kenny picket sure again that’s going to be the question honestly the best throw of the weekend maybe the best throw of the year

Was an incompletion and you posted it on Twitter that 61 yard throw that Josh Allen had the digs that went right through his hands and if he catches that they might have won that game I mean that is I good luck finding a better than that one and people automatically

Came at me well it was with the wind and and and all like that I don’t I don’t care uh yeah uh that was that was right in his hands you I mean you’re talking 62 63 yards from from launch Point down the field in cold weather in in a in a

In a key moment of a you know game playoff game and you could not have run down there and probably placed that ball in any any better than that now look it it’s not all about throwing the football 60s something yards down the field but

Let me tell you that does not hurt yeah it’s just high level quarterback play gets you to a chance to win a trophy right and and once again I mean you got to be impressed with with things stal did and you know you got Lamar Jackson

Able to make throws and and pretty love and and gez I mean you go through all these quarterbacks you roll back in your head just the plays that that that that quarterback’s made in these previous four games quarterback’s important uh I’m I’m not breaking any ground there and you

Know it’s partly because of the quarterback play but you’re seeing aggressive teams too teams that are more willing to push the envelope and there’s a a risk to that you know I know that in La for example Bradon Staley he was aggressive at times and they got burned

And he got you know mocked at Fourth but Dan Campbell being aggressive even though it didn’t work the the Bills running that that that fake punt there’s a level of aggression that you know these teams will make and you’re seeing a team that was a bit more conservative

Like Tampa Bay they lose because of that um in Pittsburgh you know understandably it has a conservative slant right now because they don’t have that highlevel type play and they have to really protect the football but again philosophically it’s hard to be kind of more you know ball control and

Conservative and let’s not make the mistake and and have that lead you to a championship pass it’s just hard to do all right uh let let’s indulge the people here we’re talking about quarterback here before we because we’re obviously going to talk about you know

Uh uh you got a great post on on offensive coordinators and and who should be at the top of the list for the Steelers the most logical I want to get to that in a minute here but let’s say this team did not wanted to

Go indeed wanted to go the fre the free agent route or the trade route this off season MH to to take another quarterback stab what would that look like in terms of the who or the how or both I guess both I mean indulge the folks here that think they got to go

Outside and not necessarily the draft uh to do it a lot of people are trying to point uh we we we we’ll bring up the name Justin Fields I don’t think we’re going to get away from uh people wanting wanting to talk about Justin Fields uh

This off season but uh here here’s the thing once again when you get to and I wrote about this several several weeks ago if you did trade for a guy like Justin Fields a what would you have to give up to get a guy like that uh from from from the

Bears uh second it would be uh you you know if you turn around and and and did trade for a guy because his fifth year option decision you know do you do you throw a pick at him don’t pick up his fifth year option see how he

Does for one year and if he passes them uh passes the the you know uh the sniff test uh and you would obviously then have to franchise tag him and then you’d probably have to sign him to a long-term deal and then be married to him x amount

Of years he’d have to have one hell of a uh a good first season you know uh with with the steers to to to make that worthwhile is that anybody at all you you would consider I hadn’t sat down and really watched and broken down Justin Fields if you want to

Make the case for him let’s just kind of entertain that for a moment he makes some of those high-end highlevel plays often with his feet but he can with his arm too when it comes together he looks like a really promising quarterback in the out of structure stuff and the Run

Game element stuff and could that open up even more nij Harris and Jaylen War when teams have to account for the quarterback in the Run game that really stresses them now they only have now 10 to defend the the running back well somebody’s got to be focused on the

Quarterbacks that that’s the attraction with Justin Fields is if you kind of smooth out his consistency some and some of the technical stuff in the past game you’d have a quarterback that can make some really high level plays like what you see these quarterbacks playing this weekend are capable of doing okay well

What once again you you would run into the situation that he hasn’t you know are you know C can you set up an environment in a situation with an OC and and and coaching to bring out uh uh of of Justin Fields what you know no you

Know what the Bears have been unable to do so far sure that’s fair and the problem if you try to map this out is you’re hiring your OC before you trade for Justin fields and you can’t hire the OC based off the Assumption you’re going to trade for Justin fields and can those

Guys mesh and make it work you know it’s going to be tricky to do so again I I my I’m proponent of the draft that’s usually where these again that the quarterbacks were playing I mean I mean Goff was traded but you know in the AFC

These are all draft picks they stay with their team they they draft develop they start they become elite players that’s how I would focus on the quarterback position but if you want to talk about the other names you can mention fields and the high level plays he’s capable of

Making and for starters once again Fields is under contract with the Bears through 2024 and he’s set to earn a fully guaranteed uh uh a little a little bit more than 3.2 million next season as the final uh year of his rookie contract uh his fifth year option decision is due

By by um coming up here in May that fifth year option you know is obviously for the 2025 season and I think uh it would be estimated that that uh would be 20 almost $22 million that you’d be locked into fully guaranteed money for 2025 so I’m not advocating this I’m just

Indulging the people that want want want to talk about that uh that in other words if you went out this off season and you traded for Justin Fields you’d almost you’d almost be forced to go ahead and pick up the fifth year option because what you know what why are you

Going that direction throw the draft Capital uh uh and stuff to get them anyway uh you know you would be locked into paying him nearly $22 million into 2025 but you know that that’s a lot of money to get locked into for the for the IFC come you know people will point to

Well look look look at what’s happened with Jared G right you know uh but has Fields even had any kind of nearly success that that golf had before he was traded away yeah I mean golf what went to a Super Bowl um you know he was he

Did I don’t think he led them necessarily to the Super Bowl was kind of the the scheme and the team around him um Fields again has had his moments he’s he’s a really flighty kind of dude some really great moments some really questionable ones still trying to figure

Out that consistency and reduce the mistakes in his game and you’re trying to build around that as an offense and those are maybe some of the challenges that come with Justin Fields I wonder what the Bears timetable if they were to trade him would be because they hold the

They hold the top pick so is it just once they get comfortable and kind of give the official you know thumbs up to a Caleb will is that when they decide okay we’re going to take Caleb Williams he’s our guy so let’s trade Justin Fields will that be later in the year po

Combine I don’t know I wonder when those rumors and those kind of conversations will begin I would think obviously later in this process you know of the pre-draft process I I could see it happening you know a couple of weeks out from the draft or during the draft

Itself yeah if it’s during the draft that could be even crazier if it’s right around that time so yeah it’s going to be later it’s not going to be tomorrow it’s not going to be next week I just don’t know how much later is later is it

In and could it even be post draft if they tra him and they get Caleb Williams in the building and he looks good in OTAs I don’t know I mean obviously teams who like to trade for Fields so sooner the better they can plan out them their their their course financially and from

A draft standpoint need standpoint get them in the system as early as you can so I just wonder how that timeline will look okay and you know obviously we’re GNA hear a lot more probably about kurk cousins and and Russell Wilson but if you go down those

Paths you’re gonna probably have to pay a little bit through the nose contractually uh first and foremost and these aren’t guys that going to play another five six years in a league it would be for the we want to win it now crowd right sure and I think Pittsburgh

There’s enough Talent if you were to add a Kirk Cousins you know you’re going to have a obviously a better chance I think to compete there is going to be a more plausible path you’re not in this rebuild mode where you’re kind of sticking a veteran quarterback with a

Team that needs a lot of work overall Pittsburgh needs some work but they made the playoffs despite all the issues that they had this year so there’s a case to be made there um yeah cousins is a good quarterback he’s not an elite quarterback but he might be in that tier

Below those Elite level quarterbacks he is that potentially you know top 12ish type of quarterback in football where if everything comes together you stay healthy got a good defense good run game yeah you there’s a there’s a plausible path to to compete there and Wilson I

Mean he did play really well the first half of the year I mean he was playing some really good football for Shawn pton and then things kind of you know went crazy down the stretch and the whole contract issues and he gets benched and they’re probably going to you know have

A divorce there but it is important to point out Wilson’s numbers overall look good and his play Early in the season seemed to be doing pretty well all that said and based on what Mike Tomlin said recently in in in his in I mean how shocked would you be if this team

Went outside and traded for or signed uh a free now Mike tommen did say during you know as far as he was asked does he does he watch these quarterbacks during the draft process and he he chalked it up to I love Personnel so uh I’m I’m

Gonna watch every position so to speak in the quarterback position you know basically being so important he’s going to pay attention to that because you might be facing these guys you know uh down the road is there anything that leads you to believe that this team

Would go down the road of trading for a fields or uh going after a Russell Wilson or or or or or or Kirk Kirk Cousins no I would be shocked I do not expect it and I’m not here advocating for it I’m just entertaining the thought process because

I think we’ve talked about yeah it’s almost certainly not going to happen but if you want to just kind of be open to it for a moment in in a conversation and a long offseason to discuss what those guys offer it’s okay to do that so I’m

Not saying they should I’m not expecting them to but just to put on that hat for a second that’s kind of the the value the benefit the idea behind it should this team however I’m with I’d be shocked if they if they went down either of those roads from based on you know

What has come out of people’s mouth so far do you want them to though do you think they should explore that a Kirk Cousins a Fields no but I tell you this uh I would not be opposed to to seeing them show up at some quarterback Pro days in the pre-draft

Process yeah I get that um have you I know we’re very early in the draft process are there any quarterbacks as you kind of casually no no I mean other than just the names out there and watching college football through the season I have not dug into the tape uh

Enough uh uh I mean look pinnick you know I E even though you he’s got the in he’s he’s got some impressive throws on tapate you know uh but then there’s the injury concerns and all like that and you know so already there’s talk about

What is he is he a first rounder is he a third round you know third round guy and all like that I haven’t dug far enough into his tape uh uh uh with that but you know there’s going to be a lot of because this because of the position

Being so valued those guys tend tend to end up getting drafted at least in the third round or higher you know I don’t know who’s going to fall and all like that I I I I would just leave it at this I think that the team uh especially whoever comes

In offensive coordinator you know should be involved in properly thoroughly evaluating the quarterback class just to stay in the habit of doing it more than anything too I get that and I think that they will and they should be they need to be yeah pedex will be a guy that we

Might talk about more than the others because Caleb Williams there’s no chance obviously Drake May almost no chance Jaden Daniels probably is goingon to go you know within the top five top 10 not going to be a realistic option for Pittsburgh but pennx is a guy that you

Know may be a later first round second round type of dude I’m not really sure where he’s going to settle in at but he’s a he’s a realistic name to discuss in this STP process all right well kind kind of ending it with with this I mean

We’ll see what happens with with would what if this team isn’t uh able to get Mason Rudolph back under contract you know well I think they go sign a veteran equivalent I’m not sure who that name is not not you know cousins not Wilson but a veteran equivalent to because they

Need a they can’t have a rookie come in and you know try to compete with with pick it probably um in terms of a you know third fourth round pick so probably just some sort of other veteran that come in all right it feels like their priority will be and in so many

Words Mike Tomlin said we’d like to have Mason Rudolph back so it’d be interesting to see what happens these next couple of weeks especially maybe that week or so right before free agency starts do you take any stocks some of the beat guys were putting lower odds on

Rudolph’s return than us around 30% 45% I know we’re all just kind of you know arbitrary numbers here but did that give you any sort of thought to the likelihood of Rudolph returning I mean I think his most likely landing spot is coming back to the devil

He knows and I you know uh uh I think it all comes down to price once again I think once again I think Mason increased his value and how could he not in those in those games that he played in I still think there’s a cap on how he’s viewed

Around the league uh overall uh you know so I what what’s the question what do I read much into the percentage CH I I think I think the Steelers are the favorites to resign him or or to land him I’m with you but yeah I think you

Know Mark Kabal from the Athletics said 30% chance and trubisky could stay and you know if they can’t resign Rudolph we had a discussion what does that mean for trubisky does he stay around at least longer because are you going to you know not pick up the roster bonus on Tris as

Rudolph is walking out the door you know you can argue that certainly trabis should stick around for at least a little bit to give you another option so we’ll see but I I I think there’s still a you know greater than 50% chance and I think even higher than that that Rudolph

Will resign with Pittsburgh Well here here’s the thing now obviously this was uh pre Omar Khan and all like that this team hated not having Options under contract when it came to the quarterback room you know we saw it a couple years ago when they when they uh even uh uh

Inked Mason Rudolph to to that extension that they had they like to have options uh at least I think heading in in in in into the draft of at least having a couple of guys under contract now technically right now uh Mitch trabis is under contract for 2024 and

Obviously Kenny picket is as well too so uh the thing is the the good thing with trabis if there is any good thing with with trabis is that that that roster bonus is after the star the new league year so you should have your you would

Think that you’d have your answer on MAA Rudolph whether or not he’s coming back by the time that roster bonus is due and obviously if you get Mason Rudolph resigned you would think you you you you you turn loose Mitch triski oh sure if Rudolph does come back before that

Roster bonus is due then there’s no chance they’re gonna pick that up on Tris there’s no point at that point but if they don’t then that becomes the question yeah look I mean you better have an another one lined up ready to go if if not then you’re going to you’re

Going to at least probably pay that roster bonus to Mitch to get you through draft season you know yeah I think that’s where that that could be headed if that scenario plays out so something to watch for sure all right uh without further Ado you’ve got a great

Post about the five most logical candidates uh for the steers offensive coordinator and there’s a little there’s a little bit development uh to that list uh even this morning here so going to turn the floor over to you and and let you roll through it is the five most

Logical there are six names on there because why are they the most logical start start it that way recap recap that yeah the way that I frame this is the names who fit the criteria that Mike Tomlin laid out during his end of year presser and there were three things a no

Internal candidates so no Eddie fauler no Mike sullin it will be an outside external hire and then B Tomlin prefer somebody with coordinator experience I presume at the NFL level not somebody that’s new the way that Randy fer or Matt Canada were new to calling plays at

The NFL level for the first time and the struggles that came with that so kind of an established name not necessarily young upand Comer and then third while it probably wasn’t a requirement the pref and Tomlin called it significant that the OC would have a quarterback coaching background of some sort

Somebody that can work with quarterbacks given the position Pittsburgh is in that Kenny picket is in that Mason Rudolph may be in if he were to return so Outsider experience quarterback background that’s how I made up this list and again it was 6 until about 700

Am this morning when I woke up and scrolled through Twitter and saw the Chicago Bears were finalizing a deal to hire Seahawks OC Shane Waldren to be their OC so I left walen’s name on the list because I’d already had this long you know article written out and I just

Had the update that he’s now off the board so um it actually kind of really sucked because I waldwin was going to be my guy I was I was preparing Dave to come on the show today be like the Steelers should go hire Shane walren and they’re not going to get that chance

Because he’s headed to Chicago now all right now roll roll roll through each one of these uh other other ones individually yeah the and this is in no order at first and then I’ll kind of go through the names that I think are most likely to be you know the options for

Pittsburgh but starting with Pep Hamilton Who currently works for NFL Network Pittsburgh interviewed him or at least they had I don’t know actually if they interviewed him but they had interest in him in 2021 before promoting Matt Canada there were three names floated at the time Canada Hamilton and

Hugh Jackson and so Hamilton quarterback background working with Andrew luck Justin Herbert had success with those guys Herbert became Rookie of the Year in 2020 where Hamilton was the quarterbacks coach he has the OC experience he’s with the Texans in 2022 he’s with the Colts did it in college at

Stanford for a couple years as well he’s been a head coach he’s been a GM with the XFL briefly with a DC Defender so he’s kind of worn all those types of hats and just are kind of known for coaching the quarterback position um he’s a brought up in the west coast

System but doesn’t you know beholding himself to those ideals he wants a power Run game Rhythm completion pretty open in meetings for guys to come in bring in their ideas now I know his last stop in Houston in 2022 did not go well that offense was bad but they

Really had no Talent they had no quarterback play so how much do you judge him harshly for it it’s hard to say but for Pittsburgh showing the interest before his quarterback background checking those boxes I think Hamilton makes a lot of sense yeah I would agree and some someone we’ve

Definitely talked about before past in in in on in post and on on this show as well too all right who what you got next do we know if he ever interviewed for the job I know I’m kind of we’re trying to think way back but all I ever saw was

An interview was coming and they had interest I don’t know if one actually took place with Hamilton and the Steelers I don’t know if we know that for sure no all right next on the list is Alex Van Pelt and this got mentioned last week when the Browns in kind of

Clear cleaning house offensively the OC in Cleveland he was let go by the team now I I I think the connections really shouldn’t matter much Pittsburgh just has to focus on getting the higher right but sometimes those connections and those ties to Tomlin or the organization

Or the city they don’t hurt and so Van Pelt was born in Pittsburgh played for the pit Panthers drafted by the Steelers in the early 90s um but more to his resume he was Aaron Rogers quarterback coach through 2014 to 2017 Rogers thought highly of him he’s been the

Browns OC for the past four seasons and until being let go now he was not the play caller that is important to note there Kevin stefansky called the plays there except for the 2020 wild card game in which stansky was at home with covid and Van Pelt called that as Cleveland

Upset Pittsburgh van Pelt was the bills OC in 2009 I believe he called the play then so he does have that experience although it was a long time ago um again quarterback play he wants to be a voice in that room he believes in the Run game that’ll fit with Pittsburgh because

They’re going to still be run oriented type of Team uh the downside again lack of play calling and seems to be more of a wide Zone outside Zone preference in the Run game which does not fit Pittsburgh’s personality with Harris and Warren but for the connections and more importantly the quarterback background I

Can see Van Pelt at least being brought in for an interview man with what he was able to do with the Browns spefic you know specifically this past year and yeah I know but I mean look they they had lost chub obviously early in the

Season is was this do you think this is just more of a a a a clash of heads and why he got let go by Cleveland that’s a great question I don’t know um it kind of felt like there was probably something behind the scenes because on

The surface it worked well I mean they were on their four string quarterback they lost all their offensive tackles they lose Nick chub and they finished as the 10th ranked scoring offense in football I mean it’s unbelievable how well they kept things together despite all the crap they dealt with so it

Didn’t feel like there was a production um for sure I mean you look what they were able to get done with even Joe flacko and you know scheming things and and and getting players open the way they did man they used of the tight end in that offense obviously uh they able

To get things done on the ground with with with with those running backs even after chub went down uh it made it curious why he was out the door it it is but you know if they’re going to hire somebody with experience that means they’re going to hire somebody who

Failed along the way who got fired or something went wrong that just comes with a territory of that experience as opposed to the upand comer who’s really unproven but you hope the guy can can make it work so that that’s story on Van Pelt bevel next on the list here the

Dolphins pass game coordinator and quarterback’s coach he’s been if you want experience for you know an OC position he’s your guy four-time OC Minnesota Seattle Detroit Jacksonville quarterback’s coach early in his career obviously Miami really exciting offense ton of creativity kind of like I shouldn’t say what the M Canada offense

On steroids but I mean it is just you know high level motion based you know matchup based type of offense and they ranked what first in yards and total yards and passing yard second in points and everyone knows how good the Dolphins were this year and also just for that

Connection aspect he was on staff with Mike Tomlin in Minnesota in 2006 Beville was the OC Tomlin was the DC so there’s so some probably history and connection between Daryl Beville and Mike Tom I think I called him Darren Beville on the last show so I’ll get the name right

This time it’s baral bevel and he again checks everything this team is looking for he was even a quarterback in college and as well too right I think so yeah so the quarterback background he was also the Jaguars interim head coach whenever Urban Meyer got fired in 2021 so just

Wearing those hats of leadership and all that now I mean he’s kind of been known you know for being a big conservative with the Run game and of course there was that whole you know play call in the Super Bowl that got picked by Malcolm Butler that’s just one moment in time

But people will not forget that so I I do wonder will he keep the creativity once he if he were to leave Miami you know would he still be able to do that with the personnel and not being around a guy like Mike McDaniel I I don’t know

For sure all right next on the list but younger kind of a different background Clint kubak a name that’s been mentioned I’m sure a couple times around Steelers OC circles from the media and other places but Vikings OC in 2021 currently the 49ers pass game coordinator the son

Of Gary kubak was the Broncos quarterback’s coach in 2022 also their pass game coordinator so everyone knows the high level offense San Francisco is running um marrying you know the Run game in the past game play action just really strong scheme overall kak viewed as one of those upand Comer types who

Probably coordinate an offense here sooner than later again does have at least one year of experience doing that in Minnesota in 2021 on so if you kind of want the younger kind of younger young and upand comer but with that experience too that blend kubak can be

The guy what is he 36 36 years old okay all right uh you mentioned you know Shane Waldron’s on your list but it doesn’t look like that’s uh it looks like he’s going somewhere else uh uh Liam Liam Cohen yeah just wanted to have a different name on here uh Liam conen uh

I think it’s Cohen yeah Cohen uh from Kentucky he’s the Kentucky Wildcats OC but he’s kind of he’s weirdly bounced back and forth between the Rams and Kentucky he was the wild he was the Rams assistant quarterback’s coach in 2020 then went to Kentucky to be their OC in

2021 then went back to the Rams in 2022 to be their OC and then back to Kentucky in 2023 to be the the OC and quarterbacks coach kuy’s had great success in college they’ve you look at the the year without him as the ROC they they averaged 20 points per game in the

Two two years he been the OC they AED around 30 points per game the McVey tree marrying the runin pass game um some of those ideals Pittsburgh will be looking for you know that’s kind of more of a probably not going to be the guy but but

I think Cohen you know again makes sense uh I think that’s all on your list uh Zach Zack Robinson he has uh he’s never been an NFL offensive coordinator right right he is not that’s why he was not on that list could it be him sure it

Could be and you know there’s a Mason Rudolph connection there and the Rams connection and all that kind of stuff but it didn’t seem like he was going to fit the criteria that’s why he’s not on there it’s why you know even though I think te Morton’s interesting name is

Not on there he’s been an OC in college Martin has but not at the NFL level so I was just trying to stay within the guidelines of what Tomlin was seemingly outlining uh uh is there a reason why you didn’t put uh Byron Leftwich or who’s uh

Dorsy yeah I mean you know I could have put another half dozen names on the list um you know left which we’ve talked about before you know dorsy I have to do some more research on why he got fired mid-season by Buffalo you know I think

He would make sense as well I mean I had other names that I you know had on an initial list of uh bo hardigree from the Raiders who was not being retained by Antonio Pierce to Mike McCoy to even kicked around you know Cliff Kingsbury

But I don’t think his system is going to work well in Pitts ber um I mean I had probably a dozen names initially that I kind of Whittle down to a more you know concrete list of people but yeah dorsy can be mentioned as well all right and

You came up with your final leaderboard yeah again I would have had walri not just been hired by Chicago at least reportedly hired he would have been my guy for the scheme versatility for quarterback play MC fatri I think he was like the guy um in terms of who I

Think will be the most attracted to Pittsburgh of this list and again who knows there so many names that can be mentioned I think Daryl Beville Dave and you mentioned him last week on Wednesdays or Friday show makes the most amount of sense for his you know just

Just tons of OC experience what Miami did this year um his quarterback background what also still being rooted in that run game I think Daryl bevel is a guy that Pittsburgh will have a lot of interest in give yourself a percentage of a chance that one of these three guys

Winds up being the guy well one of the the three because my leaderboard was bevel and then Van Pelt and then Pep Hamilton right you um the percentage chance yeah it’s it’s so hard to say I mean we’re obviously just kind of we we are literally guessing here 80% no I

Wouldn’t give myself that much credit I mean 50% maybe a coin flip one of these guys becomes the guy I mean it just you know I mean who knows they might even hire somebody that didn’t hit all those notes that Tomlin mentioned maybe somebody just gets interviewed and they

Blow him away and they just say we’re gonna hire this guy because he just seems to be too darn good so there’s no there’s no guarantee it’s going to be those hitting all those notes Mike tomman talked about yeah but you would think that my first question after the

Fact would be well you said that I I you know his his words would get thrown back at him right you said you wanted one you know with W with with with NFL coordinator experience you know yeah I mean it could be something where you know it’s an Arthur Smith where he maybe

Doesn’t have the technical quarterback coach position before but he’s been an OC and been a head coach and so he’s worked with quarterback and so that’s good enough I mean it could be something like that I don’t know uh but it could be a guy that hits all those notes it’s

Not on this list you could have another again I have a a worksheet here I can probably pull up all of all the other names I just kind of you know thumb through as I was you know researching this stuff over the weekend if I can

Find a Kellen Moore if he doesn’t get blocked by the Chargers um you know Pete carmichel of the Saints or longtime OC who got fire but I don’t think that made a ton of sense overall um yeah kingsberry I mean just you know all the names you could you could talk about

I’ll you won’t do it but I’ll give you a 75% chance at one of those one of these three end up being a guy I mean they you’ve all you’ve made you did really good job researching this and uh uh it’s hard it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s hard to

Find fault with your final top three leaderboard really yeah I think they all makes sense and I know I took a little while to get this article up other places have probably written about some of these things before but I mean I didn’t want to just write their name and

Say okay here’s their Wikipedia page and this is the guy that they could have interested I wanted to really go deep into the background and research them and listen to their interviews and of course whoever the higher is we’re going to research that 10 times more but I

Really wanted to have a a list of names that I thought I was familiar with and made sense and and truly seemed to fit what Pittsburgh was looking for and look this thing now at this point should start moving PR pretty quick right uh with the Senior Bowl coming up and all

Like that yeah I think you’re going to hear some interview names this week I still expect a higher to be made post Senior Bowl I would probably say the first week of February just too tight of a turnaround with the Senior Bowl coming up they talk to some guys down there and

Have some dinners and I don’t know some maybe some movement gets made at the Senior Bowl or the Shrine Bowl um but my guess is first week of February is when the higher will actually occur all right good job on that do you have any thoughts about any other OC names as

You’ve kind of about I think you’ve covered the gamut here I mean I I I would you know I brought up the name Zack Robinson but once again he doesn’t fit because of you know he would fit because of his Association P we’ve talked about him before association with

With Mesa Rudolph and all like that but I mean if we’re we’re looking at if we’re looking at the criteria that Mike tommen laid out I mean it’s you know other than adding guys like left witch and dorsy and I mean you you could build the list out easily six seven eight more

Right you know oh yeah uh but I think as far as links you know uh uh to Pittsburgh and and and what they should be looking for and you know once again all the criteria that Mike tommen laid out I think you nailed it yeah hopefully you guys enjoy it and uh

You can see the whole list on Steelers depot.com all right Dave uh let’s talk about uh current Steelers as opposed to potential future you know people in that building Mason Cole and know we talked about him on Friday show but you had a great article that was really well

Received you know kind of giving the heads up to fans that hey this guy you know while he may not be on the week one roster there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to be on this roster past uh March and into uh the bulk of the offseason

Into the summer so kind of lay out why you think that is I don’t know how well received it was well I mean it was read well people yeah point taken though uh and and this kind of goes back a little bit to our conversation the other day

There look we we all get it uh this team uh if if if if they can any way around it they don’t need Mason Cole to be their week one uh starting center uh this is a position that I hope this team addresses uh uh sooner rather than later

In the 2024 draft but you know this the Steelers also don’t like to you know put themselves in a hole where they absolutely have to go in in in a certain uh draft positioning now look they they do have other guys under kind trct uh uh for 2024 who can play

Centering you talk about James Daniels and or or or Nate herig uh do you really want to get in a situation where it might be one of those guys you know you got Spencer Anderson there’s been all that talk about can can he potentially

Uh move to Center and all like that uh I think at the core of this with the with with you’re looking at Cole’s roster bonus decision being in on March 19 18 and that being $1.5 million now if this if the roster bonus decision was three

Million or 4 million I think it I I think you’re you know uh I think it makes it a lot easier to predict that a guy like that would be out the door but would it absolutely kill this team to to pay that roster bonus on March 19th

And then see what happens from that point uh forward even at the end of the last show we talked about who are guys that might you know you might retain that end up being trade trade candidates of of this team later on in the off season uh long story short don’t I’m not

Saying this is slam dunk and the reason I wrote this is is it a foregone conclusion that Cole is out the door on March 19th and I and and my takeaway here and and it’s it’s the principle of the article is I’ll not I don’t think

Anybody should be shocked if he is I I could I’m not gonna be shocked either way that this goes you can make you know you can make great arguments that you know low roster bonus amount be damned he should be cut by March 19th I get

That I mean he’s a he’s been in several tweets of mine this offseason of guys that are due roster bonuses in March that you know you’re going to have to have discussions uh about uh paying his $1.5 million roster bonus just to see how the rest of the offseason goes would

Not be the worst decision in the world in my opinion uh uh people say how dare you call him serviceable well I mean he was he you know he you how many games did this team win with him at Center uh to me in a word that serviceable now do I want to

See him in there as the week one starter if this team can afford it uh uh uh to to to to not go that route absolutely I I think this team needs to go a different direction but is it the wor what this boils down to is is it would

It be the worst decision financially and roster constructionwise and security-wise to pay him the $1.5 million roster bonus to see where it goes from there and and ideally you pay that you get into the draft you get the guy that can be your your your future Center he performs well during the

Summer during training camp during the pre-season uh it basically becomes a situ situation like the like the Steelers had back in 2010 with Maris pouncy right who uh they had the veteran uh Center on the roster at at the time I can’t remember if he had a roster bonus

Due that off season or not but uh uh you know you you’re able you get yourself in a position where you can move on from the veteran Center at that point you know what happens if you draft a kid he ends up getting hurt you know uh uh

Through the offseason there and look the uh the list of of of what appear to be and this will change obviously due to you know other teams cutting veteran guys and all like that at least when you look at the list right now of those centers set to become unrestricted free

Agents and all you know would you rather go with the devil that you know right now at least at this point to get past the draft and into the later into the off season anyway long story short I don’t think people should be shocked if Mason Cole

Survives March 19th and just because he if he did survive that doesn’t mean that he can’t still be out the door later on in the off season either just Flatout cutting them or trading them for something because teams some team might might lose a center along the way due to

Injury and might want a veteran guy on a on a cheap price tag uh to come in and and and and be their starting center and Mason Cole could potentially be that guy for a number of teams around the league you laid it out really well Dave and I’m

With you um as you said earlier in the show this team doesn’t like to have that big hole in the roster as they kind of go into the free agency draft process they want to have some options some fallback plans if something doesn’t work out so they don’t feel obligated or

Compelled that’s when you start spending recklessly drafting recklessly reaching for picks and making mistakes and so I I kind of go the expectation they they have a you know greater than 50% chance of picking up that roster bonus on coold just to to at the least be a placeholder

Until they find hopefully through the draft their center of the future I look at this as a $1.5 million insurance policy yeah and that’s not nothing but it could be a lot more as you said you know in in the post if it was 3 million 4 million it’s a different conversation

1.5 you can you can justify that easier you can work around that and look I mean you you you ha you hate to even bring it into the discussion but we just talked about it you know you know earlier in the show you know what happens with Mitch

Trabis you know how how dependent on that is is is it with getting Mason rud now obviously look if you get Mason Rudolph signed uh by the time that that that roster bonus is do for Mitch trisk out the door Mitch goes at that point

But but what if what if what if you don’t have either Mason Rudolph or you know what you anybody would deem is kind of an equivalent to that under contract come that time do you yeah you know do you pick up what did we say the roster

Bonus was $1 million you know yeah you have a good chance of doing that but I’m not advocating that I’m just trying to set out set up a a scenario you know the good news is as we mentioned Friday that’s a couple days in the free agency and so hopefully even if

It’s not Rudolph you can get somebody but the question is what if Rudolph is just taking his time and weighing his options you don’t want to go sign a veteran because you might get Rudolph back but maybe you don’t and that’s like a worst case scenario for Pittsburgh if

They’re just in this weird Middle Ground of not really sure what Rudolph plans to do and we got this thing du on trubisky how do we handle that that’s almost the worst case scenario for what Pittsburgh has to deal with all right agreed but I just want to lay that out there for

Everybody there couple of guys with with with with with roster bonuses and even if you know you keep cold and he becomes a backup I mean he’s your backup you take that I mean it’s not the cheapest backup in the world but you know you can

You can live with that if if that’s what it comes to and God forbid he can play some guard if you needed him to yeah he played a lot of guard I think he’s played more guard in center before Pittsburgh signed him right yeah and I

You know when he was signed though I kind of viewed him as potentially a better Center than he was a guard but experience right uh he does have experience in there God forbid that another words and look if you if you if you keep him past the uh the the the

Roster bonus uh due date and you pay that to them you’re gonna keep them on your roster up until late in the off season at that point yeah either until cutdowns or a potential trade or you keep them you’re not going to cut them in you July 10th or something that’s not

Not going to almost certainly not going to happen all right so this will be you know I don’t I don’t want to say I told you so but it it could you know and look once again I’m not going to be shocked if he goes out the door you know prior

To that roster bonus being due but be prepared for him to survive that date is all I’m saying the good news is it seems like it’s a pretty strong Center class there are going to be some uh options excuse me for Pittsburgh come April draft Dave we have some news it’s not a

Huge piece of news but it is news all the same uh Pittsburgh will have at least one coach at the Senior Bowl coaching in the Senior Bowl this year that is assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams he’ll be coaching the uh who is it the uh I want to get the right

Side here and don’t say the wrong team for the Senior Bowl that will take place later this month the American team it’ll be him and a Colts o line coach coaching up the American team offensive line so we know that and that’ll give an inside look on that group there all right good

Deal and uh any I’m trying to look at the names no no names sticking out to me in terms of um uh the coach the the prospects in this game but we’ll get ourselves up to speed we’ll have our Jonathan heitritter and Ross mccorkel at

The Senior Bowl this year and a bunch of people at The Shrine Bowl as well so we’ll be well represented when it comes to All Things draft related all right what else do we have to get to today have we covered most of it uh we basically have one other just small

Draft thing and Dave and I Dave and I are very much in our infancy when it comes to draft stuff Pro files just beginning to go up on the site right now over the last couple of days but you mentioned one in our group chat I think

Over the weekend that really caught my attention and I really want to go uh watch him and that is Darius Robinson defensive end from Missouri and just from a measurable standpoint he seems to check all the boxes yeah you hate to just Scout uh but

I mean uh by by measurables alone but I I got to admit because I’m putting together all these sheets for the guys uh that has links to their uh bios and early kind of uh uh Speculator 40 times in history and and where they’re ranked on on some of the scouting site big

Boards and all every year I we we try to get these guys as prepared as possible when it comes to the all-star game uh kids and you can’t help but once you get all this laid out the spreadsheet uh like I do to start start looking through

Some of the measurables and all and the last several years especially when it comes to Steelers in defensive linemen uh I immediately scan for that guy that’s like 64 65 that’s uh 290 uh or or or or or or or more pounds and uh you do that this year on the

Senior Bowl list and you can’t help but uh uh when you get to a guy like Darius Robinson out of Missouri by stopping and saying well uh because uh uh even Kevin Colbert you know uh back when he was in charge he mentioned body types right yep

And anyway when you get to a guy like Robinson uh come across uh a scouting profile out there from a Sam TS who’s uh uh got some interesting work on on on the web right now uh he has listed in there uh Jim naggie who obviously is the uh

Senior Bowl director uh says that Robinson is a true 65 290 PBS with 34 and 788 inch arms and an 84 and 58 inch wingspan and a 10 and 58 inch hands uh there I read that about needed to go jump in the shower uh uh real quick now

I just barely have touched just looking at at at the tape on him uh the other thing that sticks out uh to him I think he was voted uh two-time team captain uh that’s important for uh for for for Missouri there so uh look uh if you want to get into spreadsheet

Scouting which you know you shouldn’t be doing a lot of but just that that alone and and and thinking to the uh point that man this team probably needs to seriously consider drafting a another defensive lineman uh this year at some point here and knowing that Robinson’s

Probably not going to be a first round guy uh just off the cuff here I don’t know anywhere between at least you know second to to to to to late third maybe early fourth uh this is a guy that I think needs uh that our guys need to be

All over when they’re down her mobile for sure I’ll have a report on him later this week excited to hear about him from our guys St we have boots on the ground in Mobile um but he just one of those guys where he checks those boxes and

It’s so hard to find those those names uh those guys that are 64 65 with 33 plus inch arms you can play defensive end you’re weighing around 290 300 lb they just aren’t many body types like that and that’s what the attraction was to keani Benton initially last year was

Okay he fits those boxes he’s Wisconsin guy let’s see if the tape works the tape did work everything matched up he becomes Pittsburgh’s pick and has a really strong rookie season so I got to watch Robinson I think we all have to do that some more but the production was there 14 tackles

For a loss eight and a half sacks last year despite battling injury First Team all SEC selection I mean just on paper that’s the guy sit there and say okay let’s go watch more of Darius Robinson and who was the first guy you had uh had circled a year ago at this

Time it was Kean Benton yeah so uh you know we’ll we’ll we’ll look they’re going to have interest in this kid to some degree I I we’ll say that you know oh yeah they’re going to see you know at this guy at the Senior Bowl and meet

With him they with a bunch of guys at the Senior Bowl but that’s a guy on their list of let’s go find out more of and see if he’s seriously worth considering and if if the tape is as good as the profile looks then we talking about him for quite some time

This offseason I I agree all right Dave anything else here otherwise we can get do some reader emails and close out Today’s Show reminder Dave and I will have a live stream tonight our first first off season 1 on YouTube at 700 p.m. eastern time for an hour you can

Find it on my YouTube channel just search my name Alex kazora and uh you can ask a question to Dave and myself all right Lenny and Cleveland writes in hi guys Alex I enjoyed your article this morning about potential OC hires and had a question with Ron Rivera being out in

Washington would it make sense to bring him in as our defensive coordinator uh I heard he still wants to coach uh also Eric beny as our OC uh know you guys don’t think uh ta deserves to be uh let go but I do he says uh go through the

Schedule and look at how many quarterbacks shredded our defense uh he says San Francisco Houston Jags Titans Arizona New England Indie and finally Buffalo was the worst hate that our season’s over but can’t wait for the SD uh great coverage so what what do you say about Ron Riva and uh uh Eric

Benemy yeah Rivera is certainly a defensive-minded coach and probably won’t become a head coach again or anytime soon so he’ll probably land on on a defensive staff somewhere um but you know did Pittsburgh have some issues in the past game no question again the question is how much of that falls on

Austin were there things he he wasn’t doing he should have been doing or was it because they they were on fifth and stct sixth string safeties and uh inside linebacker issues and those kinds of things um and even then they didn’t give a mountains of points to those teams

They didn’t play well necessarily but you know they didn’t give up you know huge chunks of points and they were able to keep a lit on things and and battle and compete and keep the score down overall so um you I don’t know where that place would be for Rivera unless he

Wanted just some sort of kind of real assistant you know type role I don’t think I’ll find that in Pittsburgh benemy you know that’s a name I could have put on on that list as well I just wonder you know there’s been some issues with committing to the run and kind of

Sticking to that over time and his quarterbacks kind of get beat up but I don’t know if that’s a a great fit for Pittsburgh all right Craig Samson writes in hello David Alex what a year and what a sad ending I have to say this the tackling in the playoff game was

Atrocious I felt like I was watching a movie in slow motion where the bullied kid runs past his bullies to score uh a touchdown while they all missed their tackles it was surreal I don’t understand uh it’s the most basic fundamental of football also have to say this while certain players played well

Our offensive line has been bad this whole year he writes uh our quarterback Who whoever it is has no time to pass at all if he’s not getting sacked then he’s always getting pressured uh watched the KC game and Mahomes literally seem to have all day to stand in there this is

Also not acceptable third we have uh this issue with covering the tight end forever yet it’s never really addressed constantly we have uh teams just their tight ends just kill us is it our scheme or players well me look when you get down like it’s this team has had

Problems covering tight ends for a while now but when you look at this last year specifically look at all the injuries that they had uh at the position I’ll interject that in there uh he says I like uh Mike tomman but he needs to evolve and so does the team I think I

Remember he once said that he enjoys the gritty low-scoring defensive grinded out games and that is not sustainable in this league he writes we know these problems and everyone knows these problems yet nothing gets done sounds like more of a vent venting email there uh from from from from Craig yeah it’s a

Lot to take in uh the Pittsburgh cover tight ends well the first half of the Season it wasn’t until hokom went down Alexander went down Roberts played through crap and you know they had to rely on Walker and bring miles jack off the couch and play Mark Robinson and

Those things became issues and then the safety You Know safey cover tight ends too especially in some of those weighty moments and they were losing everybody there so it wasn’t just the linebackers it was the safeties as well um it’s been an issue past this year you know

Obviously as you said Dave but this year I think that’s the the reason why uh Nicholas Gooden writes in after being extra focused on Kenny and steers quarterbacks for around two years now are there any new things that either of you have learned or changed your opinions on when it comes to NFL

Quarterback evaluation he says I know that this is uh a popular new buzzword right now but my biggest thought is Elite arm talent I think having arm strength and good pocket pre presence are the two biggest things to look for in prospects nowadays especially if you’re playing in the AFC you got to

Have a guy who’s confident in their ability to drill throws into Tight Windows consistently this is my biggest worry with Kenny average arm Talent isn’t good enough uh anymore in today’s League he writes look uh quarterback evaluation never going to be in exact science at the NFL level uh when you

Roll back in your head at at at at looking things most notably coming out that draft class A couple of years ago uh you know I think accuracy is is something especially when you broke down the tape of a guy like a Ritter I remember going back through and going oh

Man the the where’s the accuracy at uh uh with him but on the flip side you know pick it at least kind of in in in the final year was accurate we remember Mike you know remember the steers talking a lot about picket accuracy coming out of that draft ah the pocket

Presence though man you know yeah uh uh huge and I think uh you know Nicholas you hit on here with Elite arm strength and good pocket presence you know I don’t think you can start a discussion uh now look you’ve got guys that obviously can ex extending the play

In the NFL is a bonus man look how look at how Troublesome guys like Lamar Jackson uh uh Josh Allen Patrick momes are look how look at the extra benefit that you get when you have guys that can extend the play uh but you’ve got to have quarterbacks that

Can hang in the pocket look at what ba look at what Baker did uh uh a couple look at GE love Yeah GF is not playing out of structure that often he’s playing from the pocket you know I mean those guys sticking in there and making throws

And take look at the straal you know what he’s what he’s able to do uh once again I I’m not going to pretend that i’ I’ve got all the secrets with quarterback if I who whoever comes up with the secrets going to be a a a a a

Very rich man because you just see time time in time out year in year out that as as you know as best as you try to get with this quarterback evaluation coming out of college in in in the draft the Mis rate is still incredible right uh

Sure but you know Nick Nicholas I think it’s hard to go away with some of the things that that that that you put in here first and foremost Elite arm strength and good pocket presence I will add on accuracy in there because you can throw it a mile but if you can’t throw

It a mile down there to the right person and then I I think and it’s it’s it’s hard to decipher a lot of times because you don’t know what’s being being called all the time there but you know the ability to break down defenses you could

Have some you could have guys with great pocket presence and Elite arm strength but if they can’t win I me if they can’t read read a defense and and adjust to to to to a defense and changes post pre- Snap and all what what good is that you know yeah the

Physical Talent means nothing if you don’t know where to go with a football in a given situation and with the increase use of defensive Sim pressures and creepers and you know cover zero you have to be able to process and be able to decipher post Snap you know very

Quickly um it’s a great question and I know we’ve talked about before about the value of out of structure play and how that kind of takes you up a level and that that’s what makes Josh Allen Josh Allen Mahomes Mahomes Lamar Lamar Etc but just for me to answer the question

What I’ve kind of honed in on watching young quarterbacks try to develop in Pittsburgh you know post Ben it is the pocket presence and throughout the year during Pittsburgh struggles I just kind of sat there watching and saying man just need a quarterback who can play from within the pocket through the

Fundamentals and the foundational you know levels of football and that’s what Rudolph was able to do that’s why he looked so good it wasn’t anything crazy or mystical or magical it was you just played you know from the pocket going through progressions reading defenses getting the ball out on time in Rhythm

Pickett’s done that in moments but not consistently enough and trubisky really doesn’t do that at all so you kind of go back to those nuts and bolts of quarterback play and I’ve always said you know movement within the pocket is still more important than movement outside the pocket and I still stand by

That but just kind of really huning in on you know can you play from the pocket if you can do that you can succeed in the NFL look we wish we had all the answers of it and and and you know you learn more every draft cycle and that’s what

We try to do but I mean it is hard to get away with with does does Mason have Elite arm well he has strength down here but uh Elite arm talent I will say not Elite arm Talent arm strength but pretty damn good what whatever whatever the

Next phase underneath Elite is I I would classify Mason as having yeah he’s got a live arm uh he doesn’t have the touch element I don’t think yeah I mean I think he’s got a good arm down the sideline do you see some of the middle

Of the field type throws that are you know as high level as other quarterbacks probably not he can do it I mean he he ripped that one the pickings over the middle on third down against the bills um but yeah he’s not he’s not Mahomes

He’s not Allen he can’t he can’t do the off platform type stuff those guys can do and still you know get the ball in there that’s the difference between a Mahomes and an allen and random Mason Rudolph all right let’s go to Lane writes in how much of a factor

With George Pickins and Deontay Johnson’s comments on Mason Rudolph play into tomlin’s decision of the starting quarterback next year if Mason is brought back also how long can Tomlin put up with pickings I’m not close to giving up on him but I will say his immaturity is frustrating he says I know

He has uh he was frustrated in a moment but throwing your helmet on the sideline after a Miss Pi against the bills is a perfect representation of his attitude to this point look I mean it’s off season we we went through we we saw what this team went through with Pickins and

All that Pickins is still a young kid trying trying to uh you know grow up still and you know Tomlin had a few words about him how there’s still meat on the bone or whatnot in there he’s going to continually be a work in progress as far as his immaturity goes

So we’ll just leave it a super talented kid though without a doubt I mean nobody’s going to question that the the the the the talent that He Has there uh you’re not going to let players decide who your quarterback is uh and it’s not surprising that coming out of

The production that Mason Rudolph had that Pickins and Deontay are gonna show up on the timelines of Mason Rudolph yeah on on social media to to answer that no influence johnon and Pickins comments and they’re going to be largely forgotten by the time Camp rolls around unless they say something else in

The future which who knows maybe they do but it’s it’s going to be about the best man the best player who gives his team the best chance to win that’ll be the starting quarterback in 2024 all right Brett n writes in I was just listening to the podcast where you

Given a salary capup update I had a couple of questions on Patrick Peterson if the Steelers decide to keep Peterson why wouldn’t they do a pseudo extension like the one you discussed for Hayward to lower his cap number I know he’s not a lifelong Steeler but he is a Hall of

Famer so it would be uh a face saving move he say yeah I mean you could definitely take a guy like Patrick Peterson not give him any new new money uh in in in the first year take uh his uh his uh his roster bonus

And uh you know chunk of a base salary turn it into a signing bonus add add two years three years whatever you want to and lower his cap cap number that way uh the the question becomes uh is it worth the is it worth the cash for versus uh the idea that

2024 might be his final season could could they go that way is it an option absolutely it is but uh once you make that investment you you would you would when is his roster when did I say his roster bonus is coming up here H it’s

One of those days in March there’s so many I don’t know which one it is the 16th I don’t know it’s right around in there 13 16 if you were going listen to me let me see it’s a March 16th with him uh and it’s a $3 million roster bonus

And a $3.85 million base salary for 2024 if you’re gonna do that you’re gonna do that before March 16 that that that’s I mean is it an option can you lower his cap number a little bit by doing that absolutely uh but if you’re going to do something like that that’s going to

Happen uh by March by by the middle of March there uh number two you discussed uh Ogen Joby and the need at defensive end but to me there’s only one question is he worth 10 million well if you’re going to ask that question about if

You’re gonna say is is is is Ogen Joby worth the 10 million you have to ask the same question about Patrick Peterson right is is he worth worth the the the the 6 point million uh and it is a big question with ogan Joby is he worth the

10 million if he is then you keep him if not you cut him and sign someone else he writes the reality is that in in the next two years you have to rebuild a defensive line uh Larry O is not a long-term option he writes could you

Could replace him uh with Benton and sign a nose tackle and draft another defensive end high or simply uh sign another defensive end yeah I mean all all all all all points taken there they they uh Larry Ogen Joby is a guy you most definitely have to look at his

Contract uh uh this off season yeah I just think you know with the uncertainty of the next guy you would bring in the the domino effect there the actual cost savings overall March 16th roster bonus too so how much is the roster bonus 4.75 million so uh uh you’re you’re you know

You talk about what maybe you can do in free agency and what maybe you can do in the draft uh you know based on look has I you go back to the podcast and things we wrote at the time when when they signed Larry Yen Joby you know that

Contract raised raised I I didn’t see that contract coming it was high for sure we both we both agreed those numbers felt High um listen I agree he’s not the long-term option I think him being gone after next year is far more likely than him being gone this off season even with that

Fairly large roster bonus du look had do Marvin Le taken a step forward this year you know uh along with you getting uh B Benton uh in in in the fold here you know you but what what did if you if you cut Larry Yogen Joby before paying his

Uh March 16th roster bonus you damn sure better know somebody’s come back in the door in free agency uh than uh that’s equal to or or or better uh than than Larry yogan and Joby because if not as we’ve talked about man you got C cam Hayward coming back another year older

Uh obviously you got great prospects there in keano Benton uh but what do you have beyond that in that room and I know he says to move betting over but it feels like they’re going to keep him at nose tackle and so I don’t think he’s

He’s going to play some sub packages and he should play more than than he did this rookie season um yeah I just think if if the depth was better if there was a a fallback play now if they go hypothetic if they sign somebody on the

Second day of for agency and then just turn around and cut oen Joby right then and there I mean that that could work but again my expectation is they will pick it up and the next year might be the year that he becomes the uh the old

Cap casualty yeah it feels really at this point that that like it or not you you’re married to Larry Ogen Joby in 2024 and you just hope that he has his best season as a stealer to date there you do Wonder though who are the guys

They are unlikely to pick up the roster bonus on because are they really going to pick up the roster bonuses on all these guys you think somebody’s going to get right right and and I wrote I wrote you know in my salary capap uh post uh recap there not all these guys are

Pro not only are not all all going to go out the door but some some will you know the question is who I’m trying to find that name you know again if Rudolph is resigned and yeah trubisky no brainer there beyond that I’m having a hard time convincing myself at least which guys

The guy you cut maybe it’s harder to Envision that because you don’t know who the replacement is and Sh cor war is out that that that’s one uh I know Robinson is not a roster bonus right or is there a roster bonus on Robinson uh no okay but he obviously

He’s not going to be at his current number so that there’s a bunch of cap savings there uh Patrick Peterson’s one that you’re gonna have to have prayer meeting about for sure uh Mitch jisy obviously would be out the door if you get uh if you get uh Mason Rudolph back

Into fold we just talked about Mason Cole and you know uh uh fa facing his roster bonus uh I mean Deontay Johnson’s got a $3 million roster bonus but do you really foresee him out the door no so my point is really a core force the only

Guy that were like okay this guy they’re not picking it up there’s really no scenario in which we could see that occurring all right let’s rank them as far as less likely or most likely or less likely to pick up their their their their roster bonus on chakam M cor for

Leads the list at extremely less likely at 4 million uh who would be next on the list Peterson or trabis or Cole I guess would be the question say trisi is uh next because I think they’re going to make every effort to get Rudolph done before that roster bonus comes to on

Tris all right uh who who who would be next do you agree do do you agree TR oh yeah yeah yeah trabis is right you know if if if they can help it they’ll get him out the door uh at the same time as chorar for

Uh then then who’s next Peterson or or Cole yeah that’s where it gets really tough for me I mean oen Joby you can throw him in there too right yeah I mean yeah we’re talking about candidates I I think they would have would have less conversations about Ogen Joby

Because of the room a as opposed to Patrick Peterson I’ll say Cole I’ll rank get a core for tuisy Cole and then yeah Peterson Ogen job I guess look are Larry Ogen Joby Cham cor for Patrick Peterson Mitch trabis and Mason Cole all going to be out the door

By the start of the new league year in March no no no but we don’t expect them all to come back we know a core force not coming back the question is will anyone join him and just because someone doesn’t once again just because someone doesn’t

Go out the door in the middle of May doesn’t mean they won’t eventually go out the door right especially with guys like Mitch and and and and Mason Cole specifically really yeah for the reasons you outlined by the way we mentioned his name or the reader mentioned his name

Rona in an interview for the Eagles DC job so the side of the key Keystone State so there you go on Ron Rivera all right I think we hit all that email there let me see if I can shoehorn us one more in here uh Jeff Berg writes in salary cap

Without a franchise quarterback after hearing Dave go over the salary cap for the steers as we stand now I couldn’t help wondering how we still are in need of so many players the team like the Ravens has a high paid franchise quarterback yet they are loaded in uh

With talent and depth we played uh the bills and despite having a franchise quarterback they still seem to be deep with talent look the bills have got a lot of maneuvering to do salary cap wise I’ll tell you that when you look at their situation he says the Steelers

However have a tiny fraction of the salary capup devoted to the quarterback and yet we need a center a slot receiver safety corner off ball linebacker right tackle one more and yet we’re still up against the cap without a big chunk of money uh to snag needed players and

Build depth why is this to add insult the injury seems like the Ravens seem to always have a bunch of draft picks he says he’s got a lot going on in that email there uh Jeff look I’ll tell you about the Steeler salary Camp situation

You got uh uh T you you went out and spent a lot of money on some players in TJ Watt and uh in in in in M Fitzpatrick and you know you’re and and Alex heith and you’re in you know uh in the midst of those deals not the first year of

Those deals anymore and that that’s when those uh cap charges start increasing there and then you as we pointed out there you look at a guy like Cameron Hayward who uh is in the last last year of his deal and that’s obviously in inflated excuse me and you’re gonna have

To do something there Deontay Johnson’s in in in in the backstages of his deal uh Larry Ogen jooby who we just talked about I mean just because you’re not spinning it on a quarterback does mean that you don’t spend it in other areas and and that’s that’s the situation the

Steers are in right now and you have to spend 90% over that multi-year three three year threee span yeah you got to spend n at least 90% of the cap threeyear total in cash yeah so that makes teams spend and not just you know truly tank and build

The cheapest roster possible and and sit on that cash so um and NFL makes makes you makes you pay right so uh you know you got a lot going on in a email but maybe we answered some of it there Jeff all right uh we are about what an hour

And 40 minutes in here yeah we uh we found some we always say Monday we can talk about Dave and then two hours later we uh we find something to talk about oh when you had my rambling and stuttering in there I can fill up some time uh

There but uh good conversation today I I really enjoyed talking about the OC conversation and all like that and uh anyway uh we will be back at it more than likely again on Wednesday maybe a shorter show then we’ll see but uh in the meantime you can

Follow me on Twitter SLX steers Depot uh follow Alex on the same platforms at alexor kazora follow the show terrible podcast email the show the terrible podcast gmail.com if you like what we do I want to donate Steelers deo.com if you like an adree version steers deal.com

Hit the adree button and with all that till Wednesday as always thanks for listening to the terrible podcast with Dave and Alex A