Chris Halicke Joins The Drive

0:00We see you. Your calendar's color coded. Your outfit for tomorrow is already laid out. You have everything in top-aware labeled in your fridge. You buy in bulk. You meal prep. You know what you're doing in 2027. You're a planner. And we're here to say you don't have to do it all. S&T Bank makes banking easy. From our friendly team to our online and mobile solutions, we do more so you can do less. Stop by your local branch. Visit STBank.com or call 800-325-2265 S&T Bank. Member FDIC. You're tuned to a drive on your 24-7 home of the Black & Gold Steelers Nation Radio. Back on the drive here, closing down a busy first hour on this Wednesday. Joining us now, he is a friend of the show. He is a friend in real life. He's a regular here on the drive. Chris Hallock, DK Pittsburgh Sports. Chris, thanks so much for taking the time. As always,

1:03buddy, you know we appreciate it. And we got to ask you right off the jump about the NFL story of the day. Max Crosby and the the take backsees of the Baltimore Ravens of that deal and all the drama that's transpired in the last, I don't know, 20 hours or so. What are your thoughts on this whole situation? Pretty crazy, huh? To be completely honest, as soon as I saw the report start flooding, I just let out a really, really loud laugh. I mean, just like that good hard belly laugh that probably was going to be in danger of waking my children, but it was worth it. But listen, like this whole negotiating window, and I refuse to use the term legal tampering, by the way, it just drives me nuts. But this whole negotiating window was kind of fun. And this only adds to the fun. I mean, the whole, like you said, take backsees that the Ravens did. Nothing becomes official

2:06until, you know, the new leak here. I mean, they saw something they didn't like. They wanted to back out. Didn't think it was worth the conversation they were giving. And I guess that's their right, but man alive. The raiders went forward and spent a whole bunch of money. Now they got to figure out what they're going to do. It's kind of crazy. Oh, it's really crazy. So you, we have not spoke since the combine and obviously the Steelers have some new additions. It sounds like reportedly, Darnell Savage is going to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. We were just kind of breaking them down a little bit. Initial thoughts. Last segment. I have not done a deep dive on them. I know the last couple of years haven't been great. But what are your thoughts on Savage? I'm still in the process of doing my deep dive on. Yeah, yeah. Some of the other, some of the other guys, damages. My initial reaction, especially once you see the terms of contract one year,

3:08it's barely like fairly above that minimum. I don't see him like getting plugged in and oh, he's started right away. I think it's what it does. It solidifies the depth. It gives you a guy that's proven that he can play at the NFL level. Yeah, the last couple of years haven't been so kind to him. So that's why you, you know, maybe it's worth this as the one year gamble. Maybe he, you know, realized it's something that one Thornhill didn't realize last year. Something along those lines. But in the meantime, you know, you have Jalen Ramsey who, you know, could be either he could still be in the slot. He could still play safety. That was actually my next question for you. Like I'm leaning towards they think he's a slot. What do you think? Or is that just? I would agree with that. But then when you look at the depth that the sewers have a corner all of a sudden with finding Jamel D with bringing back a sauté Samuel Jr.

4:08knowing that brain and equals to seal it to mix like all of a sudden corner. What we were talking about like a combine, you know, defensive back secondary being kind of a need. Corner is not necessarily a need anymore, especially if you consider Ramsey still a slot. But I think what, what they have at corner now, you're at least free to still decide to do. You want to have Ramsey being in the slot. You want to have him play safety. And I think that also depends on what they do in the drafts now because now he is at least short of the knee at corner. Now you're free to kind of do whatever you want to do however the draft falls. Hey, if a corner falls to you in whatever round that you weren't expecting the fall to you, we could take that corner. We could slide Ramsey safety more if the safety is there because at like 21 that you were expecting to be there and all the receivers that you were considering at 21 are gone. Now all of a sudden safety in the first round doesn't seem so crazy. So yeah, yeah, it gives them options, it gives them flexibility in the draft,

5:11which is what you always want to do in the draft. You don't ever go into drafts having to address I also think he's better at nickel though. I agree. Yeah, yeah. I agree. Do you take advantage of him as a blitzer? No, you don't want to clearly have him go out to play press man. You know, their play just in shirt and man coverage that often anymore. But I think if like if he is like like 80% of jail and petri. Oh, yeah, very great. I'll take that and aren't me. And I think that's why they traded for him to do that. Agreed. Yeah, yeah. Agreed. Chris Alec with us here on the drive. Chris not just, you know, imports and exports for the Steelers, but getting some business done with one of their own agreeing to terms with Cam Hayward two year contract a little over $32 million in value there for the for the all pro who will turn 37 here in a couple months. Does this make a lot of

6:12sense? You know, you don't have any questions about his future lingering heading into the off season into OTAs and training camp and all that. You know, lock up your your best player and just get this done and dusted and settled. You know, I've I've for those who don't like my history as a reporter. My first job ever in the industry of like just sports journalists and I covered the taxes for years for another outlet. And that was a franchise that I paid attention to. They had a player who's pretty well known. He's all famous now. He's Adrian Beltrain and he just got better with age and I don't know why there are just some players that do get the age that they play at. They just continue to get better somehow. And I see the same thing in Cam Hayward. He just continues to get better. He's not just just look at this past season and and think, oh, he had a really good season for his age. No, he had a really good season period like end of sentence.

7:17I voted for him to be all NFL and my PFWA on my PFWA Valley. I thought he was that good. He was one of the two best defensive tackles in the game last year. And second team all pro is a nice consolation prize that can continue to play at an elite level. And when you look at the value regardless of age at this point, when you look at the value of the contract, what you're going to be paying, and he's still underpaid, like he really is still underpaid. So for them to get it done, so that this doesn't possibly linger like it did last year where it becomes a storyline during training camp to get an extension done, give him his guarantee money upfront. I think it's a great deal. I really do. I'm pleasant. It definitely settles the question of a like defensive taggo, we're not going to be missing our best player on the defense side of the ball from last year down. Now we still have him. And I have my zero reasons, believe that he's going to fall off the cliff next year. If his game does deteriorate, it'll deteriorate. I don't see it falling off the

8:23cliff. And even then you're still getting him out of bargain for the level of play that he's provided. So I think it's a great deal. I do too. I think it's really encouraging too. So they usually keep seven true defensive linemen. There's not many spots available at this point. I still think they should absolutely look to add more help there. Somebody that's more knows-ish is how I've been phrasing it. Do you agree? Do you think they still add one more piece there? Either draft or free agency? I prefer them too. And I would agree with the nose tackle thing. Yeah. Just because when you look at everybody else who they have, you look at, you know, Cam Hayward, you look at Peony Benton, Derek Carman, YA Black. They brought back a set of CEO to Mayo. You look at everybody that they have. It's like, I don't see a true nose there. I understand Peony Benton's been playing nose tackle. I don't see him as a true nose.

9:24I don't either. And so maybe YA Black side guy, but he's got to get that pad level lower. He's going to try to play that role. I don't, I would agree that, especially if you're going to stick into the 3-4, if you're in Arthie and Patrick Graham, they've all been very clear about that. They're sticking the 3-4. Understand, you're not your base majority of the time anymore. That's just not the way football goes anymore. But hey, you've got to get somebody. You know, you're still in base at a certain percent of the time. And when you're in your base, that you're going up against, you know, those teams that like to run with those larger personnel and like to make you play out of base, you've got to have a guy who's going to be able to eat up blockers. I don't know. Maybe there's going to be a resurgence of the nose tackle position. I don't know because the leaks go back to larger personnel. So maybe you maybe need to get it up. I don't know. We'll see. A couple more minutes here with Chris Allick. Chris, two other names, of course, that I want to run by you and get your thoughts on the Steelers,

10:28agreeing to terms with cornerback, Jamel Dean, and running back, Rico Doudel, just your thoughts on those two additions. Well, the one thing about Dean that really stands out is that he and Joey Porter Jr. have something very very much in common outside of like size and length and everything like that. They don't allow their receivers to catch touchdowns. Like they just don't let them score. And that's kind of like a really good thing if they're not like, yes. That's, I mean, when you look at the streak that both of them have, I think it's over what the past two seasons, Porter's allowed none and Dean's allowed one. Like that's that's kind of ridiculous. So yeah, I also like the fact that Dean is not just a man-pressed guy. Like he, he holds zone, zone coverage too. I think he's a really good player. I thought that he was best corner on the market. I really like him a lot. Rico Doudel, look, I really like, I really liked the tandem of

11:32Warren and Gameville. But it was a lot, it was kind of like lighting and lighting. And with bringing in Rico Doudel, now you've got center and lighting again. He's got the guy who's going to be able to run between tackles. He's going to be able to, who knows how to run in like the part of these inside zone schemes. And he's going to be able to provide the thumb a little bit. Not saying that Julian Warren can't provide something. But now, Julian Warren can also get back to being you know, on the field on the third down, which we did not see a lot last year. Because Kennedy and Warren was that guy. And I, I mean, I, I, I, Matt, I know, just like, it's our conversations. Like Jail Warren, he's been on the field on the third down more often. He's reading past the texture. He's good option under the back heel. I think that frees him up to be more of that guy. He can spell that all at any time. I think it's a really good addition to running back room. I think I might be, and it's definitely going to be one of the hardest running backs running back to the tackle. That's for sure. Because both of those guys are great after the after contact

12:34and great enforcing the facts. Yeah, they were unhard. They really dislike being tackled. Chris, last thing I have for you, and you kind of implied this already earlier in the conversation, you don't, would you, you wouldn't be shocked if wide receivers one of their first two picks still, even after the pitman trade, right? No, I would not be surprised. I don't think trading from Michael Pittman here changes that. I think it's a really good deal for them, by the way. Not just is the fact that it was a late round pick swap, but it's the contract. I think it's a good deal, but no, I thought that no matter what they were going to do, whether that be signing a creation or acquiring one via trade, that they were still going to go into draft and prioritize wide receiver. Now, it also depends on how the draft falls. Last year, my last year we were talking all about defensive tackles, defensive tackles, and they just so happened to draft defensive tackles. It also depended on how the drafts fell. If all those

13:37defensive tackles were gone, they weren't just going to take the next one. You know, they could have taken that few goals, they could have taken somebody else that they really liked in the first round. The drafts also going to fall a certain way too, but I do think that if the draft falls a certain way, and there's a wide receiver that they really like available at 21, I still think that, where we sit right now, but March 11th, I think that's the way that they would go. So, no, I don't think they're done in adding wide receiver when it comes to the big picture of the office. I've just been created, but also including the draft as well. It's a good wide receiver class. I have a hard time. I think it's not going to take as many of them. I think the top two rounds will take one. I would agree with that. Chris Allick, great stuff as always. Check out his work, DK Pittsburgh sports. Chris, thanks for the time. As always, dude, good catching up with you, and we'll talk to you soon. Awesome. Thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it. There he goes. We see you. Your calendar's color coded. Your outfit for tomorrow is already laid

14:39out. You have everything in top of where labeled in your fridge. You buy in bulk. You meal prep. You know what you're doing in 2027. You're a planner. And we're here to say you don't have to do it all. S&T Bank makes banking easy. From our friendly team to our online and mobile solutions, we do more so you can do less. Stop by your local branch. Visit STBank.com or call 800-325-2265 S&T Bank. Remember FDIC.