HR1: Live from the NFL Owner's Meetings

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 the drive on your 24-7 home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation radio. Good afternoon, Steeler Nation. And welcome to a special edition of the drive here in Fabulous, Phoenix, Arizona at the Beltmore for the 2026 NFL League meetings, West Mueller, Matt Williamson,

1:04on location here, Cross Country on a special Sunday show. What's going on, Matt? I'm excited for these next couple days. Yeah, you should be. It's a pretty cool event. It's much different than things like the combine that we've done recently. We haven't been to Arizona for, there's two years in between. I don't know exactly why this happened, but usually the ways it was explained to me way back when by Dale and company was they do one on the West Coast, Arizona, then they do one on the East Coast, Florida. That's what I always thought to be. And then they go back and forth back and forth. Whatever reason I've been the last two were in Miami. So we haven't been here for a while, but I think this was the first one I came to. So I'll be going to, this is my fourth or fifth in a row. And it's just a different vibe. I mean, again, it's not coaches and scouts and a lot of draft nicks or things like that. It's not as much hustle, bustle. It's in a very nice location. Oh my god. It is gorgeous. Yeah. I mean golf courses everywhere and obviously a lot of money and things like that. And this is where a lot of a lot of sunshine. A lot of sunshine here too. And we're 90s already, you know, right. But this is where a lot of big decisions are made. You

2:07know, a lot of it behind the walls that were not privy to the conversations, but we're hanging with, you know, rubbing elbows of these folks. You know, it's cool. Yes, we are. It is. It's a, it's my first time here, which I'm excited for. As you mentioned, it's just kind of a different vibe from what we typically do. We will have some guests and everything. Today's kind of setup day, though. It's just us in the New York Jetson right now. If you could turn these cameras around, there's just a lot of people setting up everywhere. Like right in front of us is a ballroom that there's going to be all 16 NFC coaches will sit there and have a breakfast tomorrow the day after all 16 AFC coaches are in there right behind us is like a, I think they they set this up for like brunches and things like that behind us. But everybody's just kind of getting ready for the big stuff that happened. Yes, but I have seen a head coach already and you know, yes, we did Mike, Mike Raibull walked right past us. Oh, really? I saw Dan Quinn and you see Dan Quinn. Yeah, Raibull was walking past us just a few minutes ago. So yeah, today they're staying in the building we're at. Correct. Correct. Correct. Yeah, today kind of the setup day, the kind of first

3:08moving and shaking here around the belt more. And then tomorrow's when it really gets going. Tomorrow, as you mentioned, the NFC head coaches will speak. Mike McCarthy will speak to the Pittsburgh media tomorrow and then do his his national media stuff on Tuesday. Also, Omar Connor, Mr. Rooney speaking on Tuesday. So we will have all the top people in every organization are pretty much. Exactly. Yeah, available. Exactly. In some way, shape or form, including the condition of the league. And absolutely. Yeah, yeah, Patrick Adele will speak here too. And Matt will have a fun dinner here tomorrow night. Yeah, the owner's dinner, which I'm looking forward to brought my my finest duds for the big fancy dinner tomorrow night. But yeah, so today is kind of a set the scene day a little bit, if you will. I would imagine some owners and GM's and coaches are still flying in today. I don't we got in last night. Yes, it's probably a mix of both. I would think I would think we had an outstanding Mexican meal last night as well too. Yeah, a little bit of a long flight. And we were all starving at the Mexican and barteritas pretty hard. That's great. Had one of the best one of the best burritos. I've had it a long, long time

4:12here in in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. So Matt, we'll just kind of start with a maybe a little 4-1-1, little primer here of all the moving and shaking, what to expect over the next couple days, the different topics that will be on the agenda, right? So this is all about voting on rules, bylaws, resolution proposals, you know, all those discussions behind the scenes too, by the way, folks. It probably goes without saying, but it's not like the combine. I mean, I'm sure there's things like, you know, can we sign this guy or let's talk trades or blah, blah, blah. I wonder what they're like here, but you will walk around here and I don't think I'm revealing too much, but if you spend enough time on this property, you'll see two owners in the corner just kind of, what do I wonder what they're chatting about or two GM's in the corner and maybe because they were on a staff together 20 years ago, and they're good buddies. They're talking about their wives and their kids and how's everyone doing that. But it also might be like, hmm, thinking about trading miles, Garrett, you know, I mean, I'm hearing about AJ Brown. Right, right, right, right. I mean,

5:13there's all the people that make decisions are here. Yes, and so it is a real kind of all the power players of the National Football League. Yeah, and we're just kind of flying the wall, you know. Exactly right. And so here's some of the different proposals, some of the different things that we could expect to be on the agenda this week. We discussed some of this last week, but I think it's just a good refresh schedule on this on this Sunday as we get started bonus drive, by the way, bonus three hour edition of the driver today, Monday and Tuesday, three days. And then we're traveling Wednesday. And then we travel on Wednesday. Yep. The kicking team able to declare an onside kick at any time during the game. Of course, now for those who are unfamiliar, you can only do that in the fourth quarter. Right. We all know, I think most people know by now that you have to declare the onside kick, but that's only allowed in the fourth quarter. I have to think, Matt, though, that they'll change this and you can declare an onside kick at any time during the game. I remember when the original rule was passed about it. And then there was that caveat about only in the fourth quarter. And I think I was on with Dale and we're like, why only in the fourth quarter? You know, what if I want to

6:16do it to start the game? I know it might not be smart. I mean, the recovery rate isn't very good now because you get to tell people it's coming. There's no surprise on side to start to half in the Super Bowl. So to speak, you know what I mean? And that's one that's the only thing I don't like about the new kickoff rule in general is there's just no way around it because you have a different formation if people haven't thought this through. So you have to at least declare that we're going to line up differently and thus kicking onside kick and then everyone knows it's coming. But why do you have to wait to the fourth quarter? Like I'll be shocked if that gets any resistance among them. I mean, it seemed like just kind of they should have got to write the first time. Honestly, why even put that in there? Great. You know, completely agree. So that's that's number one in terms of the playing rules, proposals that will be on the agenda. Number two is eliminating teams kicking teams incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50 yard line. So basically if there is a this was just a pure loophole. This is a pure loophole. He saw Danny Smith last year. You know, if there's a penalty on the if there's a penalty

7:17on the receiving team. And so you get to kick off from the 50 yard line. It just behooves you to boot that thing out of bounds because you're going to be surrendering less yardage. Yeah, yeah. Basically, and no one's going to take it to the house on you or there's no risk, you know, exactly what you're getting. And I think that was just an overlooked loophole because we talked about this the other day. You know, like I vividly remember being here or at a owner's meeting when all they could talk about is the dynamic kickoff, the dynamic kickoff. It was a huge story. A huge story. And it was up until all through the preseason and training camp and they enough to spend half of their practice working on the dynamic kickoff. Of course, we're exaggerating. They didn't. But I mean, how these teams going to handle it? Are they going to start, you know, Danny had to watch all this different preseason tape of all the different teams, how they handled it. And in some ways, it ended up being kind of much to do about nothing in year one. It didn't change things drastically. The scuttle butt was much greater than the impact. Yeah. Yeah. And I got a kick out of it, too, because I remember being here. And they basically, I mean, I'm again, exaggerating.

8:20They come out of these doors and they're like the dynamic kickoff passed. And then like four seconds later on my phone was like the stealer signed cordial paterson. He was like the best kickoff return or ever. I'm like, I bet that's not a coincidence, you know. And it was fine. But year one, it was kind of much to do about nothing. I think you were right. Last year, we saw more last year. It really made a ton of impact. And the stealers or the league do, they do want more scoring. But we've talked about this a ton like average starting field position went up drastically just last year. And oh, by the way, the kickers are getting so much better. You're in fuel goal range after first down or two, you know, right? Two first downs. And it's about the right kicker. You're absolutely already in fuel goal range. Yeah. That's a lot different than it was four or five years ago. It sure is. It sure is. And then last one. So a lot of these proposals. But they didn't catch this loophole. I kind of went off a tangent. Correct. Yeah. When they, because it's so new, I mean, they make sense that many kickoffs that would even apply to this. And you give these special teams coordinators the opportunity to figure something like that out.

9:20And they're going to take one and the whole league knows, right? Exactly. Right. Then it's on tape that everyone knows and goes, oh, yeah, let's do that. To pick it up. And the stealers did it. Boswell did it. Absolutely. Yeah. And we were all like, that's a great call. That's a great decision. I remember even five yards extra back. A couple people were like, oh, come on Boswell. What are you doing? No, that was not perfect. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Third one here. And this is the last one that affects directly the kickoffs. We all know that there are alignment requirements for the receiving team in terms of the setup zone. They want to modify some of the parameters around those alignments. I think they give teams more flexibility. Yeah. And this is something I don't know the exact parameters of. But I think you're only allowed to align in one formation. I believe you are correct. Which again, I mean, the kids tell the offense, you have to align in 12 personnel. Which is weird when you think about where else do we do that? Right. Right. Right. I mean, special teams coaches that need to be creative too. And you have rules only that this guy, this many guys have to be on the line of scrimmage, all those different things. But you still have wiggle, rubin freedom within those confines. So like example, you know, bring it back to the stealers. They've always had basically worn and game low as they're two deep guys. But I

10:25always thought that was goofy and I even commented at the time. I'm like, if you do have cordrow Patterson in his prime, I went him back there alone with somebody else. Walker. Right. Exactly. Because not to mention every kicker is not going to kick at the Patterson. They're going to kick at the other guy. And I'm sure you could be like, you know, come get it anyway. But you know, but still I don't want to put two guys back there because I paid this dude a ton to take every kick. Exactly right. You know what I mean? Exactly right. Let's let's make it a strength. Yeah. And I don't know what the other parameters or the up guys in the middle guys. And I just don't know enough about the special teams of it all. But why not be as creative as possible? It makes a ton of sense. And the pun formations, you can be however you want. You could have a bunch of wide guys. You can have tight. Exactly. Yeah. You can you can go for a punt block. Right. Right. Right. Back cover. And yeah, they're not saying you have to align this way. So those are the three related to kick off specifically, all proposed by the competition. It's probably all passed. I think off the top of your head. I would think off the top of my head. I guess so. Maybe I'm missing a negative to, but they maybe they're just it's year three of this or year four

11:25of this. And we found loopholes. Let's fix them. I think that makes a ton of sense. Next one. And this one will be very, this is maybe the most intriguing one to me. Also proposed by the competition committee, allowing league personnel to consult with the on field officials when considering disqualifications for flagrant football acts and non football acts that are not called on the field. So things like punches, spitting, stomping on unsportsman-like conduct that the referees miss. Think Jalen Ramsey versus Jamar Chase. Yeah. Right. Last year that spitting incident. Bring it back home. League personnel, you know, from the booth or from the legal offices or whatever the case may be, would have the ability to buzz down to the officials and say, Hey, that guy just spit on that guy or that guy just stomped on that guy's leg in the pile. Non football, flagrant football acts. So I've been given this a little more thought. And I'm sure every owner and everyone in charge of this great league does not want that look. You know, here's a replay of 500 times in a row of some spitting in the other one space.

12:28With Jalen Carter and Dak Prescott. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. It's a terrible look and I'm sure they want all that stuff out. Good. I mean, on a surface, everyone on all these rules are going to sound good today. You know, but if you start breaking them down, I immediately start thinking like, well, how far are we going to take this? If it's like the whistle blows and I'm walking away and I give you one of these. Oh, I don't know. Let's look at it. You know, like, how far are we going to take this? For those listening on radio, Matt just gave me a like push on the shoulder, you know, like, I mean, like he's under there giving them the business. I'm like, some of this stuff's just boys being boys. It's complicated. Yeah. Yeah. Let's not take it too far. I mean, gross flagrant things, you know, punch below the belt or, you know, but it's not even like it's not even like a shot to the face afterward. I mean, like these things have happened since it's done at times. Well, let's not relegate everything out of it. That's my only worry there. That's a very good point by you because you'd be leaving a lot of interpretation to the official. Right. Like, well, why didn't we look at that? You might think that that's flagrant. I might not. Yeah.

13:29I might just think that's part of the game. And it might be worth a flag if it had been caught the first time around. But do we have to watch all of them? You know, again, I mean, I'm sure it's just the big ones. That's a fair reason. I mean, I football someone spitting each other face or doing something right. You can't have that. I get it. No, that's a great point by you, though, because that does leave a lot of interpretation down to the official and what they would consist of. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And non football acts. And then finally, last one. Lastly, I mean, I wonder also like a obscene gesture or a throat slash or any of those type of things or, you know, maybe grab yourself grabbing yourself or something like that. Is that count a certain finger on the hand? Right. We can all picture it all of your fists. Right. Right. That's again, that's that's all the stuff we'll be discussing. I'm sure. And what exactly can the parameters of this be? How far can we take it? Is it realistically enforceable? Are we putting these referees in a tough spot? Because I don't even know those things need to be under review. True. Under the review for maybe giving the guy the finger, you know, like, yeah. Yeah. I think you're right. Yeah. A spit or like a crotch punch or a stamp on somebody. That's

14:32different. But there is a fine line between just that guy's being a jerk versus something that needs punished. Yeah. I mean, I remember, like, Namakon Sioux back in the day would get up after a sack or hitting a quarterback and like, stomping his hand. Yeah. We don't need that. We don't need that. Frankly, Joe Green do a lot of these things too. And, you know, the dealers aren't. Jack Lambert, baby. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Last one proposed by the competition committee of the five potential rules proposals is for one year only allow the NFL officiating department to correct clear and obvious misses made by on field officials that impact the game. However, with the caveat of, this is only in the event that there is a work stoppage involving the game officials represented by the NFL referees association for those who are like what the heck is West talking about. Yeah. There's a lot of words there. The league and the NFL referees association are currently at a little bit of a stalemate. So they do not have a contract contractually. The NFL officials do not have there. It's the same thing as we see when there's a CBA between the league and the players. There's also that same thing between the league and the referees association. There could be a

15:34strike girl workshop like we had in 2012. Everybody remembers the replacement refs. There is potential for that again this year. And if that was the case, we wouldn't have the fail-mary type situation. Again, like we had in Seattle in 2012 between the Seahawks and the Packers where one referees signal and touchdown the other signal and incomplete and they have to argue about it for 10 minutes. This would give them what frankly could happen with the real refs, but it's just a terrible look with like all the replacement refs that right. This gives me worry Matt. This gives me pause. One that they are doing this preemptively because they're thinking that there's going to be a referee strike and two that they realize that it's probably not going to be the highest level of officiating. I don't know. Maybe I'm looking into it too far, but this one is kind of put making my spidey senses tingle. Part of me also thought maybe it's a really good negotiating ploy for the refs. Like we're preparing for life without you guys. We're going to offer you 10% less than your

16:35asking or who knows. I mentioned this the other day. I also think refs are a little bit like drivers. You know, like you get to an age where you might have taken your drivers test again. It's a great idea. I'm not saying having quotes, scab or replacement refs would be good for the league, but you might find three or four that are better than the dudes that are getting paid full time for it, you know. It might be it might be much worse too. You know, it's going to be scrutinized more under a magnum, which is already scrutinized a lot. Yes, exactly right. So those are the rules proposals on the agenda here over the next couple days. There's also I will say compared to other years. This is a little light little light, you know, like the kickoff rule or push push. Surely people been talking about for months. I can't wait till this then they battle it out and it's 49 to 51 or whatever. You know, yes. These seem a little bit reserved. Yes, there are some bylaw proposals too. We'll discuss those when we return. We'll kind of continue our sure they'll be talking about 18 game. I mean, there'll be those kind of talks going on here. Absolutely. Absolutely. We'll continue with

17:35kind of the, uh, the owners meeting for one one, the primer, the need to know here as we are just getting started from the built more in Arizona, beautiful Phoenix for the 2026 NFL annual league meetings. Wes Schuler, Matt Williamson, it's the drive Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers audio network. What's up NFL fans? The NFL draft is finally here. And while you might not know who your team is drafting this year, you do know your watch parties number one pick. Bud Light, the clean crisp taste that has all the scouts talking. Guess that's why it's been the groups go to draft beer season after season. Be sure to order around for the table before your teams on the clock. Bud Light, easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Enjoy responsibly and has your push Bud Light beer St. Louis Missouri. You're tuned to the drive on your 24 seven home of the black and gold Steelers Nation radio.

18:38Back on the drive here inside the built more in Phoenix, Arizona, all part of our first day of coverage of the NFL annual league meetings. Wes Schuler, Matt Williamson, on location, the drive here with a bonus third hour for the next three days. Matt, we covered the, uh, rule proposals in the opening segment. Now there are by law proposals as well. Two that'll be on the docket here. One of these is making my spidey senses tingle again about the 18 game schedule thing that you just said. We'll get to that in a minute. Also one of these proposed by the Steelers. Uh, so a little, a little home. Yeah, yeah. Home cooking angle. I understand any of these teams can propose. Yes. Anything they want. No, right? Cleveland made a proposal that we'll get to here in just a second. But the first one on the agenda. Um, also proposed by the competition committee, uh, permit the league office to adjust the procedures and dates and deadlines for final roster reduction

19:43to accommodate the international game scheduled in the first week of the regular season. So basically, I'm not sure if all on this would give. Um, this would give. I think the Rams. There's always an international game week one. Yes, it has traveled easier before and it's the Rams and the Niners. Okay. In that, uh, Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. So this would basically, um, I think get, because they're going to have to leave earlier. This has to do with when. That's the same travel, right? This has to do with when the 53 man roster is due in the deadline. Okay. And I, I don't know if it would give them more leeway or if they have to get theirs in earlier because they're traveling. You get what I'm saying, but it all has to do with when those teams have to have their final roster is versus playing that first and getting on the plane with their final roster, you know, and all that stuff. Okay. So obviously for them, things go in motion. I guess it's my way of interpreting. I hope I'm not too far off. The league and the wheels of the league start in motion earlier for those two teams. Correct. And noticeably earlier, because you have to get there,

20:48you got to get settled in. It's an entire day of travel. Didn't you go to Australia? I've been to Australia before. It's nuts. I'm sure they're of a direct flight. They will have a direct flight from from the west coast, but it's still 18 hours. No, it's a day. It's an 18 hour flight. Yeah, yeah. Like when I went, Matt, we had to fly from Pittsburgh to LA, which is, you know, five hours. And then 18 hours. I didn't know if you'd go left or right to Australia. Maybe you could do both. I don't know. We did Pittsburgh to LA to Sydney when I went to when I went down on and it is. And you don't want to take people on your plane that aren't going to make the team. Correct. Obviously. Correct. So they have to have the roster set well before they wheels up. But you can't have cut they different for every team or for two teams. I mean, if that's what they're implying. And I think maybe part of it too was just their ability to add and drop guys at that at that juncture too. If they want to make a, you know, that's a thing is what if something gets hurt and practice exactly right. And like, hey, I need a quarterback or you know, right? Yeah, I can't wait till the waiver deadline to add this guy. You know, I need to I need him right now.

21:51I kick or pull to hamstring or something like felt on the steps or something. And I can't play this game without a kicker. Yes. That's what it's related to. Okay. I guess I see the stickiest part of that situation. This also brings me though. Doesn't just lead us one more step closer to only having two preseason games and then maybe have roster cuts across the league earlier. You know, like we've been saying that's inevitable for three or four years. The 18 game two preseason thing. And Matt, that transitions nicely to the second bylaw proposal. This is the one that I said that really had my antenna up. It would amend the constitution and the bylaws of the league to establish the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend as business days for the NFL to provide clubs with notices during the first weekend after the roster reduction. Now, that's how it would relate to immediately. But it eventually would get to if you could make the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend business days for the league. You could start your league a year or a week earlier. Yes. On Labor Day weekend. Instead of waiting

22:55until the next weekend in September, you play Labor Day weekend. Maybe you play Saturday games as well Saturday and Sunday. You make it a whole weekend thing Monday, maybe two. And that's where you add your 18th game instead of pushing back the regular season another week and pushing back the playoffs and pushing back the Super Bowl. You added on the front end. You play the two preseason games. I think you do both. Okay. Oh, well, that's true. Because you'd add another byway. Exactly. Exactly. So you would really need to start Labor Day week. Absolutely. So what threw me off there? What was can you reread that one? Something about how it's a one day it would amend the constitution and bylaws to establish the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend as business days. Because right now what I don't understand is I mean, do you think Omar and Coach McCarthy and the linebackers coach aren't working those days? Do you think? No, no, but I'm sorry. The weekend before the season starts, you can't be worth it. Right. Right. They're preparing. I mean, they have business days anyway. That's just a weird verbage to me. I don't, I mean, I'm not a lawyer. I don't write these type of things, but I was created writing major seven years to graduate six.

23:58Sorry. You add on a lot. Well, I think it's point across. I mean, they're still doing things anyways, but I guess they're just saying they could possibly play games those games. Well, that's, that's what I don't, I don't think they're saying that necessarily right now. But I think that's the, that's the, that's the, that's the first step that leads to this, you know, yeah. So just to rewind a second, I do think what is coming and it's, to me, it's coming like a freight train is two preseason games, one home, one away, fine. Labor Day weekend is kickoff weekend, which I guess preseason games would stay the same points. And then you'd still have that two week break and then Labor Day banks. And you'd still have games like Thursday before Labor Day, or like the Jubalchamps or maybe this Melbourne type game or whatever. Matt, you know, if they start playing Wednesday games this year, they're going to start playing Wednesday games. We probably should be used to that. Yes. I think, two pace, two pace doesn't go back in the two. No, especially I'll get to this a minute, but I know that there was pushback before like, oh, we don't want to start

25:00on Labor Day weekend. Everyone's grilling. No one's going to pay attention. I'm like, everyone in the world is going to pay attention. What are you talking about? It's open day weekend in the biggest best league in the world. It doesn't matter. They could start anytime. And they're going to be massive. The NFL took them about a year to steal Christmas from the NBA. And now it's that round. The NBA dominated Christmas for a decade. Now it's, now it's the NFL. If they want to kick Santa out of Christmas, they could exactly, exactly right. Exactly right. I mean, these are, yeah. Labor Day, Labor Day weekend is a big weekend for college football. The NFL could snatch their chain right away and say, that's, that's ours. Thank you. Our buddy Chris Hallick walking past, maybe we'll grab him in the next couple of hours. I would love to. I would love to. I would love the grab. We're looking to smile in the Arizona sunshine. Looking nice and refreshed. Yeah, we'll definitely have to have that guy on as a guest here sometime soon. So I do think opening week one will start a week earlier eventually. I completely agree. My favorite part of it all was there would be two by weeks because I think people know this. One of my least favorite things about the schedule currently is like Thursday on the road. They get half a practice basically.

26:07I would think somebody way smarter than me can make a lot of Thursday games with some sort of break on both sides. You know, someone's coming off a buy and gets 10 days on both sides as opposed to three or four or whatever. Definitely more international games. That sounds like there would probably be 16 that every team would play. There's nine this year. There's none. I just learned this year a day when you read it that there's max max 10 max of 10. That's another thing that's on the Bible proposal summary here, which again, all these things leading to the schedule we're talking about. So you you space out two by weeks, which unfortunately somebody probably will have to have one in like week two or three, you know, but so you're getting to you're getting to I mean the players will not the end of the world. Yeah. And then the Super Bowl is one week later, which is okay. You know, I mean, part of me doesn't love making a potential NFC championship game in Green Bay. Even one week order or an AFC championship game in Pittsburgh or Buffalo or New England. Yeah.

27:08Yeah. But I also think that's a side note. I also think the league is going towards maybe more domes. Well, cities to, you know, just a less than the effect of weather. But I think it's I've been calling for this forever. I mean, one less preseason game. Who's going to complain? The international games. Steelers might play in Dublin every other week or every other year. And that's their home game. They're road games in Mexico City or Australia or Spain or whatever. And you kind of get a home field vibe, especially for some of these teams that have a strong totally Dublin. Steelers is like the best example. Not everyone has that type of connection. And the two-by-week thing is to me so much better for player health. So much. Oh, to me, that's the number one thing. Even though you're adding the game from that standpoint, this thing might be better for player health and quality of play. The Thursday night games make me bonkers. I know you hate games. You hate road teams, right? At least let them practice. Can we at least prepare for this game? Right. It is nuts. It is nuts. Especially as you mentioned.

28:10You're going on the road. We play Sunday. You're going on the road Wednesday. Like it's crazy. And they're often division games, which are worth more. Yep. Yep. The Steelers have proposed making permanent change to something that was implemented this past year that allows clubs to have one video or phone call with up to five perspective unrestricted free agents in that two-day negotiating period and permits teams to make travel arrangements with such players upon agreeing to terms. So in the old system, I think you could agree to terms, but you then had to wait until the actual opening of free agency to schedule their travel and all the logistics. Yeah. Whereas now if it's Monday of that. Somebody could pay off his goal. Right. Of now if it's Monday of that negotiation period, you can say, hey, we're going to fly in at this time or whatever and have you sign your contract and do your physicals and this and that. You could put real parameters on it instead of that whole like, okay, well, we'll talk to you again in a day or two and get this figured out. Which I guess makes all the sense in the world too. Unfortunately, this is the one the Steelers presented because I understand

29:13it the least because I just don't know exactly what the parameters are now. I mean, quote legal tampering. I know they don't even call it that anymore. Are you allowed to do zooms and is it unlimited? I don't know what the current rules are. I feel like it's there's there's channels of communication allowed between the team and the players agent, but I don't know if with the player directly do a zoom with, you know, Jamil Dean or whoever. So this year, I can fly the man this year, I think you could because this was kind of the trial year for all of them. Okay. And the Steelers are proposing to make it permanent. Which I guess makes sense. If it worked out well for everybody likes it from this year, why not keep it? Yeah, yeah. And I wonder why the numbers five. I'm maybe next year they say, let's bump it eight or let's go to three year. Yeah, that is I guess maybe because you don't want teams doing casting too wide of a net during that. Yeah, like that negotiating period should be for the three, four, five guys that you've really identified that are your top priorities, not for you to talk to 30 free agents across the league.

30:13Mm hmm. And five of bigger staff. I can have more people talk to them and all those things, but I was also looking in from a GM team spanning, you know, team building standpoint. I'm sure there's many times going into free agency. The commanders say we have to sign a corner. This is our favorite one, but we're going to sign one of these eight dudes. You know what I mean? And I make eight because I'm going to make it a number bigger than five. Sure, sure. Like we have to sign one, our corner positions at the zaster. We cannot wait to the draft. Okay, we'll pick our top five, but then I can't do running back here. And you know what I mean? Like I just don't know why five is a number. And I'm sure there's something smarter than me that does. Well, speaking of five, Matt, the last thing that we have to discuss here in our league meetings, four, one, one to kind of set the stage for everything to come in the days to come here. The Cleveland Browns have proposed a, a amendment that would allow teams to trade their draft picks up to five seasons away in the future. The current rule you can trade picks up to three years ahead of time. So like for example,

31:16at the draft this year, you could trade a 27 pick, a 28 pick, and a 29 pick, three years ahead. Cleveland's proposing to make it five years instead of three years. I don't think there's any way this passes. And I like it less and less some more. I think about you and I have talked a lot about this. Like it, it just, it starts to remind me of the NBA where teams just start kicking the cans so far down the road and they start, they start tanking or building assets for four and five years in the future. And then you end up with by the time you get halfway through the season, the bottom 30 year league is already way out of contention. Yeah. Doesn't care. And their fans aren't buying tickets and watching games. And that's something the NFL has done so well. So well, as you want more and more teams, you want more and more parity, you want teams playing. Why you add to seventh game or 17 for playoffs. And the extra regular season game. Exactly. You want more teams, you want to keep the fan bases engaged down the stretch, not allowing all these teams to just constantly be working for the future, working for the future. Yeah, exactly. I mean, you laid it out perfectly, but it's like one of the things that the owners want last is non competitive games or games where people are sitting there do or traded everybody or

32:22putting a shell of what they potentially could put out on the field from a competitive standpoint. I mean, they don't want that ever. They don't love when a team is 15 and one and rest their starters going into their by week, even though they're the best team in the league, let alone the worst teams in the league. I mean, I'm a pick on the dolphins, but the dolphins had a fire sale. I mean, if they were to trade everybody else by like week 12 and they're putting out a shell of themselves, nobody's going to have any interest in that whatsoever. You know, right? I can't them. And this would promote that. Yes, it would. And I just, that's the last thing the NFL has always been about. They've done a really good job of that. And and I would be surprised if that doesn't continue me too. Matt, we are live here at the public. I also don't want them and like the Rams kind of already did this, but to a much lesser degree, I don't want the Eagles or anyone. I mean, Steelers, that matter. I'm going to trade you the next five first round picks for Miles Garrett, AJ Brown and Joe Burrow. And yeah,

33:25somebody else awesome and then be awful for four years after they all retire. Like that's that's pushing your chips in too far. Well, Shuler, Matt Williams, and we are live at the built more in Phoenix, Arizona, all part of our ongoing annual league meetings coverage. When we return to close down the first hour, I want, I've got three things down here that I think are big Steelers related questions that we could get some clarity on this week. Oh, okay. From Omar Khan, from McCarthy, from Mr. Rooney, from everybody involved. I'll kick those around with Matt on the other side. You'll are Williamson. It's all happening here. Steelers nation radio on the Steelers audio network. What's up, NFL fans? The NFL draft is finally here. And while you might not know who your team is drafting this year, you do know your watch parties number one pick. Bud Light, the clean crisp taste that has all the scouts talking. Guess that's why it's been the groups go to draft beer season after season. Be sure to order around for the table before your

34:26teams on the clock. Bud Light, easy to drink, easy to enjoy, enjoy responsibly, and has her Bush Bud Light beer St. Louis, Missouri. You're tuned to the drive on your 24-7 home of the Black and Gold Steelers nation radio. So we spent the majority of that first segment set in the scene for all the 30,000 foot view. Yeah, the rules. The administrative stuff. Administrative stuff on the agenda here, of course, in Phoenix, Arizona for the NFL annual league meetings. Matt, from a Steelers perspective, if we can zoom in here because Mike McCarthy will be speaking twice to the local media and then to everyone at the round table. I'm not sure if every coach in league does that or if that's just a cool thing the Steelers do. Interesting. I think it's a cool thing to do and some other team probably is and probably explains why it's really only Steelers and maybe

35:30Jets people in here today that we've seen so far. A couple national people like Dale used to explain the stuff to me too because I mean I'm not that I'm not a reporter but I mean the Steelers are very open with the media compared to a lot of teams like the Patriots like don't let you watch practice they kick you out. Yeah, things like that. Correct. So Mike McCarthy's local media lunch will be tomorrow Monday and then Tuesday. Mike McCarthy will speak at the AFC coaches breakfast. Omar Khan. Right in front of us here. Yeah. Omar Khan will speak during lunch to the Pittsburgh media and then Art Rooney to the Pittsburgh local media as well. So with that Matt, I've got three things that I think are safe bets that those guys are all going to be asked about and we'll give some answer and I think you know the first one that's on my mind and it is any update in the Aaron Rogers saga. Yeah and I'm not sure how to even respond to that you and I've brought this up many times. I can't speak for Aaron Rogers but I do think and I think this was somewhat true last year whenever they were starting to get linked that how many times I said and since I've been on

36:35the air in any capacity that these teams if you pay enough attention will tell you what they're thinking. It doesn't mean it always is going to come to fruition and it doesn't mean we can predict the future but there moves or the lack lack thereof indicate that they probably think he's going to be the quarterback. I mean as it did leading into OTA's last year or they would have done something else. You're not that there's no way they're going to go into the draft with just Rudolph in Howard. I would be shocked if that's the case. I can't imagine. I was saying that back in January too and now it's almost April. Right right but I think you're or maybe at least questions about a timeline. Maybe we'll get maybe that's a better way to phrase it. Maybe that's the better way to phrase it but some some clarity on just hey is there a deadline do you need to have this decision known by the time you know we get to Thursday April 23rd in the first round of the draft kicks off on the North Shore Pittsburgh Pennsylvania but that is of course going to be I think the first thing that these guys are asked about. Now I'm not implying because I don't think this should be a bad

37:38way to do business. If they get to Thursday on you know the day one of the draft happened to be on the North Shore like you said. I hope they're not saying well for Rogers hasn't signed we're taking time. Sure sure. And if he didn't we're not like either like the guy or not you know I mean like he's either worth the pick and you love him and he should be your next quarterback or he shouldn't or you know it shouldn't change their draft plans. I mean we're definitely taking one in the third round I'm like we should know that with or without Rogers because the most he's a one year fix and that's right and I know it's kind of uninspiring but if by chance he does turn you down and you want him and I would think they would pivot the cousins or car. I would think so I don't think you just go with Rudolph and tower because in addition it seems not to me and I don't think they look at the draft and say there's anybody that we can get it's going to be ready to win games for us in September. No because I think they only love Nuss Meyer either way. Sure but I don't think they'd say he's going to be ready to win games for us in September. Sure sure we want him in our bill. I think Fernando Mendoza was the only one in this class you can realistically say that about man I get them right. And less and less they could trade five first round drafts. Five first

38:43right right right right right. So that's number one that's no no doubt. Yeah people are going to bring that up as any reporter should. Number two and I know they're going to bring this up as any reporter should but I think it's still flying a little bit under the radar relatively any updates on project Jones's health. Oh yeah I guess we don't bring that up enough and it's hard to get health updates this time of year. I mean I'm not great at quite even like what we have guests on I feel like one of my weaknesses I could be better at asking questions. I'm used to receiving questions you know but I wonder if someone phrases a question along the lines of do you expect broader Jones ready for OTA's in many camp if the answer is no probably not do you expect them for the start of training camp okay you know I mean like those are reasonable dates to think maybe you know and if the answer to both of those is no then all the sudden that raises some real questions of I think it amps up offensive lineman in the first round exactly you know I mean we often go that route and I've talked about it forever you've talked about it

39:47forever I think it's a logical move either way but boy and then all of a sudden your feet the fire a little bit you know right exactly yeah exactly so that that to me is listen the Aaron Rogers is the headliner but Roger Jones is a pretty important warm-up act oh I guess that wouldn't make sense because the warm-up act wouldn't come after the headliner but you get what I'm saying the Aaron Rogers I think question is the biggest one from the Steelers perspective but that that Roger Jones and his availability man it has a huge there's a direct correlation on how you're gonna work the draft how you're gonna work the start of training camp in the regular season based on what his availability is and how that fits into the equation with Dylan Cook and everybody else on the left side of that line now they might think they actually found a true diamond in the rough and he played like that I mean I give him all the credit in the world I am not dismissing and it was not a two-game sample size no and it was got good competition and I think Miles Garrett was one of those games and you know he held his own so I often get blowback like

40:48you're too tough on Cook he might be the answer if he is great yeah I mean that is I just don't want to put all my eggs in that basket no I mean that's like getting Brock Purdy in the 7th round that's the best thing ever I mean or if Howard's a starter I mean those are wonderful things and they do happen in this league but putting I mean the bank on that might be nuts but you also have a new align coach it might be like man Dylan Cook's really good and he I'm very comfortable starting him for 18 games and maybe that is a plan and maybe they extend them in tomorrow or in the pre-season or whatever and be like we got to do that'd be great but we also know that that positions hard to come by yes it's just a real shortage and you can't luxury car lot for that I don't want to have to go shopping down an aisle that I can't afford he started week 13 against the Buffalo Bills then the Ravens and the Dolphins and the Lions and the Browns and the Ravens again and then of course that playoff game against the Texans yeah

41:49yeah good some good defense alignment and some good ed rushers in those yeah those teams that I just mentioned in the other lines of hole was not great against the Texans we know that no it was not it certainly was not but that's fierce the competition is your game maybe the best maybe the best defense of front in the NFL last last one Max I said I had three of these for you in terms of questions for the you know Mike McCarthy Omar Khan and when we hear them speak over the next couple days obviously questions about Aaron Rogers obviously questions about Roger Jones and his health and in future availability but I think the last one is just kind of how they view the roster as we get closer and closer now less than a month away from the draft is your is your business done do you still have big areas you need to address do you think you're at that proverbial spot that we always talk about where we could go play a game on Sunday why no today Sunday so we could go play again we could go play a game today if we had to you know not that our roster is perfect or anything but we don't view any gaping holes how do they kind of evaluate the roster here is there still business that needs addressed and needs done in the next few weeks are they confident with what they have heading into the draft along with those 12 picks yeah and again great question

42:54I would have of course I'm sure Omar like any GM would say oh we're always looking to get better we're always charting the you're always charting in the bottom the you know looking for diamonds in the rough we're always going to look we're you know of course we're not going to sit our hands but I would think maybe somebody slips like now we're kind of focused towards the draft which to me would say we're kind of done with free agency signings we'll fill in the gaps later but now it's time to focus on the draft which I think is where they should be right now I think so too because that's that's kind of in my mind I've been like okay if they were to make another move in free agency where would it be Roger's aside rock the record set of course of course of course yeah I don't know where it would be I thought maybe they could like if Calvin Austin was still out there sure could maybe you get him at league minimum and he's you're familiar with them still draft the receiver in the first or second round if you want but he at least would be part of the package because you've added it wide receiver you've added a defensive line you've added on offensive line you've added in the secondary corner and safety those are all the areas and run back

43:59at it running yeah yeah there's could you get a bargain tight end maybe but I'd much rather we don't talk about this with tight end classes kind of loaded very intriguing and I think other than Ken you on sedic you'd probably have a good avail a good a good chance to get any of those other guys if you identified them as a as a target yeah and I did a little more homework on tight ends is why brought up is there were six more tight ends invited to this combine than any other combine NFL history I think there was 27 so that goes all the way back to 2003 when they started tracking that stuff right but even yeah right right there was a there was fewer running backs there was a lot more tight ends invited and what that tells you is when they're sitting there in the fifth round they're going to have a fourth or third round right in a tight end so why go by that guy and freeing to you right now definitely shop and get the cheap dude it makes it makes a ton of sense and they you know we we added Hoffman on the offensive line yeah added to the defensive line added two pieces in the secondary and Dean and in briskers so yeah it feels feels like most of

45:05that free agency business is done but maybe they say you know we're still they're always going to have some options yeah yeah absolutely and then you know what too I guess maybe and I know we got like 60 seconds here but I would be interested if anyone brings up cam johnston and just yeah is the punter job his does he still have to earn it or are you looking to bring in competition because coreless waitman yeah the Niners but he in a Tampa Bay Tampa Bay I forget I'd probably tamper with Danny Smith but coolest waitman is now out of the picture so I know that's you know kind of way down on the list of popular topics but I would imagine that's something that could be discussed you looking for a punter competition I haven't thought about that at all I mean again we hadn't really addressed that waitman's not going to be back I would think you bring in somebody to swing their leg not the challenge boss but they usually bring a kicker in and they show some yeah yeah and probably a seven-throwned or undrafted free agent more likely undrafted free agent punter be it be interesting yeah maybe a five specialists of cam that's something we haven't

46:06really talked about but yeah yeah that's a good question yeah you're free to use that one on one of your seven hundred podcasts that you do if you need to kill a few minutes of punter talk that's the first hour of the books two more hours to go we'll have some guests we'll have some more draft conversation we'll have some more Steelers conversation West Mueller Matt Williams and just getting started here inside the built-more in Arizona for the NFL League meetings on Steelers Nation radio on the Steelers audio network we see you your calendars 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