Scout’s Eye with Matt Williamson: A pleasant surprise

0:00Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skin care line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty, which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful Beauty. Confidence is beautiful. Learn more at MeaningfulBeauty.com Instagram Tina Counts default teens into automatic protections for who can contact them and the content they can see. Explore Tina Counts and all of our ongoing work to protect teens online at Instagram.com slash Tina Counts. Hello everyone, I'm Matt Williamson, I'm Williamson, I fell, what's going on? A lot, obviously.

1:01Yesterday I recorded earlier and I know you guys didn't get as much information as you wanted. So I'm going to pick it up where we left off. I should probably preface this, I'm recording this dinner time on Tuesday. You guys will be getting it probably in several hours as usual. But yesterday when I had recorded, I thought I'd get it through you guys quicker than I was able to. There was a miscommunication on my side, my fault. But at that point, the Steelers had just traded for Pittman and I'd given you my thoughts on Samuel and Holcomb, both of which make all the sense in the world. As solid, basically, first guy off the bench, reserve contracts that you can count on and I really do like the Pittman deal. Trade. Now the deal, the extension, had not happened yet. And this worries me a little.

2:03I mean, I bet I have not broken down the numbers and I don't think they've been totally revealed. But I would bet the Steelers can get out of the Pittman contract before his last, you know, after two years. And frankly, I have very little worry that he's going to be useful for two years. And I think the money that they invested in him is a pretty good bargain for this wide receiver landscape, which is pretty harsh, just pretty steep. I mean, paying receivers right now is expensive. Now my only concern is I just wonder, will he age gracefully? I still think he's a very good player, but he's probably coming off. Easy is coming off his worst year. The number of quarterbacks that he's played with that are just so terrible is unbelievable. This guy's never had a good quarterback. So it is a little hard to judge because his situation has been brutal. But I'm still a big believer in the trade. That's one I would have made.

3:04Pittman's a guy I targeted. And frankly, I almost hesitated to bring it up that I'm not real concerned that, oh no, they're tied to this guy forever. I think that'll work out just fine. But they do have a large portion of their salary cap tied up in DK McCaff and Pittman, neither of whom is young, which still urges me and we'll talk about what to do next and all those things too, that I would still draft a receiver pretty high, not only just because you need them on game day, but also because some of the salary cap ramifications that will be coming down the pipe too, you'd like to have a quality dude on his four or five year rookie deal. Okay, so the other moves that have happened since we spoke last, they signed Jamel Dean who does not count against their comp equation. I think that's important here, neither did Pittman, obviously. And then they signed Rico Dowdell. He does count against a comp equation, but he's the only guy they've added that hurts their

4:07comp pick equation and we'll talk about that down the road. I don't know if it's a priority or not, but for the comp pick equation, they've definitely lost more than they gain, which could yield a pick of a year from now, who knows. They also today signed Cameron Johnston back from the team. I'm going to start there because it's a real short answer, but hey, I don't know punting, I don't break down punting, but Johnston, they were even able to announce it on Tuesday because he was not an expiring contract. I think he had been released from his previous team. He was with the giants and Buffalo, since we saw him last. So he was just out there in a different light in terms of, you know, didn't have to wait for free agency to hit through the new league year. And I thought he was unbelievably impressive. And most of you didn't get to see him in the sealer uniform because he got hurt in week one, the year that he, the Steelers gave him like five million, they gave him one of the highest punter contracts in the league when he's coming off, you know, coming from Houston.

5:14But watching him every day in practice at training camp was like, whoa, this guy is unbelievable. And I say that because not just because he has good hang time and a good leg and good control, but I equated him to a golfer, you know, that he had every club in his bag. I mean, he had a wide, wide variety of punts out there to, you know, dead in the ball or knuckleball it or whatever. All kinds of different things he could do with the football. Now, I think weightmen's a really good punter too, but my hunch is the front office just said, we can get this guy to fraction of the cost. We'll open up the punting competition again. And one of the two's going to win and we're guaranteed to have a good punter. And what if one gets hurt or what if a punter round the league is hurt? Maybe get flippin' for Peck? Who knows? But I just want to address that one first and we'll talk to you Dean and Dowdell here in a minute. Yeah, the NFL season's done, but is it ever really?

6:17You can still bet online with America's best sports betting site, the Fandall Sportsbook. That includes all current sports, all of this summers coming sports, and hey, for what it's worth, you can get in on NFL action toward the 2026 season already. Never a dull moment, never an inactive moment, the best place to bet on sports, play online games, build your fantasy team, is it Fandall? The maps app that came with your phone, it's fine. If you enjoy waiting, and guessing, and inefficient routes, or you could use MapQuest. MapQuest is back with live directions, real-time traffic, and faster routes, it moves when you move. Best of all, no prints are needed, no paper, no more misterns, just you and the app. Get there fast with MapQuest, download the MapQuest app on the app store or visit MapQuest.com. MapQuest, still getting you there.

7:20The college basketball playoffs are here, and now you can trade the tournament in all 50 states on CalShi. Miami is currently trading at 55% to beat Missouri. That means $100 trade pays out $170 if they win. On CalShi, you're trading against peers in a live market, meaning there's no house. And as the odds move, you can buy in and out of your position all tournament long. For a limited time, download the CalShi app, and use code heart to get $10 when you trade them. K-A-L-S-H-I, CalShi, trade on anything. All right, so I recently did a podcast for you guys saying, I firmly believe they have to sign a free agent running that. And they did. I mean, a couple of them started falling off the board, including Ken and Gainville, but Rico Dowdell is the choice. And for the most part, I like it. I mean, it's not a massive deal. He's put up 1,300 all-purpose yards or more in each of the last two years.

8:20He's a little older, 27, but he's also doesn't have a ton of wear and tear on his body. He didn't come in the league as a immediate starter or anything like that. He runs hard. He runs really aggressively. This is a no nonsense guy. It's his pads squared to the line of scrimmage immediately, never ducks out of contact, runs with an exuberance and an energy, kind of like worn in that way, that I think you guys will really respect. He's not the fastest, but if we judge explosive runs as the NFL does, as 10 or plus more yards, he's got plenty of them. So he does get a lot of chunk runs, but he's not going to just break the game open, you know, like, sink one or somebody like that, but he gets in the open field with fights for everything and he will bust some longer explosive type runs. A bigger back, which I definitely think was their agenda, was they wanted somebody as we talked about, bigger than Warren, and he's not massive, but he's about 215 pounds

9:22and runs with the more of a ferocious style. So I like him a lot as a ball carrier, as a complimentary piece, as a guy to, I think Warren will have more touches than I'm for sure, Warren's a better player, but a nice compliment to Warren. So in the passing game, he's a developing receiver. I mean, if you look at his numbers, he catches a handful of balls, he catches, he's capable, I guess a good way of putting it, not a diverse route runner, he's a little bit of a straight line athlete, he's not a real fluid hip, Christian McHaprey guy or Alvin Kamara type guy, as a route runner, but he throw to him, he'll catch it and he can do a little more than just, you know, you know, go out to the flat and turn around and catch balls, they do a little more than that, that's for sure. So he's capable in that department, but not nearly the player Warren or Gainwell is in that regard. And my number one concern with him though, is his past protection is poor, and he doesn't

10:24address it with the same urgency he does as a ball carrier, he can be a little slow picking up the blitzes, things of that nature, which Aaron Rodgers, assuming he's a quarterback, is not going to like, and no matter what, you can be, I'm sure a lot of you are like, well, he's not going to be the third down back, that's going to be Warren. Sure, I mean, Warren's going to do more pass blocking and more receiving work than Dow Del, but he's still going to be out there on first and 10, second and 10, second and eighth. And it's not like you're going to run the ball, everyone, those downs, folks, you know, and these defensive coordinators know the backs that struggle in protection, and they will do everything possible to force him to stay in a block, because I can show you pressures or simulate pressures, and then you got to check the keeping a back in or, you know, so that is just one area of concern, and you know Rodgers at his age is not going to tolerate a back that is not great in protection.

11:25Obviously, his room for improvement, he has the body and all those things to do it, supposedly he's a great dude and works hard, but that is just one area of concern. I wanted to talk about Jamel Dean as well, didn't see this one coming. This was a pleasant surprise. Like he and Samuel are not going to compete for the starting job, Bob is a porter, Dean will be the starter, Samuel will be both their backups. First guy off the bench, I assume Ramsey will be the slot and Eccles will back him up as well, and that's basically going to be your five, you know, and then I'm fine with that. I got no problem with that at all. What is Dean? Supposedly he's like hilarious, extremely well liked, a different type of attitude, not real concerned with money and things of that nature, but he is body beautiful. I mean, he is tall, long, muscular, like he's got shoulders, like he's a pretty rocked up big guy,

12:34and he is a phenomenal tackler. He is very good against the run, he uses that big body and is an excellent form tackler, can bring a little pop with him as well. I'm not huge on like advanced metrics at corner back position, but probably not coincidentally, any of the advanced metrics you look at, ProFobo focus, or whoever does it, some of the ESPN's charting stuff. Three of the absolute best corners in the league last year, were Pierre, Porter, and Dean. They all had phenomenal numbers and didn't give up touchdowns and passer rating against and all that stuff. Again, he's a good speed player for sure, helps their team speed, which is a problem for me in their secondary and can still use a little boost, especially with whatever safety comes in the mix, at least someone can really run. He's a little straight line-ish, he's not super fluid

13:35with changing directions and things of that nature, but he can come down and play a lot of press, and I do think people might get a little over their skis in terms of Dean and Porter are going to be like the best press coverage big players in the league, and I do find it interesting that at small positions, wide receiver and corner, the series are now really big, Dean, Porter, Pittman, Metcalfe, you see what I'm saying? So they're going to be a big football team, but Dean can definitely play plenty of press, and he's good at it. I mean, he's not the on, he's not Woodson, you know. His zone stuff is also strong. His awareness isn't great. I mean, there's times where he doesn't see things develop as well as you would like a spinach more obvious in zone, but I think he's an all-day starter on any team and gives the Steelers a really good

14:37pair of corners, with size, with physicality through the routes, with a lot of traits. Now, they have this habit of every year adding Peterson's sleigh, you know, whoever, old corner, and I'm not ready to put Dean in that category. 30s when people start to really worry and you guys are probably like, dude, he's 29, what's the difference? Not much. So that does worry me, when you think of him over a two, three-year stretch, might he hit that corner wall that most do around age 30, 31? It's possible. I would assume his contract will be easy to get out of that before his last year, so it's probably more structured like a two-year deal, but he's still playing at a much higher level than sleigh was, or when they went and got Peterson. I mean, those guys are starting to look old. Dean does not start to look old to me at all. So I'm not real worried about

15:39that for the short term, but we might get into week 10 or the off season and be like, man, they got this 30-year-old corner who's declining and he's eating up a little bit of the cap space, is that ideal, but it is a good win now move, and I think the corner room is probably set. I mean, as we mentioned, Porter, Dean, they're going to be your starters. I don't know how Ramsey's going to factor in, but I assume he will be the nickel. Again, Eccles behind him and Samuel as well. Trice is just, to me, whatever you get out of him's fine, but he's a cherry on top and you can't count on him. So I bet corner wise, they're probably only going to throw like a late-round pick at the situation, kind of like a Dante Kent move from, they've done that many times, or six or seven throunder with some ability that probably is destined for the practice squad. But I do think, you know, we'll talk about this when it happens. Safety's a much bigger deal. Safety and guard, as we stand today, dinner time, Tuesday, are the two needs basically. Safety's very bare.

16:46Unless they envision Ramsey being the starting safety, which I don't think is the best way to use them, I prefer them as a slot. But overall, I greatly approve of the pitman trade. I like the security of Samuel and Holcomb. Dean was bigger than I expected, and I guess literally and figuratively, in terms of what I was shooting for at the position. I think they outkicked that one, especially when you mix it with Samuel. Dyle Dyle, I think, is fine. I mean, he's not a special player, but it gives you a solid backfield. And Cameron Johnson again, like, hey, okay, get the guy that you sign from Houston, you may have one of the best five or 10 punters on the league. So that's what's happening. I assume there'll be a lot more going on compared to Monday. Tuesday was obviously a very quiet day in comparison to the flurry of Monday. And I also think the league, after the Monday madness, sometimes takes a step back, almost like day one after the NFL draft. Okay, let's recoup, but let's

17:48look at the board again, and start making calls that need positions. So there are still several players out there, and I expect the Steelers to make some more moves, for sure, in terms of adding to the roster. Everyone, take care. Thanks. Together to solve problems where they are. You know, I am a believer in America, and it's worth fighting for. Join me Wednesdays on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Maps app that came with your phone, it's fine. If you enjoy waiting and guessing, and inefficient routes, or you could use MapQuest. MapQuest is back with live directions. Real-time

18:53traffic and faster routes. It moves when you move. Best of all, no prints are needed, no paper, no more misterns. Just you and the app. Get there fast with MapQuest. Download the MapQuest app on the app store or visit MapQuest.com. MapQuest. Still getting you there. Total Wine and More is one of those places where I always end up finding something I love. I was in my local Total Wine recently, and asked for a recommendation on a bourbon, and I ended up loving it. And honestly, the price is make it easy to say yes to grabbing a little extra, like my go-to bottle of Cabernet. If you're not sure what to grab, the team there can really help point you in the right direction. Shop Total Wine and More, in store or online, and get everything you need at the lowest prices. Spirits not sold in Virginia, North Carolina, drink responsibly B-21. Instagram Teen Accounts. Automatic protections for teens. Instagram teen accounts have built-in content settings, now inspired by 13-plus movie ratings, and limits for who can contact teens.

19:54Plus, teens under 16 can't change these default safety settings, without parental approval. So parents can help teens connect safely. Instagram Teen Accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact teens and the content they can see. Learn more at Instagram.com and slash Teen Accounts.