Scout's Eye with Matt Williamson: Barren years from DeCastro to Jones

Speaker 00s - 754.24s

Well, hello everyone. I am Matt Williamson. How's everyone doing today? Full disclosure. This time yesterday, I recorded one, which you're probably already heard now. And I put it in the queue that I'm supposed to put it in on DK. Pittsburgh Sports. And I forgot to hit Send. It just sat there overnight. So that was just totally on me. It's been sitting there. I went and looked at this morning.I'm like, why isn't anything uploaded? I'm like, well, because I forgot to hit Send, you dummy. But anyway, so back on schedule here. My fault on that. Sometimes I'm dumb. Anyways, since we talked last, Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh GPE Native,been rumored to be interested here. A lot of people are pushing for it, has signed a $4.5.1 million deal with the Tennessee Titans ORG. This makes me happy. I don't want to talk about Boyd to the Steelers ORG. I don't think he fits what they want to do. A slot receiver, tough, has had a good career.He was slow on his good day, and now he's very slow. And I don't think he's close to being worth $4.5 million for the season either. So I'm glad he's out of the picture. I don't think he would have solved things. Yes, he would have helped. He would have been in the equation with the other guys they've had,the Cuez Watkins of the Worlds and Van Jefferson's PERSON. I don't think he's any better than them at this stage of his career. However, the Titans brought back Westbrook-Akeen. They have Hopkins. They added Boyd PERSON. They went out and gave big money to Ridley PERSON. And this general manager, this owner, this general manager did not draft Traylon Burks, first round pick from two years ago. I would offer a late round pickfor Birx right now. Now, do I think he's fantastic? No, but he's a former first round pick that I didn't love coming out of Arkansas ORG, but he is big, physical, great after the catch, better version of Malachi quarterly, Western Kentucky kid that the Jets took that a lot of people thought the Steelers ORG loved and they had in for a visit. Raw. But the Titans ORG have not done this guy any favors at all. They asked Berks to kind of be their number one from the get-go.When they traded A.J. Brown, they used their pick on Burks PERSON. Not ready for that at all. Like, they lined him up on the line of scrimmage like he's George Pickens PERSON as an X and asking him to beat man coverage. No, no, no, no. I mean, he needs to be manufactured touches, but he's like six, three, two hundred twenty-five pounds. There's all kinds of ability there. And I just think you could get him super cheap right now. So I'm not saying he's the answer.If you were to go get a Barks PERSON, I don't think that makes you done at all at the receiver room. But I think you could buy him at this point, honestly, at like 20 cents on the dollar. Like here's a six-round pick or here's two sevens next year, something like that.And he may not help at all, but I'll bet on getting him out of that situation and first round, borderline first round, talent from not long ago, not super expensive except for a first round pick contract, and throw him in the mix and still kick the tires on more receivers. But that's a name that I think is the smart, you know, byproduct of Boyd going to the Titans ORG. So just think about that for a little bit. Bet Online is your number one source for all your summer sports this season from Major League Baseball, Golf, NBA, and NHL ORG playoffs, both of which are flying along right now.All the latest stats, news, and scores available to follow your favorite teams. Get the latest odds and lines, including the latest team matchups, player props, and odds on just about every sport out there. Head to the website today or use your mobile device to get in on the action. Bet online where the game starts. All of you are aware that the Steelers drafted three offensive linemen this year. That's rare.You don't see that in the league very often. You usually get seven picks. Of course, some teams end up more or less, you know, trades. You know how that works. I don't need to explain to how the NFL ORG draft works. But this is the first time since 1976 that they drafted three offensive linemen in the first five picks.Okay, I thought that was interesting. You know, it's been a long time. Now, I'm sure I could look at almost every team in the league and have really, really long stretches where you don't draft three offensive linemen in your first five picks. Fair enough. But this is what matters to me, is not including last year, obviously when they drafted Broderick Jones PERSON, Omar Kahn's first as GM.This is the first year since 2012, which was the DeCastro Mike Adams PERSON draft back-to-back, that the Steelers used a first or second round pick on offensive linemen. I've been on record many times that I think Kevin Colbert deserves to be in the Hall of Fame ORG, and that is rare for GMs. And Kevin has, I figured it out a year or two ago, the average pick that he was awarded was like 25th overall in the first round because his teams have been so good.And it's hard to draft tackles there. That being said, I mean, that's first or second round neglecting offensive lineman since 2012. And the purpose of this is not to give Kevin Colbert PERSON a hard time. I'm just telling you there's a new sheriff in town in terms of O line building. Like I think, obviously I think job number one when Omar PERSON took over was rebuild this O line. Can we do it in two years?Looks like they can. But I don't think they're going to go from 2012 to present without drafting offensive linemen high ever again. So I just looked at it real quick. I mean, in 2013, they drafted zero offensive linemen. In 2014, Wesley Johnson PERSON, with the hundred and seventy-third pick, was the only offensive lineman they took. That's two years. You can't go two years in a rowwith, no matter what, with only adding a six-round pick on the offensive line. 2015, none. I mean, I'm doing this live, and I'm a little shocked. I knew it was bad. So from 2015, 14, 13, the only guy you drafted on the O-Line was Wesley Johnson PERSON.That's brutal, man. 2016, the first one they took was Gerald Hawkins, fourth-rounder, Louisiana State ORG. I ain't going to get it done much either. I mean, again, that's considered a high pick over this stretch on O-line, which is a premium position. 2017 is the T.J. Watt draft. Watt drafted Colen Holba from Louisville with a 213th pick. So over five-year stretch, you added Colin Holba, Gerald Hawkins, and Wesley Johnson PERSON. Wow. This is worse than I thought, to be honest with you. Okay. So now we get into 2018, a little more recent history. They takeChooks in the third round, the 92nd pick. Okay. But this starts to be the trend then, is you start throwing third round picks and fourth round picks at a problem that demands premium assets. 2019 Zero. Oh, I'm sorry, Derwin Gray with their last pick in the seventh round. Derwin Gray PERSON,219th pick overall in 2019. In 2020, they took Kevin Dotson, fourth round pick. Okay, I mean, that's like a premium pick with Chukes in this era. And he's playing really well for the Rams ORG. We know that story. Okay, so now O-Lines officially a big need. And the 2021 draft rolls around. They take Kendrick Green in the third, Dan Moore PERSON in the fourth. I mean, Dan Moore's been a success story. I mean, him and Chooks, I guess Dotson to somedegree, have been home runs by the names I've been thrown out at you lately. In 2022, that's the Kenny Pickett draft, zero offensive linemen. I mean, the number offensive linemen taken in this neighborhood is bonkers. And then we get the last year with Broderick Jones, and at least they threw a late pick at Spencer Anderson PERSON. You know, that was the 250 first pick overall. That's crazy to me. And of course, this year, Fetano at 20, Frazier at 51, McCormick at 119.I mean, how about those names, though, between DeCastro and Broder Jones PERSON? I mean, there can't be a team. I'm not going to do the study, but there can't be a team. Broder Jones was 2023. De Castro was, as we mentioned, 2012. There can't be a team that had fewer, less draft capital dedicated to offensive linesover basically a decade stretch. Can't happen, man. Can't happen. I don't think it will happen again. I just feel like, again, this is by no means ripping on Kevin Colbert PERSON.I mean, I'm just looking at history here. I'm surprised they were as competitive as they were over that stretch. And yes, they had some ridiculous continuity and the pouncies and Big Al and Ramone Foster and Coach Munchak PERSON used to kind of make chicken soup out of chicken droppings there for a while. But you're going to draft talent at that position. I mean, O-line, besides quarterback, is the scarcest, most difficult position to draft or to find in this entire league.And I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was as bad as I just told you over that stretch. Well, there was a lot of winning during that time. So again, I'm not throwing stones. I mean, they did a lot of good things, and they had the same linemen back time and time again. But wow. I mean, in Villanueva, in Foster GPE, they, you know, made out of nothing.And that's awesome. But that's just a tough way to live in this league. And it eventually bit them in a big way. So I'm here to tell you those days are gone, clearly. So interesting. I mean, I think that, yes, Mr. Rooney PERSON, Coach Tomlin PERSON have been here for all the above. But I really feel like the way this team, team builds, is drastically different nowthan it has been. You know, that the way they turn the bottom of the roster, the way they trade and manipulate the draft, the way that they add future picks, the way they go into campwith one offensive linemen too many, you know, that you can trade the Greens and Dotsons and maybe a Dan Moore or a Herbig PERSON or whoever. I'm all for it, man. And I put a big stamp of approval on what this front office is doing. And now it's two draft classes in a row to back that up. And O-line,I doubt they'll go O-line every year in the first round, of course. But it wouldn't shock me if next year is another is a D-Lyman. You know what I'm saying? We could have that conversation here soon, too. So what are they dedicated to the D-Line PRODUCT? All right. But anyway, I was a little blown back by that. And again, I knew it was bad, barren, scarce. I didn't realize it was that bad. From DeCastro to Broderick Jones PERSON, the draft picks in that stretch is remarkable. All right. Take care.Bye.