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00:00Earlier on, though, in the off-season program, it is the organized team activities, known as OTAs, a voluntary assignment.
00:09But most of the guys tend to show up to be with their pals, to be with their teammates, to get some work early on in the off-season program.
00:18Oftentimes, DRS, if you are not showing up, there is a contract dispute, or you're a veteran,
00:24or in the case of newly acquired wide receiver for the New England Patriots in Stephon Diggs, you are partying on a boat.
00:32Pat's wide receiver, Stephon Diggs, was not present for yesterday's voluntary OTA.
00:38One day after a video of the wide receiver went viral on social media in which he was on a boat,
00:45flashing unidentified pink substance while surrounded by three women.
00:50Now, some people would call that true wide receiver one type of behavior, but it's his first off-season in Foxborough,
00:57and he is already not at OTAs.
01:00A slightly new segment about to debut here on the early line called News or No?
01:05So DRS, I ask you, News or No?
01:08No, I'm going to say no at this point.
01:11It's fun that it's quote-unquote news in the off-season, but Stephon Diggs, whether or not he has a huge impact,
01:16is still left up to be desired to see if he fits in and how he comes off that knee injury that he has.
01:21But also, having said that, it's not a great look for a player that's supposed to be a veteran,
01:25that's supposed to lead with a young quarterback, and you want to get those extra reps.
01:28It's like, hey, where are you?
01:29I'm in Texas.
01:30I'm working out every single day.
01:32I don't want to break my routine.
01:33You know, my knee feels really good.
01:35I will see you in training camp.
01:36It's okay.
01:36That makes a lot of sense.
01:38Or is it, I'm trying to rehab my knee, but it's an off day for me.
01:41You guys are grinding and working hard with a brand-new coaching staff that's trying to get everybody on the same page,
01:47but I still need the party just a little bit more until I show up.
01:50The optics are terrible for Diggs, but in the grand scheme of it, whether Stephon Diggs is really good or not,
01:55I don't think he really has too much of a bearing on the New England Patriots.
01:58They want to be spectacular and catch 1,300 yards worth of balls.
02:01I don't think the expectations are that.
02:03So it is newsworthy, per se, because it's interesting that you would put yourself in that situation.
02:07Like, hey, no cameras on the boat.
02:09We're about to handle some business out here, but then you're like, hey, let me just give these three ladies a pep talk
02:14and say, look, here's the prize right here, a pink substance, and let's keep this down.
02:18Not a great look for Vrabel.
02:19How else was he supposed to answer that question?
02:21Now, you have heard what this unidentified pink substance might be known as in the streets.
02:26What is it?
02:27Can you reveal that name?
02:28Is it Tussie?
02:29I want to say what it is right now.
02:31Now, also, like, being in that predicament, like, Ben probably multiple times giving, like, pep talks to multiple women,
02:36but not me, family man over here, you know what I mean?
02:38I keep that the same.
02:39Never been on a boat.
02:40Never been around an unidentified pink substance.
02:43Certainly have never given a pep talk to multiple women.
02:46When my girlfriend, who was also a famous rapper, was apparently on that boat as well.
02:52Stephon Diggs.
02:52Again, some might call this wide receiver one behavior.
02:56And maybe he will be wide out number one this year in New England.
03:00But, of course, last year it was a big offseason acquisition for Steph Diggs to be dealt by the Buffalo Bills to go to Houston.
03:07Injuries kind of marred his own season in H-Town.
03:10Is he a guy on a career decline?
03:12I would say from a football impact perspective, no news, right?
03:16Yeah.
03:17From the social media virality of this situation, certainly news and a funny story, not if you are Mike Vrabel, who has to be asked about it.
03:28I don't believe, DRS, that any further discipline will be taken against Stephon Diggs by the NFL.
03:34Like, I don't think they're going to start an investigation into seeing what that pink substance is actually called.
03:40Could the Patriots discipline him, fine him, cut him?
03:45That's a different story.
03:47Oh, they've had talks already.
03:48Not on cutting him, but it's not just Vrabel going like, hey, we'll see when he gets back.
03:51Vrabel had his number immediately after that came down and probably dressed him down saying, you've got to be kidding me.
03:57You know what I mean?
03:58You have to be, as a veteran player in the NFL, you can't be this dumb to put yourself in that situation.
04:03Absolutely so.
04:05But Steph Diggs certainly didn't put himself in that situation.
04:09We will have investigative reporters on the beat trying to figure out the exact name of that unidentified pink substance here on the Sports Grid Network.
04:18News or no continues in OTAs for the Cleveland Browns, DRS.
04:23A very jumbled quarterback room, of course, this offseason, which we saw added to with the third round selection of Dylan Gabriel
04:31in the fifth round pick of Shador Sanders.
04:35ESPN Cleveland, the radio affiliate of ESPN in the land, has been keeping track of how these quarterbacks have performed
04:43in the open practice session during quarterback drills in those team drills for the Browns.
04:49They have compiled the stats.
04:51Joe Flacco, 9 of 14 for a touchdown yesterday.
04:54Shador Sanders, 7 of 9.
04:56Three touchdowns.
04:57Pretty good.
04:57Kenny Pickett, 9 of 16, not a touchdown, but not a pick.
05:01Dylan Gabriel, 11 of 16, two touchdown tosses, and yet an interception.
05:06News or no, DRS, that the Cleveland radio affiliate of ESPN is keeping stats on the Browns quarterback room.
05:13No, it is newsworthy because most beat writers do that to try to keep up on, like, last year was big in Philadelphia.
05:18The interception streak of the interception-less streak of Jalen Hurts in training camp led to him protecting the football in the regular season.
05:25He doesn't only have a couple turnovers in game number one.
05:27It's always fun to see that sort of come to fruition.
05:29But for me, we don't have context on this.
05:31Like, look at Shador, 7 of 9.
05:32Does that mean he was, you know, in a 30-yard line just throwing ropes into the end zone?
05:37It was really easy.
05:38Or was this, hey, you know what, he got the goal line work on the one-yard line with no pass rush in 7 and 7
05:43and hit the fullback three times for a one-yard touchdown?
05:45We don't know.
05:46There are good statistics to have.
05:47Like, yes, at least it's not the reverse, 7 of 12 with three interceptions and no touchdowns.
05:51But there's absolutely no concept of this because you're not in full gear.
05:55You're not going full gas.
05:56The defense isn't blitzing you.
05:58And I don't know the concepts of what plays you were running.
06:01When Shador Sanders had the screen, were they three screen passes that scored touchdowns?
06:05We don't know that.
06:05So, no, no news.
06:07I would say no news as well.
06:09It's not really something that you can take from what we are seeing in voluntary OTAs
06:14and prescribe for how these quarterbacks are going to perform in actual football games.
06:20Could it mean something, at least from the visual perspective, of how the quarterback room is filled out in Cleveland?
06:26Certainly so.
06:27If I asked you week one starter for the Browns out of the four guys on this sheet, who is it?
06:33Man, number one, it can't.
06:35Let's do it this way.
06:36It can't be Joe Flacco.
06:38You're right.
06:39It can't be Dylan Gabriel or Sanders.
06:41It's got to be Kenny Pickett.
06:42It's got to be.
06:43I think it is Kenny Pickett when all is said and done.
06:46So, maybe we'll discuss if it is newsworthy throughout training camp or maybe the rest of OTAs.
06:52NFL news or no?
06:54News or no?
06:56Around the National Football League continues bright and early on this Thursday on the early line on Sports Grid early in the NFL offseason for voluntary OTAs.
07:06As we speak, we talked about Stephon Diggs.
07:09We talked about the quarterback room in Cleveland having their stats tracked throughout voluntary OTAs in those team drills.
07:17And now we go to an AFC North competitor for Cleveland in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
07:22I promise it is not Aaron Rodgers' conversation.
07:25It is around star outside linebacker T.J.
07:29Watt, the former defensive player of the year in the National Football League.
07:32He has not been at OTAs for the Steelers as he awaits a long-term contract extension.
07:39Watt entering the final year of his contract DRS in 2025.
07:42So, the question to you, news or no?
07:46No, no news here.
07:47That's what superstar talent is supposed to do.
07:49They know they're going to get paid.
07:50They're not going to work out with the team.
07:52They're not going to get injured.
07:53They want to hold some sort of leverage here because the fan base loves T.J. Watt.
07:57If T.J. Watt isn't there for game number one, they're not going to blame T.J. Watt for wanting to reset the market for a defensive end.
08:02They're going to blame their ownership group and also their general manager.
08:06That's just the way it is.
08:07The Steelers can't have a good season without T.J. Watt being paid, happy, and in camp on time, and he understands that.
08:13But also, there is a spot here for the Pittsburgh Steelers to say, look, maybe this plays into it.
08:18Let's just say in the next week to week and a half, Aaron Rodgers goes, you know what?
08:23I promised Pittsburgh I was coming there.
08:25I can't even get out of bed now.
08:26I don't even feel like playing football anymore.
08:28I'm just going to retire.
08:29It is the way it is.
08:30And maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers go, okay, reset button here.
08:32Who wants T.J. Watt?
08:33One first-round draft pick, two first-round draft picks, maybe a one and a two.
08:36And you start the rebuilding at that moment right now.
08:39I don't think that's going to happen.
08:40That's the only way it turns newsworthy if they don't get the quarterback.
08:44But if you are T.J. Watt, there's no expectations of him retiring, and it looks like he's still playing at a high level.
08:49And if you are in the final year of your contract, no football player, regardless of how talented you are,
08:53wants to go into a season without any future guaranteed dollars.
08:57No surprise for me.
08:58No news for me on T.J. Watt.
08:59I would agree.
09:00No news.
09:01Again, the guys that are absent from voluntary off-season workouts, even organized team activities in OTAs,
09:08more than likely, if you're not Stephon Diggs on a boat or somebody dealing with other extracurriculars,
09:13you are trying to renegotiate a long-term deal using any bit of leverage.
09:17But if you're not happy with your contract status, you're not really going to be busting your hump out there either.
09:22This is T.J. Watt, who is 30 years old right now, turns 31 in October, a lifelong Steeler,
09:28and still has led the NFL in sacks, the RS, three times in the last five seasons.
09:33Last year was not his most prolific in terms of getting after the quarterback.
09:3711 and a half sacks after 19 that led the NFL in 2024 when he finished runner-up,
09:43the Defensive Player of the Year winner in Myles Garrett, but was out there for all 17 games.
09:48Always a good sign for T.J. Watt, and still led the league in one vital category, forced fumbles,
09:54forcing six last year for Pittsburgh.
09:57A contract is going to happen.
09:59T.J. Watt is going to get paid.
10:01That will be restructured.
10:02So for me, no news as well.
10:05Now, we talked a lot about Aaron Rodgers yesterday or maybe two days ago,
10:08and if he actually moves the needle at all when it comes to the Steelers,
10:13what we have known as the standard of success in nearly two decades under Mike Tomlin
10:16for a Pittsburgh team that is set to enter the 2025 NFL season
10:20with a win total of eight and a half.
10:23Both you and IDRS think that Aaron Rodgers probably makes them better than Mason Rudolph
10:26as the starting quarterback, but doesn't really change their outlook overall.
10:31There you see it right there.
10:33Would you bet the Pittsburgh Steelers in any of those numbers,
10:36or might you lean to the under of the win total eight and a half?
10:40And we might look at this graphic come, let's just say, early January.
10:42I'm like, what are you kidding me?
10:44Steelers not to win nine games?
10:45It's all Mike Tomlin does, and I get that.
10:47Now, they are in a tough competitive division here.
10:49They should be better, obviously, than the Cleveland Browns,
10:52but also you take a look at the Bengals, take that next step forward here
10:55because now you have the wide receivers in tow and Joe Burrow,
10:58which is still trying to work on the defense,
10:59and always the Ravens were an unbelievably good regular season team.
11:03So if I had to bet that just knowing of what I think is going to happen,
11:06and I think most people around the NFL expect Aaron Rodgers to be their quarterback,
11:10why can't they be around 500 and be in the mix?
11:12Because it's one thing to say, Ben, yes, we're getting 10 wins out of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
11:17but that's not what you ask your bet to do.
11:19In the month of December with four games to go and you need two victories,
11:21that's all you can appreciate and say, I was in it with a legitimate chance to win it,
11:25and if Aaron Rodgers is healthy and Mike Tomlin is there,
11:28that should be a team that guarantees I'm going to be over 500.
11:32Why?
11:33Because that's always what Mike Tomlin's teams guarantee to be over 500,
11:37making a deep playoff run, all that in the mix,
11:39maybe even not making the playoffs, but we're only focused here, for me, on nine wins,
11:44and that's what Tomlin does.
11:45And if Aaron Rodgers is there, as much as you don't like him,
11:47the statistics were decent in New York, it just didn't work out.
11:50And maybe it doesn't in Pittsburgh, but no way, shape, or form do I think
11:53the Pittsburgh Steelers, any quarterback, wind up with four wins.
11:56It's a great point, DRS.
11:57Again, I have not loved the Steelers' plan this offseason.
12:00I have not loved Pittsburgh's plan, basically, in developing the quarterback room
12:04any of the last three, four, five years since the end of the Big Ben tenure.
12:09But even when Ben Roethlisberger was at the end of his career,
12:12his final two seasons, they made it to the postseason.
12:15He wasn't performing the way he did when they won a Super Bowl in 2008
12:19or anything close to that standard.
12:21Heck, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs a few years ago
12:24with a rotating cast, a quarterback of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph,
12:28and I think Duck Hodges.
12:29So the idea that Aaron Rodgers would go there,
12:31and although I don't think he makes Pittsburgh a playoff contender
12:35or an AFC championship contender, to get the nine wins
12:39is not overly crazy by me.
12:41You want to do a special edition of News or No?
12:44Yep, sure.
12:45Caleb Williams addressing the Seth Wickersham book
12:48about how he tried to circumvent going to the Chicago Bears
12:51during the 2024 NFL draft process very early on.
12:55He addressed the book, and he said, basically, he loves being in Chicago.
12:59He loves being a Bear.
13:01News or No?
13:02No news, because the way he handled it would have been big news
13:04if he goes, I'm not talking about this next question.
13:06Now you got news.
13:08Now they're going to pester you for the entire season.
13:10But him standing by his locker basically saying,
13:12I'm glad we get a chance to talk about this to clear the air.
13:14Look, there were some questions that came up as anybody would,
13:17but make no mistake about it.
13:18I love the fact the Bears drafted me.
13:20I love being here.
13:21I love my new coaching staff.
13:22I love my teammates.
13:23Let's put this behind us, and let's get after it.
13:24That's the sign of a maturing young quarterback,
13:26because he has easily said, everything is false.
13:29Nothing is true.
13:30I don't want to talk about it, and I won't take another question.
13:32Then they would have peppered him the rest of the year.
13:33So it's good that it's no news for us,
13:35because it's no news to the quarterback,
13:37and distractions out of the way before your season starts.
13:40Love the way he handled it.
13:40And he called it, quote, a distraction,
13:42so he did want to publicly address it for the first time
13:45since that report came out.
13:46As you and I discussed around the report,
13:48it was almost like the headline was trying to make it news,
13:51when really what you read throughout the excerpts was not,
13:54because it was Caleb Williams saying early on
13:57that he had some skepticism, correctly so,
14:00of the coaching staff he played under last year,
14:02and the Bears as a franchise,
14:04and not developing great quarterback play.
14:06But by the end of the draft process,
14:08was gung-ho on being that guy
14:10and trying to turn the tide in Chicago.