Have The Steelers Prioritized Players’ Character In Building Their 2024 Roster?

what up PB still pans mad P Shannon White here with another episode of the Steelers Global Perspective now Shannon there are two blocks that we've talked about a lot this offseason um since the draft in Zack Fraser at Center out of West Virginia and beanie Bishop out of West Virginia now you and I are recording this trans apparently for everyone before the Bills game so if anything happens in the Bills game that's completely shocking um good or bad and I don't think it will be bad um there you go there we've made that disclaimer however regardless of that I wanted to talk about these two guys because it's a little bit about these two guys we've talked a lot about them but it's more this philosophy because I think it's interesting you've got the guy in Frasier that at one point you know and he I think he will proove through his career was worthy of being even it was the back end being a first round draft pick that the Steels gotten a second and then you've got so you've got a guy that was like a top three round draft pick right so you know you know at a minimum and then you've got like a bit of the polar opposite of a beanie Bishop where sus some people had him between the fourth and the seventh round other people had him as an undrafted guy I had him in like the fifth or sixth because I thought he would be I thought that a lot of people would sleep on him and then he goes undrafted of all things and Steelers pick him up so I'm not going to call them Polar Opposites because beanie Bishop still had a draftable grade on him but they're kind of it's a kind of a tale of two different stories if you look at it from a draft process or how they've how they've made this Steelers team and put themselves in the mix to be to actually be starters even in beanie Bishop's case but what is definitely common is I guess they've come from not just that they've come from the same college but they've come from a similar mind mindset and work ethic and and and in how they've developed as players and obviously you know West Virginia is very close to your heart because it's in your heart it's you live in you live in West Virginia um but the bigger takeaway for me is about yes there's how the Steels selected and and I'll shut up in a moment because you're better talk to this but it's not just about how the steal is going about selecting players but how you go and find players and Scout players because they knew about FR like w talked about this in his interview they went they you know saw him in a pit game right you know beanie Bishop you said when we did the um segment on the versatility on the defense um you know being from that perspective whether that's out or not before this we'll see but you know when we when we talked about that in our recording of content this week you also you you know you talked about be Bishop being a developed starter and that in that maturity that he brings in that role um so I I guess I wanted to sort of pick your brain a little bit on like how you go about finding players and particularly because like the college season's about to kick off right so who are the guys you know and everyone will start their top 10 and their first round guys whatever and this is the time when I start my who are the guys that you know in my own head who are the guys that no one's talking about that they just need to see develop through the season but that often that can be very based on what we see on the field and statistic statistics only but there's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes obviously for those players to develop so I want to yeah pick your brain on like what are those things you people need to look for what are those things need to keep in mind because there also might be guys that make this steals roster that we all sit there and we go Who the hell's that guy right but they might have some of these intangibles or character qualities or you know capabilities traits tributes whatever words we want to use um that make them the right fit for the team well I'm gonna start with Zach Frasier and the reason why is because you know everybody knows how excited that I was and how badly I wanted him to be drafted by the Steelers um I don't watch as much college football as you do and some of our community members and Andrew wilbar and you I have to lean on you guys a lot of times if it's somebody that plays West Virginia uh and they're in the Big 12 or I get to catch a good bit of SEC games or ACC and I look for guys that especially in certain positions yeah that I know the Steelers could be looking for in the draft um but what it I was so familiar about Frasier meanie of course because that they were Mountaineers but when the Steelers had the opportunity to draft Creed Humphrey um I've been I grew up watching Mike Webster now Mike Webster had a long long career uh to the fact that you know he was very young when he I was a kid uh very young when he was drafted but I seen him develop and enough that I knew I used to remember watching Webster and he come off and he'd be bloody and his knuckles would be bloody and he'd be muddy and he looked like he was barely making it on the sidelines and taking him a Drake and then the defense to get the ball back real quick and he'd have to put that helmet back on and go back after I I think he I said he's hurt and they no he's okay he's okay he's okay that's just how he that's how he looks all the time because of how he had to play you know he was like 61 and 260 something that's crazy his guys's much bigger and he would slam his head into their sternum to block them to get that early leverage and he did that repetitively for many years and that's where the CTE so his his impact on football is not just the greatest Center of all time but it was that he made the biggest through his death is GNA save so many young men uh from having that similar fate because he's the one that really brought CTE to light yeah and so his greatness is is just the greatest Center I ever seen and it'll take a lot for me to ever change my mind but when I see Frasier uh as a freshman in West Virginia I kept getting flashbacks now Frasier put on he was a workout Warrior he stayed in the way and he got to where like had tree trunks uh legs for arms uh if you look at Fraser he is just so Stout and he's so um you know he's not the tallest he's not the the fastest but the guy's got the heart of a line and he just battles on every play and he's so technically strong and he has such great leverage from his wrestl and background but he's also so determined not to fail anything he's done he's Exel that whether it in the classroom whether it was in in his charity stuff whether it was in his football he won it for the hardest worker on the football team all these different things Frasier I wanted Creed Humphrey I the best center that I ever evaluated and I said it leading up to that draft I said it was CED Humphrey and I know different people that I respect that had him in the top two that year but uh but they all said you know yeah he's really good I thought he was because he had a mentality because Center is different than any other offensive line position and there has to be that intelligence and that that leadership it's more than just and Fields has talked about that with Fraser he's like I'll go I'll go to the line and say we need to flip you know we we need to Flip Flip it and it's like fras has already done it like and you could guarantee if he has something he struggled and any rookie will he will be obsessed with turning that weakness into his strength that's his mentality so I I know we won't fail because that's just not in his vocabulary he will do whatever it takes to excel so when he come in and the Steelers were able to get him I said wait till you see his footwork his fundamentals his leverage his technique we' seen that in the first preseason game now I'm not I'm not an the so I can't see why is he running second streak to Nate Herby who is not even an NFL caliber Center maybe offensive line if you put him at guard but he's not a center I mean if that's the case that whoever was playing Mesa Cole last year and and hering was an option they should be fired but so now you go and you draft the most pluging play and it could just be trying to get the most out of FR that's yeah they're doing that and it's a it's kind of that you know smoking mirrors earn your position crap but I'm just saying that Fraser is light years ahead as a prospected as a player that hering ever will be but hering's been a good Mentor they say and he's really been there for Fraser and helping him even though he knows Frasier's taking that job he's helping Frasier so he I mean I'm not against hering because that shows a lot of maturity that shows being a great teammate it shows a lot of character as we see with Mason Rudolph last year or years people like that you you need those people on a team uh that helps the younger guys but Fraser comes in the game and instantly you seen him get off his punch his turn uh the way he would he would just ease in just effortlessly to get that Gap and then to take he had the power to move these guys and turn them even if he couldn't move them he turned them now one time he took a bull rush but if you watch he kept his balance and he just turned the guy so where the guy did push you back but he couldn't get in the play because he stayed on his block he didn't get off Bound for knock to the ground um he he pancake guys and when he had an opportunity he took him down and he jumped on him he didn't let him get back into play um I just think that Frasier is the next Legacy Center I I don't want to rush him I don't want to but you're not rushing him he is so mature oh yeah both as an individual he's married he's got a child uh he's a very mature gentleman who is ready for this he's been Gro for this now for three or four years and I expect him to to have a wonderful season as a rookie um Beanie beanie Bishop I had him as a fourth round grade if you remember Y at the draft I said I would actually spend a fourth rounder on him because they didn't have a fifth uh because that's afraid he wouldn't make it to the six and then to go and drafted now they said they discussed with him that he was their priority free agent and they stayed in contact with him all the way through and luckily the other teams didn't pull the trigger on him but I told y'all before the draft that he is 24 years old I've seen guys go play baseball let's say yeah and then come back and play one year college football and get drafted 2425 Chris winky I think was 27 the quarterback for Florida State back in the day but that's what what held beanie Bishop for being drafted it wasn't his athleticism he run a 439 he's he's got really good strength and off for his size but his age yeah but it was a slow progress he matured every year and we he it all come together in West Virginia and he was an All-American he never backed off from any challenge they was games West Virginia got beat handl and I would watch the effort level and you would see some guys you like oh well the plays on that side of the field they didn't even run over every down every snap that he was out there he was giv everything he had yeah and I said I remember telling my f I said that mentality will get him the NFL and he will be successful because if you yes he's undersized to be full-time on the outside but so was Daryl green so was other guys if you've got the dog in you and that effort level and that athleticism and he has all that now I think he's going to be a great slow it's a good example what I'll say is a good example is like a Samuel junr plays free safety for charges right he's not like he's not big he's not big at all no right and like and I sit there he plays bigger yeah and like I I think we put a little bit into that sometimes I think look there are certain positions like you know you know I'll sit there and talk about Miko puit I don't think he's you know really big enough and not really a tight end he's an hpack and you know we'll talk about the height of different BLS and all the rest of it but like at the end of the day it's how you play on thei like you know you and I have talked about it with the whole 44 to 46 thing with 40 yard times I mean Cooper cup runs a four run run I think it was a 463 or something you know his 40 yard time well the boy you know has basically want an MVP effectively you know for what he for you know having the most yards right and there's guys out there like what's John Ross ever done you know like what's you know we can go through heaps of guys that are complete freak speedsters and they didn't they haven't had that production so sometimes you've just got to go you know what like there you know this play is a little bit of an outlier and that is what it is like I don't know if you've seen that uh was it grayan Arnold yes and he's been got injured regrettably because I think he was going to have a shot at makeing the team but he got hurt but because you know he looked pretty good in the preseason game yeah but somebody was saying well they're playing him with the first streak beanie they must not be happy I don't read it that way I believe that beanie they're happy they know what they got beanie remember Mike Tomlin mentioned him and then Andy WID in his press conference talked about how beanie fits what they were looking for and and and that they were so glad they got him and how and what a great deal of value he is I think they know what they got so they were seeing what else they had but be Bishop I believe is going to be a major contributor this year and I think that the fans are going to love him uh because it's like watching Mike Hilton again with more athleticism and more speed but they have that Underdog and maybe a bit J on my shoulder mentality yeah I was going to say maybe with a bit more physicality like we we actually have a saying for it here I don't think it's ever come up when we done shows um and you guys call it like dog but we like call it you got to have a bit of Mongrel in you no Mongrel is a dog here yeah yeah yeah yeah that's what we call that's what we call it here it's a bit more and not just dog though it's like extra Scrappy and like just a bit but also a bit like I put this um like really hard noosed right like you you almost do you almost be willing to bend the rules effectively but you you just stay on the the right like the right side of the line on that I know it's the same in rugby even though I never got to play rugby um but when you play against somebody in any sport and you the contest is just starting whether it's a team sport individual sport whatever and you're going up against them and you realize uh oh this is going to be a long day yep I I'm I think I'm more talented I'm bigger I'm faster I'm stronger but that guy's GNA be a pain in my rear all day long you know this and and you know you don't look forward to those matchups you don't look forward to it because they wear you out and it's just you have to give maximum effort to if you are better you got to give maximum effort to show you're better yeah and and they put pressure on you and it's it's just a it's a competition and that's what Beanie Bishop is regardless of who he's going up against they know it's going to be a long day yeah I know what that's like I've been I've been that that Scrappy player that's uh yeah it's definitely um but also like you know in physical Sports I'll say this and and you see it you probably see it more in rugby than you do it at the NFL level um well no I guess like Pro in and the in at a pro rugby level it's a bit more even but I think as you come up through the ranks there's actually quite a bit of a size difference there's a fun thing like when you start playing rugby the one of the first things they tell you is there's position for everyone no matter what size you are no matter whether you're slow or you're fast or and so there's a lot of positions where like you know you there a lot of people you'll start out in one position and by the time you finish whether you finish at the end of high school or you finish when you're in you know um college or whether you know people that played Pro and you go back to what position they played it's like what the heck like I don't even know I did that right like you know um as As I Grew but like as I lost like you know what we call like the puppy fat and all that ended up you know effectively going from like offensive defensive line to being like linebacker tight end like kind of thing like you know like like really fast um and strong safety kind of thing so it's it's so hard to compare them though because obviously you play both sides of the ball you know in in rugby but um yeah it's it's kind of a really it's a really interesting thing but one of the things that we'd always say is that like particular when you played bigger guys you know obviously we have a lot of um you know uh people from like you know um Polynesian backgrounds and same as obviously in the states one of the things we were always used to be told is like you they're like it doesn't matter how big you are right like that whole fight SI a dog but like like if you're a bloke and everyone's a human and if you put someone on there behind at the start of a game particularly the biggest guy on the field you won't hear about him from the rest for the rest of the day right and no matter how yeah and no matter how big they are and I and you know what you used to sit there in the coaching and you like say it and you go oh yeah whatever particularly you know you're a teenager and you think you know better but I'll tell you some of those games it's like you said when you kick off and you look you look at the other team and you're like this is going to be a long day but there are a couple of times where you're like you know I remember being in the spot because essentially we'll talk about this because a Ki the kickoff rule right yeah like that in the NFL but in this like you kick off and we used to pretty much like there's no real rule other than it's got to go more than in you know in our measurements it's got to go more than 10 meters the the ball right and then apart from that you can't kick it out it's like an you can't kick it out on the full off a kickoff that that's not allowed to you you can't do that um well I mean well actually technically you can but yeah you'll actually the ball would be brought back exactly to where the spot you kicked it from so there's no point doing it like that's a stupid thing to do um but yeah we'd have it so but I always played the position where my key role always was the Gunner right right like my job is was make make that first tackle or to be the BL guy that makes second tackle what we used to do is because unlike in the because in the in the NFL obviously you split it offense defense well in rugby we we split it is forwards and backs so forwards are the ones that are in the scr and in the line out when they throw the ball in and then you have the backs as like the as The Wider guys that's the way it's split so the whole whole idea was if you're playing a team that you knew had crappy backs you'd kick the ball to the backs you'd send the forwards in and you try and like crash like crash tackle them get a turnover um but if they were a team that had really good backs you'd kick it to the forwards and and you try and like you know slow everything right down and you know be you'd be kicking off them in their side of the field the idea was that you slow them down they'd be forced to because obviously in rugby you don't just wait for the four downs you sometimes kick it way before that um you know and move the ball but I I remember there'd be a couple of times where like someone had missed that first tackle and I there a couple games you like you know what like we'll just EAS in is in as we go and then someone missed that first tackle next thing I I've got the guy coming at me in an angle I don't know and then you put that first tackle on and rmine bring this I know it's a long way to get there but you put that first tackle on and then it was I was always the thing that I was on as players where I just needed to make that first tackle I needed that and then after that I I was good to go but it was always like needed to get that oh yeah you know and and it was and you know we did the things I've seen NFL rooms as well where people like you know shove your shoulders and all that like in you know in the in the change rooms and um or in the locker room all the game that did nothing for me like I just used to sit like I need I need the adrenaline of like bone bone and remember we don't wear pads and we don't wear helmets like I need another BL running into me at full speed to like you know be like okay cool we're doing this now yeah that like you said set the tone and you guys you know a lot of times if a guy like a beanie Bish comes in and you know really Nails a guy uh makes the big hit the big play or whoever Payton Wilson Patrick queen that sets at home for everybody yeah because you know hey we're playing ball then nothing else you ain't thinking about nothing else just you know uh winning this game and winning your matchup and so yeah the st's got some tone Setters now and because there's that famous Mike Tyson say which actually comes off the back of a German general that said something you know slightly more toned down which is like everyone's got a plan until you get punched in the mouth right yes and I think that's a really good way of thinking about the Steelers defense because and particularly like particularly some of these players that the two team have brought in on offense and defense is you've got players that like are going to punch people in the mou they're going to make an impact and how you going to react um so yeah pretty exciting but look that's going to wrap up this week's all this week's content of the ste's global perspective join us for more as we continue in the NFL regular season I'm MD p with Shannon white as always GH Stealers