The Pittsburgh Steelers begin their OTAs on Tuesday and there are plenty of questions. Some of those may get answered while one in particular will likely drag on. Here’s what I’m looking for over the next couple of weeks.
The Wide Receivers
Enter D.K. Metcalf. Exit George Pickens. They aren’t the only two making news this offseason as Robert Woods joins the team as well. But the position has much to be concerned about. We still know nothing about Roman Wilson. Last year’s third round pick was hurt early in Camp, could never get healthy and by most reports, couldn’t get the playbook down either.
In a perfect world Wilson becomes exactly the guy the Steelers drafted. He’s difficult to cover from the slot, catches everything and blocks his tail off. In the real world, we can only hope he stays healthy and competes. And to be clear, he’s not a number two receiver. He’s a slot guy whose game is at its finest when he gets put in motion and can use his quickness to create space. That will be on Arthur Smith to get the most out of him if everything else falls in line.
Ultimately, even if Wilson lives up to the hype, do the Steelers still need to find a number two WR? There were recent rumors about New Orleans’ Chris Olave which quite frankly made zero sense. He had two concussions last season including the second which ended his season in week nine. Would the Saints take a sixth or a seventh? I highly doubt it and that’s all I’m willing to give in this case. Make no mistake however, Omar Khan will be looking to add a true number two.
How Does the O-Line Look?
I’m of the opinion that one of the most overlooked parts of this team in the offseason has been the offensive line. So much attention has been paid to the quarterback and wide receiver positions that we’ve completely forgotten this O-Line is still a work in progress.
Troy Fautanu is still a rookie in my book as he takes over at right tackle. I expect some early hiccups there. Broderick Jones takes over at left tackle – finally – where he gets his opportunity to prove he’s truly worth his first round status. Expecting these two to both play well is fair but it may also be a bit of a stretch in the early going.
The Steelers were clearly impressed enough with Mason McCormick at right guard that they didn’t address the position in the offseason. Both Zach Frazier and Isaac Seumalo are entrenched at center and left guard respectively. We won’t get much in the way of true clarity with such little contact permitted during OTAs but cohesiveness would be a solid start. Seeing who settles into the key reserve spots may be the biggest point of interest here.
Got a Nickel?
Beanie Bishop made plays when he was on the field last year yet there must have been a lack of confidence in him because he wasn’t on the field as often as he should have been. The coaching staff preferred Cam Sutton which continues to be a head-scratcher.
During the offseason the Steelers added former New York Jet Brandin Echols. He has the capability to play both inside and on the boundary and will definitely be given an opportunity to handle the slot corner. Seventh round draft pick Donte Kent out of Central Michigan is also likely to vie for the spot. He’s got tremendous straight-line speed but I’m not sure how well he will adjust to the quickness of NFL slot receivers. His biggest contribution could be as a gunner on punt team.
The Steelers are desperate for a guy to step up here. Having a ‘go-to’ slot corner is huge in the NFL today and they can only use the ‘Big Nickel’ formation so often. Finding the solution won’t be easy.
Oh… and the QB Thing
If I had a dime for every time an NFL talking head said they expected Aaron Rodgers to sign with the Steelers this week I would have a shit ton of dimes! This time it’s Ian O’Connor who is on record as saying this is the week he signs. My question is why? Why would he show up now when it’s pretty obvious Mike Tomlin would gladly take him showing up in August?
This is Mason Rudolph’s team right now. He’s been in the pole position since he signed and since there are just Skyler Thompson and Will Howard with him in the QB room, I admit there are questions. The Steelers typically have four QBs on the roster during this point of the offseason but it sure seems like they are holding it open for someone doesn’t it? I would love to believe that Rodgers is the “solution” and he’ll lead the Steelers to postseason success but I just don’t see it.
