Three weeks from now the Pittsburgh Steelers will be back on the fields of St. Vincent College. It will be hot and humid as usual and – as usual – there will be several key storylines shaping Training Camp. Here’s a look at some of those that I see as the most interesting.
The JPJ Situation
After doing very little during this Spring’s OTAs, Joey Porter, Jr comes to Latrobe still looking for an extension or new deal. It’s difficult to argue with his stance. He’s gone from a guy known mostly for his grabby hands and penalties to being a very dependable cover guy who gives up few if any touchdowns. The question that his people are arguing to the front of the Steelers is just where he ranks among the top cornerbacks.
This is exactly what your agent should be doing but there’s also the market. Right now, the market is dictating that JPJ is within his rights to be asking for around $30 million per season. It doesn’t help him that ESPN did not name him among their top ten cornerbacks. This was a survey of NFL coaches, executives and scouts. For me personally? Lists and surveys like that don’t mean a whole lot but there are used in negotiations. I believe something eventually gets done during Camp simply because the Steelers can’t afford to not have him on the field.
The Graham Effect
I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what Mike McCarthy’s offense will look like but as for the defense? That’s going to be a bit more difficult to distinguish. From OTAs we were able to discern that Graham was using two deep safeties much more than we ever saw with Mike Tomlin. This usually means a reliance on more coverage versus a reliance on pressure. This doesn’t mean Graham won’t be aggressive and it doesn’t mean that the Steelers will not bring pressure.
This is simply a different way of doing things. Graham comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree which means a couple of things. First, no two defenses are the same. From week-to-week Graham will tailor things differently. It might be more guys in the box, less blitzing or a difference in man versus zone coverage. Second is “taking away the offense’s best player.” Whether or not Graham sticks to this mantra I cannot say but it was always a staple of Belichick’s units. He was willing to let other guys have success as long as the biggest threat was erased.
Graham will not exactly show all of his cards in Camp and the Preseason but we should get a decent idea of how different his scheme will be compared to those of the past in Pittsburgh.
The Number Two QB
There is no sport that I’m aware of that fixates more on a player that never plays than football. We are always curious about who the backup quarterback is going to be and frankly, its’ for good reason. Rarely does an NFL starter get through an entire season unblemished. Therefore, needing a quality number two is a huge deal. This season is no different as Mike McCarthy will need to decide between the veteran Mason Rudolph and the second year pro Will Howard.
By now, most of you know the situation. Rookie Drew Allar will be the third QB. You don’t cut third round picks and he’s literally being rebuilt from the ground up. Rudolph is the veteran with starting experience and professionalism. We know his limitations and we are well aware of that his ceiling has been reached. Howard is largely unknown because an injury robbed him of any snaps during his rookie year. There is a reason he was a sixth round pick. His athleticism is ‘decent’ but not great and his arm average to above average at best.
Howard isn’t going “wow” anyone with his play. His inability to get the ball to a receiver on a deep sideline out route is a real thing – something we discussed on the SCB Steelers Inside Blitz last week with Alan Saunders. Howard is likeable and appears to have command of the huddle but will McCarthy want to groom two young QBs behind a 42-year old Rodgers? There will be a massive microscope on this position throughout Camp and the Preseason games. McCarthy has kept younger backups before but every situation is different.
