Good Tuesday to you Steelers fans.
It is becoming more and more apparent that the Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping one of two things come to fruition. One is that they hope this stockpiling of interior offensive linemen reveals that one can play center. Two is that they brought B.J. Finney back almost exclusively to play center. Before I dive into this be advised that the Steelers may not draft a center as so many of us expect that they’ll do but I digress. We at SCB have always liked B.J. Finney and we were disappointed to see him go last year. Where we really liked him however was at guard. When he would start there, typically in place of Ramon Foster, the Steelers’ running game thrived. Early on, we thought he could potentially be the replacement for Foster but that obviously wasn’t in the cards. When he played center in place of Maurkice Pouncey, we were far less impressed. Therefore you can imagine our concerns if that’s the plan for Finney. Are there worse options? Definitely. But we must also consider that there will be a 39-year old Ben Roethlisberger behind him. If the Steelers believe they can make a center out of the litany of recent signees then that’s a worry too. This isn’t pee wee football where all you have to do is snap the football. My hope is that they do indeed draft a center but I am honestly not sure that happens now. And that’s got me very concerned.
Tweet of the Day… Lots of truth in this tweet.
Breaking news: If you’re doubling LC that means Mean Joe has only one blocker in front of him. I like Mean Joe’s odds. pic.twitter.com/Qebdfl95bB
— VintageSteelers (@VintageSteelers) March 29, 2021
Berry Returns
He’s the punter who just couldn’t stay away. Jordan Berry has signed a one-year deal to remain with the Steelers for another season. If you recall last season, the Steelers cut him, signed Dustin Colquitt, then cut him and brought back Berry. The interesting thing here is that when Berry returned he was actually much better than he was in his previous stint. When I say “better” I don’t exactly mean “all-pro,” but he was absolutely getting off longer and higher punts than previously. With a one-year deal though Berry is well aware that if a rookie or free agent comes in his job is not exactly a given.
Pro Days
The Steelers sent only their running backs coach, Eddie Faulkner, to North Carolina yesterday which I have to admit was a bit surprising. Javonte Williams ran a 4.55 40 time and some are criticizing this. Let’s consider that his UNC RB counterpart Michael Carter is considered the “faster one.” He ran a 4.5 yesterday so I’m still on the Williams bandwagon because there’s speed and then there’s game speed and that’s what I like with Williams… Duke TE Noah Gray who is likely a later round pick ran a 4.55 40. He’s got work to do on blocking but I really liked him during the Senior Bowl… Another potential Steelers’ TE target is Hunter Long of Boston College. He ran a 4.65 40 but is also 15lbs heavier than Gray and a better blocker… DE/EDGE prospect Jaelen Phillips in Miami ripped off a 4.56 40, had a vertical of 36″ and knocked out 21 reps on the bench. nice day for him. Coming up today…
- Alabama (Path to the Draft Pro Day Special at 12 p.m. ET on NFL Network)
- East Carolina
- Florida Atlantic
- Louisville
- North Carolina State
- Ohio State (Path to the Draft Pro Day Special at 12 p.m. ET on NFL Network)
- Texas A&M
- Tulane
- Washington
Pittsburgh will have a heavy presence in Tuscaloosa and Columbus today. The focus will be on RBs Najee Harris and Trey Sermon along with centers Landon Dickerson and Josh Myers. But there are also linebackers that will be under the microscope as well.
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