SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The “Defining Voluntary” Edition

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Pierre of the Steelers. steelcityblitz.com

Good Tuesday to you Steelers fans.

We need to discuss the word “voluntary.” I know… Many of you are asking “why? I already know what this word means.” I’m sure that most of you do but in the NFL world, voluntary means something different to different people. Most of us have a very fatal flaw when it comes to analyzing the NFL. We use our own experiences as players from little league, Pop Warner and high school or college sports to help us discuss the professional ranks. One of the biggest areas of misconceptions surrounds ‘voluntary.’ At the high school, club or college level, when the coach says practice or training is “voluntary,” it means you better have your ass there. The reason is because if you don’t, then you shouldn’t expect to play. It’s that simple and only the very, very best players can often get away with not being there. In the National Football League, voluntary means voluntary. If T.J. Watt isn’t at voluntary workouts the next couple of weeks do any of you honestly believe he’s going to lose his starting job? Sure, there are some guys down on the roster who probably need to show their faces every single day in an effort to just make the practice squad, but by and large, these workouts are life and death and fans need to realize this. All of this is mentioned today because Diontae Johnson didn’t show up for ‘voluntary’ workouts in Pittsburgh yesterday. Right on cue, many fans lost their collective minds. Ask yourself a question. Did you feel the same way when Watt was not involved in Training Camp last year until he signed his new deal? I know my words are futile for many but I’ll say them anyway. The NFL is a different animal than anything the majority of us have experienced. Relax… There’s no use getting torn up this early in the year.

Tweet of the Day… Was this tweeted from the corner seat at Tequila Cowboy?

Mocking Simulators

For those that enjoy mock drafting, there are simulators at profootballnetwork.com, thedraftnetwork.com and fanspeak.com. There are a few others too but the first two I mentioned are probably the most realistic in terms of how the draft may go. Keep in mind, this can be a work in futility because there’s just no way to predict a draft but they do provide some insight and help you analyze players as well.

Call It a Hunch

I could be revealing my final mock draft here but then again I could change my mind several times in the next week… Keep an eye on the safety position. While Kyle Hamilton is likely to go before he gets to 20, there are some other safeties like Dax Hill of Michigan and Lewis Cine of Georgia who are cruising up draft boards. With no strong safety of starting caliber currently on the roster, it’s something to consider.

Bringing Back the “Dolls”

Like myself many of you probably collect Steelers “stuff.” One of the things I started collecting years ago were Starting Lineup figures. My wife affectionately refers to them as my “dolls” because she likes to jab me whenever possible! That said, Bill Shea at The Athletic announced that Hasbro and Fanatics are bringing them back. I’m all for it! I need more dolls!!

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FOCO

The great people at FOCO have released their brand new Steelers Spring Collection and I’ve got it right here for you. We get a small percentage back on anything that you buy so please consider it! There are tons of great Steelers item on their site outside of the Spring collection too!

Our Online Store

Please visit our online store! We have been so fortunate to work with DC4L Custom Tees! They are wonderful to work with and are willing to work with you on just about any design you can come up with!

 

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