Good Friday to you Steelers fans.
Something that should not, I repeat “should not,” surprise any of us is how quickly sites like ESPN and others get out their “Predictions for next season” articles. Obviously these are mostly written well before the Super Bowl and have only the slightest of edits based on the outcome of that game but… It never ceases to amaze me. While those articles can be useful, I tend to check out sites like www.betstation.com who pour a lot more time and effort into their future prognostications. What is often the most interesting thing is how similar the projections can be and also just how different they can be as well. Keep in mind, these all are posted before free agency and the Draft even happen.
The Podcast
We recorded episode 307 of the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc last evening. We gave our thoughts on the Super Bowl… Discussed the retirement of longtime Steelers’ Coach John Mitchell… We handed out our annual Blitzie Awards for the season as well. Check it out and don’t be afraid to join the live broadcast! We have a terrific group that joins us each week.
Tweet of the Day… YES!!!
Bring these uniforms back please ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/AzpTHDmujI
— NFL (@neuutraall) February 17, 2023
Pickett’s Progress
Steelers’ QB Kenny Pickett has been hard at work early in the offseason. He’s working with a guy named Tony Racioppi who is a former college QB with a degree in Exercise Science. If you’ve had a chance to see some of the videos that Racioppi has tweeted then you can see much of the work Pickett is putting in is fundamental and deliberate.
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett working full field drill playing left to right. Eyes before feet, back foot/hip married together always stacked sliding to next area to align base to make straight, balanced throws with consistent sequence to all levels of field.… https://t.co/iOtFyH7HDD pic.twitter.com/fkX3h0Z5PY
— Tony Racioppi (@Tonyrazz03) February 17, 2023
Average fans often do not realize how important the lower body is for quarterbacks. Take Peyton Manning for instance. During his practices he used to mount a camera on top of a ladder. It would be placed directly behind him and was zeroed in strictly on his feet. After each dropback he would go back and look at the tape. If his feet were even a little out of line he’d immediately take steps to correct the issue. This is similar as to what Racioppi is doing with Pickett. You’ll notice the concern here isn’t about velocity or how fast the rep is completed. It’s all about proper alignment. Get those fundamentals done first and then the rest follows.
Pending Free Agents
I tend to believe most Steelers’ fans would put Cam Sutton at the top of the list in terms of guys that need to be re-signed. There is currently a battle for the second guy in line between Terrell Edmunds and Larry Ogunjobi. I mentioned Edmunds importance earlier this week but Ogunjobi isn’t an open and shut case though either. He practiced very little last season due to injury and those injuries often limited his ability. When healthy, he was an excellent Robin to Cam Heyward’s Batman. The question is what price would he return for? The Steelers aren’t in a position to offer a ton nor should they. His health issues cost him a huge deal with Chicago before coming to Pittsburgh so I don’t believe his asking price should be too high. But that number is going to vary greatly fro the fan base to Omar Khan. Either way, the Steelers need additions to the defensive line badly.
Prospect Profiles
We’ve started our NFL Draft Coverage here at SCB and the first of our Position Profiles is out. We’ve made the decision that rather than make extensive profiles of each player, we are doing smaller ones and grouping them by position. This allows us to easier update information as Pro Days and the Combine provide more info.
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!
Quick Hitters is Brought to You By
