Good Thursday to you Steelers’ Fans.
Most of you don’t need me to tell you just how brutal the game of football can be. From the obvious, physical rigors to the mental strain the game offers it really is a harsh reality for those who play it. Steelers’ defensive lineman Lavon Hooks found this out yesterday as he is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Hooks has been an extremely hard worker who knew going in that any chance of making the roster was slim. He was already behind the three main starters and Tyson Alualu so his main competition was likely rookie Isaiah Buggs. Depending upon the severity of the injury, it will be curious to see where Hooks is come 2020. Regardless, it’s yet another another example of just how cruel the game can be.
The New Podcast is Up!
We recorded Episode 146 of the Steel City Blitz Steelers Podcast presented by 26shirts.com/Pittsburgh last night and it’s ready for your enjoyment. Ben and I discussed all of the latest roster competitions, injuries, contracts, defensive roster projections and much more. Please make sure to give us a review on the platform you use to listen!
Tweet of the Day… Thoughts from Uncle Ed Bouchette at The Athletic. TE and S we agree with, not so sure they need to add at OLB. And as far as QB, Rudolph has to be the backup right?
The Steelers should try to add players at three positions: TE, Safety and OLB. @EdBouchette writes in his inaugural mailbag.
See what else he thinks: https://t.co/YKxUKNNued
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticPGH) August 21, 2019
Latest From the Training Table
Vince Williams did not dress last week versus the Chiefs and our understanding is that he’s dealing with a shoulder injury. As to the severity I do not know… Prior to Monday, rookie Sutton Smith hadn’t practiced in 17 days. Since then, he’s practiced each day this week and while he wouldn’t discuss the injury we are told it’s been a rib problem. He’s expected to play Sunday night and he needs to or he has no shot to make the team… Joe Haden remains day-to-day with his foot injury.
Wide Receiver Get-Together
Not sure if you saw any of the social media posts from Ryan Switzer or JuJu Smith-Schuster recently but Switz held a get-together with the team’s wide receivers. No offense to any of the guys but in my book it was just as fun to see JuJu’s dogs playing with Switz’s dogs. Both players frequently feature their ‘best friends’ on social media so it was kind of cool to see them together.
Clarifying the Third QB Situation
There has been some recent confusion over the popularity of current fourth-string quarterback Devlin Hodges. I am probably a decent source of this confusion so let me clarify. Rarely do you worry about who your third-string QB is because let’s face it – if you’re down to him – you aren’t going to be winning any titles. Here’s the way I view this particular situation though. Mason Rudolph is the number two. That means Josh Dobbs is three so that’s who Hodges has to beat out. Dobbs knows the offense and has some, albeit little, experience in regular season game. However, we also know what Dobbs can do. We’ve seen more than enough of him to know what he is capable of doing. Based on what I’ve seen from Hodges, I think he has real potential to become a solid backup QB in the NFL. In conclusion, I’d rather keep Hodges because I believe he can offer more while Dobbs has pretty much shown all of his cards. Still, the discussion over a third QB has probably over-run its course.
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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