Welcome back to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind. I’ll have to leave right at 3:30 and will check any late questions later on.
To your questions!
Dave Hancox: We read earlier about what a gong show the Jack Bicknell era was. Things haven’t improved much with the O-line coaching since. We know that Matt Canada was a terrible OC. He was fired mid-season but it appeared the only MT fired him was because of team morale (ie. not specifically because MT was concerned about his performance). My feeling is one of the most important roles a leader has is to hire good people. There has long been a feeling that MT’s hires are terrible. Would you agree with that assessment? If so, why is AR so willing to hand the reins to MT to make these types of hiring decisions?
Alex: I don’t want to be pedantic but Mike Munchak replaced Bicknell. So things did get better after him….then they got worse.
It’d be unfair and too broad to put a blanket phrase on Tomlin’s hires. Some good, some bad, some in-between. But I wouldn’t say it’s one of his greatest strengths, obviously. Especially not lately.
As to why he’s given that power. Look at his paycheck. $50 million contract, longest-tenured active head coach in the league. You pay a man the big bucks…he gets to make the big bucks decisions. And he’s the head coach and it’s his staff and I don’t think owners should meddle much because they just don’t know them as much and won’t be working with those guys day-to-day. So I don’t think Rooney is taking an incorrect approach at least, in principle.
Ralph Neeley: AK, have you decided to edit your 53 man roster prediction yet after receiving much criticism for leaving Black off the roster in favor of Loudermilk? Just busting your chops man, I respect your opinion. I struggle to come up with a decent question at this late hour (for me). Thank you for all that you do. You’re loved and appreciated man, keep doing what you continuously do. Good night.
Alex: Ha, I will take my lashing on that. Won’t change it this time…maybe the next edition. But I think some are trying to peg Black at nose tackle when the team is calling him an end. He should be playing nose tackle, I hope he does, but that’s not what the team is outlining. It puts him in a deep and muddy competition with all the other names in the mix.
Could he make it? Definitely. But it’s a free-for-all competition where Pittsburgh hopes it brings out the best in everyone.
Ha, all good. I survived mock draft season. I’m hardened to criticism (and that’s fine in principle; everyone should be open to hearing a different perspective). Appreciate you stopping by!
Mark O’Connor: Hi Alex, thank you for all your draft coverage! The depot team nailed it again as usual. Could you see Bishop and Kent sharing the NCB role like Hilton and Sutton? It looks like Kent can tackle really well but isn’t great at coverage. It would be cool to see him on CB blitzes with his speed.
Alex: Thanks Mark! I think Kent having an immediate role is a big stretch even knowing this time threw Bishop out there to start 2024. They have more options this year. Bishop returning and Echols can play inside, too. Who knows, maybe Trice gets a look or they use more big nickel.
Kent has to make the roster and that’ll be by beating out James Pierre on special teams.
Nick Schultz:
Well you had Dan Jackson pegged and apparently the Lions read your reports.
I have Robert Woods slotted as the big bodied, over the middle, possession downs receiver (i.e. Hines Ward, JuJu) best case scenario. In a perfect world, where do you see him contributing most?
Alex: Ha, thanks. I realized that the next day. Such a Dan Campbell player.
Ideally, Woods doesn’t have to do much. Austin keeps playing well and Roman Wilson takes off. And Woods is used in run packages, 12/13 personnel and catches 15-20 passes all year and moves the sticks on most of them. Your assessment of his role is accurate but if the young receivers play well, they’ll have more value. Freiermuth will be the safety valve/sure-hands guy over the middle.
Bill Anton: Keep hearing that Rodgers will be signing with Steelers. Am I missing something that indicates he will be signing with the Steelers? He seemed to prefer the Vikings over the Steelers. Why wouldn’t he wait for a QB injury on a contending team instead of signing with the Steelers? I’m a long time Steelers fan and I hope they contend, go to the Super Bowl, and win the Super Bowl every year, but I hoped for the same for years after Bradshaw retired, before the Steelers found Big Ben. What’s the likelihood that Rodgers wants to play, but doesn’t want to play for the Steelers because he doesn’t consider them serious contenders?
Alex: You’re right there’s no obvious sign that Rodgers will play. I don’t believe the team has a secret handshake deal. I think they realize Rodgers doesn’t want to go out like he did in 2024 and will want to play at least one more season. That’s the team’s hope, at least. That Rodgers wouldn’t spend hours at the facility, throw to Metcalf, just to hang up his cleats.
I don’t think his hold-up is waiting for a better deal. I think he is truly deciding his future and wants to confidently make his choice. He also knows the Steelers are waiting on him so there’s no real hurry here. He has that kind of leverage.
SteelCity:
Alex,
Does Coach Tomlin talk more about individual players pre-draft under GM Khan than he did previously under GM Colbert?
Alex: Sanders was a notable exception though clearly, he didn’t like him as much as the media thought Tomlin did. The first two draft cycles were status quo. This year, the team has been more open about something like Rodgers’ situation, though I’d call that an atypical free agency dance.
So I don’t think the pre-draft talk has been different that Sanders comment aside which appears to have been more smokescreen than substance (and I also think Tomlin wanted to defend a young guy getting hammered by the media every which way).
A. Silva:
Hi, Alex;
A little off topic, but do you think Arthur Smith was offered the keys to the kingdom after Mike Tomlin retires? I mean, he seemed to be the golden boy this past coach hiring cycle among both NFL and college, yet he chose to remain with a team with little clarity at QB, and still practically demoted to OC
Alex: I don’t think so. Tomlin isn’t going to retire for awhile. Either Smith will struggle and get fired (or more likely, non-renewed) or he’ll succeed and get poached as a head coach somewhere else. I don’t see Smith being the OC for 5+ years, which is at least how long Tomlin will be in town for.
Aaron Baker:
Hey Alex,
Obviously there was a ton of talk about Sanders falling to the 5th. Could you take a moment to talk on why you think Howard fell so far? Most reports I seen on him had a day 2 grade on him. Can you highlight some area’s in his game that you see as weakness’s? Not speculation scouting but real concerns on his tape?
Alex: I think teams see the divide in quarterbacks. Either they’re franchise guys or they’re backups. Similar to the thought I normally lead with of “go big or go home” at QB. The in-between guys don’t serve much of a purpose.
With Howard, he isn’t a power thrower. Doesn’t play like his frame. Can’t drive the ball effectively into tight windows over the middle and that could limit the systems/schemes he can play in. He didn’t truly breakout until 2024 and maybe some people thought that was because of Ohio State’s talent. I’d disagree but maybe some had the idea. And there were some processing/reading issues earlier in the season.
But I think we saw QBs go later than expected because that’s how the team drafts. Early and late. Light in the middle.
Willie John: I know you don’t love predictions this far out. I’m wondering what you think about the potential for explosive plays for Kaleb Johnson provided the offensive line looks good.
Alex: If the o-line plays to potential, sure, Johnson can keep it rolling. He’s not a true dynamic back but with a bit of a runway, he eats up grass and gets moving. He’ll add more splash to this run game. And they need it.
Doug Allen: Alex, Based on last year’s PFF data. Do you think Ekuale will be the Game 1 starter, since that’s where he played in New England? And will Dean Lowry be the most likely to be cut?
Alex: Depends on camp. A lot of these questions of who makes it, who starts, will be answered in the summer. But Harmon has the talent and readiness to start at LDE in base to open the year. Ekuale, ideally, is a backup rotational end.
Yes, Lowry is likely on the outs. Surprised Adams got the pink slip and not Lowry. With so many DEs, especially if they want to play Black at DE, I don’t see the path for Lowry considering he couldn’t even play/dress in last year’s group.
