Welcome back to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
Yeshaya: Hey Alex, regarding Travis Hunter, the 2 way player on the Jags. What were the causes of why players stopped playing on both offense and defense, and do you think he’ll be able to overcome those factors?
Bonus question: if you had to pick one current Steeler to become a two way player, who would it be and which position?
Alex: Hey really good question. It’s a bit unchartered territory of a player doing what Hunter is set to do to the degree he’s doing it. Troy Brown, Julian Edelman, and others have dabbled both ways and Deion did back in the day but Hunter is going to try to log more.
One, is conditioning. Just having the stamina to do it not just for a game but an entire NFL season. That’s 20 games plus playoffs. Obviously, Hunter played an absurd amount of snaps in Colorado in thinner air so he could pull it off. But there is a long-term consideration here. Especially as a rookie because these guys really don’t get much of a break from college to pro. They don’t get to relax until that following offseason when they don’t have the Combine, Pro Days, workouts, meetings, etc. Hunter didn’t have the most intense process because he skipped a lot of stuff but it’s still taxing.
Two, it’s the coaches trusting up to pick up the playbook. That you had enough reps to confidently be used. Balancing that will be key. Having packages and plays for the “other” side of the ball.
Three, it’s just the risk of injury. More snaps, more chances of getting hurt. Then you have holes to fill at two spots.
If anyone is going to do it, it’s Travis Hunter. Interested to see how it plays out.
Current two-way Steeler? Hmm, that’s tough. T.J. Watt as an EDGE/tight end maybe? He played tight end at Wisconsin initially before flipping sides.
ironkett:
Hi, Alex!
A lot of the offseason plan on the D-line seem to be centered around allowing benton to exclusively play nose tackle. Do you think that is the right focus for him? He played multiple positions last year, do you think NT is his best position?
Alex: I’m willing to give it another year. It’s important to recognize even if he was shifted, he’s still playing interior d-tackle most of the time knowing Pittsburgh’s in their base 3-4 about 25-33 percent of the time. And I do like his pass rush ability over center/guard. He club/over move is insanely good and if he could just finish a few more chances and develop a better counter move (or even going to his left instead of his right), he would be more effective. So short answer, I’m willing to see it through another year.
David Rudin: Alex my man! How’s life in mom’s basement?
Why do you suppose the Steelers haven’t “hosted” any of the available receivers, ie: Gabe Davis, Amari Cooper etc…? Davis has been hosted by the Giants and 49ers and obviously it doesn’t cost the team anything to kick the tires.
ColoradoDave
Alex: Mom’s basement is good! Pizza rolls as far as the eye can see.
Maybe it’s true what Omar Khan said. They’re confident in who they have, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and Robert Woods. If the team does explore external options, the earliest it’ll happen – and I’ve said this a couple times – is after spring workouts. OTAs and minicamp. They’ll take a look at how a guy like Wilson looks in his second year and Woods’ first full practices with the team before deciding to add any help. So that’s why things have been quiet.
