State of the Steelers

[Dcash4]

 

Phew. Good morning, Coach!

[warfelg]

Got a chance to meet Coach T in two weeks. I feel like he’s gonna make me run through a wall. 

[bigben07MVP]

Random thoughts as I re-watch Kenny’s come from behind win against the Ravens:

- I’m drafting Jaylen Warren in every fantasy draft this year

- Darnell Washington is going to be so, so fun in these matchups. All of the AFC North matches really.

- Montravius Adams was a traffic cone out there. Adams, Loudermilk, Maulet, Spillane all guys I’m excited to not have to watch on defense next year. 

- Do not sleep on Baby Hey’s blocking ability. I really hope they don’t just turn him into the new Derek Watt, Heyward is a weapon.

- It will be nice to see a healthy TJ Watt this year. He was still very good when he came back, but no where new DPOTY level TJ.

- Before KP’s GW touchdown throw to Najee, the Ravens hadn’t allowed a home TD in 15 quarters 😳

 

 

[MOSteelers56]

11 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

- I’m drafting Jaylen Warren in every fantasy draft this year

We have too many questions on offense for me to specifically target any Steeler this year. Najee is probably the only one I feel safe with. If Najee goes down, Warren is maybe the best handcuff since Michael Turner. I just think our offense is going to be crazy balanced. That hurts fantasy output.

 

11 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

Montravius Adams was a traffic cone out there. Adams, Loudermilk, Maulet, Spillane all guys I’m excited to not have to watch on defense next year.

You’re not wrong about this. Adams seems like a great guy, but he is pretty bad. I think a big aspect to our perceived improvement for next year comes from getting rid of really bad players. Good teams don’t have bad players that play a lot. I think sometimes professional sports is more about having no bad players as it is about having stars. I think Watts and Fehoko are average players. Adams is a bad player. Alualu was a bad player(last year). Loudermilk was bad. He’s still got a chance, but it’s his last. 

[August4th]

 

[MOSteelers56]

1 hour ago, August4th said:

 

Still not a lot of coverage chops from our ILB room. I guess this guy competes with Muse for the #4/ST guy. 

[August4th]

 

[bigben07MVP]

3 hours ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Still not a lot of coverage chops from our ILB room. I guess this guy competes with Muse for the #4/ST guy. 

My prediction is we will make a splash at LB before the season starts.

Isaiah Simmons makes a lot of sense if the price is right. 

[MOSteelers56]

56 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

My prediction is we will make a splash at LB before the season starts.

Isaiah Simmons makes a lot of sense if the price is right. 

He’d be a heck of an Edmunds improvement at Dimebacker. Well, maybe. He could also be pretty bad but it’d be interesting to see what he looks like after getting the Arizona stink off him. 

[warfelg]

13 hours ago, MOSteelers56 said:

He’d be a heck of an Edmunds improvement at Dimebacker. Well, maybe. He could also be pretty bad but it’d be interesting to see what he looks like after getting the Arizona stink off him. 

He has been training to play DB this past offseason.

[bigben07MVP]

5 hours ago, warfelg said:

He has been training to play DB this past offseason.

Would still address a huge need.

[bigben07MVP]

Random thoughts as I watch the week 18 28-14 W against the Browns:

- Mark Robinson needs to take a significant leap to be a serious part of the LB rotation. He looked completely lost at pretty much everything besides attacking downhill

- Najee deserves his flowers for how he finished the season. He looked his best the last handful of games. If we get a full season of that plus Warren and an improved o-line I think we can realistically be top 5-7 in rushing yards. Sucks he had a really nice 50 yard catch and run off a screen that got wiped away by a penalty. Looked explosive. 

- Diontae Johnson with a drop and drop that was almost a fumble and there’s 3 min left in the first 

- Simply upgrading Steven Sims and Gunner O to Calvin Austin and Allen Robinson should be huge for the offense 

- Pickett’s issue with escaping clean pockets and scrambling into pressure are real. Was listening to a Ringer podcast where they compare Pickett to Deshaun Watson and how they both make things look chaotic when it’s not necessary.

- This might’ve been the worst game by a group of LBs I’ve ever seen. Bush, Jack, Robinson, Spillane were all god awful 

- Deshaun Watson, in week 18, looked horrible. People are starting to hype them up and they don’t worry me at all.

- George Pickens is Deandre Hopkins 

 

[warfelg]

6 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

Pickett’s issue with escaping clean pockets and scrambling into pressure are real. Was listening to a Ringer podcast where they compare Pickett to Deshaun Watson and how they both make things look chaotic when it’s not necessary.

There’s been some good video of him working on this stuff in the offseason. 
 

I know this is a simple drill but it’s the combination field reading and footwork. Last year he started with his feet in reading the field, which lead to his right foot staying still, left foot moving, which started the movement out of the pocket because he wasn’t set where he wanted to go with the ball.

If you watch the feet here, the eyes move first, then the right foot moves the opposite direction, then the lead foot steps into the throw.

Thats what reading the field should look like. It’s a much better movement that should help with that and velocity.

 

This little clip from Sullivan gives some great insight too:

Sounds like Lenny has gone beyond just knowing plays, but assignments, the effect on reads, and how that causes play development.

 

[Dcash4]

13 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

- Mark Robinson needs to take a significant leap to be a serious part of the LB rotation. He looked completely lost at pretty much everything besides attacking downhill

After the recent signing and the potential of still wanting/needed a more athletic piece in the LB/S/NCB area, I have no clue of what to make of Robinson. Feels like he is either going to end up a starter on this team or be cut in camp. 

13 hours ago, bigben07MVP said:

- Pickett’s issue with escaping clean pockets and scrambling into pressure are real. Was listening to a Ringer podcast where they compare Pickett to Deshaun Watson and how they both make things look chaotic when it’s not necessary.

I listened to the same pod and I did like the way they categorized his game as "chaotic". I have been watching a lot of Kenny recently and that word seems to match his playstyle well. He is more playmaker than he is quarterback, and I didn't expect that part of his game to translate that well. That playmaker side can, at times, rival even a guy like Mahomes, but it's the QB side that will need to get better - and it's the piece I question whether he can or not most. 

 

[43M]

I think the run game is really going to dictate Pickett's success and perhaps whether or not we are looking for a QB next year.

Pickett has some tools, but they need to be highlighted and used effectively.     A consistent quality run game is going to open up so much on the field and allow Kenny the chances to gain some confidence in what he is seeing out there.     If teams do not fear our run game again, I think Kenny will struggle enough that the front office will consider bringing in a vet.   I doubt we draft another young QB next year unless we are picking early or they fall in love with someone.

Basically, I dont think Kenny will be so bad in 2023 that they outright give up on him, but I do think he might be just enough of a question mark that the front office doesnt want to risk handing him the job in 2024.   I just hope their fallback plan isnt Mitch Trubisky.