2023 Pittsburgh Steelers

Stirred not Shaken said:
Payton is a good HC, and Brees never improvised? Good luck with Wilson.
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Former Bronco & radio personality Mark Schlereth said that Wilson’s problem in 2023 was he would not throw much across the middle and hold onto the ball too much. Wilson took 55 sacks in 2022 and 45 sacks in 2023. Add the 16 fumbles (10 lost) over those two years and that is a lot of negative plays. In the positive side, Wilson has only thrown more than 11 int’s once (13 in 2021).

Payton wants his QB to throw on time and where he wants. Brees was known to move within the pocket, yes but not so much outside the pocket. Wilson at his best in Seattle was extending the play outside the pocket. Payton is absolutely a good coach but he has made it to one less Super Bowl than Russel Wilson.

I’m not a big fan of Wilson but he is not a horrible person. If he works out, great. If he doesn’t, throw Fields in there and move on. If Fields doesn’t work out, move on from him and draft a qb in 2025 draft. The Steelers are all in for both QB’s for $4.4 mil and a 2025 6th round draft pick. Of course there’s a reason both were available for such a low cost but the upside should be for better QB production than what the Steelers had in 2023.

The Bengals better worry about a RT to block the edge rushers in the AFC North.
 
Crusaders said:
Fields is not a good quarterback, it was a complete waste to bring him in. His issues are mental and not something that can be fixed, unfortunately. they'll be drafting a QB again pretty soon. This is turning into a Browns-like circus.
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this is just false. when he was used appropriately in the right scheme he was VERY good. problem was the Bears coaching/organization/core around him were really never that good. in a franchise like the Steelers he can thrive. from the same guy who thinks Kenny Pickett still needed more of a chance to show what he could do so we could all see what he actually is - a BACKUP in this league.
 
No, it's 100% correct. The only time he looks good is when a play breaks down and he finds some random person open or he uses his legs. He cannot read defenses. He can't anticipate the play. He makes really poor decisions. His pocket presence is really bad. He has no future as a long term option for anyone in the league. Kenny Pickett has a much brighter future it's a shame he took the trade so poorly and forced his way out. He could've learned a lot from a year or two behind Wilson.
 
Stopped to watch Cowherd yesterday and he had his NFL Top 10. Browns and RAVENS. were on the list but then again so we’re 3 teams from the NFCN Lions, Vikes and Green Bay. He had KC and SF 1 and 2 which sounds ok at this juncture. I was surprised no Bengals to be found.

NFL Power ranking:

Ravens 3.
Bengals 9.
Browns 12.
Steelers 13.
 
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The Steelers have 7 picks in the 2024 draft:
* 20, 51, 84, 98, 119, 178, 195

The team needs are:
* C, WR, CB, OT, DT, QB

For center the Steelers are looking at:
* Duke Graham Barton, Oregon Jackson Powers-Johnson and WV Zach Frazier. Barton can play C, G or RT. Oregon guy is athletic. These two are probably 1st rounders. Frazier may be around in the 2nd when Steelers draft 51st overall. South Dakota St G Mason McCormick was brought in for a visit by the Steelers. He tested as a great physical prospect per the RAS,

For WR’s I have seen the following connected w/ the Steelers.
* Texas Aldonia Mitchell, UM Roman Wilson, UF Ricky Pearsall, WKU Maklichy Corley, Virginia Milik Washington, Rice Luke McCAffrey & USC Brenden Rice. Mitchell is a late 1st/early 2nd with great athleticism. Wilson & Pearsall are slot guys. Corley was a rb who converted to wr and has a Deebo Samuel build/style. McCaffrey is the SF rb younger brother & Rice is Jerry Rice’s son. Both are very good athletes.

CB’s linked to the Steelers
* Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and if the Toledo cb drops, I could see him being the Steeler pick.

OT’s to consider:
* The two Washington OT’s and Georgia’s Mims - all are 1st round talents

Gotta like what GM Omar Kahn did in his first draft last year, Tomlin & Kahn seem to work well together. Each travel together to multiple College Pro Days. Keep doing what you did last year regarding the draft.
 
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WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
The Steelers have 7 picks in the 2024 draft:
* 20, 51, 84, 98, 119, 178, 195

The team needs are:
* C, WR, CB, OT, DT, QB

For center the Steelers are looking at:
* Duke Graham Barton, Oregon Jackson Powers-Johnson and WV Zach Frazier. Barton can play C, G or RT. Oregon guy is athletic. These two are probably 1st rounders. Frazier may be around in the 2nd when Steelers draft 51st overall. South Dakota St G Mason McCormick was brought in for a visit by the Steelers. He tested as a great physical prospect per the RAS,

For WR’s I have seen the following connected w/ the Steelers.
* Texas Aldonia Mitchell, UM Roman Wilson, UF Ricky Pearsall, WKU Maklichy Corley, Virginia Milik Washington, Rice Luke McCAffrey & USC Brenden Rice. Mitchell is a late 1st/early 2nd with great athleticism. Wilson & Pearsall are slot guys. Corley was a rb who converted to wr and has a Deebo Samuel build/style. McCaffrey is the SF rb younger brother & Rice is Jerry Rice’s son. Both are very good athletes.

CB’s linked to the Steelers
* Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and if the Toledo cb drops, I could see him being the Steeler pick.

OT’s to consider:
* The two Washington OT’s and Georgia’s Mims - all are 1st round talents

Gotta like what GM Omar Kahn did in his first draft last year, Tomlin &!Kahn seem to work well together. Each travel together to multiple College Pro Days. Keep doing what you did last year regarding the draft.
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These are most of the guys I’ve seen mentioned. Curious that you listed QB as a need. Steelers have 3 vets now. I doubt they draft another probably just pick up a free agent.

If I had to guess I think 1. Center 2. WR 3. DB
 
Irwin20 said:
These are most of the guys I’ve seen mentioned. Curious that you listed QB as a need. Steelers have 3 vets now. I doubt they draft another probably just pick up a free agent.

If I had to guess I think 1. Center 2. WR 3. DB
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I agree it’s unlikely the Steelers draft a qb but if they like Washington Michael Penix or Oregon Bo Nix and one of them falls to the 2nd round, I could see Pittsburgh taking a flyer on one just because Wilson & Fields are free agents at the end of the season.
 
MitSulHer said:
I would hope they go WR.
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I would be completely fine with a wr in the 1st. WR is deep in this draft so the Steelers may not since I’d guess they have to believe they can draft one in the mid rounds and develop one like they successfully have in the past. Was it the Steelers development or having a HOF qb in Roethlisberger that helped make these mid round wr’s good?

I do love how the Steelers drafted Brown and Sanders in the same draft and had each compete to be the point returner each week and compete for playing time - it made both better players.
 
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WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
I would be completely fine with a wr in the 1st. WR is deep in this draft so the Steelers may not since I’d guess they have to believe they can draft one in the mid rounds and develop one like they successfully have in the past. Was it the Steelers development or having a HOF qb in Roethlisberger that helped make these mid round wr’s good?

I do love how the Steelers drafted Brown and Sanders in the same draft and had each compete to be the point returner each week and compete for playing time - it made both better players.
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I think prime Roethlishberger was underrated, as crazy as that seems. Early in his career, Cowher did a great job of building a team around him for him to develop. As he got into his prime, he really carried the offense. Granted, he had some good defenses, but he never really had the same help in the running game once Cowher retired. Santonio Holmes fizzled out when he left. Sanders was good with other teams, but was no better than a 2nd or 3rd option. Antonio Brown... well, you know... The one year they had Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams being the exception, of course. Being a Browns fan, I was really surprised at how many Ohio Steelers fans were ready for Big Ben to retire the last few years of his career. Talk about spoiled.
 
Crusaders said:
Every QB expires no matter how good they may have been. Ben's arm was shot the last couple of seasons.
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Agreed, but it's not like his last year was horrible. It wasn't prime Big Ben, but he had almost 4,000 yards, threw for 22tds w/ 10ints. Steelers beat the Ravens in the last week of the season to get into the playoffs. He did all this with almost no weapons. Harris, who you all love, averaged over 3 yards a carry and his top receivers were Claypool and Johnson. Don't forget the no name offensive line that included 2 rookies. In the playoffs they lose to KC, who is the closest thing to a dynasty in the NFL right now, and then the whole fan base was calling for his head. Steelers fans deserve every crappy QB situation they get from here on out.
 
He was not good. He got a lot of garbage time yards and points. There’s really no reason to think he had anything left in the tank after his elbow surgery. The Steelers should have moved on a couple years before they did.
 
Looks as though something is brewing as the Steelers restructure OLB Alex Highsmith’s contract to free up $7 mil in cap space. I believe this puts the Steelers at about $18 mil under the 2024 cap. Speculation is the Steeler are interested in a trade for either:
* Den wr Courtland Sutton (2 years left on his current deal at $17 mil each)
* SF wr Brandon Aiyuk (last year of his rookie deal).


steelerswire.usatoday.com

Steelers restructure contract of EDGE Alex Highsmith

The Steelers freed up $7 million in cap space with this restructure.
steelerswire.usatoday.com steelerswire.usatoday.com
 
Draft day. I’m going to predict C Powers-Johnson tonight. Although with the contract restructuring with Highsmith there may be something else brewing.
 
WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
Looks as though something is brewing as the Steelers restructure OLB Alex Highsmith’s contract to free up $7 mil in cap space. I believe this puts the Steelers at about $18 mil under the 2024 cap. Speculation is the Steeler are interested in a trade for either:
* Den wr Courtland Sutton (2 years left on his current deal at $17 mil each)
* SF wr Brandon Aiyuk (last year of his rookie deal).


steelerswire.usatoday.com

Steelers restructure contract of EDGE Alex Highsmith

The Steelers freed up $7 million in cap space with this restructure.
steelerswire.usatoday.com steelerswire.usatoday.com
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i'd take either of those dudes. prefer Aiyuk but both are solid.
 
Same question I just asked the Brownies. Always curious to see how the AFCN feels about the other AFCN teams’ draft picks?

I think the Steelers got a hell of a guy. I would have been very happy had the Bengals taken him.
 
Orin Swift said:
Same question I just asked the Brownies. Always curious to see how the AFCN feels about the other AFCN teams’ draft picks?

I think the Steelers got a hell of a guy. I would have been very happy had the Bengals taken him.
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Bengals OT has raw talent but only 8 college starts. He’s only 20 or just turned 21 and missed a few games last year due to an ankle sprain. Going against Watts, Garrett, Highsmith & the Ravens OLB’s - Bengals will find out pretty early if the kid can play. If I was the Bengals I’d looked at trying to move up and taking OT from Oregon State or the TE Bowers, I think the Taiders would have traded down from 12th to 18th.

Ravens CB will work, the franchise will put the kid in a position to succeed.

Browns are tbd but 3rd year without a 1st rounder will begin to show, that is probably one, maybe two very good players in rookie deals that they will not have going forward. The horrible trade that keeps on kicking the Brownies where it hurts the most….and Watson’s poor play doesn’t help.
 
I think most were happy with the Steelers 1st round pick OT Tony Fautanu. I’d guess Fautanu will be the swing tackle to start the year and depending on how the season goes with Pit & LT Dan Moore & injuries, he could see a few starts after the halfway point of the year.

I would have been happy with the Duke Center but Fautanu seems to be a solid individual with great potential.

Hopefully either the Oregon or West Virginia centers are available at the 51st pick. If both are gone, I’d guess a wr, cb or dt. I wonder if one of the Steelers 3rd round picks would be enough to get one of the 49ers wr’s or the Denver wr? Trading for a wr means the Steelers will have to pony up a 4 year, $100 mil contract - is the $$$ worth a wr?

The Steelers should get 3 solid draft picks this evening.
 
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