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!
Hypo Cycloid: Hi Alex. I believe there is a surprise cut candidate, Roman Wilson. Third season with nothing to show for the first two. If he was at least partially to blame for the two picks last week, I would think they still can’t trust him. I’d rather see them keep a player like Hurlman or Smith who seem to keep doing what they should be doing. Do you believe we should keep him?
Alex: I think “inactive” is more likely than “cut” unless Pittsburgh makes a big move at receiver. It sounds like internally, much less of the blame is falling on Wilson than it is from the outside. They still want to give Wilson a chance in the regular season, but if he falters, Bernard will take over. Hurleman can go the PS and Smith is currently injured.
So yes, I think they should keep him and let him show something to begin the year. If he doesn’t, his place on the team could fade fast.
Grant Batchelor: If trading Porter netted a first-round pick, or even a 2nd and a 3rd, would you do it to help acquire your future quarterback?
Alex: There would need to be at least a first round pick involved. Not a Day Two pick as the main piece. But even then, no, I don’t have a particular interest in dealing Porter right now unless things are super toxic behind the scenes. I’d prefer to keep him.
Grant Batchelor: Any interest in Cedric Tillman?
Alex: Hadn’t thought about outside names much yet. I get the connection and pedigree but not really. A young, struggling receiver who Aaron Rodgers has to try and trust. Pittsburgh’s had enough of those guys. Focus on internals or if it will be an outside guy, a more veteran type with a track record.
J Jones: Gameday Alex! What odds are you giving Goodlow to make the PS? He has played pretty well in my eyes, but even the PS seems like a longshot. What do you think about him?
Alex: Yeah the odds don’t feel great. He’s deep on the depth chart. Good athlete but getting squeezed for reps. It’d have to be where veteran options like Lowry/Otomewo end up pursuing chances elsewhere. Maybe if injuries strike, Goodlow could work his way back.
TX Pressure:
Alright Alex when looking at the top CBs and evaluating JPJ against them he stacks up pretty nicely:
QB Rating Allowed, Receptions Allowed, INTs, Passes Broken Up
JPJ: 56.2, 29, 1, 11
Stingley: 67.4, 34, 4, 9
Surtain: 66.5, 31, 1, 9
Witherspoon: 99.8, 46, 1, 4
Gonzalez: 64.4, 35, 0, 7
JPJ is 1st in QB rating against, receptions allowed, and passes broken up – tied for 3rd in Ints.
So he’s a top 5 “shutdown” CB, now he’s not even a good tackler and doesn’t rush the QB like WItherspoon, who has not the greatest coverage stats but is the best at tackling and getting after passer.
He is also getting better, cut his penalties in half, and hitting these metrics.
Can the Steelers start paying players on their way to their prime instead of after their prime?
Takes both sides but I would have thought this would have been a priority over the contracts that they did do for players not at this caliber and seemed to overpay on those contracts but not JPJ and wrap him up?
Takes two sides so maybe JPJ was waiting for others to sign, but if Steelers could have made him highest paid CB at the beginning of training camp by the end he would have already been 3rd highest.
Alex: I don’t think contracts always work out that nearly and nicely. Of “most important one gets done first.” Sometimes they can take a lot of time and you don’t want to risk waiting on the others and having little/no time to address them. Like you said, Porter may have also wanted to wait things out and let guys before him get paid. Which would be smart.
And Pittsburgh is still known for sometimes taking until the last minute to get deals done. Watt had this happen. Heyward had it happen last year – he was actively floating the idea of skipping regular season games. So we’ll see where it all ends up. A deal that gets done 5 minutes from now where both sides are happy, all this angst goes away.
Black and Gold mafia: AK,
Tonight could be the last time we see Drew Allar for a year. Has he shown enough that if you’re Mike McCarthy do feel confident he’s your future starter at quarterback?
Alex: The team will still get to evaluate Allar in practice, in meetings, and his progression behind the scenes. I know you’re asking for my perspective where I won’t be afforded those things. But still want to see tonight’s game and put all the hay in the barn before really addressing that.
In short, if there’s a QB I love in the 1st round of next year’s draft, I’m probably still taking him. If not, then I feel okay going with Allar. There’s big-time upside and McCarthy is already developing him. He looks like a different guy from his days at Penn State. But the long answer is there’s always a lot of variables at play and these decisions aren’t made in a vacuum most times.
Jim Winiarski: I know we have one more preseason game tonight to look at the offensive line. I guess I felt it would be doing better than what I’ve seen so far in the first two games. What is your opinion of the offensive line performance and what do you see out of them tonight?
Alex: The starters have been better than people think. That’s not to say Cook and Anderson are going to carry that over into the regular season but their play this summer, it’s been okay. Not great, not terrible. The core starters have been pretty solid. Fautanu, McCormick, Frazier. Especially against the Jets.
It takes awhile to settle in. New line coach, new system, things looked really bumpy out of the gate with Pat Meyer and got better. This line can’t keep warming up to the season the way they have but I’m not as panicked as others. I will say McCarthy has mixed and matched so much in camp, and I get why he’s doing it in case of injury, that I wonder if it was for the ultimate betterment of the starters. It’s a tough line to walk, though.
HinesWardFan: Alex,
Have you heard a definitive answer about Rodgers playing tonight? I assume no, but he hasn’t had any “competitive” snaps with his top 2 WR.
Alex: I haven’t heard anything definitive about Rodgers or any of the QB pecking order tonight. Metcalf and Pittman have been injured so Rodgers wouldn’t have had those reps anyway. I’m fine with keeping Rodgers far away from preseason play.
UmpRay:
Alex,
Assuming we keep 4 QB’s. Would Howard and Allar split reps as scout team QB?
Alex: Good question. I’m not sure how they would split it. Could rotate, I suppose. But McCarthy referenced not having as many time constraints once the regular season starts so I’m sure he’ll come up with a plan. A lot of work would be individual and not in team but just having them in the building is the goal, obviously.
Jarvis Ragdoll Jones: Alex, what is the big deal about keeping 4 QBs. The 53rd guy would typically be a game day inactive. Either Howard or Allar can take that person’s place in street clothes while the other dresses as the emergency QB.
Alex: The reality is it’s rare. Most teams don’t do it and it technically isn’t maximizing your roster to help you win right now. You have a roster of 49 non-QBs. Everyone else has 50 or 51. So that’s where the interest comes from. Really, it gets tighter once injuries begin to pile up. Keeping 4 QBs out of the gate for a healthy squad is the easy part.
But I understand your point. I do laugh sometimes knowing QB is the most important position in not just football but sports. And yet, half the league wants to go into the season with the minimum on the 53-man roster. Most carrying only 2. It’s kinda funny.
Rajjan 29: Alex – where do you rank JPJ for his position? I would call him a top 5 CB. Last year, he locked down some of the best WR in the league. I have been surprised at all the comments saying he isn’t in the top 15…
Alex: I haven’t made a list of the top 10 CBs in the league. There’s some real good ones out there. Top 5 feels too rich. Probably around 10. But I don’t have a perfect slot for you.
Peter-Petersen:
Hey Alex,
Roman Wilson has been a hughe disappointment. Would you look in Free agency for a replacement? Any particular name to watch?
Alex: Like I said above, not yet. I’d go into the season with the group. But in terms of external options, I’ll suggest one over the weekend if Pittsburgh is interested in exploring it.
KShahPE: Who had a better Steelers career first 3 years-Broderick or Dan Moore?
Alex: Really trying to make me sad over here, aren’t you? It’s working. I’d say Moore. He got thrust into the action as a fourth round pick who had to play out of the gate. He was durable and was a decent run blocker. Didn’t have quite the level of frustration of mental mistakes Jones has had throughout, too. Just not athletic enough. But yeah, happy to have Fautanu and hopefully Iheanachor now. Big glow up.
Canadastan: Has Will Howard shown enough potential to be a future franchise QB, and if not, is it really worth rosting a 4th QB for a guy without that potential?
Alex: No, he hasn’t. Allar has shown more glimpses of “franchise” than Howard. But it’s not always black and white and career arcs can fall and rise. Plus, you need more than one QB on a roster. As of right now, Howard and Allar are the only two under contract for 2027. Mike McCarthy was hired to develop young quarterbacks so there’s good reason to hold onto those guys.
