OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Sneaking up onto training camp

[JTG]

27.879 Aufrufe · 4.470 Reaktionen | #Steelers Warren is a BULLY. 🤯 #nflmemes #nflfootball #memes #nflplayoffs #footballseason #footballhighlights #footballmemes #footballgame #reel #nflnews #fypシ #sportscards #nfldraft #nfl #nba #cfb #SuperBowl #nba

#Steelers Warren is a BULLY. 🤯 #nflmemes #nflfootball #memes #nflplayoffs #footballseason #footballhighlights #footballmemes #footballgame #reel #nflnews #fypシ #sportscards #nfldraft #nfl #nba #cfb...

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[cookthebooks]

so warren is a bully, pickens is brat

 

[MrBrightside]

So there's this:

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

www.dkpittsburghsports.com

Well, there is a situation on the West Coast. Brandon Aiyuk, who has long been connected to the Steelers in trade rumors, recently requested a trade from the 49ers after he and the team have been unable to agree to terms on a contract extension. There are other receivers elsewhere who could also be traded.

Sooner or later, this may all work out in Pittsburgh's favor. Khan has long been in discussions with other teams about receivers that could be traded. And, according to a team source, the Steelers are "convinced" they are going to land Aiyuk, DK Metcalf or Tyreek Hill in a trade at some point.

The only thing that's getting in the way of any of these trades actually happening is, unsurprisingly, the asking price. Khan is very patient. He's more than willing to wait out another team to get the deal that best fits the Steelers, not acquiesce to the demands laid out by anyone fielding calls about trades.

One way or another, this all feels like Aiyuk would be the most likely candidate of these three to land in Pittsburgh. In Aiyuk's case, the 49ers have been unwilling to entertain a trade. But, they have been softening to the idea of trading to an AFC team, per source. They still don't want to trade Aiyuk within the NFC. So, should a trade wind up happening, that gives the Steelers a leg up over the Commanders, who have also been heavily tied to Aiyuk in trade rumors.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

The 49ers turned down the pats 2nd rounder at the draft i don’t think they will trade him

 

[Goalie_Bob]

When was the last time a player like Aiyuk, Metcalf or Hill were traded during training camp?

Pretty much never...???? Ok then.

 

[TooManyHumans]

Yeah, the Steelers are not trading for Aiyuk or any other big time WR. The WR room is what it is and will likely not change unless it is to add some cut from another team.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

So there's this:

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, Pirates News, Live Coverage | DK Pittsburgh Sports

www.dkpittsburghsports.com

Well, there is a situation on the West Coast. Brandon Aiyuk, who has long been connected to the Steelers in trade rumors, recently requested a trade from the 49ers after he and the team have been unable to agree to terms on a contract extension. There are other receivers elsewhere who could also be traded.

Sooner or later, this may all work out in Pittsburgh's favor. Khan has long been in discussions with other teams about receivers that could be traded. And, according to a team source, the Steelers are "convinced" they are going to land Aiyuk, DK Metcalf or Tyreek Hill in a trade at some point.

The only thing that's getting in the way of any of these trades actually happening is, unsurprisingly, the asking price. Khan is very patient. He's more than willing to wait out another team to get the deal that best fits the Steelers, not acquiesce to the demands laid out by anyone fielding calls about trades.

One way or another, this all feels like Aiyuk would be the most likely candidate of these three to land in Pittsburgh. In Aiyuk's case, the 49ers have been unwilling to entertain a trade. But, they have been softening to the idea of trading to an AFC team, per source. They still don't want to trade Aiyuk within the NFC. So, should a trade wind up happening, that gives the Steelers a leg up over the Commanders, who have also been heavily tied to Aiyuk in trade rumors.

Tyrek Hill? C'mon...that's asinine.

I still think the 49ers are holding onto all their players this season.
As for Metcalf, I'm unsure about his exact situation so that's a new one for me.

 

[UnrealMachine]

If you look at the production of Steelers rookie WRs over the past 7 or 8 years it’s not difficult to imagine a WR on the current roster being able to turn in a respectable - albeit maybe below average - WR2 performance. Add to that, a peak/healthy Friermuth should be able to contribute WR2b-type of production. Lastly, Harris and Warren are both very good receivers out of the backfield. If a true WR2 doesn’t emerge, we at least have some contingency built in for the kind of offense we are expecting to see.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

If you look at the production of Steelers rookie WRs over the past 7 or 8 years it’s not difficult to imagine a WR on the current roster being able to turn in a respectable - albeit maybe below average - WR2 performance. Add to that, a peak/healthy Friermuth should be able to contribute WR2b-type of production. Lastly, Harris and Warren are both very good receivers out of the backfield. If a true WR2 doesn’t emerge, we at least have some contingency built in for the kind of offense we are expecting to see.

Yea another way to phrase this is: in Smith's offense, the "WR2" production is basically going to be borne by many (FB's/TE's/RBs).

 

[UnrealMachine]

Yea another way to phrase this is: in Smith's offense, the "WR2" production is basically going to be borne by many (FB's/TE's/RBs).

Is this one of those scenarios where if you have 5 WR2s you really have zero? I’d prefer 5!

 

[Peat]

We've been over this ground before but the years where Smith has had a WR2 - albeit a below average one sometimes - are the years where his offence has been great, and the years where he isn't are the years it's been dogshit. Some of that might be on the quality of the other players but it comes to the same thing, more or less - if someone can't provide WR2 production, expect problems.

There's some ways that might end up untrue such as

a) One of Connor Heyward/Jaylen Warren/Harris has a massive break out a a receiver
b) Someone like Austin looks like a great WR2 on passing downs but isn't used much on play-action downs so the offence more or less functions but Austin doesn't have the numbers a traditional WR2 would have
c) Fields gets the gig and the team becomes the Ravens 2.0

But I'd really hate to bet on any of them.

One of Jefferson/Austin/Wilson needs to step up. They don't need to be a great WR2 if Muth and Pickens go off, but they need to be a WR2.



p.s. I'll eat crow if it turns out otherwise but that DK report feels so divorced from conventional reality that I will put zero faith in it and assume that either he made it up from moonbeams and fairy wings, or someone in the Steelers asked him to put it out there for PR and he did even though everyone knows he's selling cabbage farts as perfume.

 

[WickedWrister]

Camp Day 2

 

[Peat]

Leal putting it together would be huge, even if that just makes him Ogunjobi's replacement.

 

[Pengwins]

I thought they announced Broderick Jones as the starting left tackle. WTF

 

[Shockmaster]

I thought they announced Broderick Jones as the starting left tackle. WTF

Tomlin loves him some Dan Moore Jr.

 

[Empoleon8771]

QB contracts are absolutely bananas at this point.

 

[Peat]

QB contracts are absolutely bananas at this point.

I don't know they are. That puts them in line with Lawrence who was only 10th in terms of contract as a percentage of the cap when signed.

I think the big thing is that the cap has gone from 182m in 2021 to 255m this coming season. That is an astronomic raise and I think the reality is pretty much everyone getting paid this off-season has received a big percentage bump over the guys who signed contracts even a couple of years ago. Is Justin Jefferson really 5m better - a 16% pay increase - than 2022 Tyreek Hill? The answer is no. But by APY as a percentage of the cap the year the contract is signed, he's actually getting paid less.

The effect is just more glaring at QB due to the figures involved but they're getting roughly the same slice of the pie as their peers have been getting for a while.

 

[UnrealMachine]

We've been over this ground before but the years where Smith has had a WR2 - albeit a below average one sometimes - are the years where his offence has been great, and the years where he isn't are the years it's been dogshit. Some of that might be on the quality of the other players but it comes to the same thing, more or less - if someone can't provide WR2 production, expect problems.

There's some ways that might end up untrue such as

a) One of Connor Heyward/Jaylen Warren/Harris has a massive break out a a receiver
b) Someone like Austin looks like a great WR2 on passing downs but isn't used much on play-action downs so the offence more or less functions but Austin doesn't have the numbers a traditional WR2 would have
c) Fields gets the gig and the team becomes the Ravens 2.0

But I'd really hate to bet on any of them.

One of Jefferson/Austin/Wilson needs to step up. They don't need to be a great WR2 if Muth and Pickens go off, but they need to be a WR2.



p.s. I'll eat crow if it turns out otherwise but that DK report feels so divorced from conventional reality that I will put zero faith in it and assume that either he made it up from moonbeams and fairy wings, or someone in the Steelers asked him to put it out there for PR and he did even though everyone knows he's selling cabbage farts as perfume.

Certainly not opposed to giving Austin the Mike Wallace route tree. Send him deep every single play to take the top off of the D. If/when the safety doesn’t provide support = start throwing bombs.

 

[MrBrightside]

While the Steelers’ QB situation isn’t ideal by any means, they do have the fortune of not having to burn 20% of their cap on QB’s who aren’t really top 5 guys or are difference makers. Paying $50M+ to Goff and Tua and that ilk decimates your roster over the long haul. Lawrence and Love could fall into that category but they still could become the next guy….Tua is fine but he’s a JAG really.

 

[JTG]

Fields is as talented as an QB in the league. We now get to see if they can actually develop one, because the track record is poor.

 

[Andy99]

Fields is as talented as an QB in the league. We now get to see if they can actually develop one, because the track record is poor.

Not talented in the mind. I don’t think his failures have to do with development. He’s not a quick reader of defenses. Doesn’t have the brain to be a great QB. If he fails on the Steelers, it won’t be because the coaching staff couldn’t develop him as this point in his career

 

[JTG]

Not talented in the mind. I don’t think his failures have to do with development. He’s not a quick reader of defenses. Doesn’t have the brain to be a great QB. If he fails on the Steelers, it won’t be because the coaching staff couldn’t develop him as this point in his career

Disagree. He didn't have trouble reading defenses in college. His issue is the same as Ben's when he was a young QB. He holds on to the ball and tries to be a hero. He needs to be a more effective QB and not just an athlete.

 

[WickedWrister]

I will agree that he has elite tools (raw athleticism + arm talent) but doesn't do the simple "quarterbacking" things on a consistent enough basis.

Kozora did a review through 2 practices and said as much.

I just think Wilson will be better at effectively managing the kind of offense that Smith wants to run. Quicker to identify reads and more accurate in the short to intermediate passing game.

Highest rate of incompletions due to inaccurate passes:
Pickett-35%
Fields-30.8%
Wilson-25.3%

TLDR;

 

[TooManyHumans]

The real issue to me with not having a #2 WR is that we are relying on Pickens being completely healthy all year. We have no one to replace him if he goes down.

 

[WickedWrister]

Nice snag by Roman Wilson over Beanie Bishop