Should Devin Bush start? Was/is Le’Veon Bell all that? Will a slow start put Mike Tomlin on the hot seat? What’s going on with the tight ends?
My second mailbag here at The Athletic is a doozy, thanks to the questions. So, with as great fanfare as we can muster on the eve of the season opener, here come your questions and my answers:
Is Devin Bush going to start? Saw updated depth chart.
@patterson99wfc
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It sounds as if he won’t, and that surprises me. Here you have made one of your biggest moves in history to draft a player in the first round at 10th overall to play a position that was your weakest last season, and he’s not going to start? I figured Bush would never come off the field. Yes, he’s a rookie and, yes, Troy Polamalu did not start a game his rookie season in 2003. Maybe the Steelers erred back then, too. Their starting safeties for that 2003 season, in which they finished 6-10, were Brent Alexander and Mike Logan.
If the Steelers start 1-4 will Tomlin FINALLY be on a hot seat?
@fiddy2nap
Any coach whose team loses four of the first five will feel the heat, but if you’re asking if his job would be in jeopardy, no. I’m not sure why so many fans want to give Mike Tomlin a hot seat, don’t understand the vitriol. Andy Reid is regarded among the best coaches in the league and what’s he won? Sean Payton has one Super Bowl ring and it’s as if he were Vince Lombardi.
Was Le’Veon Bell as special as he says he was?
@parkingguy62
As a matter of fact, he was. Don’t let Bell’s holdout and acrimonious departure from Pittsburgh take away from what he accomplished with the Steelers since they drafted him in the second round from Michigan State in 2013. He made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He led the AFC with 1,361 yards rushing in 2014, the first of three seasons over 1,200 yards. His receiving skills added to his value, and he also could block. Now, can he remain special? I’m not sure. He did not play or practice at all last season because he chose to not sign his franchise tag and sit 2018 out. He also is with a New York Jets team that does not have nearly as talented an offensive line or quarterback as he did with the Steelers. I will find it fascinating to see how he does this season.
Why do most NFL teams think they need 3 TE? I would go 2 like Philly?
@mlc118
Or like New England. Many teams keep four and the Steelers have done that in the past. Tight ends can bring more versatility to an offense, especially if they can block and catch. Often, they only do one well, but I wouldn’t keep a tight end who could not catch. What’s the point? You can stick a tackle in there just as easily because if the tight end can’t catch, the defense knows it does not have to cover him. The size of tight ends also can make them prohibitive over the middle to a defense. The Steelers are keeping three because they hope rookie Zach Gentry can develop into a good receiver, but he should not see much playing time this season.
Why no additional TE’s adding to the 53 man roster? Grimble is a poor backup to McDonald?
@PITT1pap
Will the Steelers sign or trade for another TE?
@kencoffey49
They’ll keep looking, but I’m not sure they’ll find one. Mark Kaboly suggested this week in his story on tight ends they might find a veteran after the first week who has been cut because their contracts are guaranteed if they are on rosters for the first week. So, we maybe still have a week to find out. They probably could have been more proactive in the spring when they lost Jesse James.
Will Bud Dupree have another average season? I don’t rate him that high.
@outn_old
You are in the majority of fans, but the Steelers believe he can still match their expectations, which is why they picked up his fifth-year option for 2019 at $9.2 million. This is make-or-break for Dupree because they did not sign him to a new contract and he would become an unrestricted free agent next March unless they do or tag him. He looked better to me this summer and in the preseason and seems to have a better power rush. We’ll see. T.J. Watt did not need nearly as much time to establish himself on the outside.
Why did the Steelers wait to add Johnny Holton to the practice squad until a day after everyone else? Were they planning to put someone on IR or make a trade before their plans fell apart?
@jlkaplan7
Most likely it came down to Holton thinking he might be able to hook on with another team, or even consider signing with someone else’s practice squad. The Steelers kept only five wide receivers — they often have kept six — and he and Tevin Jones are the only ones on the practice squad.
Why do you think they opted to go with Jordan Dangerfield over Marcus Allen?
@AndrewMay_21
Dangerfield is a better special teams player and has been with the Steelers in one capacity or another since 2014. Allen really hasn’t shown enough — he played in just two games last season. He’s now on their practice squad, which is where Dangerfield got his start.
If you had to forecast, what will end up being the strongest strength AND the most glaring weakness of the Steelers defense by the end of the season?
@DeSantis1984
Unlike seasons past, I don’t believe they have a “glaring” weakness. Cornerback still could be their weakest position depending on how Steven Nelson plays. Injuries, of course, can affect any position because they are not deep at corner, safety or outside linebacker. Nevertheless, they are in much better shape at all those positions than they were a year ago. Their strength is their defensive line.
How much production are we going to see out of Samuels?
@LukeyRoberts
I’m on record believing they cannot run James Conner until his wheels come off as Mike Tomlin has done with other halfbacks. That should mean Jaylen Samuels, who rushed for 142 yards in their victory against the Patriots last December, gets more carries this year with the brunt still going to Conner. Otherwise, I believe you’ll see Samuels used more in the passing game, especially with their lack of quality behind tight end Vance McDonald.
Have the Steelers tried working any offensive linemen as short yardage TE’s? Seems like something they used to do but haven’t for years.
@DanBartoli
They have done it for years and they have done it most recently last season. I believe you will see both Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor doing some of that as tackles playing tight end when they need that blocker, as I mentioned in my story this week.
What’s the scoop on Sutton Smith? Will he be brought back?
@benbk262
It sure does not look like it. They already have more than their normal allotment at outside linebacker with five, and with 10 spots available on their practice squad, he was not one of them — nor have I seen where any other team has signed him to their practice squad. Some believe he should have been used at inside linebacker rather than on the outside. Either way, he made little impression in his time with the Steelers other than to generate all kinds of stories in the spring when they had him take a few snaps at fullback.
What will Diontae Johnson’s role in the offense be?
@MattOMalley6
I hate to say to be determined, but TBD. He showed some real flash in the summer, especially in that second preseason game. He is the No. 5 wide receiver on a team that kept only five, so his chance of suiting up for games is probably good, especially with their lack of depth at tight end. James Washington played in 14 games last season as a rookie, and that was on a team that still had Antonio Brown.
(Photo of Devin Bush: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)
