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It was straightforward to have a look at the Steelers’ shock re-signing of JuJu Smith-Schuster, coupled with the information that the group was permitting cornerback Steven Nelson to pursue a commerce, and assume that the group had prioritized a receiver over a beginning cornerback.
Now that we all know Smith-Schuster’s cap hit is simply $2.4 million, because of the magic of voidable years, and that the group appears to have simply determined in a vacuum that Nelson is simply too costly, it’s changing into extra clear what these surprising strikes imply.
The Steelers have determined to stay or die with offense in 2021, particularly Ben Roethlisberger and the passing sport.
I attempted to have a look at this by quite a lot of completely different lenses, however that one supplied the clearest image. A group that threw the ball manner an excessive amount of for its personal good in 2020 – whether or not you assume it was out of necessity or not is irrelevant at this level – is loading as much as do the very same factor this season.
It’s anybody’s guess how a lot affect Roethlisberger had in Smith-Schuster’s return, however the truth that his most trusted goal from final season is again ensures that this shall be a passing offense subsequent season. In and of itself, that’s nice. The NFL is a passing league. However the Steelers took issues to extremes final 12 months, to their detriment.
Dwell and don’t be taught, I assume.
Artwork Rooney II, for the second straight offseason, confused the necessity to run the ball extra successfully. Randy Fichtner is gone, and Matt Canada is meant to inject some new ideas and freshness into the offensive scheme. Deal with and working again seem to be the apparent high priorities within the draft. In phrases, the Steelers appear to know that throwing quick passes from the shotgun on virtually each down and working the ball not often, and putridly after they do, shouldn’t be acceptable.
Actions communicate louder than phrases, nonetheless, and bringing Smith-Schuster again as a wedding of comfort – he didn’t discover the riches he hoped for, the Steelers received him at a cut price fee – is an motion which means the air shall be stuffed with footballs but once more.
I’ve seen it argued that, as a result of Smith-Schuster is a bodily participant and a keen blocker, one thing that will also be stated about James Washington and Chase Claypool, that the Steelers will make use of extra runs out of three-wide and four-wide units. They may, however that’s not why he’s again.
He is again to catch passes. A number of them. He’s again as a result of he has a consolation stage with Roethlisberger, and whereas nobody can say for certain at this level, I might be keen to guess that Roethlisberger reached out when Smith-Schuster didn’t just like the provides he was seeing on the open market and guaranteed him he would get loads of targets have been he to return to Pittsburgh. What extra may a large receiver in a prove-it scenario need?
Until he’s catching these passes 15 yards downfield with regularity, I don’t see how this can be a internet good for the Steelers. In the event that they don’t discover extra steadiness offensively, it received’t matter what number of occasions Roethlisberger places the ball within the air; the group received’t be an enormous winner. After they’ve been all about offense on this present period, they’ve by no means put collectively a championship run. Why would this season be any completely different?
Each of this stuff may be true: JuJu Smith-Schuster is a greater soccer participant than Nelson, and the Steelers could be higher with Nelson right here and Smith-Schuster gone than with the alternative association. Now, the onus falls to Cameron Sutton, Justin Layne and James Pierre to lift their collective stage of play dramatically. I really feel OK at greatest about Sutton, and considerably much less so about Layne and Pierre.
Nearly each one who covers the group was blindsided by these occasions, and with good purpose; it was fait accompli that Smith-Schuster was gone, and there was no signal that the group had bored with paying Nelson’s price ticket. The out-of-nowhere high quality of the entire thing doesn’t reassure me that this franchise is on the correct path.
As all the time with the NFL, a lot may occur between now and Week 1. Proper now, nonetheless, Smith-Schuster’s return is an instance of the group taking the highway already traveled. We all know the place that highway led in 2020, and the way the journey ended. The Steelers shall be fortunate to get that far in 2021.
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