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RAFAEL SUERO FROM TUCSON, AZ: Do not you suppose re-signing Steven Nelson as an alternative of conserving Joe Haden would have been a greater resolution? I like Haden and what he has achieved for the Steelers, nevertheless it appears he has misplaced a step or two.
ANSWER: Joe Haden is the Steelers’ finest cornerback, and so what you recommend would have been extra concerning the arithmetic of the wage cap as an alternative of constructing a transfer to higher the group for my part. In 2020, opposing quarterbacks focused Haden 79 instances and accomplished 40 (50.6 p.c) for 559 yards (14.0 common) with three touchdowns and a passer ranking of 75.9. In 2020, opposing quarterbacks focused Nelson 98 instances and accomplished 57 (58.2 p.c) for 732 yards (12.8 common) with seven touchdowns and a passer ranking of 97.0. This wasn’t about Nelson being a nasty participant, as a result of coming off a non-COVID common season accompanied by the standard enhance within the wage cap, I consider the Steelers would’ve stored each gamers. However the NFL is not coming off a non-COVID common season, and as an alternative of the cap 2021 being round $210 million per group – following what has been the standard year-to-year enhance – it was at $180 million and alter.
AARON BREEZE FROM FRESNO, CA: What is going on on with reference to Steven Nelson? There are plenty of experiences stating that the Steelers have given him permission to request a commerce. I did not even know he needed at commerce.
ANSWER: My impression of that is that the Steelers have been seeking to create wage cap area by selecting between Steven Nelson and Joe Haden, and that the choice was made that Haden is the higher participant. With Cam Sutton signed, Sutton turns into a main candidate to be a beginning cornerback in 2021, and so the Steelers gave Nelson permission to hunt a commerce in order that he would have an opportunity to choose his subsequent group and nonetheless earn the $8.25 million in base wage he was due within the ultimate season of his current contract. If Nelson and his representatives are unable to provide you with an appropriate buying and selling associate, my perception is the Steelers will launch Nelson sooner or later comparatively quickly.
GIO CALABRO FROM EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ: I consider Joe Haden and Steven Nelson have related wage cap numbers, however Nelson is far youthful. If one needs to be a cap casualty, I assumed it might be Haden. Are you able to present some perception into what’s occurring right here?
ANSWER: As I’ve tried to elucidate, it is greater than a easy arithmetic drawback. Sure, Steven Nelson (28) is youthful than Joe Haden (32 in early April), however parting methods with Nelson will save extra cap area than parting methods with Haden ($8.25 million vs. $7 million). And that is probably the most important subject: Haden is the higher participant, and has been the higher participant all alongside.
VINNY LOBONO FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: Whereas I’m joyful to have Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster re-sign with Steelers, I’m puzzled why such a high degree huge receiver did not get a lot curiosity? Are you able to present some element as to why that was? He was one of the best huge receiver out there in free company, but far lesser expertise was signed as an alternative of him.
ANSWER: Your evaluation of JuJu Smith-Schuster’s rating among the many out there free agent huge receivers is your opinion, and evidently that opinion wasn’t shared by the groups scanning the open marketplace for assist on the place this offseason. I can not communicate for groups that determined to signal different free agent receivers as an alternative of Smith-Schuster, however as is normally a think about issues reminiscent of this cash undoubtedly was an element.
DANTRELL BUTLER FROM FORT WORTH, TX: All people appears to suppose that B.J. Finney was introduced in to be our beginning heart. Do you suppose that Pittsburgh may have presumably introduced Finney in for depth at guard? May Pittsburgh nonetheless take a middle within the draft?
ANSWER: In my opinion, the signing of B.J. Finney removes the urgency for the Steelers to make use of a excessive decide on a middle who will ready for the transition to the NFL and able to taking part in instantly as a rookie. I nonetheless consider the Steelers will deal with the place sooner or later within the upcoming draft, and within the occasion that particular person proves able to taking part in as a rookie, Finney actually would offer depth in any respect three inside offensive line positions. In any other case, Finney can begin at heart.
GAVIN WHITLEY FROM DAVENPORT, IA: With Chris Wormley returning to Pittsburgh subsequent season, do you suppose we’ll draft a nostril sort out in any respect or do you suppose Henry Mondeaux is nice sufficient to maneuver into that depth function alongside Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis?
ANSWER: I feel it might behoove Carlos Davis and/or Isaiah Buggs to take a major step ahead of their improvement and present themselves able to contributing within the inside of the defensive position this season. Each Davis and Buggs have been draft picks, each have gone by means of a minimum of one full NFL season with the Steelers, and so they’re attending to the purpose of their respective careers the place a participant both begins producing or finds himself in search of a job. Henry Mondeaux is constructed bodily extra alongside the strains of Brett Keisel, and consequently can be higher on one finish of the defensive position.
MIKE HENRY FROM HAGERSTOWN, MD: How did Joshua Dobbs fall so removed from grace? He’s by no means talked about wherever.
ANSWER: Apparently, Joshua Dobbs’ seasons with each the Steelers and the Jaguars did not persuade NFL groups that he is an up-and-coming quarterback expertise. I do consider that Dobbs has enough expertise, and definitely the intelligence, to get himself onto a coaching camp roster when groups usually carry 4 quarterbacks. As soon as that occurs, all of it will come right down to competitors on the sphere, and hopefully for gamers reminiscent of Dobbs seeking to make an impression and win a spot, there might be a full preseason this summer time.
RICK PIETROLUNGO FROM GREENCASTLE, PA: Is it life like to suppose that Ben Roethlisberger would play past 2021, and in that case how would they deal with Mason Rudolph’s contract as he can be a free agent and will presumably garner curiosity from different groups subsequent 12 months? Would they offer Rudolph a multi-year contract, or attempt to commerce him this 12 months and get some worth for him?
ANSWER: Initially, keep in mind the golden rule: By no means make a transfer till it is time to make a transfer. That applies to the final a part of your submission about Mason Rudolph, particularly the query about whether or not to signal him to a multi-year deal or attempt to commerce him. These two issues do not need to occur till 2022, and so I couldn’t think about the Steelers even contemplating both of these potentialities till them. As for Ben Roethlisberger, I do not know that I might characterize him taking part in past 2021 as “life like,” however I do not consider it is out of the query, both. Once more, that is one thing to be decided based mostly on the result of 2021.
BRENT BONAR FROM ATLASBURGH, PA: When will the Steelers deliver again a operating again who can get it achieved on a regular basis?
ANSWER: I think about that is a part of the plan for one of many first two days of the upcoming NFL Draft.
DEBORAH SILOS FROM BURLINGTON, NC: What occurs if a free agent doesn’t signal with a group? Are he thought of out of the NFL? Or retired?
ANSWER: A participant should file retirement papers with the league earlier than he’s thought of retired, and I suppose anybody who is not at present below contract to an NFL group might be thought of “out of the NFL.” However as we have seen numerous instances, “out of the NFL” isn’t essentially a everlasting standing.
JUSTIN WINNEG FROM MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA: Why would the Steelers enable Steven Nelson to hunt a commerce if we nonetheless have $3.3 million in cap area?
ANSWER: For the needs of this dialogue, let’s assume the $3.3 million determine you cite is correct. That quantity displays how far the Steelers are below the wage cap counting solely their high 51 participant salaries, as a result of that is the NFL rule for this stage of the offseason. However the actuality is that groups play a daily season with 53 gamers on the roster, and as soon as we get to that stage of the calendar, there not solely might be two extra gamers to get below the cap but additionally follow squad salaries and guys on injured reserve who will depend towards the cap. Additionally, that $3.3 million determine does not account for the draft picks, and the Steelers at present have eight of these. Lastly, Normal Supervisor Kevin Colbert has mentioned the group’s desire is to enter a daily season with a cap cushion of a minimum of $5 million for use doubtlessly on harm replacements throughout a season, which occurred in 2020 and the Steelers have been capable of commerce for Avery Williamson and add Matthew Wright. The Steelers could also be compliant with the 2021 wage cap as of this second, however that is a lot completely different than them not having points with the wage cap.
JOE GAGE FROM ATLANTA, GA: May the Steelers signal considered one of these gamers: Mitchell Schwartz, Adoree Jackson, Richard Sherman, or Kyle Fuller?
ANSWER: There isn’t a rule towards it, besides within the case of Kyle Fuller, who reportedly has agreed to a one-year contract with Denver for $9.5 million. However the different guys you point out: Mitchell Schwartz might be 32 in early June and might be coming off again surgical procedure; Richard Sherman might be 33 on the finish of the month and at present is reported to be the topic of a bidding warfare amongst as many as three groups; and Adoree Jackson is being courted by the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Primarily based on these circumstances, I might put the possibilities of any of them signing with the Steelers as extremely unlikely.
TAYLOR JAMES FROM JACKSONVILLE, FL: The Steelers signing Richard Sherman. How does that sound?
ANSWER: Like wishful pondering in your half.
GREG SMITH FROM DETROIT, MI: May the Steelers signal Geno Atkins to exchange Tyson Alualu, or would he be too costly?
ANSWER: I do not find out about costly, however Geno Atkins will have a good time his thirty third birthday on the finish of the week, and his missed many of the 2020 season with what was described as a “mysterious shoulder harm” that ultimately landed him on injured reserve in mid-December and required surgical procedure.
ANDREW IVAN FROM BOZRAH, CT: Wanting on the roster on Steelers.com, I do not see James Conner on it. What provides?
ANSWER: At 4 p.m. EST on March 17, James Conner’s contract expired and he grew to become an unrestricted free agent. Meaning he’s not below contract to any group and thus free to signal with no matter group could be fascinated about his providers. That is why he isn’t listed on the Steelers roster.
LUCA VALENTINI FROM MILANO, ITALIA: Since we’ve a number of roster holes to fill, would not it have been wiser to signal a free agent operating again to have the ability to focus the upper draft picks on different positions?
ANSWER: I consider that including a function again is without doubt one of the most important wants the Steelers should deal with this offseason, and due to that, the draft is one of the simplest ways to try this. The place the Steelers are drafting within the first spherical, they need to have an opportunity to select from among the many high gamers out there at that place.
GEORGE BROWN FROM VISTA, CA: Now that the Steelers have re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster for one 12 months, do you consider a promise was made that they’d supply him a long-term contract beginning with the 2022 season?
ANSWER: Completely not. Why would both aspect have any curiosity in committing now to a long-term settlement beginning in 2022? Is not sensible both for the group or the participant.
JIM HASH FROM CASA GRANDE, AZ: If there’s a concern about Alejandro Villanueva shedding a step, why not re-sign him and transfer him to an inside offensive line place?
ANSWER: I’ve learn a ton of position-switch ideas, and various these even have included Alejandro Villanueva, however your thought of taking a person who might be 33 in mid-September and by no means has performed a place on the offensive line full-time besides left sort out and shifting him to the inside is ridiculous. And who would you bench? David DeCastro? Kevin Dotson? Or is the grand plan to go together with a 6-foot-9 heart?
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