Tag Archives: Ramon Foster

3 Takeaways as Steelers Trade Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith

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Last week the Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the world by trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins for All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith. The Steelers also sent their 5th round pick from the 2027 NFL Draft to Miami and got the Dolphins’ 7th rounder.

No one apparently told Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin that this was supposed to be the slow spot in the NFL’s off season.

While rumors had tied the Steelers to trades for Ramsey and Smith, trading Minkah Fitzpatrick was unimaginable. But traded he has been.

Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell perhaps summed it up the best by concluding, “…Dolphins made off with the best player in the big trade with the Steelers, but that the Steelers won the trade.”

ON paper, Wexell’s right, we’ll see if what happens on the field vindicates his conclusion. While we wait for that reality to play out, here are three things this trade is telling us now.

Antonio Brown, Jalen Ramsey, Ramon Foster, Steelers vs Jaguars, Antonio Brown vs Jalen Ramsey

Antonio Brown vs Jalen Ramsey. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

1. The Steelers Brain Trust Takes 2024’s Meltdown Seriously

The 2024 Steelers closed their season with a 5-game losing streak that got uglier with each week. The piss-poor performance of the defense against the Chiefs at Christmas and in the playoffs against the Ravens called into question the franchise’s fundamental strategy of using defense to keep the team competitive until they can find a franchise QB.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes terrorized the Steelers defense through the air, while Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry ridiculed them on the ground. In simple terms:

  • The Steelers defense got its ass kicked. Twice.
  • The men in Black and Gold didn’t belong on the same field.

No one should think, let alone suggest, that Minkah Fitzpatrick was responsible for these losses or even that he was some sort of “weak link.” That’s both wrong and disrespectful.

But Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan have clearly concluded that Jalen Ramsey can be a bigger part of the solution than Fitzpatrick.

Events may prove them wrong, but no one can say the Steelers took these beatings sitting down.

2. The Steelers Way Evolves Under Omar Khan

While this easily amounts to the biggest trade in franchise history, let’s keep it in context:

But they’ve never exchanged All Pros. Perhaps it’s true that a trade of this magnitude would have been near unthinkable in June of 2015, it hardly spells the death of “Steelers Way.”

  • The “Steelers Way” is simply evolving.

In fact, Omar Khan is building on tendencies that first surfaced under Kevin Colbert. Colbert began making trades more frequently in hopes of “Reloading with Roethlisberger,”  contract restructures became more common, and using voidable years on contracts began to happen and so forth.

Like Kevin Colbert and Tom Donahoe before him, Omar Khan is leaving is own finger prints on the Steelers Way. Donahoe pioneered the strategy of avoiding free agency bidding ways in favor of resigning your own players.

Kevin Colbert, unlike Donahoe, welcomed back players who’d departed via free agency, improved performance in the first round while displaying an uncanny knack for finding undrafted rookie free agent gems (you may have heard of Willie Parker, James Harrison and Ramon Foster.)

Omar Khan, Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert

Omar Khan and Kevin Colbert at St. Vincents. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

And while Khan has been more aggressive with trades and free agency, let’s also remember that he has a freedom that Kevin Colbert never enjoyed – roster building without having to manage the salary cap complications of a franchise quarterback.

3. The Steelers are NOT “All In” on Going for a Super Bowl in 2025

Before the smoke even cleared on Fitzpatrick for Ramsey-Smith trade, Everyone and His Brother in football rushed to the same conclusion:

  • The Steelers are All In on a going for a Super Bowl in 2025.

That’s the easy conclusion when you look at the D.K. Metcalf trade, Aaron Rodgers signing and now the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. But as is so often the case in life, the quick and easy conclusion is the wrong one.

  • Yes, these splash personnel moves have generated a lot of Sound and Fury.

But you know what? The Steelers still have a projected 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, they’re only missing a 6th round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and they’re still league leaders in available salary cap space for 2026 and 2027. They’ll lose a little of that leadership after they resign T.J. Watt, but the Steelers salary cap health will remain strong once that deal is done.

  • That’s the opposite of being “All In.”
  • Going “All In” means you’ve bet everything on the risk you’re taking.

For example, the Steelers were “All In” on Ben Roethlisberger’s recovery after trading for Fitzpatrick in 2019. The trade cost them a shot at a franchise quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, and impacted the next several drafts.

In contrast, if these moves result in another “muh” season that ends at about .500 but with no playoff success, the franchise will still enter 2026 with all of its options open.

If the Steelers were truly “All In” this would not be the case.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Class

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After the New England Patriots officially made defensive back Kobee Minor out of Memphis as Mr. Irrelevant, Omar Khan’s team pivoted from the Steelers 2025 Draft Class to getting the Steelers 2025 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent class under contract.

D.J. Thomas-Jones, Fullback, South Alabama
Roc Taylor, Wide Receiver, Memphis
Ke’Shawn Williams, Wide Receiver, Indiana
J.J. Galbreath, Tight End, South Dakota
Aiden Williams, Guard, Minnesota-Duluth
Sebastian Castro, Defensive Back, Iowa
Ben Sauls, Kicker, Pittsburgh

While these men are the “Rudys” of the NFL, each of these new faces should take heart that the Steelers have a rich tradition with undrafted rookie free agents.

Donnie Shell, Joe Montana, Steelers vs 49ers

Hall of Famer vs Hall of Famer: Donnie Shell stares down Joe Montana. Photo Credit: George Gojkovich, Getty Images via SI.com

Donnie Shell was an Undrafted Rookie Free Agent who joined after the 1974 draft class was set, and he’s now in the Hall of Fame.

As Shell was finishing his final season in Pittsburgh, Dwight Stone joined the Steelers part of their 1987 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent class. Stone parlayed that opportunity into a 17-year NFL career with the Steelers and Jets that saw him play in 171 games making 154 starts. Ramon Foster followed a similar route, playing 11 years and making 145 including on in Super Bowl XLV.

In Super Bowl XL Willie Parker set the NFL record for longest run from scrimmage and in Super Bowl XLIII James Harrison set the record for the longest interception return in the game’s history, and both men joined the Steelers as Undrafted Rookie Free Agents.

More recently, Jaylen Warren arrived in Pittsburgh as part of the Steelers 2021 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent class and will enter training camp as the starting running back.

Of the group above, logistically speaking, D.J. Thomas-Jones has the best chance to make the team. For starters, the Steelers paid him a $30,000 dollar signing bonus, the highest in team history per Steel City Insider’s Roy Countryman.

Arthur Smith believes in the fullback, and the Steelers were ready to offer real money to Kyle Juszczk. So Thomas-Jones has a slot “greyed out” for him that he can secure by showing he can play fullback and contribute on special teams.

Sebastian Castro is another player with potential, who in the eyes of Countryman, suffered from a bad combine but built a solid tape for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Ben Sauls doesn’t have much of a chance of replacing Chris Boswell, but Acrisure Stadium is one of the toughest places to kick, and he showed at Pitt he’s up to that challenge.

And like everyone else, he’ll get a fair shake at St. Vincents.

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Good While It Lasted… Steelers Lose Brian Flores to Minnesota Vikings

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The Minnesota Vikings have hired Steelers Assistant Brian Flores showing that some things are not meant to last. Literally.

Brian Flores, Steelers 2022 training camp

Brian Flores at St. Vincents in the summer of ’22. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

When the Steelers surprised the rest of the NFL by hiring Brian Flores as their senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach last spring, everyone suspected it would be a short-term relationship.

Brian Flores was head coaching material, having just been fired from the Miami Dolphins largely because – as Flores argues, he refused to tank for draft position. So there was a bit of a question over whether Flores would find a cold shoulder from the rest of the NFL.

But the Cleveland Browns leapt to interview Flores for their defensive coordinator spot. And that was followed by several other interviews, including a 2nd interview with the Arizona Cardinals.

So instead of a cold shoulder, Flores found a warm embrace. Steelers fans may have held out hope that Mike Tomlin and/or Art Rooney II could have convinced Flores to stay in Pittsburgh for another year. But the reality is that moving into the Vikings defensive coordinator chair provides Flores a better path to a head coaching job.

Flores Made an Impact in Pittsburgh

Judging the impact of an assistant coach from the outside in is difficult. Sure, when an assistant does a great job such as Mike Munchak their influence is obvious. But the reverse isn’t always true.

The 2013 Steelers opened the season 2-6 and a horrendous offensive line was the main culprit. Yet they fought back and kept their playoff hopes alive until a blown call in overtime swung victory and the final playoff spot to San Diego Chargers. Improved offensive line play had driven the ’13 Steelers surge during the 2nd half of the season.

Other times the influence of an assistant is more subtle. Mike Tomlin fired Joey Porter as outside linebackers coach following he 2018 season and announced that Keith Butler would take over his responsibilities. Fans snickered an jeered Butler’s apparent demotion.

  • Yet under Butler’s tutelage, Bud Dupree finally began to play like a first round draft pick.

So if it is hard to pinpoint Brian Flores’ influence on the Steelers 2022 defense, there’s no question that he made his mark. And that mark is helping turn around a unit that was one of the worst run defenses in franchise history into a unit that ranked in the NFL’s top ten.

And the arrival of veterans like Larry Ogunjobi and Myles Jack fueled that improvement, it is quite clear that Flores had a role in helping raw rookies like Mark Robinson be ready to make contributions late in the season. And Robinson played a large role in shutting down stout running offenses such as the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.

Clearly, the Steelers will miss Flores.

Brian Flores’ departure marks the first coaching change to Mike Tomlin’s staff this off season, as Tomlin has already decided to retain offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Jerry Olsavsky remains as inside linebackers coach while Denzel Martin is on staff as assistant outside linebackers coach.

Mike Tomlin likes to promote from within although his best coaching choices have been veterans, like Flores and Munchak, that he’s brought in from the outside.

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Finishing Touches: Steelers Announce 2022 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Class

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Mere minutes after announcing Chris Oladokun as their 2nd 7th round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers came to terms with their 2022 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent class. This will be Kevin Colbert’s final undrafted rookie free agent class, and as noted here before, he’s had an uncanny ability to pluck gems from players whose phones remained quite on draft day.

The Steelers 2022 undrafted rookie free agent class includes:

Jake Dixon, Offensive Tackle, Duquesne
Jordan Tucker, Offensive Tackle, North Carolina
Mataeo Durant, Running Back, Duke
Jaylen Warren, Running Back, Oklahoma State
Donovan Jeter, Defensive Lineman, Michigan
Tyree Johnson, Outside Linebacker, Texas A&M
T.D. Moultry, Outside Linebacker, Auburn
Chris Owens, Guard, Alabama
Chris Steele, Cornerback, Southern California
Bryce Watts, Cornerback, UMass

As expected, the group targets positions which the Steelers did not address in the draft, namely running back, offensive tackle and cornerback, although the inclusion of 2 outside linebackers is interesting.

  • Undrafted rookie free agents are kind of like the Rudy’s of the NFL.

They are mainly there to fill out training camp rosters, saving the wear and tear on the starters. That’s true around the NFL, but these young gentlemen are luck to have landed in Pittsburgh.

Mike Tomlin, Steelers training camp, St. Vincents

Mike Tomlin addresses the men at Steelers training camp. Photo Credit: Karl Rosner, Steelers.com

As Mike Tomlin explained when asked about the pedigrees of several his draftees, “Arthur Maulet used to always make a joke last year during the season that he was a zero-star guy, and boy, you got respect for that, as well. I embraced the football justice component of it. It does not matter by what means you get here.”

The Steelers ended Chuck Noll’s policy of practicing without numbers so that coaches would evaluate all players objectively ended a long time ago. But the fundamental principle doesn’t change:

  • Once you make it to St. Vincents its not about where you came from, but what you can prove on the field.

Fans reared during the Ben Roethlisberger era will remember the Ramon Foster, Steve McLendon, Isaac Redman, Willie Parker and James Harrison all arrived at St. Vincents as undrafted rookie free agents and used that as a launching pad to transform themselves into regular starters, cult heroes or Super Bowl record holders.

Dwight Stone arrived in Latrobe as an nobody from Middle Tenn. St. in the summer of 1987 and finished in the year 2000 after played 216 games over 14 years in the NFL. And of course Donnie Shell was just a nameless undrafted rookie free agent defensive back running drills with the likes of Mike Wagner, Glen Edwards and Mel Blount and now he’s in the Hall of Fame.

Gentleman, rest assured, you face long odds, but if you deliver while at St. Vincents, the Steelers will give you a fair shake.

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Steelers 2022 Draft Needs @ Center and Guard. Has Pittsburgh Already Done Enough?

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For almost a decade Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro provided stability for the Steelers at guard and center. In the span of just over 15 months, all three have proceeded to their “Life’s Work.”

  • Is it any wonder that the Steelers offensive line flipped from a team strength to an obvious liability in the blink of an eye?

Accordingly, the Steelers have invested both draft capital and made priority free agent signings since then. How have these investments impacted the Steelers interior lineman needs going into the 2022 NFL Draft.

Kevin Dotson, Steelers vs Broncos

Kevin Dotson as a rookie. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Steelers Depth Cart at Center and Guard: The Starters

The Steelers entered uncharted waters in 2021 when they drafted Kendrick Green in the 3rd round and essentially installed him as a starter. Mike Tomlin has never been a head coach whose wont to anoint rookies, yet he did that with Green.

Green had his moments at center, but struggled down the stretch and found himself replaced by J.C. Hassenauer for the final 3 games of 2021.

The Steelers starter at right guard during 2021 was Trai Turner, an emergency free agent signing to replace David DeCastro. Turner brought attitude to the position, as evidenced by his ejection against the Raiders, but the Steelers have made no attempt to resign him.

To take his place the Steelers signed James Daniels, who brings 54 games and 48 starts worth of experience to the left guard position. Officially Kevin Dotson is the Steelers other starter at guard. Dotson won the starting job in 2020 and flashed potential as a bright spot, but disappointed coaches during the 2021 training camp.

Still, the offensive line appeared to be broaching respectability at midseason in 2021 until Dotson went out injured.

Steelers Center and Guard Depth Chart: The Backups

The Steelers have given themselves options at in the middle of their line. They signed Mason Cole, who brings starting experience at center and some experience at guard. They also have John Leglue who started 5 games at right guard. Exclusive rights free agent J.C. Hassenauer has signed his tender and will return to Pittsburgh.

The Steelers also have “General” Joe Haeg who can do spot duty at guard.

The Steelers 2022 Draft Needs @ Center and Guard

The Steelers off season strategy at center and guard has been clear – cover your bases while keeping your options open. James Daniels appears to be set as one of their starting guards while Green, Cole and Dotson appear poised to fight for the starting center and guard positions.steelers, draft, needs, priority, 2022 NFL Draft

The loser will provide depth, with the Steelers have several other backups who boast starting experience.

The adage goes that you can never have enough good starting offensive lineman and should they get a chance to draft another Alan Faneca or David DeCastro type guard let alone another Mike Webster or Dermontti Dawson type center, they should by all means draft him.

But that would be true in almost any year, and in 2022 the Steelers draft needs at center and guard should be considered Moderate-Low.

 

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Can Kevin Dotson Be in Great Shape and Still Have Coaches Mad At Him? Perhaps.

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In case you tuned out and are only now starting to tune back in now that Steelers training camp is nearing, the big news out Pittsburgh following OTAs is that Steelers insider Dejan Kovacevic, the founder and editor of DK Pittsburgh Sports, came under fire recently for writing about and then podcasting about the possibility that someone within the Steelers organization was upset with second-year guard Kevin Dotson for a supposed lack of conditioning this offseason.

Kevin Dotson, Steelers vs Broncos

Kevin Dotson as a rookie. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

With the Steelers offensive line in total rebuild mode thanks to the release of guard David DeCastro last week, this has the potential to be a big story, especially when you consider the fact that Kevin Dotson, who had a tremendous rookie season in spot duty in 2020, was penciled in as the new starting left guard the very second Matt Feiler left via free agency in March. 

In fact, according to DK’s source, when Trai Turner was brought in for a visit during the week of mandatory minicamp, it wasn’t in an attempt to find DeCastro’s replacement at right guard; it was to possibly find someone who could play left guard in place of the seemingly undisciplined Dotson. (Turner was ultimately signed to replace DeCastro as the starting right guard for 2021.)

  • Is Kevin Dotson not taking his opportunity seriously, as DK’s source is apparently asserting?

The funny part was how quickly Steelers fans rallied around Kevin Dotson and took to social media to post pictures and videos of the guard hard at work during the offseason. Not only did the fans take up for Dotson, but his trainer —Duke Mayweather –did as well. Even other local reporters scoffed at Kovacevic’s story and said things simply did not add up.

Just because things don’t add up on the surface, that doesn’t mean there aren’t people within the Steelers’ organization who are upset with Dotson. Dotson could be taking his opportunity to be the next starting left guard very seriously — hitting the gym, hitting the film room, etc.–and yet there still could be at least one person within the Steelers’ organization — a coach, a front-office executive, freaking Art Rooney II–who is unhappy with his desire and dedication.

Think about it, why would Kovacevic, a longtime local sports reporter, want to make his job harder by fabricating a story that’s going to anger the Steelers and possibly cause him to lose access to players and coaches? Heck, Ramon Foster works for DK Pittsburgh Sports. It would be foolish for Kovacevic to make this public if it wasn’t said to him. Mark Madden, the popular and controversial Pittsburgh sports talk radio personality, has had sources within the Steelers’ organization for years. Who were/are they? A good journalist would never reveal such a thing.

Anyway, more often than not, when Madden reports something from his anonymous sources(s), it turns out to be true.

Case in point, Madden was the first person to report that running back Le’Veon Bell would be suspended at the start of the 2016 season for missing several mandatory drug tests. Nobody wanted to buy it at the time. Bell, who was suspended for the first two games of the 2015 campaign, vehemently denied this rumor.

It turned out to be true.

Again, though, I’m not saying that Dotson is out of shape and/or not taking his job as a professional football player seriously. What I am saying is that at least one person within the Steelers’ organization is probably unhappy with him for one reason or another.

Football people are weird. Coaches can be unusual birds and are often hard to please. General managers can have strange opinions on players. Even owners are susceptible to placing one of their charges in the dog house and never letting him out.

There could be any number of reasons why someone is unhappy with Dotson. Maybe it’s his draft pedigree. After all, he was a fourth-round pick from Louisiana who wasn’t even invited to the 2020 NFL Combine. Perhaps someone feels Pittsburgh could do better at left guard in terms of talent and ability.

It’s like what Keith Willis once said about making a name for himself as a defensive end in the NFL despite being an undrafted free agent from Northeastern in 1982: “For certain people, you weren’t anything but a free agent but I never fell prey to that.”

  • It could even be Dotson’s outspoken nature on social media.
  • I know that sounds crazy, but, again, coaches, executives and owners can be strange birds.

They say all it takes is one person to be your champion in order to succeed at something. The opposite can be true, as well. I think the most famous example may be the disdain former Raiders owner Al Davis continuously had for Marcus Allen, a Hall of Fame running back and one of the greatest players to ever don the silver and black. There’s never been any specific reason given as to why the late Davis had it out for his star running back –everything from Allen’s training camp holdouts to his lack of breakaway speed has been mentioned as possibilities –but there’s no question the feud was very real.

If you’re going to have someone within your organization not believe in you, the last person you’d want it to be is the one who signs your checks.

In conclusion, all the workout pictures and videos in the world aren’t going to change the fact that at least one person within the Steelers’ organization is likely upset with Kevin Dotson. Is it justified? I can’t answer that. I do know that when it comes to Dejan Kovacevic, instead of killing the messenger, you should probably be asking why a promising young guard is seemingly in the doghouse of a prominent member within the Steelers’ organization.

 

 

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Steelers 2021 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent Class Heavy on Defensive Backs

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Mere hours after making Presley Harvin III their final pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Steelers announced that they’d come to terms with their 2021 Undrafted Free Agent Rookie class.

Shakur Brown, cornerback, Michigan State
Mark Gilbert, cornerback, Duke
Calvin Bundage, outside linebacker, Oklahoma State
Jamar Watson, outside linebacker, Kentucky
Donovan Stiner, safety, Florida
Lamont Wade, safety, Penn State
Rico Bussey, wide receiver, Hawaii
Isaiah McKoy, wide receiver, Kent State

Donnie Shell, Donnie Shell Hall of Fame, Steelers vs Dophins, 1984 AFC Championship

Like Donnie Shell before them, Mark Gilbert and Lamont Wade will try to make the Steelers as undrafted rookie free agents. Photo Credit: Manny Rubio, USA Today.

As they always do, the Steelers undrafted rookie free agent class closely mirrors the positions that Pittsburgh didn’t pick, or picked late in the preceding draft.

The Steelers needs on defense at outside linebacker and cornerback were arguably greater than inside linebacker or defensive line. The Steeler addressed the latter two in the 4th and 5th rounds with their picks of Buddy Johnson and defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk.

  • So its little surprise that Steelers swiftly moved to bring two cornerbacks, two outside linebacker and two safeties to St. Vincents.

Mark Gilbert brings strong ties to the NFL and to Pittsburgh football, as he is the cousin of former Pitt and Washington stand out Sean Gilbert and the nephew of Pitt’s Darrelle Revis.

While that makes for a great story, remember that those bloodlines will mean nothing to Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler when he goes out and tries intercept Ben Roethlisberger while covering cover JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool this summer at St. Vincents.

Mike Golic Jr. headlined the Steelers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Free Agent class and while he spent some time on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, he never played a down in the NFL.

  • If that sounds harsh, it should not. It is in fact the exact opposite.

Once you set foot on the campus of St. Vincents, the Pittsburgh Steelers stop caring about where you came from or how you got to Latrobe and only focus on what you can do to help the team win.

  • This mentality began with Chuck Noll and has engrained itself in DNA of the Steelers culture.

Its what allowed 10th round pick L.C. Greenwood to take his place alongside Joe Greene. Its what allowed Donnie Shell to earn a roster spot and ultimately force out two-time Super Bowl starter Glen Edwards en route to the Hall of Fame.

Dwight Stone, Dwight Stone Steelers career

Dwight Stone’s Steelers career ran from 1987 to 1994. Photo Credit: Amazon

Its what allowed Dwight Stone to earn a roster spot and get snaps at the expense of 3rd round pick Charles Lockett. It paved the way for Ramon Foster earn a practice squad slot, followed by a regular season roster spot, which he transformed into a decade long-career as a starter.

And looking back at that 2013 Steelers Undrafted Free Agent Rookie class, Mike Golic and Nik Embernate may have generated all of the buzz, but it was unheralded Chris Hubbard that used his opportunity to build an NFL career.

Time will tell if any of the Steelers 2021 Undrafted Rookie Free Agents set Super Bowl records like that of Fast Willie Parker in Super Bowl XL or that of James Harrison in Super Bowl XLIII.

But those men can come to St. Vincents secure in the knowledge that they will judged on what they can do, not where they come from.

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B.J.’s Back: Steelers Resign B.J. Finney – What it Means

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The Pittsburgh Steelers made a preemptive move to shore up their offensive line when they signed B.J. Finney to a one year contract just days ahead of the start of free agency.

B.J. Finney joined the Steelers via the practice squad in 2015. In 2016, Finney made the active roster appearing in 13 games, including 3 starts at guard for Ramon Foster and spot duty for Maurkice Pouncey. In 2017 he made four starts, including the season finale at center. In 2018 he saw action in all 16 games including two starts.

During 2019 Finney started another four games including starts at center while Maurkice Pouncey was serving a suspension for sticking up for Mason Rudolph after Myles Garrett‘s assault with a deadly weapon.

But the Steelers did not do that, and Finney signed a 2 year, 8 million dollar contract to Finney. But Finney only played 6 games for Seattle who traded him to Cincinnati where he only played one game. The Bengals cut him Raearlier this spring.

B.J. Finney, Le'Veon Bell, Alejandro Villanueva, steelers vs bills

B.J. Finney blocks for Le’Veon Bell against the Bills in 2016. Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman, USA Today Sports, via K-State Slate

Finney Signing is What Steelers Do

While Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin rarely “Live in their fears” when it comes to personnel decisions, they do like to keep their options open when it comes to filling top roster needs. The Steelers need to rebuild their offensive line, and they need to do it in a hurry, if they’re to give Ben Roethlisberger a (serious) shot at a final Lombardi.

  • Going into the 2019 season, inside linebacker and cornerback were glaring needs for the Steelers.

So the Steelers went out and signed Mark Barron and Steven Nelson, and then they traded up in the 2019 NFL Draft to grab Devin Bush and also used a premium, 3rd round pick on Justin Layne at cornerback.

The Steelers are doing something similar with B.J. Finney. While they already have J.C. Hassenauer under contract for 2021, B.J. Finney gives them an option for player to can work at center or guard, releiving them of hte pressure of obligating themselves to draft a center with their first or second round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2021 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2021 free agency focus articles.

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What Will be the Fate of Steelers Matt Feiler in Free Agency?

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The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line during most of the Mike Tomlin era has been a study in contrasts. For the better part of the last decade, the Steelers have fielded one of the best, if not the best offensive line in football.

  • But the route they’ve taken to get their is more circuitous than Glass Run Road

(Sorry, if you’re not from or at least familiar with Pittsburgh then Googling “Glass Run Road” it won’t cut it here. So you’ve just got to trust me on this, or otherwise go to Pittsburgh and drive it on a rainy night on a Learner’s Permit.)

On the one hand, it has featured high-profile draft picks, such as Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. On the other side of the spectrum, you’ve unheralded draft picks and/or undrafted free agents. Matt Feiler is the latest in the latter group, and he’s about to become a free agent. 

Will he find his fortune in Pittsburgh?

Matt Feiler,

Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 Unnestricted Free Agent Matt Feiler, Photo Credit: Matt Sunday, DK Pittsburgh Sports

Capsule Profile of Matt Feiler’s Career with the Steelers

One year after signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent out of Bloomsburg, Matt Feiler latched on with the Steelers in 2015. After spending a few seasons honing his skills under the tutelage of offensive line coach–and position guru– Mike Munchak.

Feiler got his big break in 2018 when he started 10 games at right tackle in place of the injured Marcus Gilbert. How well did Feiler do? So well, Pittsburgh felt more than comfortable trading Gilbert to the Cardinals in the 2019 offseason. Feiler justified the move that regular season by starting all 16 games at right tackle. In 2020, Feiler, who was a versatile backup before becoming a starter, was moved to left guard to take the place of the retired Ramon Foster. Feiler appeared to struggle much more at that position, however, than he did at right tackle.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Matt Feiler in 2021

2020 could have just been an off year for Feiler, 28. Either that, or it was simply a mistake moving him to the guard position, one that could easily be corrected by putting him back at right tackle in 2021. Beyond that, the Steelers, in a word, need offensive lineman.

  • They need both quality and quantity. 

Matt Feiler was part of what was still one of the best offensive lines in football in 2018. He’s a proven commodity at a position the Steelers need to strengthen.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Matt Feiler in 2021

Feiler isn’t an exclusive rights free agent or a restricted free agent. He’s now an unrestricted free agent who is free to shop his services wherever he desires. I personally feel that Feiler’s best position is right tackle and if I’m thinking that, perhaps various NFL general managers are, as well.

And if Feiler wants to really cash in, he’s surely thinking that. What could Feiler command on the open market as a tackle? If it’s anything approaching what other Steelers offensive tackles received in free agency, such as Kelvin Beachum (five years, $45 million from the Jaguars in 2015) and Chris Hubbard (five years, $36.5 million from the Browns in 2018), it will likely be much too much for the salary cap-strapped Steelers.

Besides all of that, the Steelers appear to have their left guard of the very immediate future in Kevin Dotson, last year’s fourth-round pick; Dotson did so well while starting in place of both Feiler and perennial All-Pro David DeCastro, he probably would have been the team’s rookie of the year if not for Chase Claypool.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Matt Feiler

It’s going to take much work for the Steelers to get in cap compliance this offseason. Zach Banner, a fellow free agent, is most likely returning after missing the vast majority of 2020 with a torn ACL. Chukwuma Okorafor, a third-round pick in 2018, is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and took Banner’s place at right tackle last year.

I think the Steelers are going to give those two youngsters every opportunity to win the tackle spots in 2021. As for the left guard position? Dotson appears to have a bright future. Again, I feel that Feiler would be wise to market himself as a tackle in free agency.

  • I think it’s best for the Steelers to move on.

Given that the Steelers don’t have the flexibility to make luxury signings on the offensive line, expect them to do just that.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2021 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2021 free agency focus articles.

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Steelers 2021 Free Agent Focus: Ola Adeniyi – Will “Mr. Preseason” Get an RFA Tender?

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The digital era has changed the way the NFL presents its product. By in large, those changes have been for the better, bringing fans closer to the game they love. Preseason football has not aged well in the digital transition.

  • Once upon a time, preseason football was an oasis. 

Football starved fans who’d been suffering a long off season could finally get their fill of gridiron action. It was enough, even if it didn’t feature top talent (although starters did get a fair number of preseason snaps well into the 1990s). Today, YouTube, Twitter and Tiki Toki fill that void from February to August. Preseason football is now perceived as a painstaking rite to be endured, rather than a welcome appetizer that precedes the main course.

  • Yet preseason remains an invaluable experience for unknown players to prove themselves.

Yet names like Donnie Shell, Dwight Stone, Merril Hoge, Lee Flowers, James Harrison, Willie Parker, Isaac Redman and Ramon Foster might ring a bell for Steelers fans. That’s because these “training camp roster spot holders” parlayed preseason performances into careers with the Steelers.

Ola Adeniyi was another no pedigree preseason standout in 2018 and is now a restricted free agent. Has he done enough to earn him that coveted “second NFL contract?” Let’s find out!

Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, Ola Adeniyi, Steelers preseason

Ola Adeniyi closes in for one of his patented preseason sacks. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Capsule Profile of Ola Adeniyi’s Career with the Steelers

An undrafted free agent out of Toledo in 2018, Ola Adeniyi quickly made a name for himself when he recorded several sacks that preseason. While Adeniyi did make the Steelers roster during his rookie campaign, he was unable to capitalize on his preseason success thanks to an injury that forced him onto the Injured Reserve list for the majority of the season.

Adeniyi made the Steelers roster in 2019 and again in 2020, but the outside linebacker was afforded very few defensive snaps playing behind the dynamic pass-rushing duo of T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. Adeniyi’s primary role during his Steelers career has been on special teams.

The Case for the Steelers Resigning Ola Adeniyi in 2021

Adeniyi is a restricted free agent but one without much of a resume. It should be fairly easy and inexpensive to retain his rights for at least one more season. Besides, with Bud Dupree likely gone in free agency, the Steelers depth at outside linebacker will be a primary concern heading into 2021. It appears that the Steelers may have found themselves a suitable replacement for Dupree in one Alex Highsmith, a third-round pick in 2020. However, Adeniyi, 23, is still really young and perhaps has room to grow as a player. He knows the system and, again, is a major contributor on special teams.

The Case Against the Steelers Resigning Ola Adeniyi in 2021

The Steelers coaches know more than we do. While Adeniyi’s rookie preseason was eye-opening, it did primarily come against players of his level. Perhaps the coaches realized this right away, which is why they really haven’t given Adeniyi much of a chance to be a major player on defense.

Curtain’s Call on the Steelers and Ola Adeniyi

Again, it should be fairly inexpensive to retain Ola Adeniyi’s services. I see no real problem in him remaining on the Steelers roster in 2021. If he does still have some upside, maybe someone like Highsmith won’t be able to block it as easily as Dupree did. 

With that said, Ola Adeniyi is a restricted free agent, and restricted free agent tenders will clock in at around 2.3 million dollars. The Steelers need every salary cap penny they can get, and could very well opt not to tender Adeniyi yet still bring him back at a veteran minimum.

Has Steelers free agency left you scrambling? Click here for our Steelers 2021 Free Agent tracker or click here for all Steelers 2021 free agency focus articles.

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