Welcome aboard Jonuu Smith

Based on 50 snaps? Excuse me if I need to see more.

 

We hope so. The team hopes so. At this point, he is a huge question mark. We haven't even seen a full game from him in the NFL. More importantly, the evidence so far in college and the pros suggests he has trouble staying healthy.

 

Yes, in three of his four seasons he had over 60 receptions and he had 7 TDs in a season twice.

 

Mrs Freiermuth

 

My bad. Yes, he had 15 carries for 101 yards against a defense that gave up over 200 yards rushing that day, so I'm sure it was rock-solid tacklers all around.

That undersized back has battled injuries two of his three seasons as a Steeler. He ain't Jahmyr Gibbs.

I hope Johnson is ready to step up from day one.

 

Warren has demonstrated he can run with the football. What is a risk is his ball security. In the last two seasons he's fumbled six times. In Tomlin's book that will get him on the bench right quick. In fact, I think he was benched for a short time last season after a fumble.

 

Tomlin does not tolerate RBs that fumble. This is true. However, Warren had 4 fumbles in 2023, down to 2 fumbles in 2024. That is an improvement and a trend we should hope to see continue.

Kenneth Gainwell had zero fumbles in 2024, and Kaleb Johnson has never fumbled in 3 seasons at Iowa. I don't think fumbles will be an issue for the Steelers in 2025.

 

I truly hope Warren does well, I have never rooted against a player the Steelers have drafted, I have Love/Hated players they have brought in from other teams, but never one they drafted.....even Edmunds, and I thought He sucked. Although I do believe we may use the wait, and see with Warren, because they have yet to show they actually believe in him, and it makes me wonder why, and what have they seen??
As of right now He is an awesome 2nd back, but will He ever be the main man, can he ever be the main man??? We shall see.

 

You are correct, but I believe he (Warren)had over 50 something less touches in 2024, than in 2023.

 

29 less attempts 22 less receptions

 

It's a good thing we're talking football. This sentence could have taken on a whole new meaning.

 

29 less actually

 

So 51 less touches, I was not off by much. Thank You.

 

51 if @jeh1856 is to be correct. You gotta count the catches, with the carries as a touch.

 

You give yourself way too much credit. I love Warren. Nobody would be cheering louder if he ran for 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns this year. There would be nothing bittersweet about it. If it would be that way for you in my place, you are taking this place way too seriously. You should stop trying to read my mind. You suck at it.

I find it interesting that you admit to trolling, but I'll move past that.

I hope Johnson is ready because I think the Steelers will need him. I think Warren is best suited to the role he played the last three seasons. I hope he is like Austin Ekeler, able to step up for a couple of years while carrying a heavier load, but counting on that is foolish. Johnson is the one built for bully ball.

 

I wasn't counting touches. I was only counting rushes. However you count it though, the number of fumbles dropped from 4 to 2. That is improvement and hopefully it continues.

 

I hope it continues also, but you have to count touches, rushes aren't the only way to fumble the ball, you can fumble after a catch just as easily. If I'm not mistaken one ,or 2 of his fumbles were from fumbling after a catch in 2023

 

I think our offense is going to be a lot more like 2011 Patriots offense was.... Their top 2 WR's that year were 5'9'' Wes Welker and 5'9'' Deion Branch. Now, of course, they utilized Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to great success. They didn't really have a 3rd WR option, as Chad Ochocinco and Julian Edelman were their next options and caught less than 20 balls combined (15 for Ocho, 4 for Edelman). SO it was Welker and Gronk as top targets and then Hernandez and Branch as the next two. We have DK and Muth as top targets and Austin and Jonnu Smith as the next two. I don't see a lot of issues there. Plus we get to see if Austin takes the next step, or if Roman Wilson can make an impact. Not an awful place to be.

I understand the hesitancy to trust a rookie who we've never seen play and Calvin Austin, who just had his first really solid year for us... but we sometimes have to trust the process. There will be guys available in season that can be band-aids (and we have Robert Woods on the roster already as an insurance policy). If we don't put Austin and Wilson in position to succeed, then we may never know if they can. Austin at least has earned it, and we liked Wilson enough to draft him in the 3rd round, and aren't willing to give up on him just because of a bummer ankle injury. Austin had a Lisfranc to start his rookie year, so kinda a freak thing that was a one shot on his season. Wilson had a bad ankle injury, then came back and hurt his hammy on his return (which is very common for athletes following an ankle injury). I don't think either injury is a long term concern. Lets just see how this plays out. If they aren't cutting it, someone like Allen/Cooper/Davis could be had mid season for nothing. Unfortunately there are going to be holes somewhere in the roster.... you just have to pick which positions you are relying on draft picks/young players to pan out.

Regarding Smith, he was always the 3rd/4th option in a run-first offense that featured Derrick Henry and AJ Brown. He did quite well with his limited opportunities. I don't think he's a stud TE, but he's a nice inline option that will play a bit of "big slot" and a pass catching 2nd TE to put with Freiermuth. It allows us to play a lot more "big" packages. Freiermuth (outside of a down 2023) has been good for 63 catches, 630 yards, and 5-6 TD's on average. If Austin can up his production to 45-50 catches and 650-700 yards, and Jonnu Smith can pitch in a solid 45 catches for 500 yards.... then we are pretty deep with quality options (that all have varying skillsets). Plus, you can't forget that Warren is pretty nifty out of the backfield as a pass catcher himself (and could easily pitch in 400+ yards receiving in an expanded role)... I think we have a pretty good bevvy of options. Our offense SHOULD be a lot more difficult to defend. Obviously a lot of that depends on how the OL improves, but I don't think our offense will be as hot/cold as it was last year. Just my personal opinion. We have a deeper group of weapons, a more consistent QB (who will get rid of the ball MUCH more quickly than our previous options), and our young OL is another year along. Lets just see how it plays out.

 

Another highly distinguished poster was pulling his strings like a puppet

Poor guy must be getting exhausted

 

Warren the perfect weight for a running back at 215
Remember Emmitt Smith? 215