Gainwell

I give up. After reading that article I still don't know.

 

The problem the Steelers have is that they drafted Johnson but didn't play him. So now you have a completely new staff that has not seen him in practices and only some tape of the few snaps he took during the season. Do you trust Johnson to emerge this year or sign the known player in Gainwell? I'm thinking McCarthy sticks with what is known rather than the unknown. Steelers can easily afford to pay him what Warren is making.

 

In a vaccuum, yes. Warren is best utilized in a tandem, and Gainwell proved to be a really nice #2. I just mean that anyone that doesn't have a Saquon, CMC, Taylor, Henry, James Cook, etc. There's so few elite backs but so many good backs. You have to be smart with who you pay and how their skillset fits with their team.

 

Warren will likely be the RB1. Johnson is cheap and under contract.

If Gainwell is cheap you bring him back. And probably use a 6th / 7th / UDFA to bring in another RB.

If someone else wants to pay more for Gainwell, bring in another cheap UFA (e.g., we signed Gainwell for $2MM last year), then a late pick / UDFA.

Or use one of our 3rd / 4th picks and a UDFA.

Or just bring in like 3 UDFAs and hope one plays well enough to be at least an OK backup. Honestly, I'd like to bring in 2 or 3 UDFAs at RB no matter what. Because I think it's the easiest position to get a contributor at from late picks / UDFAs. And RBs are good for teams too.

In retrospect, it's too bad we couldn't get Gainwell on the classic Colbert 2 year scrap heap deal.