Who will be the first rookie to earn a starting role?

I told people when we drafted him He would be good. I was actually surprised he lasted as long, and was worried that teams had found some injuries, or that he had done something wrong that wasn't reported.

 

I would tend to agree with you but for the presence of Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle in the offense..... we might use 3 wides in certain situations, but i'm sure the base offense will only use 2

 

Hell of a first name.

 

I'm not sure what their presence has to do with it. McCarthy has a tendency to go three wide or a fullback.

 

Really?????? Emphasis on running the ball??
2 rb 1's and you're not sure what their presence has to do with using 2 wr's as opposed to 3????
I'm surprised at you

 

If this is the criteria, we're really just talking about who's ther first "starter" to get injured with a rookie next on the depth chart.

Unless Max wins the starting position outright.

Maybe Dunker can win the RG job? But it sounds like he's been playing LG in rookie camp and OTAs.

 

Sometimes it’s easier to just go with the flow

 

They can only play one at a time. They had two quality backs last year in Warren and Gainwell. They had two quality backs the year before in Harris and Warren. Arthur Smith's offense was supposed to emphasize running the football, too, but he actually had a history of focusing on using two or three tight ends at a time.

The difference now is you've Mike McCarthy, whose offenses usually rank among the highest percentage of plays with 11 personnel on the field. You can emphasize the run with three receivers out there. What you lose in blocking, you gain in spreading out the defense and creating room for your backs. if I remember correctly, he has talked about his focus being on touches, not carries, and you've got two backs who are threats as receivers, too. If you hadn't noticed, Dowdle and Warren are both explosive guys who can thrive in an offense that creates room for them to work rather than just trying to use blunt force to move the defense.

It isn't the addition of Dowdle that might push them to more two-receiver sets. It's Nowakowski, if he can be good enough to make an impact as a rookie. McCarthy does like using a fullback, but Nowakowski still needs to show he can handle that.

I'm surprised at you not seeing all that.

Regarding the other guy's comment, it may be easier to go with the flow, but it's better to be right. He might want to try it once in a while.

 

I will have to wait, and see. If Im running the show, which Im not, I run 2 TE predominantly except of course in certain situations, but its McCarthy who is running the show, and we shall have to wait, and see what He feels

 

I think Gennings Dunker has all the makings of a solid NFL guard. He’s big, strong, fairly athletic (9.56 RAS), durable, and plays with a real mean streak. As a run blocker, he grades out highly and brings that mauler mentality every snap. He’ll need to clean up his balance (guards have to play lower than tackles) and improve his pass-blocking technique. He also has to show the coaching staff he’s assignment-sound and quick with the playbook.

For now, Spencer Anderson has the edge due to his Steelers game-day experience. He’s a low-mistake, safe option to start the season, but he’s basically a below-average starting guard. Look for Dunker to push him hard and potentially earn starts sometime this year.

Max has little chance to win the starting job this camp. I think he is a pentaly prone ( in college ) rookie with a limited football background. Not a strong run blocker either.

This is a great link: https://www.college2pro.com/steelers-pff-metrics-how-does-their-offensive-line-grade-out/

 

Nice cut and paste per se

Agreed that Max has little chance to win the starting job “in camp”

But the only thing between him and a starting job is Dylan Cook who is just a placeholder until Max is ready

 

I agree that using two tight ends is the best fit for their talent. It just doesn't fit with McCarthy's past preferences.

 

I remain skeptical that Max is close to contributing anytime soon. While he shows good athleticism with good foot speed and footwork, his run blocking is underdeveloped. His hands measure just 9 inches, and he racked up too many penalties in college. I speculate this is largely due to poor base strength and a lack of anchor when defenders get into his body.

The level of competition he faced in college was average at best.

Cook, on the other hand, is a decent starter right now. His play in 4 games was not that of a " placeholder " . This feels like the team’s plan is: let Cook walk and sign elsewhere for bigger money elsewhere in 2027 while the rookie is signed on a cheap, cap-friendly four-year deal with a fifth-year option.

Once the pads come on in camp, we’ll get a much clearer picture of what Max’s real floor is as a pro. I wasn't exactly thrilled we spent our first round pick on Max, as I felt better players were on the board.

 

I see Joel Buschleague still hasn’t figured out basic internet use.

 

Probably very true, but we shall see how it pans out. I thought there were a few D players to take then, although Im pretty happy with most of the picks

 

My understanding is that they have been playing Dunker exclusively at LG so far.

We're also playing McCormick at LG.

I don't see how Dunker is going to best out Anderson for the RG guard without playing any RG.

Maybe things change re: Dunker. But if the early reports re: usage are correct, they seem to suggest that they're intending for him to learn the position as a backup in his rookie year. Which I don't think is a crazy idea.