Minkah Fitz wants an expanded role on Defense

Yeah he's willing to play corner safety even L backer if they need him in any position.

https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-minkah-fitzpatrick-eyes-expanded-role-in-second-year-in-pittsburgh

 

I read yesterday where he felt the coaches had utilized him to his strengths. I see a lot of potential, but as Elvis posted above we need depth at both ILB and FS to free him up in those packages. Asking a lot for a rookie to fill that hole, but damn you just have to love his attitude.

 

Hey Diamond.

Minkah is about the closet player, versatility-wise, to Troy that this league has seen since Troy's retirement. Given that, Management better not screw this up. His side-kick Edmunds has yet to "shine". I am holding out hope for him but I am seeing the same road that Jarvis Jones and even Dupree (who is over-rated by some, including me) traveled with Edmunds. Another #1 pick, that up to this point, is not panning out.

For crying out loud. How many #1s do we have on the "D"? We should be pitching shut-outs or near shutouts each game. The reason in part that we do not is that we have no guaranteed starting QB that is worth his salt. Thus no effective "O". Therefore, the "D" cannot get a breather and is on the field way too long. Too much pressure on the "D' right now. They are very, very good but even they are only human and can only hold it down for so long each game.

I really hope Ben makes it back and stays there. Otherwise be prepared for a repeat of last year's movie. That is unless we get a viable back-up. Mason and Duck may evolve into "that guy". However, I am not that confident on it happening this season if need be. Hopefully, that all changes with the return of Ben. The "O" is good folks. Make no mistake about it. We have the people to play on the "O". We just need them to stay healthy and the biggest issue for Ben, or the QB to be, is to build chemistry with them. No OTAs and Ben hurt last year has put this "O" behind the curve in regards to building unity and chemistry.

This "O" has "fire-power" I tell you folks. I have broken down each position several time here. In short, we got them all covered. Again, I hate to be a broken record but out of the 11 people on the starting "O" 10 are good to go. Unfortunately, the main cog in the "O" machine, The QB, is still, and always will be, the most important factor to how the "O" goes. It really is a shame to be so heavily reliant on the play at one position but that is how it goes.

So even Minkah, and the rest of the stellar Defense, will only carry us so far again this year unless the QB situation changes dramatically.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

As soon as I saw the title of the thread Troy P. came to mind.

 

This.

 

I have watched his tackling, he needs to stay at free safety.
He is an exceptional free safety and should stay right there.

 

I would add the likes of Harrison Smith to this list. Before Minkah, Harrison Smith was widely reputed as the best overall safety for a time. Mike Zimmer deploys Smith in a similar fashion that LeSean used to deploy Troy. One massive difference though....




Troy's athleticism was transcendent. Harrison Smith's is good but not great. Overall though, I do agree with you regarding Minkah having one aspect that Troy had; instincts. While not seen in the same manner, Minkah's ability to read route concepts and the whole Offensive Formation is a carbon copy of how Troy could simply just time the snap count.



Yes, their ways of affecting the play are different but the impact is still immense all the same.

 

I agree. Our defense has had some early blunders in some games but they clamp down

 

Minka is a great center fielder, but I just don't remember him coming up and laying people out the way Troy used to do.

Troy was animal on D, I just don't get that from Minka.

 

Love this news because wasn't the problem in Miami that he didn't want to move around??? Of course it could be just a reason to get out of Miami..........lol

 

I think it's way too early to make minkah into troy. There was only one troy p. We have already created holes in defense with a couple of subtractions, I hope they don't create more by over thinking what they have.

 

It's interesting. This post is getting very favorable feedback. A while back someone else basically posted the same thing, but slightly different words from Minkah, and that post had very unfavorable feedback, suggesting Minkah was disgruntled.

Same words, interpreted 2 ways.

I see it as positive.

 

Hey AskQuestionsLater.

Your Quote: "Troy could simply just time the snap count." Yes! I was watching that play against the rats when he timed it perfectly and leaped over the line and tackled crappo before they even knew what hit them. You cannot teach that. That is purely innate instincts. I could see Minkah doing something like that. Minkah is special. Again, I hope the Coaching Staff is up to the task of maximizing his talents and getting very creative with him. He is the kind of player, (I hate this saying but it applies), that you have to think outside of the box with. Minkah is an "artist" in a sense you have to let him express his creative juices and tap into those unique skill sets of his. I would also hope that he would have some say regarding how he sees himself being utilized and that the Coaches are open-minded to his suggestions.

As a teacher, he reminds me of the gifted student in class that is so head and shoulders above his peers that he gets bored and uninterested with the regular curriculum. You have to turn him loose per se and let him explore on his own to some degree. in return you will see the unveiling of talents that are purely instinctual and once again, extremely unique. We have a very special player here folks. Like Troy, you can center the Defense around him in large parts to make some very creative things happen. Hopefully like a good teacher, our coaches are up to the task to realize what they have in him and are wiling to go outside of that box to let him learn, grow and impact play like very few players can.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

No one is trying to. Minkah is simply offering additional assistance. I believe the plan is to still have him mainly deployed as the Single High Centerfielder.

 

remember who we are dealing with here. Butler and MT with a new toy in the lab. I am not real comfy with these two thinking they can win a chess match with an OC. Remember they are the kings of the more you can do. I don't have faith in these two trying to outwit anyone. It mostly bites us in the azz. They take a year or more to make a change if they put it in in camp they stick with it to a fault. Then they expect different outcomes. They moved Sean Davis once a year. Don't mess with what made the rest of the defense better.

 

Hey mac daddyo.

Your Quote:

"remember who we are dealing with here. Butler and MT with a new toy in the lab. I am not real comfy with these two thinking they can win a chess match with an OC".

My sentiments exactly if you go up a few posts and see that I stated something similar. It is unfortunate. Minkah is a definite game-changing type player as I have already stated in other posts. It is a very possible reality that this Coaching crew will not know what to do with this gifted athlete. There is that chance that they will underutilize or mismanage his skills. Hopefully, they watch some film on Troy and get some ideas.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Oh trust me. I am with you and @STEELWINDS on that one. Keep in mind I was very vocal about canning Keith Butler throughout 2018 and 2019; Minkah or otherwise. In his defense, ever since he took over, Pittsburgh has eclipsed 50 sacks since 2017. In addition, Pittsburgh has not been below the top 10 in Sacks as well.



That being said, while generating pressure is key to forcing turnovers, you need players who can force turnovers. I was excited about Terrell because I thought that would mean that Sean Davis could play the Single High Centerfielding role; something I could not be anymore incorrect about before or since. Add the questionable acquisition of Morgan Burnett and Terrell was pressed into action too early.



Even so, Terrell inability to make an impact, pass defense or otherwise, highlights the major shortcomings of both Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler. This is more damning on Tomlin due to the fact that he started out in the league as a Defensive Backs Coach for the legendary 2002 Bucs Defense. I honestly cannot help but wonder as to why Ronnie Harrison was not the selection at pick 28 to this day.

 

Davis was also moved due to injuries in the secondary.

 

If something isn't broke, don't try to fix it.

 

Hey Steel_Elvis.

Well, maybe position wise but not instinct wise IMO. ed the rat just sat back there and played centerfield waiting for picks to come to him. As you know the FS and SS are two totally different positions. That is why I get up in arms when Troy and ed the rat are compared. ed the rat could not do the things that Troy did. He never did! The mold was broken when Troy was made. You may have seen my posts about the Theory of Intelligences. In short, it states that there are seven maybe eight now categories of Intelligences. These would include the most obvious of:

• Linguistics (language -based such as writing and speaking)
• Mathematics

Not so commonly appreciated would be:

• Musical
• Art

Then there is

• Kinesthetic. This would include those who do physical feats that are beyond belief. This would include that Russian Ballet guy (forgot his name) and people like Troy, Santonio, and Minkah.

Two Steeler plays that come to mind that demonstrate this concept are:

• Santonio's winning TD Catch in Super Bowl XLIII.
• Troy's interception against the Titans on that Monday Night Opener.

Look at both of those plays. They are probably humanly impossible for most people on this Earth. Thus, they represent a form of Kinesthetic Intelligence.

Back to the original point, ed the rat never in my memory performed such feats. Again, he just sat back there in centerfield and waited for the ball to come to him

In regards to Minkah, he has already demonstrated some highly-athletic plays during his short time with the Steelers. Minkah is very, very instinctive and athletic. I say Watch Out for this guy and do not be surprised of future Kinesthetic Intellectually-Based performances from him. He is the closest player that I have seen since Troy's departure that can possibly fill Troy's shoes in this regards. Will he ever provide as many highlight reel moments as Troy? I do not know, probably not. However, I can see him creating his own volume over time. Troy was special. The mold was broken when he came along. Nonetheless, as I have stated before regarding Minkah, Watch Out (smile)!


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Agree and disagree here.


By position, absolutely. Both Minkah and Ed Reed are incredible at playing the position. People tend to forget that Ed Reed actually started out as a Strong Safety before shifting over to Free Safety due to a block by Hines Ward. I doubt we are seeing something happen to Minkah any time soon though.


Getting back on topic, where I disagree is based on their instincts. Ed's instincts thrived in baiting QBs and forcing them to make mistakes. Tom Brady himself once famously had on his wrists when playing the Ravens "find 20". Many QBs who failed to do so would be at Ed's mercy as he made them pay for their ignorance on many occasions. What made Ed Reed special is his Football IQ and ball hawking abilities. Do not get me wrong, Ed's instincts were incredible but his football acumen were his primary armament as his athleticism was good but not great


Minkah's instincts is not like that at all. Yes, he is a Ball Hawking playmaker but Minkah is not attempting to play mind games with opposing QBs nearly as much as Ed Reed. What Minkah is doing is acting and reacting purely from pre snap recognition of the Offense as a whole. From Route Concepts to even Blocking Assignments, Minkah's true playmaking abilities truly shine when he allows his Instincts and Athleticism take the lead as opposed to allowing his Football IQ and Ball Hawking; something Ed Reed did quite often. Unlike Ed, Minkah is a gifted athlete already. As such, him using his own acumen during a play would potentially be more dangerous for him as he is likely to second guess himself. Said reason is a major reason why I loved Troy; reckless abandon. Minakh possess those very same traits.




In short?! Minkah, to me, is more like Troy than Ed due to Minkah's reckless abandon but isn't Troy because he possess some savvy like Ed.

 

Is he wanting a shot at Corner?

The big money is in the CB position, an elite safety will only make about what an average starting CB makes. Is he wanting to try to move to CB for the pay raises. I do not know if that is what his agent is telling him; "if you play in the defensive backfield and you want the big money you have to play Corner".

I do not know if he is good enough to be a Shutdown-Corner?

 

Doubtful.



Minkah does not strike me as the person who is solely in it for the money. Yes, the money is a factor but keep in mind that Jamal Adams has yet to sign an extension with the Jets. Assuming he gets traded to another team and gets extended, the market will have long been reset by that point anyway.



The position itself is not the determining factor when it comes to money entirely. The players are. Whether that player is deserving of that money is a different set of circumstances.



Remember, being the highest paid at ones position is not always about talent level and skill. More often than not, being the highest paid as a lot to do with that player being free and advertising himself to other teams who will pay for him. For example, see Byron Jones of the Miami Dolphins.