Our current young talent

Danny made it very clear that Kaleb had been explained the rules repeatedly

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/09/danny-smith-shares-reaction-to-kaleb-johnson-kickoff-gaffe/

You can’t fix stupid

 

The good news is that Harmon fits both styles as a IDL, so does Benton (he may even fit better as a DT/DE than NT). We will get to draft the type of DT we want. Our LB room is pretty versatile, and quite frankly will need to be added to anyways... The only thing I don't see on this defense is a true "single high" type player at the S position. Maybe we roll Ramsey there for the time being... Maybe we are targeting one in FA or the draft. Our system will likely be more man intensive so our corners kinda already fit... at least the ones we are going to want to keep around.

I think we hired a good DC for the guys we have. He's not going to put our personnel in position to fail and our roster doesn't have a ton of massively "scheme dependent" guys. We aren't just a team full of zone corners or anything. We also aren't going to be switching to a 4-3, so we don't have to redo our entire EDGE room...

 

Im interested in seeing what they can do with the O line the most, B Jones, Fauntenu, even seeing if they can revitalize Semalo. Steelers invested alot of draft capital and money into that line, it should be performing better.

 

It is funny, Some times I just have to ask myself "How dumb are these guy?"

It has been 2 years and Roman Wilson still does not know the Playbook; so He is Inactive come gameday because Rodgers does not trust him to run the correct routes.

And, You are saying that Danny Smith did in fact go over all the new Rules with Kaleb, but he just forgot everything on gameday.

 

Kaleb’s issue isn’t a muff on a kickoff. His point of attack speed is non-existent. He runs straight and has zero lateral movement and no speed. He should have been a 6 or 7th round pick.

He would have been worth it if he could be a Gerald Riggs type and could get a yard when you need it or get TDs at the goal line but he showed nothing there this last year when he should have.

 

I think the potential piece of good news on this is that RB is probably one of the least complicated positions to play on offense (but maybe the most physically demanding).

I think that's part of why it's generally not super-hard to plug in rookies and have success. Seems like this is much harder at other positions.

So while he might not be great at learning the nuances of ST, he still might be able to contribute at RB.

And FWIW, I do think that it's not reasonable to give up on a guy for one mistake (even a really big one).

 

Kaleb sounds like a smaller Najee. Another waste of a pick.

 

Northern,

I consider you one of the best posters here. In my humble opinion or as few I see is not so humble opinion, Cook's play has been excellent and it was not an accident.


He played very well to better than average in four games in a row vs. competition raging from good to elite. One game okay, but several is a row is an NFL trend.


Tomlin, our X head coach picked who starts and plays. His OC (Smith ) and OL coach failed to notice Cook's play in practices or the pre-season prior to Jones injury and the veteran who replaced him at left tackle.

They were offensively average coaches by the standard of thier titles . And I am being kind to describe them that way. Cook has what I call stick 'em blocking ability meaning he is on his man and has very few brain lapses. I like him a lot. His feet are under rated as are his football IQ / technique . With an off season in the weight room he can get even better.
Mike McCarthy, and his staff are clearly better on offense. As such I expect them to handle the offensive line better. Every player should improve. And Cook is among them. They will work with Troy F, who needs good coaching as well.


On Roman Wison, he produced when given the chance didn't he? He can be a good #3 WR. Do you think he can't be counted upon to run 3 -4 routes in say 15 or so plays? He is clearly a decent blocking WR. A QB's favorite receiver should be a player who can get open, not his buds who are very old, broken down and produce little.

IMO, Roman Wilson was in Tomlin's dog house and that guy has left the building.

If he players well in the slot on film, play him thier right?

 

Look -- Running back is the position in football with the least amount of arch for rookies. They need some work as all rookies do but are more or less ready to go from day #1.

IMO, Johnson lacked burst as a runner / receiver, did not have good agility, and was not that hard to tackle to be considered a pure power back. He made some bone head plays on special teams too.

In college he was good, in the NFL he does not do one thing well enough to be featured even in situational football.

 

first we have to figure out nate herbig. he wants out. he doesn't want to be a rotational player again. do we move highsmith out? that is herbigs best side. next year to move highsmith would be the best year money wise but it could be done this year. i'd hate to lose herbig. my only concern with these two is they always get hurt. sawyer is a steady backup. i know i talked about the hypothetical of moving TJ but this seems more of a plan that could happen.

next: sign cook to an extension. if nothing else he has proven he can play at this level. no 5th on jones.

next: james pierre. i find a way to sign him back. he played very well for us last year. dontea kent should be back in the rotation as well. he is also a punt returner.

next: asante samuels. sign him back. this would give us porter (extend him), samuels, pierre, kent, nichols, jamison. would be a pretty solid group.

cut queen. sign quay walker from green bay. he's a free agent this year. lot's of good ILB'ers are free agents this year.

cut ramsey. go after karmen curl. with elliott back this would be a really good safety duo. draft one.

draft a good D-Lineman to add to the mix.

draft a guard. i'm loving pat coogan. gives you the backup center as well. can play all of the interior spots.

cut smith. washington, friermuth, galbreath, parham should be back.

QB. this will be trickier. will rodgers come back? i like howard and mason as the backup. i'd keep the pipeline full as well. altmyer from illinios would be a good later round guy. i'm guessing it might be nuismier from LSU. his dad and mccarthy have history.

sign back gainwell. warren. johnson. lew nichols. < he showed more than johnson. i believe he is more like warren and gainwell. sign gainwell and we should be set at RB.

WR: well we know what we have to do here. AT Perry might help some, see what this group can do with wilson and we draft. deep draft for WR this year.

should be plenty of money to fill in for some depth. draft smart in these later rounds, there will be some good players.

 

Careful now a couple of posters still think the Steelers should have given Najee the 5th year

 

Let's say the new coaching staff concludes Dylan Cook is not a starting LT. What's the explanation going to be then? Texans beat Cook like a drum.

 

I’m thinking the explanation will be Cook is not a good LT

 

My guess is that Cook ends up being more like Dan Moore than AV. But that's mostly just betting the chalk. I'll be very, very happy if you're right. So I'm rooting for you here.

I think Wilson is probably a miss. Again, I hope to be wrong. I think I stated this is the post you replied to, but I think his big issues are: route discipline / understanding the playbook and ability to get open against press coverage. Hopefully he can be a WR3. But it's a huge issue that he basically couldn't get a helmet on a team with only one NFL WR...who missed 2 games where I don't think Wilson dressed. Again, I think your blame on Tomlin here is kind of misplaced. I think this was an Aaron Rodgers decision. He historically doesn't like playing with rookies (Wilson didn't even play a preseason game in his true rookie year...just like Will Howard). What he wanted in WRs in professionalism. Be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there because that's where he's going to deliver the ball.

Maybe Wilson could get a helmet on a team with a different style QB. But if I had to bet right now, I'd bet Rodgers is the guy we'll end up with. Not that I'm necessarily rooting for it. But I think that's our plan A*.

* Note: I thought I play A last year was Fields and the year before that I thought our plan A was Rudolph beating out Kenny in a true competition...so what the heck do I know.

 

Nope. Mike Tomlin voodoo.

Just like how he made Rudolph bad over the middle in Tennessee.

Stop covering up Tomlin's voodoo powers!

 

one game. he went against some of the best in the league and gave up 1 sack. he started 5 games and played in 6. 1 sack is hardly getting beaten like a drum.

 

We must've watched a different game. It happens. I'm prone to hallucinations. I did not think a single Steelers offensive lineman played well against the Texans.

 

Loved that movie

 

‘I am hopeful fresh eyes by a new coaching staff can not only develop so,e of these guys but put the, in positions to better enhance their development.

‘I believe they should look at moving Washington to left tackle. He won’t see the field much if he stays at TE in McCarthys offense. I think he could be an all pro LT. Cook can be the swing tackle. Or you move Cook tomGuard and or Broderick Jones and have them compete for the vacant spot left by Seamalu’s departure.

i would also move Benton to DT as a rotational backup to Heyward. He isn’t a good fit at NT he is too small and can’t stand up to double teams. They need to draft a bonafide NT.
With Roman Wilson I’m. It sure what the issue is. I think Rodgers has guys he likes and Wilson wasn’t one of them. He seems to have the talent but just a lack of understanding of the offense or the nuances of routes.

The most disappointing area on the team was the ilb’s in my mind. I think part of the issue last year was our scheme on defense was not linebacker friendly. I’m hopeful that will change. We have pedigree there we just need to coach those guys up.

Safety was disappointing as well but I think that was due more to age, injury and declining skills. We need to attack that area through the draft and free agency same with the wr position.

 

‘Johnson should be traded. He isn’t a fit now for McCarthy’s offense. Inside zone and he demands his rb’s to -ass block and catch neither of which are a strength of Johnson’s. I think Jaylen Warren by the way is going to be a superstar in this new offense by the way.

 

Never seen it, but I read the story.

 

I laugh at people that actually believe the NFL teams aren't treated like a business.
If You spend more money, and more draft capital on a player, they will get more chances, and looks than anyone else until the team can't possibly do it anymore. It's not Cowher, Not Tomlin, Not the Steelers, it's the NFL 97% of the time. If people weren't so blind they would see this, and I can give thousands of examples of this throughout the NFL.
To blame it on a coach, a GM, or a team just shows a lack of knowledge of the NFL, and how it works.

 

Ther's very little talent on that list in reality.

Roman Wilson??? (you could do Roman Wilson, in the Jim Mora playoffs??? meme voice).

Jones on the way to bustville.

Cook did ok in very limited action.

Benton has underwhelmed.

Johnson is nothing so far. What we have seen has been dreadful.

Black - plenty of time for him.



You take that group together an it's a marginal group at best. Roman Wilson has been an absolute disaster, last thing we heard about him is he's still struggling with the plapbook, and this was Art Smith's vanilla AF playbook...



I'll say this, every single teams fans overrate their "young talent" but that list offers very little really.