PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers have done their initial evaluations of their quarterbacks. They’ve built some early chemistry with their offensive line and worked in a few new players on defense. There is a less glamourous but potentially game-changing positions still open.
Special teams coordinator Danny Smith is looking for new players. It’s playing on the punt teams and kickoff teams and field goal and extra point teams. Not what you grow up dreaming to do, unless maybe you are a kicker and those two jobs are filled.
It’s also not what many of the players who get drafted to the Steelers have done in college. Smith said the NCAA is doing a disservice to those that want to be professional football players for not playing them on special teams.
“It’s cool in college not to have to go to a punt team meeting,” Smith said. “You hang out on campus, you going to lunch or whatever you are doing. It’s cool not to go to the punt team meeting, but it ain’t cool no more.”
A lot of who Smith is recruiting to play on his units. They’ve played a lot of football, but don’t know the techniques or simply what it takes to play on often what are the entry level positions starting a NFL career.
A 45-year coaching veteran, Smith said the Steelers are better than some NFL teams about emphasizing it. He says not just Mike Tomlin, but the whole organization harps on it and it begins early in rookie camp. Now it’s the end of offseason work and the next time is the final job interview with live hitting at training camp.
“I told them in the morning meetings,” Smith said. “We were talking to the running backs and the safeties. I used the example-men, Najee Harris isn’t coming out of a game. Where are you getting your carries? I said Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t coming out of a game.”
“I want you to want to be the starting running back. I want you to want to be the starting safety. Hell, I want to be the head coach, but that ain’t happenin’.”
“So I better take care of my business. You better take care of your business on teams and we got a nice life.”
Fringe players like Jordan Dangerfield (2.67 million), Robert Golden (6.5), Keyaron Fox (5.6), Derek Watt (12.9) went on to become captains. They also made a nice living. Just those four combined to make nearly $28 million.
Boswell Contract
Along with the battles for special teams going overlooked. So is one of the key players looking for a new contract. Kicker Chris Boswell is in the final year of a four-year, $16.8 million contract.
“Boz has done what we’ve asked him to do,” Smith said. “Boz is a clutch guy, he’s a pleasure to work with. He’s one of them seasoned vets in this organization. He keeps reminding me about that. That doesn’t mean (squat) to me, but it means a lot to him.”
“He will get a new deal at some point.”