LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers GM Omar Khan addressed several topics with his team, including him saying he believes he and Mike Tomlin will work together for a long time. Tomlin’s energy is the same and said they are both locked in to this team.
“For the most part we feel really good where we are at,” Khan said Thursday of this year’s team. “I told the team last night how excited I was about the locker room that we’ve assembled and the group of men we have in that locker room. We are in a good spot right now, I really believe that.”
“We know the hard work it will require to get there, but we feel good about the people and their willingness to do it.”
Camp battles
Khan believes he and his staff accomplished the goal of having competition at all positions. Much better than the situation last year.
“We will get some really cool, fun battles that will take place,” Khan said. “I’m not going to get into specifics into which players and which battles. There is a lot of time between now and September 10.”
Khan confirmed after signing all the draft picks and Alex Highsmith to an extension there are no active contract discussions. He said he likes to keep a buffer with the salary cap, so they can keep their options open if there is an opportunity to upgrade the team. He wants to know there is room if needed.
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Roster construction
Khan explained more about their plan for building the current roster and how it started in a meeting with the owner and head coach.
“We had a vision after last season, Art, Coach and myself,” Khan explained. “We got together and put together a plan of what we wanted the roster to look like this year and how we were going to win football games. I can say that every single week brings a different challenge. Every week it’s a different way (to win games). Some weeks you could score 12 points, sometimes you need to score 40 points. I’m confident we can win either way.”
RB salaries
It’s a difficult public comment for a general manager as Khan said he didn’t want to get into specifics about any position when he was asked about the running backs throughout the league discussing be devalued and underpaid.
“You don’t have to be a mathematician to figure it out,” Khan said. “When quarterback salaries at the rate that they are increasing at some point it is going to have a residual effect somewhere on the roster. Every franchise is going to handle things differently.”
Khan said he’s talked often to Najee Harris, but they haven’t talked specifically about this situation. The Steelers GM called Harris a great Steeler and great teammate.
Diontae return
He was one of his first big contracts, Khan says he believes receiver Diontae Johnson will have a big season after zero touchdowns in 2022.
“I have no doubt in my mind Diontae will be successful this year,” Khan said. “He’s a hard-working football player, exciting to watch. That play he made in the opener last year, the one-handed catch against Cincinnati. He’s capable of that and more.”
Porter the ball boy
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The final contract to finish was of Penn State corner Joey Porter, Junior.
The son of the Steelers linebacker remembering fondly on Thursday of times he was a ball boy at training camps for teams his father played on.
“We joked, I called him yesterday morning on the phone,” Khan said. “I asked him ‘do you remember how to get here’? He said he hadn’t done it in a few years, that so many things look the same. He had so many great memories coming back. I remember Joey running around when he was little. I remember in the indoor facility I was like would someone please tell Joey Porter, Junior to get off the football field?”
“It’s kinda fun to see him grow and mature and be here in the role he’s at.”
Win for the fans
“I went for a walk,” Khan said about Thursday morning. “I was amazed around 7:30 and there were already cars lined up to come into the parking lot (first day of open practice). I couldn’t believe it. It was a chilling scene for me to see that.”
“It just means so much to these people. I owe it to them to do everything in my power to not only help bring a championship to this organization, but to our fan base. They are so loyal to us and they have been so great with me and I’ve been here 23 years. That passion is second to none.”