PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There is one thing that must happen on the first day of Steelers Organized Team Activities on Tuesday. It’s the most important impression that must be made during the three weeks of Steelers offseason work. It’s the top of the five big storylines for Steelers OTAs.
Mason Rudolph needs to make a mark on the first day.
He needs to walk back on the practice field on the South Side and have some swagger. It’s not about being standoffish or cocky, rather the mindset of ‘I got this’. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign, I’m even better than the 3-0 record to end the 2023 regular season.
Rudolph is the Steelers starting quarterback, at least right now. He needs all to believe that if he’s the starter they can win with him. So much so that when voluntary work is over they want him in that role. He has so impressed them, they might want him over a future Hall of Famer.
The 29-year-old is part of a second straight season purging the quarterback room. He stands out above Skylar Thompson and sixth-round pick Will Howard. Where last year you had a choice between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, it’s Rudolph’s job right now.
He’s got to own it.
George is gone
You can look at it several ways.
· Trading George Pickens is a benefit to the team, getting rid of a guy who showed up late and occasionally didn’t work.
· Trading Pickens kills an opportunity to have two explosive receivers and cripples the offense.
· By adding DK Metcalf, you exchanged a moody, frustrating player in the last year of his contract for a bigger, more consistent, more complete player as the number one receiver.
Metcalf is top dog with little competition. Adding veteran Robert Woods and a healthy Roman Wilson, the third-round pick from last year who missed time with injury and a lack of understanding, brings some depth. It’s a contract year for Calvin Austin (36 receptions, 548 yards, 4 TD in 2024), role players Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek return with the addition of a couple undrafted free agents.
This is the line
With Dan Moore signing a monster contract with the Titans, Broderick Jones is finally the starting left tackle and 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu is the starting right tackle. Jones struggled mightily on the right side and it’s believed the return to his most common college position will allow the 2023 first-round pick to show his potential. Fautanu impressed before the injury limited his rookie year to offseason work and the preseason. He’s never played an NFL snap, but showed a lot of potential.
Zack Frazier looked like a veteran as a rookie. The center will anchor the line with veteran Isaac Seumalo and a second season for Mason McCormick at guard. It was a struggle at times for McCormick, but was that more on Jones having issues on the right side? The line is set and will have the opportunity to grow together starting Tuesday.
Running back by committee
It’s the catch phrase for a number of running back groups in the NFL. It might be because teams just don’t have one good back or it might be the way to go. It will be the first time the Steelers won’t have a lead dog since 2012 going from Le’Veon Bell to James Conner to Najee Harris.
Here is Jaylen Warren’s shot to establish himself as the starting tailback and a big year to do it signing only a one-year contract. Former Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell is looking for more opportunities than he got behind Saquon Barkley and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson was the Big 10 running back of the year after 21 touchdowns at Iowa and talking about being the NFL Rookie of the Year. They also signed former Ohio State record-setter Trey Sermon as a fourth option.
Who will stand out?
TJ Contract
We’ve seen it with different players from TJ Watt four years ago to Diontae Johnson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and even Cam Heyward last year. These are voluntary workouts and veterans often don’t take a lot of reps, but after missing a few OTAs last year, Heyward decided to show up to be with the team.
What will Watt do?
It shouldn’t be a distraction to this group. Most pros understand the business side of the game, but TJ attending could be big to rookie Jack Sawyer. Him not being there also gives Nick Herbig a shot for a larger offseason role that could help him going forward.
Don’t expect that situation to be solved quickly, it went into regular season game week last time.
Plenty to discuss, even if Rodgers doesn’t show.