LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – He understood what it was growing up a Steelers fan and playing football in Mt.
Lebanon. He knew the toughness as he battled himself as a college football player at Villanova. As he started his career it was reinforced as a player personnel assistant with the Steelers under Dan Rooney, Tom Donahoe, Bill Nunn and Bill Cowher.
One of the things Andy Weidl wanted to help rebuild when he returned to the Steelers as the assistant general manager was the type of physicality, toughness and size of being a Steeler.
"We want to be a physical team," Weidl said Wednesday at St. Vincent College. "You know, we believe in the line of scrimmage. Offensive line, the defensive line, front seven."
"We go through the process, and you look at players you watch them, you know, you got to have the talent first. But then you also look for guys as you go through them with the makeup Steeler type of people, and you focus on those guys. And you know, we know what we want to be. We know the type of team we want to be, the physicality, the toughness, the size, being the Pittsburgh Steelers."
It's not just getting a few starters like this, but a depth chart full of players with those attributes. In free agency they added offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig, defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko, outside linebacker Markus Golden, thumpers in the middle in Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander with versatile Cole Holcomb, who can also hit. Even in the secondary, Keanu Neal is one of the hardest hitting safeties in the game, plus they retained Larry Ogunjobi and signed Alex Highsmith to a long-term contract.
In the draft, getting physical tackle Broderick Jones in the first round, former wrestler and aggressive nose tackle Keeanu Benton with 6'7" tight end Darnell Washington and safety Cory Trice in the seventh round.
"You know, 'iron sharpens iron' as coach says," Weidl said. "In the competition we have up there with the big guys, it's good. It's a good thing and they're going out there and they're making each other better. So, we'll continue to see these guys compete. We want to be big. We want to be physical. And you know that's what we're going to continue to do."
"We're going to look at every one of those players that are unusual and some guys that their testing or their physicality, their attributes are different. They love the game and they're Steeler type of people. Any chance we can get a player like that we will."
Weidl helps scout and sign the players who can bring competition. He said the competition forces the cream to rise to the top. The second-year Steelers executive said that's what they've seen through the first couple of weeks of camp. What he said is you can never have enough depth, even in a salary cap sport.
"I know in the past when I've been in the place in 2017 Philadelphia, we needed every guy on that roster and then some because of injuries," Weidl said. "So, you can never have enough. You know, we would say corners, you got three you need four, you have four you need five. You can never have enough. And depth is a luxury to have, and we're fortunate to have the players that we have here on this 90-man roster competing."
Weidl came back to the Steelers around the same time they hired Shelton White as the director of pro scouting. He said working with White, whose son Cody is currently battling for a receiver spot on the roster, has been a great experience. Then there is the head coach and new general manager.
"Omar, Mike, it's just transparency," Weidl said. "There's chemistry, and we're just trying to at end of the day do what's best for the Pittsburgh Steelers to try and get the seventh Super Bowl here, and that's the goal."
