Steelers Top 5s – Impact Newcomers
Yesterday in The Eye Opener, we counted down the five most impressive arrivals at training camp in Steelers history. Fire trucks, tractors, and a helicopter have all made appearances on reporting day at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.
And now we don’t have to wonder if Joey Porter, Jr. will be arriving in time for the start of camp anymore, either.
The 32nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft – which would normally mean Porter was a first round selection, and not the first election of the second round – signed a $9.618 million deal that includes a $3.995 million signing bonus.
After ranking those camp arrivals yesterday, I thought we’d rank players, who like Porter Jr., are new arrivals.
So here is today’s installment of Steelers Top 5s: The Top 5 Impact Newcomers.
5) Keeanu Benton – With Tyson Alualu coming off the worst season of his career and presumably headed towards retirement – even if he’s not necessarily interested in the idea – Benton has an opportunity to step in alongside Demarvin Leal as two impact youngsters on an aging Steelers defensive front. Leal showed flashes of speed last year, and if Benton shows any of the strength that made him an all-state wrestler in high school, he’ll add depth to what was a very, very thin D-line last season.
4) Keanu Neal – Anyone who creates more time and space for Minkah Fitzpatrick to spend time in center field hunting poorly thrown passes and less time in the box making tackles is a friend of mine, and should be to the Steelers defense as well, and that’s what Neal should provide as part of the combination replacing Terrell Edmunds, along with Damontae Kazee. During his five seasons in Atlanta, he twice racked up 85+ tackles, once eclipsing the 100-tackle mark. With less playing time in Dallas in 2021 and in Tampa last season, the cumulative numbers fell off, but his sneaky ability to create pressure maintained. That’s something the Steelers haven’t seen much of out of their box safeties and/or slot corners since the late Troy Polamalu/early Mike Hilton days.
3) Darnell Washington – You can worry about his blocking all you want, as I know some people have. I’ll worry about it a lot less when he’s taking patented Matt Canada flat routes from the line of scrimmage 10-15 yards downfield by plowing corners and smaller linebackers with his massive, 6-foot-7, 265-lb frame. Between Washington and Freiermuth, as well as an upgraded offensive line – which we’ll get to in a moment – there should be no excuses for the Steelers offense finishing in the bottom third of the NFL in Red Zone TD rate again, as they did last year.
2) Patrick Peterson & Joey Porter, Jr. – Am I cheating just a bit, in an attempt to fit more names on the list, by placing these two together at #2? Maybe. But it’s undeniable their 2023 seasons will be tied at the hip. Peterson was brought here to help Porter develop from PBU God – despite being targeted infrequently, he has T-3rd in the Big Ten in Passes Defensed – into turnover machine. Coming off of five interceptions a year ago in Minnesota – the second most in a single season in his career – the tandem of Peterson and Peezy Jr. has the potential to be a massive upgrade over Ahkello Witherspoon and Cam Sutton. Each showed occasional flashes, but never the kind of shutdown-half-the-field ability either of these two can possess on a given week.
1) Broderick Jones & Isaac Seumalo – Am I cheating again by placing these two together at #1? Maybe. But there’s no doubt that the re-vamped left side of the Steelers offensive line is the biggest upgrade made at any two positions playing next to each other on the entire roster. When tied together with the Rooney-Tomlin Doctrine of Run First/Don’t Let the Young QB Make Mistakes/Make Splash Plays on Defense, even a moderately improved offensive line should give Najee Harris the kind of room he’s seen very little of in his first two years in the league. And if that’s the case – and Harris stays healthy – we should finally see him pay off on his first round pedigree.
We’ll also see a lot less of Kenny Pickett on his back and/or running for his life. Even with Canada as offensive coordinator, that’s gotta be good for a few points on improvement on offense.
Herbert Extension
While running backs are busy holding Zoom calls trying to figure out how they can get paid, the quarterback market continues to explode, and rather wildly in the case of a soon-to-be-fourth year guy who’s never won a playoff game.
The Chargers signed Justin Herbert to a massive extension, they announced yesterday, a five-year, $262.5 million deal that kicks in in 2025, following the expiration of his rookie deal. According to ESPN, the contract includes $133.7 million fully guaranteed and $193.7 million with the injury guarantee, which could spring to $218.7 million guaranteed.
When compared to Herbert’s regular season production – he has the most passing yards (14,089) through a player's first three seasons in NFL history and the second-most passing touchdowns (94) to begin a career – it makes sense to pay him handsomely. But Herbert will become, at least based on average annual value, the highest paid QB in the NFL. Which brings with it the age old question of expectations: If Herbert brings a Lombardi Trophy to L.A. for the Chargers, this contract will undoubtedly be worth it. However, if he ends up being this generation’s Dan Marino, never getting to the mountaintop despite putting up incredible numbers… will it?
Deadline Capital Flatlining?
The Pirates weren’t able to get what they needed from a potential Trade Deadline piece for a second night in a row, as following Carlos Santana’s two-home run performance Monday, Rich Hill was only able to go 4 1/3 innings against the Padres, leaving the game with the bases loaded in the fifth.
Yerry de los Santos recorded pair of outs without yielding an inherited run, but nonetheless, the questions/cons regarding Hill – age, endurance, productivity – most likely outweigh the pros – lefty, crafty veteran leader, postseason experience – for the highest-bidding teams browsing the starting pitching market over the next six days.
Between Santana, Hill, and Ji Man Choi, and the possibility of declining returns on each of them, it’s easy to understand why GM Ben Cherington may be listening, even if not actively shopping, David Bednar and/or Mitch Keller.
The brightest spot of the evening may have been the Major League debut of Alika Williams, called up earlier in the day following the placement of Tucupita Marcano on the injured list.
Williams debuted in his hometown, made a really nice tag on a Ha-Seong Kim steal attempt, and battled Padres closer Josh Hader to an 11-pitch walk in the ninth inning.
Bergeron Retires
The day after his 38th birthday, Boston Bruins Captain Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement from the NHL.
A Stanley Cup Champion in 2011, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist with Team Canada, and a six-time Selke Award winner, Bergeron received recognition from around the hockey world, including from Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby and Head Coach Mike Sullivan, who coached Bergeron in Boston early in his career.
When the Penguins face Boston on January 4, it will be the first time the two teams have met without Bergeron as a member of the Bruins organization since February 8, 2003, when Mario Lemieux had a four-assist night in a 5-2 Pens win at the Fleet Center in Boston.
Harbaugh Suspension?
Michigan football recruiting violations and the subsequent investigation regarding them are leading toward what some believe will be a self-imposed four-game suspension on Wolverines Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to start the 2023 season.
Michigan, fresh off an appearance in the College Football Playoff, has trips to Nebraska and Minnesota on it’s slate as well as a trip to Happy Valley and their annual game against Ohio State within two weeks of each other.
None of those games are in the first four weeks.