PITTSBURGH STEELERS (13-4)
OPEN CAMP: July 26 Anthony Zettel Jersey , Latrobe, Pennsylvania
LAST YEAR: Steelers won second straight AFC North title and third in four years as "Killer Bs" trio of QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Antonio Brown and RB Le'Veon Bell received plenty of help from rookie WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and defense that gave up big plays but also led NFL with 57 sacks. Still, Steelers had trouble when pushed by quality teams. They let second-half lead get away at home against New England, loss that cost them home-field advantage in playoffs. And they couldn't find way to beat Jacksonville, which won at Heinz Field not once but twice, including divisional playoff upset in which seemingly offensively challenged Jaguars put up 45 points.
IMPORTANT ADDITIONS: S Morgan Burnett, LB Jon Bostic, rookie S Terrell Edmunds, rookie WR James Washington, rookie QB Mason Rudolph.
IMPORTANT LOSSES: Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, defensive backs coach Carnell Lake, WR Martavis Bryant, S Mike Mitchell, CB William Gay Matthias Farley Jersey , S, Robert Golden, LB Arthur Moats.
CAMP NEEDS: Steelers promoted longtime QB coach Randy Fichtner to take over play-calling duties after Haley's successful if occasionally turbulent six-year stint ended in January. Fichtner doesn't expect to give offense massive overhaul, though he will be forced to experiment during camp at running back with Bell unlikely to show while he waits to sign one-year franchise tender. One year after finding potential star in Smith-Schuster, Steelers hope they've done it again with Washington after record-setting career at Oklahoma State. Race to fill injured inside linebacker Ryan Shazier's spot is wide open, with Bostic and Tyler Matakevich getting first crack at lining up next to Vince Williams. Secondary is also being overhauled with Mitchell, Golden and Gay gone.
EXPECTATIONS: Steelers once again expected to be class of AFC North. While Roethlisberger thinks he can play another handful of seasons, Pittsburgh's window could be closing faster than he anticipated. Front office failed to reach long-term agreement with Bell, meaning this will likely be his final season in Pittsburgh. Steelers have proven they can be productive without him, but elite? That's tough sell, putting onus on them to get it done this season. Better play in secondary would help. So would some consistency at outside linebacker, where Bud Dupree remains enigma as he enters fourth season.
Minkah Fitzpatrick understands the value of his skill set.
At 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, he hits like a safety. His speed, hip movement and feet might make him more tailored to cornerback.
So the Alabama star is spending this weekend explaining to NFL scouts he can excel at either Kony Ealy Jersey , both or some combination of the positions.
”It’s a different kind of position, kind of like a combination between safety and corner,” said Fitzpatrick, describing the slot corner spot he played in college. ”I like to play both safety and corner, so I think slot corner is optimal for my abilities.”
If true, Fitzpatrick would be one of the rarest commodities in football – a tweener with an actual fit.
Traditionally when players at the NFL’s annual scouting combine are explaining what position suits them best, it’s because team executives aren’t sure where they should play and the player’s draft stock sinks.
But Fitzpatrick’s physical gifts could make him a trend-setter in a league that has become increasingly more pass-happy and places a premium on versatility.
He was recruited as a true cornerback, moved to slot corner before the 2015 season, won the starting job and never relinquished it. Coach Nick Saban was so impressed he usually paired Fitzpatrick on the opponent’s top receiver, one-on-one.
It didn’t take long for Fitzpatrick to make an impact.
After being selected to the SEC’s all-freshman team in 2015, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2016 and 2017.
Now he’s off to the NFL, where teams are trying to figure out what Saban once did – the best place for Fitzpatrick to play.
”I think he could play all six defensive back positions. Both corners, both safeties, nickel and dime linebacker,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Saturday. ”He’s the only guy I can say that about. Now John Simon Jersey , is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’ve had a couple of coaches say to me, `Hey, is he a difference-maker? Is he a nickel? Where’s his ball production?’ He had six picks two years ago, but only had one this year. But I look at (his versatility) as a positive.”
Mayock’s sentiment may explain why Fitzpatrick appears to have a slight edge on his competition right now. He’s projected to be a top-five pick.
Some expect Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, a true cornerback, to be selected in the top 10 with Florida State safety Derwin James the only other defensive back tabbed for the top 20.
The workouts in Indianapolis, which conclude Monday, will help determined the actual pecking order in April.
But one thing working in Fitzpatrick’s favor: work ethic.
While growing up in New Jersey, he sometimes helped his father fix trucks.
After the family’s home collapsed during Hurricane Irene in 2011, Fitzpatrick helped his parents rebuild.
And when the Catholic high school he attended provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to students who couldn’t afford school lunches, Fitzpatrick ate them up.
So when he arrived at the combine, less than two months away from possibly hitting a multimillion-dollar jackpot, the reality finally hit.
”It’s really crazy,” Fitzpatrick said. ”I remember the second I got here, I was laying in bed Tavon Wilson Jersey , looked up at the ceiling and just started smiling.”
Yes, it’s been a long trek here for Fitzpatrick and his family.
Yet he hasn’t forgotten his blue-collar roots, his humble perspective on life or his passion for football. It’s served him well, so far.
”I think he’s going to go out there and run like a corner, have the size of a safety, and if you’re a defensive coordinator and take him in the top 10, you’ve got to have a plan,” Mayock said. ”What is he? Is he my safety, is he my corner, is he my nickel? Or is he a piece that I can match up week to week against a big wideout or a tight end? How you use him is ultimately going to determine the value of him.”
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