The team wr group

[steelmann58]

watching today makes you wonder about the makeup of this team DJ not worth the money to many bad games . Pickens needs to Mature IMO he has to much talent to be like this. Simms dissapointed today he stepping outta bounds was inexcusable.

[Jizz Mop]

Great post

IMO

DJ not performing to the level of expectation around him

Pickens under utilized but needs to be mature. Steelers need to get him more targets.

Austin III a total wildcard for next year. Range of possibility includes Senquez Golson 2.0 to a poor man’s version of Tyreek.

[StillerDownSouth]

WR is a big need heading into the offseason, the PS might have the worst WR group in the league except for maybe Baltimore.

[steelmann58]

They can get WR in the 4th or later too many other holes

[TTP]

Yeah, Steelers WR were/are vastly overrated.

DJ is the most maddening Steeler's player in recent memory. Like 50% of the time he looks like a star and the other 50% like he's never played organized football before. There is no in between. Player tracking data shows he's top 5 in terms of route running and getting separation. But, the drops, giving up on plays, running the wrong route, fumbles, going backwards, etc just ruins all of that. It's maddening because the talent flashes. You want to believe he's gonna put it all together but it never happens. Probably never will at this point.

The Steelers desperately need Pickens to develop into a top WR. However, the warning signs are there for this guy to flameout because of his me-first attitude. We'll see.

WR is definitely a top need, imo. Right up there with CB, LT, and DL. The Steelers need help at IOL and LB too, but those are less important positions.

[K_C_]

I haven't looked at our cap situation, but I imagine with Roethlisberger's contract off the books, we should have some cash to spend in free agency.

We need to address LT, CB, DL and WR.

Probably in that order.

Being that we should have some pretty damn high premium picks, we need to hit big on 2 of our first 3. If all 3 could become major additions, the Steelers should be a playoff team.

....and let''s not forget Calvin Austin III. He's basically like getting an extra draft choice and has the tool to be a major stud if he can get healthy.

With the draft and some high picks, along with free agency, we should be able to fix our issues relatively quickly.

[langer]

I realized that the Falcs game was partially his homecoming, that might be why he was so pissed.

[Mick]

I haven't looked at our cap situation, but I imagine with Roethlisberger's contract off the books, we should have some cash to spend in free agency.

We need to address LT, CB, DL and WR.

Probably in that order.

Being that we should have some pretty damn high premium picks, we need to hit big on 2 of our first 3. If all 3 could become major additions, the Steelers should be a playoff team.

....and let''s not forget Calvin Austin III. He's basically like getting an extra draft choice and has the tool to be a major stud if he can get healthy.

With the draft and some high picks, along with free agency, we should be able to fix our issues relatively quickly.

question i have is what the plan for Highsmith is. If we are planning to throw a ton of cash his way for an extension, fine, if not, we should be looking at replacing him with a premium pick in this draft.

Beyond that (assuming we extend highsmith), i’m okay with Best OT/CB/WR in the first, probably DL and one of those other positions in the 2nd. Would be nice to get a Joe Hadenish FA signing to limit our draft day needs.

[Deebo]

I haven't looked at our cap situation, but I imagine with Roethlisberger's contract off the books, we should have some cash to spend in free agency.

We need to address LT, CB, DL and WR.

Probably in that order.

Being that we should have some pretty damn high premium picks, we need to hit big on 2 of our first 3. If all 3 could become major additions, the Steelers should be a playoff team.

....and let''s not forget Calvin Austin III. He's basically like getting an extra draft choice and has the tool to be a major stud if he can get healthy.

With the draft and some high picks, along with free agency, we should be able to fix our issues relatively quickly.

question i have is what the plan for Highsmith is. If we are planning to throw a ton of cash his way for an extension, fine, if not, we should be looking at replacing him with a premium pick in this draft.

Beyond that (assuming we extend highsmith), i’m okay with Best OT/CB/WR in the first, probably DL and one of those other positions in the 2nd. Would be nice to get a Joe Hadenish FA signing to limit our draft day needs.

Regardless of what happens with Highsmith they definitely need another EDGE guy. Reed is invisible and you'll always be dealing with Watt being nicked of some sort.

[K_C_]

I haven't looked at our cap situation, but I imagine with Roethlisberger's contract off the books, we should have some cash to spend in free agency.

We need to address LT, CB, DL and WR.

Probably in that order.

Being that we should have some pretty damn high premium picks, we need to hit big on 2 of our first 3. If all 3 could become major additions, the Steelers should be a playoff team.

....and let''s not forget Calvin Austin III. He's basically like getting an extra draft choice and has the tool to be a major stud if he can get healthy.

With the draft and some high picks, along with free agency, we should be able to fix our issues relatively quickly.

question i have is what the plan for Highsmith is. If we are planning to throw a ton of cash his way for an extension, fine, if not, we should be looking at replacing him with a premium pick in this draft.

Beyond that (assuming we extend highsmith), i’m okay with Best OT/CB/WR in the first, probably DL and one of those other positions in the 2nd. Would be nice to get a Joe Hadenish FA signing to limit our draft day needs.

Regardless of what happens with Highsmith they definitely need another EDGE guy. Reed is invisible and you'll always be dealing with Watt being nicked of some sort.

I have a feeling nothing will be done to add an edge of any consequence this April. Possibly in free agency, but we have too many more pressing needs that need addressing.

Don't get me wrong, I 100% see edge as a priority but I don't think the Steelers will. They will probably do with Highsmith what they did with Dupree. They'll. offer him a good contract and he'll probably turn it down and leave as a free agent. They'll address edge early in the 2024 draft to replace him.

[DP39]

I realized that the Falcs game was partially his homecoming, that might be why he was so pissed.

Bingo!

I'm not condoning his actions, but spending his life's football career within a few hours (Athens, GA & Hoover, AL) of ATL, combined with his first real opportunity to 'show' that he'd 'made it' to his hometown as an actual potential star NFL player weighed heavy on his mind, no doubt.

Then, to basically be treated like he didn't exist (football-wise) beyond much more than a decoy (yes, ATL game planned to shut him down) was probably more than his maturity level could handle. Yesterday meant WAY more to Pickens than any of us here could imagine. Hopefully, he will grow from this.

[Mick]

We franchise tagged Dupree and drafted Highsmith while we still had a full year of Dupree left.

So following the same plan would either have us drafting Edge this spring or franchising Highsmith and drafting it in ‘24.

[K_C_]

We franchise tagged Dupree and drafted Highsmith while we still had a full year of Dupree left.

So following the same plan would either have us drafting Edge this spring or franchising Highsmith and drafting it in ‘24.

Or, they add a stop gap Melvin Ingram type in free agency (Christ I wish they had been able to keep Ingram. He's played really well in Miami) and just let Highsmith play out his deal.

Your plan (drafting Highsmith's replacement this season) is the right one, but we need a LT and a corner far more right now than we need another edge. Unless we can secure a big time LT or corner in free agency, I expect those will be our top two picks.

After that, WR, DL and edge all need to be addressed.

[steelmann58]

The Steelers will add a Fa at an area of Neex before the Draft

[Kodiak.]

A lot of the mid-tier signings on offense & defense this year were mostly 2-yr "prove it" type deals.

Along with Ben and some other cap hits coming off the books, they should have some money to work with.

Highsmith was better than his stats without TJ, and with TJ he has resumed his Robin-like dominance. I think you complete locking up that tandem for the next 4-5 years even if you end-up overpaying Highsmith a little.

WR room is a mess. Hopefully Pickens turns the corner and Austin is every bit of what some people hope. Surely they can get at least an R2 for DJ, if not an R1 given what they got for Clayturd.

What people are missing is that while they've been good at drafting WR, they've been horrible at developing them. But what choice do they have - DJ is not earning his money and his boneheaded mistakes are no longer tolerable.

[steelmann58]

I hope the WR Coach gets a hold of this. Pickens need to get his head on right and play and they need to Scheme to get him open

[Orangesteel]

Yeah, Steelers WR were/are vastly overrated.

DJ is the most maddening Steeler's player in recent memory. Like 50% of the time he looks like a star and the other 50% like he's never played organized football before. There is no in between. Player tracking data shows he's top 5 in terms of route running and getting separation. But, the drops, giving up on plays, running the wrong route, fumbles, going backwards, etc just ruins all of that. It's maddening because the talent flashes. You want to believe he's gonna put it all together but it never happens. Probably never will at this point.

The Steelers desperately need Pickens to develop into a top WR. However, the warning signs are there for this guy to flameout because of his me-first attitude. We'll see.

WR is definitely a top need, imo. Right up there with CB, LT, and DL. The Steelers need help at IOL and LB too, but those are less important positions.

Well said. I remember the last few years how pissed off Ben would get at DJ. That wasn’t really Ben’s MO on the field either, all those years leading the young guys. But there were several times it looked like Ben wanted to knock DJs block off because of how inexcusably stupid he would play sometimes.

DJ needs to do some soul searching for sure.

[StillerDownSouth]

DJ lacks 3 critical components to be a true elite WR:
1. Brains/High football IQ
2. Toughness
3. Concentration.

If he hasn't developed these traits by now he never will, I get why they signed him, mainly because they let Juju and Washington walk. Sure wish they would have spent the money on Juju rather than DJ.
That would have given them 1 more year with DJ, Juju, and Pickens, that would have been a better group.

[DP39]

DJ lacks 3 critical components to be a true elite WR:
1. Brains/High football IQ
2. Toughness
3. Concentration.

If he hasn't developed these traits by now he never will, I get why they signed him, mainly because they let Juju and Washington walk. Sure wish they would have spent the money on Juju rather than DJ.
That would have given them 1 more year with DJ, Juju, and Pickens, that would have been a better group.

I agree. DJ also lacks that alpha dog instinct. He's a passive person by nature, imo.

It's almost like he's just going through the motions he deems necessary to get the results he's wanted (money). He rarely seems like he's enjoying what he does for a profession. It makes me wonder if he'll just play out his contract and retire (if he thinks he has earned/saved enough money). If so, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

[SteelerDayTrader]

- Shoulda unloaded Watt before the trade deadline. He is never gonna break 15 sacks again

- The Steelers have a longstanding bias at WR. I don’t blame any of them for getting fed up with the Steeler way. It’s long outdated and overdue to be discarded

[langer]

I hope the WR Coach gets a hold of this.

The stench of back bacon and Molson is all over that guy.

https://www.audacy.com/937thefan/sports ... not-tomlin

[Kodiak.]

The stench of back bacon and Molson is all over that guy.

https://www.audacy.com/937thefan/sports ... not-tomlin

Hard to imagine hiring a never-was in over his head, and letting him hire all his buddies, didn't result in a juggernaut offense.

[langer]

The stench of back bacon and Molson is all over that guy.

https://www.audacy.com/937thefan/sports ... not-tomlin

Hard to imagine hiring a never-was in over his head, and letting him hire all his buddies, didn't result in a juggernaut offense.

Hey, he vouched for them.

[Kodiak.]

“I feel like every player has that in him,” Pickens said Wednesday morning before practice. “It’s just what you record. Every player, literally every receiver in the past, you go T.O."


Ummmm, George might be stupid.

[RemoAZ]

Love the way Tomlin is handling this with Pickens. This is exactly what I think. There are far worse things than a WR wanting the ball.

“I’d rather say ‘Whoa’ than ‘Sic ’em,'” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I want a guy that wants to be a significant part of what it is that we do. Now, the appropriate and professional and mature way to express that, we’re growing and working on, and we will continue to. But that spirit, that competitive spirit, the guy that wants the ball. I want that guy.”

[Jizz Mop]

Love the way Tomlin is handling this with Pickens. This is exactly what I think. There are far worse things than a WR wanting the ball.

“I’d rather say ‘Whoa’ than ‘Sic ’em,'” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I want a guy that wants to be a significant part of what it is that we do. Now, the appropriate and professional and mature way to express that, we’re growing and working on, and we will continue to. But that spirit, that competitive spirit, the guy that wants the ball. I want that guy.”

So……can we get him more than two targets?

In my Bill Lumbergh voice “that would be greeeeaaaat.”

[Jobu]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... TSmgNsdVQN

[Kodiak.]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... TSmgNsdVQN

Keep in mind Tomlin is the same coach who has said in the past he expects his players to be professionals. And I forget the exact words, but something like "they're men, I'm not paid to babysit".

So basically Tomlin hasn't learned and is the same as he always was.

And don't expect that leadership void to be filled by players. By the time this was actually Tomlin's team, Ben had 2 rings. While there's reason to believe Ben was also an enabler, if he couldn't then no player will ever be able to accumulate enough "ownership status" to challenge Tomlin's BS.

[Kodiak.]

There are far worse things than a WR wanting the ball.

Who doesn't want the ball?!? Let's be honest - "wanting the ball" is just a dumbass sports cliche that sounds insightful but actually says nothing (most likely why Tomlin used it).

That's just excusing immature selfishness. EVERYONE wants the ball. Only me-first dicks cry so badly when it doesn't happen that they become a distraction.

[Mick]

If i recall, the reason pickens was there in the 2nd for us was that he was a horrible interview and other teams thought he would be too much of a headcase.