Behind the Steel Curtain
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:
Now, onto some Steelers news and discussion:
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac): The team and Porter’s representatives haven’t engaged in serious discussions yet, according to sources. … The Steelers have already signed three of the five players they had targeted for new deals — Herbig, kicker Chris Boswell and tight end Darnell Washington. Two remain — Porter and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton.
They did not think they could sign all five. But they also knew the players most willing to sign now and not wait for free agency were the most likely to get contract extensions.
Some recent insights on where the Steelers stand with extending their top cornerback. There appears to be mutual interest, but a deal might not be as imminent as we thought.
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter): Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick have a connection the Steelers are relying on to be a key component of their offensive line.
So much so that coach Mike McCarthy and offensive line coach James Campen decided to keep the two together and flip them from being the team’s starting right tackle and right guard last year to the left tackle and left guard spots this year.
Chemistry is an important — and often underrated — aspect of offensive line play, but it appears the Steelers took it seriously when shuffling around the group ahead of the summer.
(From NFL.com’s Kevin Patra): “I mean, right now, it’s just all about me doing little things, getting better, just waiting on my time to come,” Johnson said. “That’s my main thing that’s been on my mind. Just waiting on my time to come, and my time will come to shine for sure.”
The Steelers’ new brass under Mike McCarthy has spoken positively about Johnson, but the front office moves have underscored that he still has a long way to go to be a productive contributor.
Johnson has gone from one of the team’s most-hyped rookies to a roster bubble name over the course of the last year. However, while Johnson is less of an ideal scheme fit in Mike McCarthy’s varied run game than he was in Arthur Smith’s zone-heavy attack, a new coaching staff could be exactly what he needs to regain his confidence and make a new first...
