Let's get to it:
TODD FURST FROM ALLENTOWN, PA: If Justin Fields lands the No. 2 role at quarterback, do you think there is any chance he could be used at all in a Slash role (a la Kordell Stewart)?
ANSWER: There is no "if" about Justin Fields opening the regular season as the No. 2 quarterback. The way to write the sentence is: "Justin Fields will open the regular season as the No. 2 quarterback." As to your question, I could see Fields being used during games in packages designed to stress the opposing defense by taking advantage of his unique skill-set, but too often people mistake that for what Kordell Stewart did in 1995 when Bill Cowher referred to him as "Slash." When the 1995 season started, the Steelers had the top 2 quarterbacks on their depth chart – Neil O'Donnell and Mike Tomczak – entering the final seasons of their contracts, and to guard against both leaving as unrestricted free agents in March 1996, they kept Jim Miller, a second-year pro who just had put together a promising preseason, as well as Stewart, who was their second-round pick (60th overall) in the 1995 NFL Draft. There were no available practice reps for a No. 4 quarterback once the regular season opened, and so when injuries struck at wide receiver, Stewart was asked to help out by taking some practice reps at that position. When it developed over time that the defensive backs were having quite a difficult time covering Stewart, a role evolved for him on game days. The "Slash" nickname came because at that time, wide receivers weren't permitted to wear jerseys with single-digit numbers, and so the Steelers continued to list Stewart as a QB/WR so that he could wear No. 10. Whatever plan the Steelers might have for Fields in 2024 most likely won't involve him playing a different position on offense, so technically he wouldn't be a "Slash" as Stewart was in 1995.
WILLIAM YOUNG FROM BADEN, PA: John Rhys Plumlee is a quarterback. But the Steelers used him as a returner. Will that help him make the practice squad?
ANSWER: John Rhys Plumlee is a very interesting prospect, in my opinion. He can play quarterback, return punts and kickoffs, maybe even play a little bit of wide receiver. But while he can play all of those positions, I don't believe he currently can play any of them well enough to be on a 53-man roster. I like Plumlee's athletic ability and his willingness to line up at different spots and try new things in order to make himself valuable to his team. I would like to see him kept on the practice squad and developed. Developed into what, I don't know yet. I'd try to allow it to happen naturally.
CHRIS HANN FROM SARASOTA, FL: In the 1990s the Steelers drafted Chad Brown in the second round from Colorado. He was an outside linebacker who was converted to inside linebacker and was very successful. Nick Herbig has looked explosive all preseason. To get the best talent on the field doesn't it make sense to shift Nick inside? He and Chad have almost identical builds.
ANSWER: Allow me to clear up a few things. During his college career at Colorado, Chad Brown started as an inside linebacker where he played for two years before being moved outside. The Steelers drafted him in the second round (44th overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft, and at that time the team's starting outside linebackers were Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, so there was no room for Brown at that position. So Brown played inside linebacker, which he had done in college, until 1996 when Lloyd was lost for the season with a torn patellar tendon in the opener in Jacksonville. It was at that position where Brown flourished and signed a big contract with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent.
Just because Nick Herbig (6-foot-2, 240) and Brown (6-2, 245) are built similarly, you seem to believe it would be smart to move Herbig to inside linebacker because Brown got onto the field there before he ended up at a better and more natural position (for him) at outside linebacker. That reasoning is faulty, and also would make no sense given the Steelers situation at the linebacker position. At inside linebacker, the top players there are Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Payton Wilson, and Tyler Matakevich, who will make the roster because of his special teams contributions. You suggest moving Herbig to inside linebacker "to get the best talent on the field," but Herbig is not a better inside linebacker than Queen or Roberts. At outside linebacker (edge), there is T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and question marks. And allow me to interject here that if Teryl Austin devises some packages to get Herbig onto the field more often, and should those packages find him lining up along with Highsmith and Watt, that's not what I'm ranting against. Leave Herbig where he is, and leave it to the coaching staff to find ways to take advantage of his skills.
ZEKE WATSON FROM BETHLEHEM, PA: During the second half of the Steelers preseason finale, Dez Fitzpatrick made some nice catches. Do you think his performance across all 3 preseason games will result in Dez making the final roster or land on the practice squad?
ANSWER: During the entirety of the preseason, Dez Fitzpatrick caught 5 passes for 130 yards (26.0 average), and he added 2 special teams tackles. He participated in 65 offensive snaps and 34 special teams snaps over the three games. Those numbers should have him in the mix for a spot on the 53-man roster, but it's difficult to predict the makeup of the wide receiver position. That's because the Steelers may do some shopping there on the waiver wire, or there still could be a trade to bring in a veteran player. My opinion is that Fitzpatrick has done enough and has shown enough as a contributor on special teams to end up either on the 53-man roster or to be offered a spot on the practice squad.
ROY LATIMER FROM ROSWELL, NM: Why doesn't the impressive punter put more balls out of bounds on his punts to prevent returns from lessening his results?
ANSWER: Since it was the preseason, you want the punter keeping balls in play because you want to evaluate which players are capable of covering punts for the makeup of the 53-man roster. Also come the regular season, it's not going to be possible for all of the punts to go out of bounds, and so players are going to have to learn how to cover. Everybody on the field has a job to do.
GLAUCIO CAFALCHIO FROM TAUBATÉ, SP, BRAZIL: Over the past three seasons, it seems that the Steelers offensive line has been improving. I expected that Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, and Zach Frazier would add depth and deliver an immediate impact this year. However, it seems to me that the unit has taken a step back. How do you see it? Do you expect this year's OL to be better than last year's?
ANSWER: It's a fact of life that young players don't always show improvement on a steady incline. There can be occasional dips along the way, and just because a young guy – such as 23-year-old Broderick Jones – might have a bad preseason game during his second season after looking pretty dominant in the 11 games he started the previous season as a rookie doesn't mean he's a bust or a disappointment. I suggest two things when it comes to this relatively young offensive line: remember that what you are basing your opinion on of "taking a step back" were preseason games, and exercise a little patience with young players.
LOU MANN FROM ASHKELON, ISRAEL: After watching the Steelers vs. Lions preseason game, I see that linebacker Mark Robinson has improved greatly since his rookie season 2 years ago. I believe he's shown that he should be on the roster. What's the word on your end?
ANSWER: I would characterize Mark Robinson as on the bubble, as in it would not surprise me to see him making the 53-man roster, nor would it surprise me if he didn't. It could come down to how many inside linebackers the Steelers decide to keep, and that number could end up being affected by how many players they decide to keep or have to keep at other positions. I see the top 4 inside linebackers coming out of the preseason as: Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, Payton Wilson, and Tyler Matakevich. If they decide to keep 5, then I would think Robinson would be the fifth.
MARK VALENZIA FROM BARTLETT, IL: When there is an injury settlement, does that count against your cap?
ANSWER: Yes.
JAVIER PEREZ FROM JALISCO, MEXICO: One of the most heated rivalries in the NFL is Steelers-Ravens. Which are the Steelers most heated rivalries in the AFC (among non-division opponents), and in the NFC?
ANSWER: In my opinion, rivalries are made by familiarity, and because the Steelers and Ravens are guaranteed to play two times every season that becomes fertile ground for teams to grow to dislike each other. But an AFC team only plays a team in the NFC once every four years, and a non-division opponent within the AFC often shows up on a schedule infrequently. I would point to Dallas as the Steelers' main NFC rival, but that goes back to the fact the teams met three times in Super Bowls – at the conclusion of the 1975, 1978, and 1995 seasons. As for a non-division AFC rival, I would go with the Raiders, because of the 1970s when those teams played 10 times from 1972-77, and within those 10 meetings were 5 playoff games, with three of those postseason matchups coming in the AFC Championship Game.
MARLIN COBB FROM ALIQUIPPA, PA: I'm tired of the wide receiver buzz in Pittsburgh. I think receivers are a dime a dozen, and all you need is a good quarterback and he can make a receiver. Why don't the Steelers just go with what they've got?
ANSWER: Going with what they've got at wide receiver could turn out to be what happens.
TODD McCANDLESS FROM WILDWOOD, MO: My memory isn't what it used to be, so I could be wrong here. If I recall correctly, under Bill Cowher the Steelers' record in preseason was not always great. But when the games counted in the standings the team was ready to play. How many seasons did the Steelers have a losing record in the preseason under Cowher?
ANSWER: During Bill Cowher's 15 seasons, the Steelers finished 7 of those preseasons with losing records, and three other preseasons with .500 records. After the 7 preseasons in which the Steelers had losing records under Cowher, the team posted winning records in September twice, a losing record in September once, and were .500 in September 4 times.
