Skip to main content
Advertising

Asked and Answered

Asked and Answered: Aug. 16

Let's get to it:

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Steelers will be wearing their white jerseys in tonight's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

JOHN WESTENDORF FROM HENDERSONVILLE, TN: If Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph continue to impress, do you think there's any chance the Steelers would trade Landry Jones for a later-round draft pick to a team needing a solid backup?
ANSWER: The Steelers are trying to win a championship now, and Landry Jones is the best option on the roster to serve as the backup quarterback. The Steelers aren't treating that position as a place where they're looking past 2018 to the future. And the bottom line is, Jones not only is the best player for that role, but he also has earned the trust of the coaching staff – and the confidence of Ben Roethlisberger. Here is what Roethlisberger said about Jones a couple of days before camp broke at Saint Vincent College. About Jones, Roethlisberger said, "He's a guy who obviously can play. He can come in and get you out of the game. He can start a game. Someone I truly trust, if I ask a question, he is going to know the answer. 'Hey Landry [Jones], what was that coverage, what did you see?' I may be looking left, and I'll ask him what happened on the right side, and I trust what he is going to tell me."

TOBY WEISEND FROM WILLIAMSTOWN, WV: Do the veteran players not have to share a room at training camp? Do they get better/nicer rooms?
ANSWER: With the Steelers, players with five or more years of NFL experience have a single room at Saint Vincent College. Everybody else gets a roommate. And the rooms are all the same; it's just a matter if there are one or two people inhabiting them.

JUSTIN STOVER FROM BALLARD, WV: Around the league this time of year, we see several teams welcoming their rookie teammates with haircuts, pranks and what not. Do our Steelers do anything to welcome our rookies into camp? I'm not sure I've ever seen or heard of our rookies going through anything.
ANSWER: The Steelers don't engage in that kind of hazing.

NICK COALS FROM EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA: Lots of fans view Mason Rudolph as the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. That said, is there more of a benefit for him to be on the practice squad, or as the third quarterback behind Landry Jones? Or would it really make an impact?
ANSWER: Players only can be signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers, and players who are on the practice squad can sign with any team offering a contract. It makes no sense for a team to use a third-round pick on a quarterback such as Mason Rudolph and then expose him to waivers in order to have a chance to sign him to the practice squad where he would be able to sign with any other team in the league choosing to offer him a contract to be on its 53-man roster.

JOSEPH PARHAM FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA: Will the Steelers wear the 1970s style white uniforms with the block numbers during any road games this season?
ANSWER: The jerseys with the block numbers are the Steelers throwbacks for the upcoming season. Throwback jerseys are worn for home games, and the Steelers wear black jerseys at home. *
MARK GOLDMAN FROM MT. KISCO, NY: Is there a cap on how many players you can tag?
*
ANSWER: Teams are permitted to use one tag (franchise or transition) on one player each year. *
DAVID TIMM FROM NATCHEZ, MS: I've been a big fan of Stevan Ridley since his high school days in Natchez. What do you think of his performance in the last game and his chances of making the squad?
*
ANSWER: I like Stevan Ridley, and I think he acquitted himself well through the training camp phase, as well as in the preseason opener vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been practicing regularly, which provides him the on-field time to improve all facets of his game. He's a tough runner, a willing and capable blocker in pass protection, and as he showed against the Eagles he has some skills as a receiver. Ridley would make my 53-man roster, but as I've said many times, my opinion doesn't matter.

PETER FAIRMAN FROM LONDON, ENGLAND: During the Eagles preseason game, the Steelers twice were flagged for covering the long-snapper on PATs. After re-watching the game, on the second attempt the Eagles long-snapper clearly had space, with Steelers players on either side of him. He snapped the ball and stood up untouched, so what exactly constitutes covering up the long-snapper?
ANSWER: I believe the rule not only prohibits contact with the long-snapper, but also prohibits any defensive players from lining up within the area between his shoulders. But if you're a regular watcher of NFL football, you also know that the real possibility exists that the officials blew the call. *
JAY GREEN FROM FORT MYERS, FL: Is there any possibility that Trey Johnson, who is injured, can play in the preseason if he gets healthy, or does he have to wait until next year to have a shot?
*
ANSWER: Trey Johnson was waived/injured, which means the most likely outcome will be that once he is healthy he will be put on waivers. He cannot play for the Steelers this preseason.

MAURICIO AMENABAR FROM SANTIAGO, CHILE: For how many games are NFL footballs used? Do teams have a set of new balls for each game or are they reused?
ANSWER: The Steelers only use a set of footballs in one game. *
JARROD O'NEAL FROM GRANITE BAY, CA: Any news on Keion Adams in training camp? Is he healthy or making any impact?
*
ANSWER: Keion Adams has been a regular participant in practice since training camp opened, and he had a fumble recovery in the preseason opener against the Eagles. I would say he is very much in the mix for one of the backup outside linebacker spots.

Advertising