The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
HOWARD ASHCRAFT FROM LANSING, MI: With the reported release of Jonnu Smith, is there a chance now that we will keep Connor Heyward?
ANSWER: I'm not sure that the release of Jonnu Smith will have anything to do with re-signing Connor Heyward, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Much more important to the situation at tight end has to do with how Coach Mike McCarthy plans to utilize that position and the kind of players he will want there to make it happen. Maybe McCarthy has plans for a fullback, and he sees Heyward as a potential fit there. Also, Heyward has value on special teams, and there will be roster spots allocated for that phase of the game as well.
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CINDY RIZZI FROM LAKE ARIEL, PA: Why are people so obsessed with acquiring or drafting a young unknown quarterback? I believe we have our guy in Will Howard right now. This guy has not been given a chance to prove himself yet. If Aaron Rodgers does not come back, I say put him into the fire and let the guy play, especially once Mike McCarthy starts working with him.
ANSWER: You write, "Why are people so obsessed with acquiring or drafting a young unknown quarterback?" And that is an accurate description of Will Howard, who is entering his second NFL season and qualifies as an unknown after missing all of the preseason and the regular season as a result of a broken finger on his right hand. And while you contend, "put him into the fire and let the guy play," I believe the path should be to have him show he belongs before he gets a chance to play in the regular season.
GREG HAFEN FROM BRENTWOOD, PA: I've been hearing talk about the Steelers possibly bringing Hines Ward in at a coaching position this year. Since AI is running crazy in this world do you think this talk may have any truth to it?
ANSWER: Coach Mike McCarthy announced his complete staff of assistants a while ago, and Hines Ward was not one of them.
DION GONZALEZ FROM ORLANDO, FL: I know George Pickens was a headache the last season with the Steelers, but why did they trade him and not give Aaron Rodgers that extra weapon across from DK Metcalf? That would have been two huge offensive weapons, as well as Kenneth Gainwell and Darnell Washington, Pat Friermuth and Jaylen Warren. I believe we would have won more games and went further in the playoffs. Possibly to the Super Bowl.
ANSWER: It's my opinion that George Pickens was a headache in various ways to various degrees throughout his time with the Steelers, and when it crossed a line he was traded. It's also my opinion that making the argument that Pickens was the missing piece in a Super Bowl run last season is delusional.
MIKE FOSTER FROM EWA BEACH, HI: The Steelers waived swing OT Calvin Anderson, and LG Isaac Seumalo is a free agent at age 32. Broderick Jones had neck surgery so his health and return to play are questionable. With Dylan Cook and Spencer Anderson on essentially one-year deals to go along with starters Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Troy Fautanu, how much do you think offensive line should be prioritized in free agency (expensive) and the draft (cheaper route)? I'm worried an up and coming strength with depth just last offseason is now a big liability.
ANSWER: The reality of it is that in the NFL, an offensive line is something that needs attention every year. For teams that believe they are set among the starting five, there always is the issue of sufficient depth because injuries are 100 percent going to happen. Other teams can be looking to upgrade the top of the depth chart somewhere along the starting front. It's believed the Steelers are going to have 12 picks in the upcoming draft, and allocating some of those to pick(s) in Rounds 2-4 to the offensive line makes a lot of sense. As recently as the 2022-23 NFL Drafts, the Steelers have used a 14th overall pick, a 20th overall pick, and a 51st overall pick on offensive linemen, but the job of building/maintaining a top-quality unit along the line of scrimmage in the NFL is never-ending.
LARRY HALL FROM AUSTIN, TX: With the yearly discussion about whether to extend the season to 18 games, if given a choice would you prefer 1 fewer preseason game or an extra bye week? Lengthening the season, and inherently its ratings is what the NFL wants right?
ANSWER: For the NFL to expand to 18 regular season games, it will need approval from the NFLPA, and that approval must come in the form of a vote by the players. If that happens, my guess is it could be both – 1 fewer preseason game and 1 extra bye week. How the calendar works out – in terms of the regular season starting earlier or the Super Bowl being played later – will be another component of the negotiation, first between owners and players, and then between the NFL and its broadcast partners.
BILL PACACHA FROM ELIZABETHTOWN, PA: My question is related to the compensatory draft picks that are awarded. I presume that these are additional picks? Example: all 32 teams get a third-round pick unless they traded it away. Let's say the Steelers were the only team awarded a third-round compensatory pick. Would that pick be awarded in the 33rd draft spot at the end of the third round?
ANSWER: Regardless of the round in which compensatory picks are awarded, those picks always come at the end of the round. An assigned compensatory draft pick cannot be the 10th pick of a round, as an example.
JAMES HARWELL FROM MILAN, MI: I know that you are not a mind reader, but why do you suppose that so many people consider Mike McCarthy to be a poor choice for head coach? McCarthy has an excellent won-loss record, had some outstanding seasons in Green Bay and Dallas, and has a Super Bowl win on his resume.
ANSWER: Any opinion/judgment of Mike McCarthy as the Steelers' new head coach is beyond meaningless until the team starts playing games that count in the standings. Sometimes I think fans go into these coaching searches with their personal favorite to get the job, and much of the media is in the business of predicting the outcome. If the fans don't get the guy they want and the media doesn't get the guy it predicts, then the move gets criticized. Wait and see how it unfolds and then make your own judgment. It'll be more legitimate than anything you might be reading/hearing now.
THOMAS CROSS FROM FARGO, ND: I was just wondering about the process an organization goes through to find a new head coach. Does the team reach out to the people that they feel would be a good fit, or do the candidates have to contact/apply for the coaching position?
ANSWER: If the candidate has an agent, there could be some contact with the team with the agent pushing his guy. But for the most part I believe teams identify candidates, create their own in-house list, and then proceed from there.
CURTIS CONNERS FROM CARLISLE, PA: How did the Steelers do the last time they had 12 picks in a draft? How many players did they end up using on the team and the practice squad and how many of them didn't make the team at all. And do you think the Steelers will trade away some of their draft picks to move up?
ANSWER: The NFL Draft went from 12 rounds to 8 rounds in 1993, and then to 7 rounds in 1994, where it has remained. Since the first reduction in 1993, the Steelers have gone into 2 separate drafts – 1998 and 1999 – with 12-or-more picks.
• The Steelers entered the 1998 NFL Draft with 14 picks; they made 10 picks and used 4 in trades. The highlights were: Alan Faneca, a Hall of Fame guard who was selected 26th overall; Hines Ward, a 1,000-catch WR and Super Bowl XL MVP, selected with a compensatory pick in the third round (92nd overall); Deshea Townsend, who appeared in 191 regular season games and totaled 21 interceptions. 112 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 15.5 sacks, came to the team in the fourth round (117th overall). As an addendum, Jason Simmons, who was picked in the fifth round (137th overall), had an undistinguished playing career in 4 seasons with the Steelers, but he has been an NFL assistant coach for 16 years and now serves as the Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach on Mike McCarthy's inaugural staff.
• The Steelers entered the 1999 NFL Draft with 14 picks; they made 11 picks and used 3 in trades. The highlights were Joey Porter, an outside linebacker with the first of 3 picks in the third round (73rd overall), who finished his Steelers career with 60 sacks, 10 interceptions, 42 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, and 3 defensive touchdowns; and Aaron Smith, a fourth-round pick (109th overall), who played 160 regular season games as a 3-4 defensive end and finished with 344 solo tackles, 44 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 9 fumble recoveries. RB Amos Zereoue – a compensatory pick in the third round (95th overall), and TE Jerame Tuman – fifth round (136th overall) became role players.
