Skip to main content
Advertising

Asked and Answered

Asked and Answered: March 21

Let's get to it:

DAVID MINICUCCI FROM SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA:
The Combine seemed to be over the moon for Myles Garrett, but am I wrong in believing that Bud Dupree actually had better numbers in the 40-yard dash, broad jump and vertical leap, and is very close to Garrett in height and weight?

ANSWER: Wow. Outstanding memory by you. At the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, Bud Dupree measured 6-foot-4, 269 pounds. He ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 42.0-inch vertical jump, and an 11-6 in the broad jump. All of those scores were the best at his position that year. In 2017, Myles Garrett measured 6-4, 272 pounds. He ran a 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 41.0-inch vertical jump, and a 10-8 in the broad jump. All of those scores were the best at his position this year.

JESSE RUSSELL FROM ERIE, PA:
With Darrelle Revis recently revealing how happy he would be to play for the Steelers, how likely would this pairing be? I personally think using any of our young starters would be an advantage over Revis now that he's lost a step, even if he switched to safety.

ANSWER: I believe the Steelers agree with you on Darrelle Revis. The Steelers were interested in Revis during the 2015 offseason, in fact getting in touch with his representatives to ascertain whether he might be interested in playing for his hometown team. When Revis indicated at the time he was interested in signing with the highest bidder, that ended the Steelers' flirtation. Two NFL seasons later, Revis isn't at the same level, and neither is the Steelers' interest.

MAXIME BÉLIVEAU FROM DRUMMONDVILLE, QUEBEC, CANADA:
Thanks for doing this and hopefully answering my question. What is the difference between a defensive lineman who plays a 0-technique, a 3-technique or a 5-technique?

ANSWER: A 0-technique lines up over the center, a 3-technique lines up over the outside shoulder of the guard, and a 5-technique lines up over the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle.

BRIAN VANEK FROM RALEIGH, NC:
Does the Justin Hunter signing hint that Martavis Bryant will be released?

ANSWER: No. It's more of a hedge against Martavis Bryant falling back into the same kind of behavior that resulted in him being suspended for a calendar year.

JOSH LOPEZ FROM KING CITY, CA:
You said that Jabrill Peppers isn't big enough to play linebacker, but isn't that what they said about William Gay, who ended up winning Defensive Player of the Year?

ANSWER: James Harrison is not tall. That's different than being not big.

JJ KENNEDY FROM NEW PARK, PA:
Who do you think is the Steelers best cornerback?

ANSWER: Artie Burns.

DANIEL GEISSINGER from LEHIGHTON, PA:
I was thinking about Jack Lambert and the other Steelers from the 1970s teams. I see most of the players from that era doing public appearances and showing up on Steelers.com, but I have not seen Jack Lambert. How is he doing, and what has he been doing since he retired.

ANSWER: Jack Lambert has chosen to live a private life since his retirement from football, as is his right.

TIM CICOTTA FROM ROCHESTER, NY:
I just read an article you posted about Justin Hunter. You wrote, "Hunter had dazzled NFL scouts with 4.4 speed, a 39.5-inch vertical, and an 11-4 in the broad jump that was second-best in that category at the Scouting Combine. At 6-foot-4, and with a 33-and-1/4 inch arm length, Hunter was that combination of big, tall, long, and fast NFL teams were finding so attractive in wide receivers." I was wondering if you could give us a comparison to Martavis Bryant with his speed, reach and so on? Thanks so much for informing the uninformed.

ANSWER: At the 2014 NFL Combine, Martavis Bryant measured 6-foot-3-and-3/4 and weighed 211 pounds. His arms measured 32-and-5/8-inches. He ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 10-4 broad jump, and a 39.0-inch vertical jump.

DAVID JOHNSON FROM MANSFIELD, OH:
Would the Steelers take a chance with Sidney Jones in the second or third round?

ANSWER: Sidney Jones, a cornerback from Washington, was considered a sure-bet to be a first-round pick in the 2017 draft. He was seen to be a Marcus Peters-caliber talent only without the baggage, but that was before he tore an Achilles tendon during his Pro Day workout. That's a serious injury that can require a 12-month rehabilitation, and then you never know how much it might affect his speed, etc., even after rehabilitation. And since the injury was so recent, there would be no real way to have a handle on Jones' prognosis, because every surgeon in the history of medicine has walked out of the operating room and said how well the procedure has gone. A team picking Jones would do it knowing he wouldn't be available until 2018, and in a draft said to be deep in cornerbacks there should be a starting-caliber player for 2017 available through Friday's pickings.

Granted, there is a chance more information about Jones' prognosis could be revealed between now and the draft, which is still a little more than a month away, but picking a cornerback with a recently torn Achilles is too risky for me.

JOE SAMUEL FROM BLACKWOOD, NJ:
Would you welcome Adrian Peterson if he signed a contract for the veteran minimum? The only reason I ask this is I read he wants to play for a real contender.

ANSWER: Adrian Peterson may have said he wants to play for a contender, but I don't know that he's ever said he'd play for a team where he would be nothing but a backup. I'm just not confident that a player of his pedigree would accept a such a role.

Check out photos of the Steelers new CB Coty Sensabaugh. Photos by AP.

CHRIS FITCH FROM FORT WORTH, TX:
Who do you think has been the best defensive player for the Steelers of all time? Troy Polamalu or Joe Greene? Both players made changes to their positions and both are all-time greats. But my favorite player is Rod Woodson. Who is yours?

ANSWER: This question has been posed to me in a bunch of different ways – best player, best defensive player, most influential player, favorite player – and the answer is always the same. Joe Greene. And it's not even close. Not. Even. Close.

MARTIN NIVERTH FROM MARIANNA, PA:
I hear both plusses and minuses about tight end Xavier Grimble. What do the Steelers like about him and what, in your opinion, do they think he needs to do better than he does now?

ANSWER: Xavier Grimble can do everything the Steelers want/need from a tight end, but he doesn't do those things consistently enough. Consistency is what Grimble needs to improve upon.

JOHN KEFFER FROM CONCORD, NC:
Since we lost out on Dont'a Hightower do you think we should go after a guy like Zach Brown at inside linebacker? Or just wait for the draft?

ANSWER: I believe the Steelers are done with free agency at this point, in terms of adding players who would be considered starting-caliber. Yesterday, as an example, the team signed Knile Davis and Coty Sensabaugh, but both of them fall into the depth/special teams category. And I also believe the team has confidence in Vince Williams being able to fill the spot in the starting lineup vacated by Lawrence Timmons.

CONNIE GRAVES FROM WEST GROVE, PA:
So it's time, don't you think, for Ben Roethlisberger to decide, or did I miss his answer?

ANSWER: I think if you're looking for some grand announcement, you're going to be disappointed. What I can tell you is that Dale Lolley wrote over the weekend that Ben Roethlisberger was a speaker at the Ignite Men's Impact Weekend conference at Liberty University on Friday, March 17, and when he was asked if he's going to play in 2017, he said, "I'm leaning towards it."

MICHAEL COOPER FROM CHAGRIN FALLS, OH:
Player contract terms are not officially disclosed by the Steelers, but the basics always seem to get out. Why don't they release this information, since it always seems to get out anyway?

ANSWER: I agree with you, but the Steelers' policy is, and always has been, not to disclose financial terms of the contracts.

MIKE KEPPEN FROM CLEVELAND, OH:
Have you ever considered compiling a list of crazy position-change suggestions and keeping them posted somewhere as some sort of FAQ? Stay as sane as you can, mate.

ANSWER: If I did that, those kinds of questions would deserve to be listed under the category of FAI: Frequently Asked Inanities.


This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.
Advertising
;