Rotoworld’s Patrick Daugherty released his annual NFL’s best GMs on Wednesday.
Rotoworld’s Patrick Daugherty released his annual NFL’s best GMs on Wednesday and ranked Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert No. 2 behind New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Like the Steelers for decades prior to Colbert, the Patriots don’t technically have a GM. Between Belichick and Nick Caserio (director of player personnel), they get the job done, though.
Here’s what Daugherty had to say about Colbert:
What does depth get you? An 8-8 record in a year where you had to trade the best receiver in football and your quarterback played six quarters. Kevin Colbert has been getting the big things right for his entire two-decade run as general manager. It was a little thing that tripped him up in 2019: Backup QB. The lack of a Nick Foles or Teddy Bridgewater undermined an otherwise heroic playoff pursuit. That glaring hole remains for 2020 as 38-year-old Ben Roethlisberger returns from an injury to his throwing arm. All the other pieces are in place. Arguably the league’s keenest eye for high-end defensive talent and wide receiver gems, Colbert’s loaded roster has upside to spare. It is lacking a first-round rookie after last year’s aggressive acquisition of Minkah Fitzpatrick, though Fitzpatrick is still only 23 years old. Colbert has a little less margin for error than usual, but he has his team well positioned for its 20th winning season in 21 years.
You can count on one hand the biggest busts the Steelers have drafted under Colbert — cornerbacks Artie Burns and Senquez Golson, linebackers Jarvis Jones and Sean Spence, offensive tackle Mike Adams — which is not too shabby considering he’s been in the role for 20 years.
The successful draft selections are too many to count (a nice problem, eh?). During Colbert’s tenure, the Steelers have won nine division titles, earned 12 playoff berths and had 15 winning seasons. Oh, and did I mention he helped assemble two Super Bowl championship teams and three AFC championship teams? That, too.
There’s no other team in the league that has been as fortunate as the Steelers have at the GM position. That’s a fact that can’t be argued.
If 2020 team revenues take a nosedive, so could the 2021 salary cap which would spell trouble for the Steelers.
I would not want to be general manager Kevin Colbert right now.
To tag Bud Dupree, sign three free agents (Stefen Wisniewski, Derek Watt, Chris Wormley) and still be cap-compliant in 2020, the Steelers pushed $21 million of salary into the next season.
Pushing money from one year to the next is nothing new in the NFL and especially not for the Steelers. It’s part of the salary cap game to restructure contracts to be at or under the cap without players they need and want winding up casualties.
However, that money was pushed with the understanding that there would be a substantial cap increase in 2021.
Of course, no one knows the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the NFL and its salary cap just yet, but the potential implications paint an ugly picture.
The current salary cap is set at $198.2 million. Historically, the cap has increased by $10 million or more per season. Per Over The Cap, the projected salary cap for 2021 is an estimated $215 million. But that projection is contingent on the league operating as usual with a full 17-game schedule and stadiums at full capacity.
The salary cap for the following season is based on the income that the teams earn during a league year. While previous years’ salary caps have been limited to defined gross revenues (money earned from national television contracts, ticket sales, and NFL merchandise sales), the new collective bargaining agreement was expanded to include all revenues. All revenues incorporate ticket sales, luxury box suites and premium seating, local and national broadcasting royalties, concessions, parking, local advertising, stadium leasing, and merchandising.
“Now I want people to think about this going forward — because it is something that the NFL and the NFLPA soon is going to have to be thinking about — and that is if there are no fans in the stands this season that would equate essentially to about on average roughly $100 million less in revenue per team for each of the 32 NFL teams in the NFL. If we multiply that $100 million by the 32 we get $3.2 billion in lost revenue, and why is that a big deal? Because the salary cap is based off the total revenue that comes in…
“So if there is $3.2 billion in less revenue, which is a rough number… but well within the range that is expected and as other people pointed out there are other financial losses as well, we are looking, potentially, at the salary cap dropping in 2021 by $70 to $80 million.”
As Schefter speculates, if games are played without fans in the stands or only a percentage of fans, revenue will be significantly impacted, and the salary cap for 2021 could take a massive hit. An even worse scenario is if the season is canceled. I’m not going to pretend like I know how players’ 2020 salaries would be affected if no games are played and how that even would roll into 2021. But I do know that the Steelers are in a heap of trouble if the salary cap is reduced in 2021.
Let’s say that the cap drops by $80 million in 2021. That would put the salary cap at roughly $118 million. That’s still a ton of money, right? Currently, the Steelers total cap liabilities are at $187 million for next year.
Gulp.
And that’s without taking into account the money they will need to pay to any players they want to save from becoming free agents next year. Among the laundry list of players are unrestricted free agents JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Cam Heyward, Bud Dupree, and Mike Hilton.
Every Sunday as a kid, Kevin Dotson sat in his basement surrounded by Steelers memorabilia, cheering on his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Twenty years later, he’s now a member of that very team. Instead of wearing a player’s …
Every Sunday as a kid, Kevin Dotson sat in his basement surrounded by Steelers memorabilia, cheering on his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Twenty years later, he’s now a member of that very team. Instead of wearing a player’s jersey as a Steelers fan, he’ll be wearing his own jersey as a Steelers player.
Dotson was just two days old when his favorite player, Jerome Bettis, suited up for his third game as a Pittsburgh Steeler. Dotson was 10 when he watched Bettis play in the first Steelers Super Bowl of his young life.
One of the many things Dotson inherited from his father, Kelcy, was a passion for Steelers football. He quickly understood what it meant to be part of Steeler Nation — fans who love their team’s winning mentality and hard-nosed battles on the gridiron. “Somebody like The Bus running eight people over, running over the team’s best player,” Dotson said. “And Hines Ward, he wasn’t just catching the ball, he was coming across the middle of the field and laying players out.”
Only quarterback Ben Roethlisberger remains from those teams he grew up watching. “That’s another thing that’s been crazy for me. When I was just a kid, I thought, I’m going to block for Big Ben when I get older. But now I actually get to do it. So, this is going to be one of those dreams to get to play with people that you’ve looked up to for pretty much your entire life.”
Dotson’s road to Pittsburgh started at Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was part of the Ragin’ Cajuns offensive line. Future NFL guards, Donovan Williams and Mykhael Quave had a grip on the guard positions, so Dotson redshirted his 2015 freshman season and served as a member of the scout team. “[Williams and Quave] were there for five years and won four bowl rings,” Dotson said. “So, there’s no way I was going get in there and start. I wish I did my research on that… But once the next year came along, I said, ‘There is no way I’m sitting on the bench again.'”
And Dotson made (beyond) good on that statement. He earned the starting job at right guard the second week of the 2016 season, where he entrenched himself for the remainder of his collegiate career. Dotson quickly became a well-respected leader on the team, and his 52 consecutive starts were the second-most by any offensive lineman by 2019.
When asked where Dotson got that grit, he didn’t hesitate. “I get it mostly from my dad. Since I was young, he taught me if you’re hurt, you get up; if you’re injured, then you’re down. So, there’ve been a lot of games that I’ve been hurt. I feel like I’ve been hurt enough to get out of the game, but I knew I could keep playing. So, I always kept playing.”
Dotson has athleticism in his blood. Kelcy played outside linebacker at Louisiana, and his late mother, Denise, was a sprinter. His uncles, Alvin and Dennis McKinley played for the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. Alvin’s six seasons with the Browns included 12 games against the Steelers, one of which was a 36-33 loss in the Wild Card round of the 2003 playoffs when McKinley sacked Tommy Maddox for a five-yard loss. Alvin also blocked a Todd Peterson field goal in 2002 and an attempt by Jeff Reed in 2006.
Nothing negative
Louisiana was one of the best running teams in FBS Dotson’s senior season. His powerful run-blocking helped pave the way for a ground attack that finished fifth overall nationally. The Ragin’ Cajuns were ranked third nationally in yards per carry (6.28), fourth in rushing touchdowns (42), sixth in rushing yards per game (257.4), seventh in total rushing yards (3,604), and fifth in fewest sacks allowed per game.
Not only was Dotson awarded the prestigious first-team AP All-America honors but also earned spots on the USA TODAY, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Focus first-team All-American squads.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Dotson
Incredibly, despite his touted career at Louisiana, Dotson was not invited to the NFL Combine. And with his pro day canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, he had to scramble to make up for lost visits. His agent, Martin Fischman, coordinated a local crew to help professionally record credible measurements and combine-like drills. Video footage of height, weight, broad jump, vertical leap, bench press, positional, pass protection, and lateral drills — everything teams’ scouts would typically evaluate at the combine and pro day — were expertly packaged and sent electronically to the masses.
Dotson’s numbers spoke for themselves. His 4.80 40-yard dash would have landed him first among offensive linemen at the combine; 34 bench presses, third; 32-inch vertical, seventh; and his broad jump, 11th.
These unusual circumstances of a global pandemic have caused a shift in how the NFL offseason typically operates. With the travel ban in place and pro days canceled, the Steelers had to rely on tape and word-of-mouth perhaps more than they usually would.
It worked in Dotson’s favor.
“I knew once I watched the tape, this guy was on our list,” Steelers OL coach, Shaun Sarrett, said after the NFL Draft. “The first game I watched him, he popped on film, and then from there, I continued to watch more film, and he just got better and better. The Steelers did a great job of identifying him in the scouting department, and they got him to me, and I watched him, and I agree with them.”
Not only did Dotson shine on game tape, but people who know Dotson best remarked glowingly. “There were no negative things,” said Sarrett. “I kept trying to find something negative about the kid, and I couldn’t find it; talking with people, talking with coaches. I’ve got a lot of texts already from coaches around the league saying that’s a great pick by us by picking this guy.”
Though the Steelers never had the opportunity to give Dotson a physical or work him out before the draft, general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin conversed with him on FaceTime, and the Steelers sent a rep to scout him at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
That virtual pro day may have just sealed the deal for Dotson going to the Steelers in the fourth round. “I don’t know what it was, but I just wasn’t anticipating even getting picked right then and there,” admitted Dotson. “But I felt like I’d done enough to get picked in that round; in my mind, I was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”
Self-motivated man
So far, this offseason has been a bizarre one for the NFL, and the rookie class has taken the brunt of it. Not only was the glitz and glamor of the draft nonexistent, but instead of the rookie transition program and minicamps, newcomers are faced with virtual learning and Zoom meetings.
Dotson thinks this offseason is going to reveal a lot about the rookie class. “It’s going to make or break a lot of people because a lot of people aren’t self-motivated,” Dotson said. “There is going to be a great divide of who’s really been working and who’s not.”
The young guard counts himself among the former. “That’s one of the things I pride myself on is being self-motivated; I don’t need somebody around to make me work. I’m going to get the work done just to make sure I’m good.”
For Dotson, training hasn’t changed — he knows there’s a gap between being drafted and being a starter and he wants to make sure that gap is filled. “I’ve still been training like I haven’t gotten on the team yet, so I’m training just as hard. I’m working for that spot.”
It’s a tremendous challenge for a rookie to come in and supplant a veteran for a starting position, but no more difficult than this year — players haven’t even met coaches, and the existence of a traditional training camp is still in question.
The challenge certainly doesn’t faze Dotson. If anything, his experience at Louisiana propels him to be a starter in 2020. “I’m not one of those people that came here to sit on the bench. If it comes down to it, I will… just know I’m going to be trying to get on the field every week.”
“I know what type of player you have to be to be an offensive lineman for the Steelers. It’s all what football represents — being a tough guy, being a guy who knows what he’s doing, and being able to come off hard every play. So, I guarantee I’ll be that guy for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Dotson injects youth into an offensive line that is the oldest in the league. He represents the first player drafted as the future of the offensive line, and will soon embark on what the Steelers hope will be a decade as a starter.
Whether Dotson sits behind a veteran this season or earns himself a starting position, the Steelers are that much better for having him on the roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward is entering the final year of his contract.
No contract talks yet with Cam Heyward. It is hard to imagine him in another uniform but he’s turned himself into a $16M-plus per year player and that might present a problem for the Steelers. https://t.co/aLssbXorXi
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of a six-year, $59.2 million deal he inked in 2015.
The good? He’s only gotten better since.
The bad? He’s only gotten better since.
If the Steelers sign him to another extension, his salary demands will undoubtedly reflect his caliber. According to Spotrac, Heyward’s value is in the neighborhood of three years/$50 million based on his production and versatility.
The 31-year-old hardly looks his age on the field. An All-Pro last season, Heyward had a career year with nine sacks and 83 tackles. He also had 32 pressures, 11 hurries and 11 knockdowns. Ranked as the number two defensive interior lineman according to Pro Football Focus, Heyward was only behind the Rams Aaron Donald in 2019. Heyward logged 29 sacks over the past three seasons, which is not typical for guys on the interior. Those numbers have rightfully earned him three consecutive Pro Bowl nods.
Heyward will earn $9.5 million in 2020, which, according to OverTheCap, makes him the 16th highest-paid defensive lineman. He will count $13.2 million against the cap, the fifth-highest behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, linebacker Bud Dupree, guard David DeCastro, and defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
Heyward said there were early contract talks, which hinted that the Steelers are interested in signing him to a long-term deal. For an aging player like Heyward, you’d have to wonder just how “long-term” it would be.
“We have talked about it (prior), but things happen,” Heyward said in an interview with Mark Kaboly of “The Athletic”. “We haven’t had any talks as of late, and it may be due to the virus, I don’t know. I don’t know if their minds have changed. I understand their policy and respect their policy. If I have to play this year and go into next year as a free agent, then so be it. That’s not going to deter me from being the best teammate, the best person, the best player I can be.”
It’s worth noting that no NFL team has signed a player to a contract extension yet this offseason. A likely factor is an uncertainty of what the 2021 salary cap will be. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Thursday that it could potentially drop by at least $40 million, as the cap is based on expected revenue, which could be significantly affected by implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think everything got halted a little bit with the virus, and everybody pressed on the brakes,” said Heyward. “But I have understood their policies in the past about not going forward during the season. We are living in a time that things are changing rapidly. I am just taking it day by day, and we will see what happens.”
Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
It has been Steelers policy — since the year after free agency began in 1993 — to not negotiate contracts in-season. Generally, the front office mediates extensions of key veterans already under contract right before the season as they did with Joe Haden last September and Stephon Tuitt in 2017. Should Heyward and the Steelers not agree to a contract extension before September 14, the chances of him being back in black and gold in 2021 are slim, and he would become a free agent in March.
Without question, Heyward embodies what it means to wear the Steelers uniform. The five-time defensive captain is not only a respected leader in the locker room, but he’s an active member of the Pittsburgh community. In 2015, Heyward established The Heyward House, a foundation dedicated to impacting the lives of today’s youth. The tackle is a three-time nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes a player’s volunteer and charity work and excellence on the field.
Heyward is among a laundry list of 2021 free agents, including wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running back James Conner, LB Bud Dupree, offensive tackles Alejandro Villanueva, Zack Banner, and Matt Feiler, defensive end Tyson Alualu, cornerback Mike Hilton, and DT Daniel McCullers.
General manager Kevin Colbert has a way of making lemonade out of apples when we look at their salary cap situation and think it can’t be done. The question is, will the Steelers want to sign a player to a long-term deal who will be nearing 32-years-old when his contract expires?
Options for Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
If there ever was a more critical season in running back James Conner’s career, it’s 2020.
Conner is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he wants a new deal in Pittsburgh, he has to do two things: 1) Grind out yards both on the ground and as a receiver, and 2) Stay healthy for the entire season.
The RB has yet to play a full 16-game slate through his first three years. Even in Conner’s career season (1,470 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns) in 2018, he missed three of the final four games of the season with a lower leg sprain. The Steelers, by the way, suffered a record of 1-3 during that span.
Presumably, this is how things will shake out for Conner in January — the Steelers will let Conner test the free-agent market, and Conner will give general manager Kevin Colbert the last shot should he get an offer from another team. Both parties can then decide if it is reasonable for Conner to stay — whether the Steelers want to pay him the going price or whether he will accept a hometown discount to remain with the black and gold.
“It would be hard to put another helmet on because of everything this city means to me,” Conner said. “I’m Pittsburgh through-and-through. We’ll take it one day at a time. I just want to stay in the moment.”
The Steelers have a dozen priority free agents in 2021, including wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, cornerbacks Joe Haden and Mike Hilton, linebacker Bud Dupree, and defensive tackle Cam Heyward. They’ll be cash-strapped and, in my opinion, unless Conner has a significant fourth season in which he’s both productive and injury-free, the Steelers are best to part ways with him.
The contracts of three major players in the Steelers organization all expire in 2021.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 football season could very well be the last with three names we’ve all come to know and (mostly) love for more than a decade. The contracts of general manager Kevin Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all expire at the end of next season.
Kevin Colbert
The Pittsburgh native joined the Steelers organization in 2000 as director of football operations and has managed the duties that a typical GM would. When he was named general manager in 2011, he became the first in Steelers history to officially hold that title.
Colbert was given a contract extension in February on the condition that it was only for one year. He told the Pittsburgh media that he wanted extensions to be year-to-year going forward.
He has also said that he would never leave the Steelers unprepared. Hopefully, that means that he plans to select a potential successor to Roethlisberger in the 2021 NFL draft. We all know that a team is only as good as its quarterback.
Speaking of successors, it has been reported that the favorite to be named the Steelers next GM is Brandon Hunt, the team’s pro scouting coordinator. Hunt has been with the Steelers for 11 seasons.
Pittsburgh has won two Super Bowls and three AFC championships since Colbert joined the organization. The team also has nine division titles and has made the playoffs 12 times.
Colbert is responsible for drafting 158 players so far, including Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu, and future Hall of Famer Roethlisberger. He also has an eye for spotting diamonds in the rough — linebacker James Harrison, running back Willie Parker, and safety Ryan Clark were all undrafted players the Steelers signed to contracts.
Colbert, 63, is one of the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs. There’s no doubt he’s eyeing retirement.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is congratulated by general manager Kevin Colbert after an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Ben Roethlisberger
It would be a surprise to most everyone if Roethlisberger doesn’t retire at the end of his contract, and an even bigger surprise if the Steelers extend him.
Entering his 17th season, Roethlisberger has amassed many team and league records and has two Super Bowl victories to his name. His storied career will forever have him in the history books.
Record-wise, the quarterback’s best season came during his rookie year with a record of 13-0. With a record of 144-71-1, he’s come close to that 13-win mark six seasons since. Roethlisberger enjoyed his best year just two seasons ago in 2018 when he threw for career-highs in yardage (5,129) and touchdowns (34).
Mike Tomlin
Tomlin is heading into his 14th season as head coach. The Steelers typically extend their coach when he has two years left — almost always before training camp starts — and they did so in 2019. His current contract keeps him in Pittsburgh through the 2021 season.
Should he retire at the end of next season, he’ll have coached as many seasons as predecessor Bill Cowher. It’s almost hard to believe, isn’t it?
Cowher was hired as the Steelers coach at age 35, as was Tomlin. Cowher retired at 49 after 15 seasons with the black and gold.
At 36, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl when the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.
His current record as head coach is 133-74-1.
January 30, 2009; Tampa FL, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answers questions from the media during his press conference at the Tampa Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
It’s wild, yet not unrealistic, to think that Tomlin, Colbert, and Roethlisberger could all retire in 2021 and ride off into the sunset together.
Will it happen? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. One thing is for certain, the Steelers would not be where they are today without the three of them.
The Steelers have put their faith in quarterback Mason Rudolph backing up Ben Roethlisberger and managing the game if he needs to step in.
They said they wouldn’t draft a quarterback.
They didn’t.
They said they wouldn’t sign a veteran.
They haven’t.
Dating back to December, the top brass in the Steelers front office has repeatedly said that they are behind quarterback Mason Rudolph as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger in 2021.
The organization continued to put their trust in both Roethlisberger returning and Rudolph’s ability to be his No. 2 when, for the second consecutive year, they went without drafting a quarterback.
I was part of the fanbase that wanted the Steelers to draft a QB early; stash him on the bench behind Big Ben and Rudolph while he soaks up knowledge and develops. When Roethlisberger retires at the end of next season, I truly believe they’ll regret not having gone that route because Rudolph is not the long-term answer.
Unfortunately, with the fewest number of draft picks since 2003, they didn’t have the luxury to draft a player that would likely not start until 2022.
With that being said, Kevin Colbert has been a general manager for 20 years for good reason. He knows what’s best for the organization; not Steelers fans. All we can do is cross our fingers that Roethlisberger plays well and stays healthy. And if he doesn’t, hope that Rudolph can do enough to keep the team from falling apart.
Rudolph went 5-3 as a starter last season with a QB rating of 82. He completed 62 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games played.
Considering he was thrown into the fire, those stats aren’t awful. Does Rudolph have the makings of a franchise QB? No. But, in a pinch, the team will be counting on him to manage the game.
Not what the Steelers wanted when they traded up to get Rudolph in 2018 but what’s done is done.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is pleased with the selection of safety Antoine Brooks and the options his versatility offers.
The Steelers were looking for depth at safety, and they got one in the sixth round. A three-year starter for the Maryland Terps, Antoine Brooks, Jr. — a hybrid safety/linebacker — finished his senior year with a career-high 87 tackles, 8.5 TFL, one INT, five pass deflections, and one fumble recovery.
Brooks spent his first year as a reserve linebacker then, as a sophomore, moved to nickel corner. His sophomore season earned him Big Ten honorable mention. For Brooks’ performance at the safety position in his junior and senior seasons, he was third-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-Big Ten.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, a guest on Wednesday’s episode of Movin’ the Chains on Sirius XM, was asked if he has a sense of how the Steelers will utilize his versatility.
“We try to project where they’re going to play in a base defense. With Antoine, we feel comfortable that, in our base defense, he would be a safety,” Colbert explained. “But we talk about it all the time, base defenses really aren’t your bases any longer because you might only be in them a quarter of the time and the other times, you’re in subpackage.”
“So, a guy like Antoine Brooks fits into that subpackage mold because just like he did at Maryland playing in that slot, playing over the tight end, blitzing from the box, covering a back,” continued Colbert. “He’ll fit into those packages because he can do several different things related to the physicality necessary in the box with enough athleticism to cover — more so in the short zones and maybe in the deep type of coverage — but he certainly has that. And he certainly should be a contributor for Danny Smith on special teams because, again, of his athleticism and his physicality.”
Senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin echoed those sentiments in his post-draft press conference.
[Antoine] plays a little bit of everywhere. You will see him play down in the box, out on the slot, you will see him back some,” said Austin. “I think the biggest thing I liked about him is he was around the ball. He is going to be there, wherever that ball is, he is going to show up. He is very, very physical. I like that about him.”
“I also think when you watch, he has a really good feel for the game in terms of instincts and making quick decisions and not being afraid to make a decision. I think that is what you are looking for when you want a guy back there. He is going to diagnose and key and trust what he sees and then goes. I like that about him.”
A multi-position player like Brooks is valuable to the Steelers, and it will certainly increase his chances of making the final 55-man roster (per the CBA, the increase from 53 takes effect this season). Should Brooks progress enough to earn some defensive snaps this season, he has the potential to be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
No matter where the Steelers put him, Brooks is ready.
“Honestly, they can put me anywhere. I don’t care. I just want to play football to the best of my ability,” Brooks said. “I played nickel, I played in the slot, I played in the box. The box sees an awful lot for a player. I played in the box because I’m aggressive. That’s just my nature. I’m an aggressive tackler. I’m an aggressive player. I like to be in the play. Other than that, I did a lot of blitzing. I did a lot of moving around when I was at Maryland.
A complete gallery of each player drafted by general manager Kevin Colbert since his tenure began in 2001.
With the exception of Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph, quarterbacks drafted by general manager Kevin Colbert have all moved onto other teams or are no longer in the league.
I believe this position is a W for Colbert as he’s mainly been drafting for depth and not for starters. Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Famer and backups are a dime a dozen.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Bud Dupree signed his franchise tag tender Thursday leaving fans to wonder if he’ll be part of an in-draft trade.
Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree signed his franchise tag tender Thursday; just hours before the 2020 NFL Draft begins.
Dupree will be paid $15.8 million for 2020 and become a free agent at the end of the season unless he and the Steelers work out a long-term contract in the offseason.
The timing could very well indicate that the Steelers are looking to unload Dupree and his contract to move into the first round and acquire an additional pick this year or in the 2021 draft.
With little available information on 2020 draft prospects, teams could be clamoring for a player with Dupree’s experience. The LB enjoyed his best season in 2019 with 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Three franchised edge rushers were traded in 2019, including Khalil Mack, so a move is not out of the realm of possibilities.
“We’ll never say we won’t trade into any given round or trade out of one,” said general manager Kevin Colbert during an April conference call with media. “I think it is highly unlikely that we could come up with any type of package that we could get back in the first round (this year).”
Though Colbert has repeatedly said he wants Dupree to finish his career in Pittsburgh and Dupree has echoed those sentiments, the NFL is a business and the Steelers could get an equally (or more) productive player in the draft at a more affordable price.
Should Dupree remain a Steeler, the current market value for an edge rusher is around $80 million for five years with nearly half guaranteed.
The Steelers made a bold move to select ILB Devin Bush last year and traded their first-round pick this year for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. With a win-now mentality, the organization is no longer being conservative.
