Not A QB Problem But WR

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Steelers lack a 2 WR, what they thought Monty would have been. Johnson will be there but just not this year. Nobody is steeping up as the 2 and reliable week in and out!

[Fire Goodell]

Washington caught all his targets for 69 yards

[Edman]

People keep acting like that the Steelers Receivers are top tier and the Mason is just "not pulling the trigger" downfield. That is true (The safety), and I respond who on the Steelers is the go-to guy. Our Receivers are merely average and do not make plays downfield consistently. Our #1 guy alligator arms a pass that causes a turnover.

Imagine how Ben would've fared in 2004 and in his early years without HOF'er Hines to rely on. Mason can only do so much when he doesn't have "the guy" to throw to.

We have a quarterback with spotty mechanics and a group of wholly average receivers.

[Mojouw]

Ok. I am not saying I disagree with you all on this. And not saying I agree. But I don't believe we get to have it both ways.

Reliance on "star players" that "demand the ball no matter what" and "force the QB to make bad decisions to appease them" was a bad thing. In fact, many argued that it was a season sinking type of thing.

Lack of star players stagnating the offense because the QB has no one to throw the ball too is also bad. Many are arguing that it is a season sinking type of thing.

At some point, we have to pick a side and stick to it. Either an offense needs a "go-to" WR and all the good and bad that goes with that or it doesn't.

[EzraTank]

Washington caught all his targets for 69 yards

And some of them where way behind him. That CLEARLY was a QB problem.

[BlackAndGold]

Washington has a "average separation percentage" of 2.4 yards, DJ had a 3.4 percentage.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/receiving#average-separation

Rudolph has not been seeing them nor throwing good enough passes.

[Fire Goodell]

Washington has a "average separation percentage" of 2.4 yards, DJ had a 3.4 percentage.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/receiving#average-separation

Rudolph has not been seeing them nor throwing good enough passes.

Vance McDonald 4.6, use the TE!

[Mojouw]

Washington has a "average separation percentage" of 2.4 yards, DJ had a 3.4 percentage.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/receiving#average-separation

Rudolph has not been seeing them nor throwing good enough passes.

Is that out on all routes run, or only the ones they were thrown to? If it is the first, holy smokes -- guys are very open. If it is the latter, then Rudolph is only pulling the trigger when guys are staggeringly open.

[BlackAndGold]

Is that out on all routes run, or only the ones they were thrown to? If it is the first, holy smokes -- guys are very open. If it is the latter, then Rudolph is only pulling the trigger when guys are staggeringly open.

I have been looking this up because I was wondering also, and I just found it on the website posted(I have no idea how I kept missing this).

Average Separation (SEP)
The distance (in yards) measured between a WR/TE and the nearest defender at the time of catch or incompletion.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/glossary

[Mojouw]

I have been looking this up because I was wondering also, and I just found it on the website posted(I have no idea how I kept missing this).

Average Separation (SEP)
The distance (in yards) measured between a WR/TE and the nearest defender at the time of catch or incompletion.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/glossary

Hmmmm. So I read that as Mason Rudolph only throws to receivers if they have between 2.5 and 4.5 yards of separation from the nearest defender.

I mean wouldn't that shoot the theory that the offensive system doesn't get guys open out of the water? Also, a quick look sees to indicate that 2.5 or so is about what the big name #1 guys get.

[BlackAndGold]

Hmmmm. So I read that as Mason Rudolph only throws to receivers if they have between 2.5 and 4.5 yards of separation from the nearest defender.

I mean wouldn't that shoot the theory that the offensive system doesn't get guys open out of the water? Also, a quick look sees to indicate that 2.5 or so is about what the big name #1 guys get.

I've never been big on advanced stats and believe they don't tell the whole story but I ran by this the other day, It's something I'll be paying attention to. Would like to see this stat tracked live somehow(maybe it can?).

[Mojouw]

I've never been big on advanced stats and believe they don't tell the whole story but I ran by this the other day, It's something I'll be paying attention to. Would like to see this stat tracked live somehow(maybe it can?).

Agreed. Like any other tool, advanced stats are only useful when used properly and to accomplish the often limited task they were designed for.

I think they do help to immediately provided context and comparisons for what we see on Sundays.

[NCSteeler]

Ok. I am not saying I disagree with you all on this. And not saying I agree. But I don't believe we get to have it both ways.

Reliance on "star players" that "demand the ball no matter what" and "force the QB to make bad decisions to appease them" was a bad thing. In fact, many argued that it was a season sinking type of thing.

Lack of star players stagnating the offense because the QB has no one to throw the ball too is also bad. Many are arguing that it is a season sinking type of thing.

At some point, we have to pick a side and stick to it. Either an offense needs a "go-to" WR and all the good and bad that goes with that or it doesn't.BS. You can have a great WR without having a crying for the ball super star. Ward is a prime example. Reliable .

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[pczach]

Hmmmm. So I read that as Mason Rudolph only throws to receivers if they have between 2.5 and 4.5 yards of separation from the nearest defender.

I mean wouldn't that shoot the theory that the offensive system doesn't get guys open out of the water? Also, a quick look sees to indicate that 2.5 or so is about what the big name #1 guys get.



What it shows is that guys are NFL open on a regular basis, and they aren't getting the ball. I'm not saying this to crush Rudolph. I'm just saying that if guys are routinely that open....they have open receivers all over the field and that can't be used as an excuse for the quarterback not throwing the ball down the field more. I'm certainly willing to give Rudolph more time to develop, and I certainly don't know for certain what coaching limitations have been put on his game or on his reads.

Clearly, there are people to throw the ball to. I have been trying to see down the field whenever I get an opportunity to do so with replays or different camera angles, and many times I am seeing guys not just a little open, but wide open that still don't get the ball thrown to them. That doesn't mean that guys are constantly running wide open all game. It also doesn't mean that Rudolph will never be able to do that, because all quarterbacks miss wide open receivers when they are going through progressions.

I think those stats just say what many of us have been saying. That Rudolph just isn't seeing the field well, and that he seems hesitant to throw the ball down the field.

He's young and inexperienced. Let's hope he continues to get better and at some point the light comes on for him and he has the confidence to optimize his ability to play the game an attack all parts of the field.

[DesertSteel]

I don't think he's looking downfield late enough in his reads to see the receivers getting open. I can see this from his head turns in the all-22 I watched the other day.

[Fire Goodell]

Well it's not saying much but I'd take him over Mayfield or Trubisky lol

[Six Rings]

Washington has a "average separation percentage" of 2.4 yards, DJ had a 3.4 percentage.

https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/receiving#average-separation

Rudolph has not been seeing them nor throwing good enough passes.


^^^ This. Washington can make a fantastic play or two, but he's just not consistent enough to be the #2. Johnson has show to be very good at running routes and getting separation in his cuts. He would look better with a QB who has a big arm, like Ben to deliver the football with velocity and accuracy to take advantage of his skill set.


Rudolph has pretty much transformed Ju-ju from Superman to Clark Kent. When Ben was out, Brown wasn't special either. The problem to me is clear. I would however like a taller speed receiver who can catch the football.

[teegre]

Diontae Johnson is open a lot.

[AtlantaDan]

He's young and inexperienced. Let's hope he continues to get better and at some point the light comes on for him and he has the confidence to optimize his ability to play the game an attack all parts of the field.

Assume what we see now is what we get from Mason for 2019 and that Ben plays out his contract through 2021. Which would mean the bulk of Rudolph's starts (I presume if Ben returns for two more years he will miss a few games both seasons) will come from this season.

Would Mason merit a new contract when his rookie deal runs out in 2021?

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (paywalled) says the Steelers are all in on Mason.

I think the Steelers are all in with Rudolph after the Roethlisberger era ends, and he should get better sitting behind Big Ben for a year or two.

https://theathletic.com/1359866/2019/11/08/kabolys-steelers-mailbag-doing-moncrief-dirty-color-rush-all-of-the-time-and-trading-for-leveon-bell/

I am not surprised that is the party line Kaboly is hearing but I do not see it unless the standard is raised in the next 8 games regardless of whether Fichtner is holding Mason back because he does not trust him to do more or Mason constantly dumping off is his decision.

Hopefully the lack of marked improvement so far is due in large part to time lost after getting knocked out of the Ravens game

[pczach]

Assume what we see now is what we get from Mason for 2019 and that Ben plays out his contract through 2021. Which would mean the bulk of Rudolph's starts (I presume if Ben returns for two more years he will miss a few games both seasons) will come from this season.

Would Mason merit a new contract when his rookie deal runs out in 2021?

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (paywalled) says the Steelers are all in on Mason.

I think the Steelers are all in with Rudolph after the Roethlisberger era ends, and he should get better sitting behind Big Ben for a year or two.

https://theathletic.com/1359866/2019/11/08/kabolys-steelers-mailbag-doing-moncrief-dirty-color-rush-all-of-the-time-and-trading-for-leveon-bell/

I am not surprised that is the party line Kaboly is hearing but I do not see it unless the standard is raised in the next 8 games regardless of whether Fichtner is holding Mason back because he does not trust him to do more or Mason constantly dumping off is his decision.


It's obvious they want Mason to be the answer. I don't think he has shown everyone that he is that guy yet.

The good news is that they do get to see a lot more from him in practices, the film room, preseason games, scrimmages, and so on. I believe he needs to take a pretty good leap from what we are seeing now to make everyone think he can be the answer moving forward. There really isn't any need to rush the decision. We all want to know and we all want to see more, but only time can determine what he will ultimately be.

I am not convinced yet, and I don't think the team is convinced yet. I think the odds are that they are going to sign him no matter what. He won't get a huge deal, but it would probably be smart for the team to sign him to a new deal before he hits free agency. He can then have a year as the starter, and the team can then decide if he is going to be the man, or he is going to help groom the next man.

Of course, all of this is based on Big Ben coming back and playing for two more years. Who knows how all of this works out. Ben may come back and have a fresh arm, and be the healthiest he has been in a while, play great, and both he and the team wants him to play more. He may also come back and just have injury after injury if his body has started to break down, and Rudolph gets extended playing time and the team will know for certain what his ceiling is.

[Edman]

Rudolph has pretty much transformed Ju-ju from Superman to Clark Kent. When Ben was out, Brown wasn't special either. The problem to me is clear. I would however like a taller speed receiver who can catch the football.

Juju lets the corner box him to the sideline, can't make a tough catch, and causes a turnover, and Rudolph is the problem? I think it is Juju deciding to be Clark Kent than Superman.

Going back to last year (Bengals Game Week 17 in particular), Juju (and Ben by extension) wasn't special without Brown. The bad trends we saw against the Bengals continued against the Patriots and the Seahawks. I think Antonio Brown really masked and covered up for the deficiencies for the Offense in general, and even then, he couldn't hide it for long.

[pczach]

Juju lets the corner box him to the sideline, can't make a tough catch, and causes a turnover, and Rudolph is the problem? I think it is Juju deciding to be Clark Kent than Superman.

Going back to last year (Bengals Game Week 17 in particular), Juju (and Ben by extension) wasn't special without Brown. The bad trends we saw against the Bengals continued against the Patriots and the Seahawks. I think Antonio Brown really masked and covered up for the deficiencies for the Offense in general, and even then, he couldn't hide it for long.


JuJu is working his ass off to get open, much of the time against double teams...and the ball isn't thrown to him. Can JuJu play better? I think so. But stop making these claims when you don't know what you're talking about. Rudolph isn't throwing to anyone down the field very often. JuJu didn't forget how to play football. I'm seeing players open down field. They aren't getting the ball from the quarterback,

Ben has 15 years of football to show what he can do without Brown. Another silly, completely false statement by you. JuJu was only in his second season and was thrust into the role because Brown quit on the team. I'm so sorry that the wide receiver that has had as much success as anybody has ever had in the history of the NFL at his age is such a disappointment to you. :jerkit:

Brown didn't do anything without Ben throwing him the ball in games. Stop creating this false narrative about everything you discuss. Brown was and is a great player, but he didn't have much of an impact on the field for the first several years of his career. He didn't become AB until he was in the league for several years and was older than JuJu is now. You also have to know that JuJu doesn't have a player like himself on the opposite side of him. Of course, you would already know that if you knew what you were talking about and didn't ignore facts that don't match the agenda you are pushing.

A receiver can't do anything unless the quarterback gets him the ball. Now, when Rudolph does get the ball to him, he needs to catch the ball and make plays on some balls that aren't perfect. He has done some of that, but JuJu has not come through on a few plays. It is now up to Rudolph to start finding open players down the field and delivering the ball accurately with more regularity.

Rudolph is going to get better. Not everyone here is saying he sucks. He's inexperienced. Now we all have to hope that the game starts coming to him more and more. Everything else, including the play of the receivers and tight ends, will take care of itself. I'm hoping Rudolph gets there, and I think everyone else here feels the same way.

[fansince'76]

More proof today. This is probably a much more comfortable win if they hold on to a few of those drops.

Hate to say it, but they're really missing AB's hands of glue.

[Bluecoat96]

More proof today. This is probably a much more comfortable win if they hold on to a few of those drops.

Hate to say it, but they're really missing AB's hands of glue.And Darryl Drake's coaching. Cant forget that either.

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[BlackAndGold]

4 drops today, also a fumble by Washington after he made a big catch and run.

[fansince'76]

4 drops today, also a fumble by Washington after he made a big catch and run.

Only 4? Seemed like a lot more.

[Iron Steeler]

we lack a "killer instinct" "clutch" playmaker at the receiving position. The WR/TEs look timid at some times. Washington, Johnson, and even JUJU seem to clam up in the must need clutch moments.

JUJU is terrific. But he lacks the clutchness to be considereda bonifide 1.

I heard Dez Bryantis looking to come back, we should kick the tires on him.

conner has the "killer instinct" but cant stay healthy becsuse his body beating running style.

[BlackAndGold]

Only 4? Seemed like a lot more.

Agreed but that was the stat shown on the TV. Thought I saw 5(Vannet in quarter 1?)

[86WARD]

Agreed but that was the stat shown on the TV. Thought I saw 5(Vannet in quarter 1?)

Had to be more then 4 and don’t forget McDonald’s fumble. That receiving corp as a whole just isn’t fundamentally sound right now.

[BlackAndGold]

Had to be more then 4 and don’t forget McDonald’s fumble. That receiving corp as a whole just isn’t fundamentally sound right now.

Life of having a group of young players. Life was more easy for young WR's when the Steelers had the best WR receiver in the NFL taking all of the coverage. They'll get there, but it'll take some more time.

[Steelerchad]

Rudolph is far from perfect and he is off target a bit. Also seems really tentative to push the ball down the field. A little gun shy it appears.
Lots of drops today and NFL WRs and TEs should catch it if they get their hands on it, but Rudolph seems to drill even the short touch passes, which doesn't help with the drops.

[Iron Steeler]

JUJU is our #1 he is 22 years old going on 18 years old mentally. meaning he still has this boyish attitude towards the game. like yay im having fun lets all have fun...we need a Bully in our receiver corps.

[DesertSteel]

Ranking the skill positions Sunday:

1) QB
2) WR
3) RB

[HollywoodSteel]

I still do not understand why we didn’t get Josh Gordon off waivers. If ever there was a low risk, high reward move it was that one. We were the perfect team for him to contribute and reinvent himself.

He made impactful catches for Seattle, and is only going to get more involved in their offense. And for them, he’s a luxury. For us, he’s a big, fast, redzone threat who would take SO much pressure of Juju.

And no... I do NOT buy that Gordon is any type of locker room cancer. That was never his problem. He’s not a diva. He wouldn’t be a problem for anyone. If he ended up not being reliable that’s the absolute WORST case scenario.

I know there are tea totelers that think smoking weed is a sin. No. It’s against the rules. That’s it. It’s not a locker room or chemistry problem. He would either contribute or he wouldn’t, but he would not hurt the locker room any more than Moncrief did by turning out to be a bad investment.

He’s gonna end up contributing to Seattle, and they don’t even need him really. I think the coaching staff and managers were straight up cowards by not taking him. They were worried about perception. Which makes me angry at fans that would have been all up in arms over it.

Those two clutch catches for Seattle were already enough to justify the pick up. And you know he’s not done contributing.

Sorry, but I’m really annoyed by the stupid “locker room” blah blah blah mentality that is such utter bullshit in my mind.

There is absolutely zero chance that Josh Gordon’s presence in the locker room would EVER turn a potential win into a loss. But his presence on the field COULD turn a loss into a win.

At almost NO risk.

So unless you feel that our WR unit is way too good to mess with, I absolutely reject the notion that Gordon could have possibly made this team worse.

[Craic]

cut...

That's very easy.

He's been suspended how many times? For what? The Steelers have had enough of that type of behavior. They just cleared the locker room. Why would you want to bring something like that back in? And no, this is not a post saying he's a locker room cancer. It's a post saying they're done with distractions. They're not going to bring in another potential one. (Oh, and by the way. Pot is more than against the rules. It's still against the law in many states and also against federal law. People still seem to forget about that).

[Mojouw]

The problem with Josh Gordon is that he doesn't fit the Steelers offense. He actually would be a FAR better fit with Ben R than Mason R. Gordon doesn't really run great or precise routes. He uses his monster size to simply find open space and rip the ball down over a defender. That isn't really a good match for a rookie QB who is not yet improvising. That is what would make Gordon a monster with Ben -- the two of them on the scramble drill would be ridiculous. And he will likely find success in Seattle.

But Josh "Flash" Gordon is still dining out on ONE good year. Now that year was absolutely amazing, but still. It was six years ago and Gordon is simply not that good anymore. His physical skills have eroded and he hasn't made much progress as a technician at the position.

[NCSteeler]

I still do not understand why we didn’t get Josh Gordon off waivers. If ever there was a low risk, high reward move it was that one. We were the perfect team for him to contribute and reinvent himself.

He made impactful catches for Seattle, and is only going to get more involved in their offense. And for them, he’s a luxury. For us, he’s a big, fast, redzone threat who would take SO much pressure of Juju.

And no... I do NOT buy that Gordon is any type of locker room cancer. That was never his problem. He’s not a diva. He wouldn’t be a problem for anyone. If he ended up not being reliable that’s the absolute WORST case scenario.

I know there are tea totelers that think smoking weed is a sin. No. It’s against the rules. That’s it. It’s not a locker room or chemistry problem. He would either contribute or he wouldn’t, but he would not hurt the locker room any more than Moncrief did by turning out to be a bad investment.

He’s gonna end up contributing to Seattle, and they don’t even need him really. I think the coaching staff and managers were straight up cowards by not taking him. They were worried about perception. Which makes me angry at fans that would have been all up in arms over it.

Those two clutch catches for Seattle were already enough to justify the pick up. And you know he’s not done contributing.

Sorry, but I’m really annoyed by the stupid “locker room” blah blah blah mentality that is such utter bullshit in my mind.

There is absolutely zero chance that Josh Gordon’s presence in the locker room would EVER turn a potential win into a loss. But his presence on the field COULD turn a loss into a win.

At almost NO risk.

So unless you feel that our WR unit is way too good to mess with, I absolutely reject the notion that Gordon could have possibly made this team worse.Looks like lockett may be done. They are going to need Gordon now. If it means anything I agree he was a no risk all reward pick-up. Colbert has done a great job this year. But that is probably a Miss

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[HollywoodSteel]

The problem with Josh Gordon is that he doesn't fit the Steelers offense. He actually would be a FAR better fit with Ben R than Mason R. Gordon doesn't really run great or precise routes. He uses his monster size to simply find open space and rip the ball down over a defender. That isn't really a good match for a rookie QB who is not yet improvising. That is what would make Gordon a monster with Ben -- the two of them on the scramble drill would be ridiculous. And he will likely find success in Seattle.

But Josh "Flash" Gordon is still dining out on ONE good year. Now that year was absolutely amazing, but still. It was six years ago and Gordon is simply not that good anymore. His physical skills have eroded and he hasn't made much progress as a technician at the position.

Everyone keeps saying we need a vertical threat that can make contested catches, as well as a big red zone threat. Of course he’d be more productive with Ben, no question. But a guy who can go deep and outfight a corner for a jump ball is any quarterbacks friend.

We have the route runners in Juju and D. Johnson. We can always use a big strong red zone guy.

Plus he doesn’t have to do much to be worth it. It wouldn’t have been a risk. Worst case scenario he contributes just a little more than Switzer. Lol

[Mojouw]

Everyone keeps saying we need a vertical threat that can make contested catches, as well as a big red zone threat. Of course he’d be more productive with Ben, no question. But a guy who can go deep and outfight a corner for a jump ball is any quarterbacks friend.

We have the route runners in Juju and D. Johnson. We can always use a big strong red zone guy.

Plus he doesn’t have to do much to be worth it. It wouldn’t have been a risk. Worst case scenario he contributes just a little more than Switzer. Lol
You've convinced me.

At this point I have to wonder why they haven't "churned" the roster with Holton and Switzer? I think months ago someone mentioned that they heard DHB was the source of several anonymous locker room comments past few years. Honestly, only reason I can think not to swap him and Holton.

Every week, some other NFL team lets a WR go due to roster issues for injury or whatever. Why anyone, literally anyone, hasn't been brought in is a great mystery to me.

So, on second thought --- why not Gordon?

[HollywoodSteel]

That's very easy.

He's been suspended how many times? For what? The Steelers have had enough of that type of behavior. They just cleared the locker room. Why would you want to bring something like that back in? And no, this is not a post saying he's a locker room cancer. It's a post saying they're done with distractions. They're not going to bring in another potential one. (Oh, and by the way. Pot is more than against the rules. It's still against the law in many states and also against federal law. People still seem to forget about that).


Who would he distract? In what way? Would he distract Rudolph into throwing it badly? Would he distract a fellow WR into taking his eyes off the ball?

Or do you just mean some reporters might ask a few extra questions? And Tomlin would answer them. And move on to football.

Is Gordon a distraction in Seattle? Or did he simply catch two clutch receptions that contributed to a win?

And it doesn’t matter if it’s illegal or not. I concede that he’s not allowed to do it anymore. We’ve allowed woman beaters, and dog torturers onto this team. Perhaps you could argue that those things are evil and should trump football. A guy smoked weed is not evil, regardless of the law. And it’s a law that will be gone one day completely. Sodomy was once illegal. They can pass all the stupid laws they want. All that matters in this context is that he isn’t allowed to do it. We’ve had guys who’ve been suspended for steroids. Once they serve their suspension theirs no talk about them being a locker room problem or a distraction.

He would distract absolutely no one that matters. Not a single player would be distracted by anything he used to do. And if we have such a fragile player... THAT’S the guy I’d be worried about.

“You used to smoke weed? I’m so distracted, I can’t play football! Ahh!”

By all means, get rid of any player who loses his focus over such things. That guy is a walking time bomb.

And if he ever breaks that rule again... he’d be gone. That’s the only risk. But he’s not expensive. And I’ll bet ANYTHING that he’d contribute more than Moncrief ever did while he was here.

So far in Seattle he has contributed to a win. And there’s no evidence that he’s distracted a single player into being worse at football. Do you think we will eventually distract his fellow players into playing worse? And if he does, you cut him. He’s already done more to earn his money than Moncrief ever did.

[teegre]

Every week, I’d bring in a new WR... until they find someone better than Switzer. It shouldn’t be too difficult to replace him.

I understand that “consistency” is important on special teams & such, but Switzer “consistently” does nothing with the ball. Worse yet: last week, he nearly cost us the game. He fielded that punt at the 5. WTF!?! It led to a safety and a lot of stressful moments at the end of the game.

Bring back Gary Russell. :nod:

[HollywoodSteel]

Every week, I’d bring in a new WR... until they find someone better than Switzer. It shouldn’t be too difficult to replace him.

I understand that “consistency” is important on special teams & such, but Switzer “consistently” does nothing with the ball. Worse yet: last week, he nearly cost us the game. He fielded that punt at the 5. WTF!?! It led to a safety and a lot of stressful moments at the end of the game.

Bring back Gary Russell. :nod:

Isn’t Switzer injured? There’s probably no way he’ll play on a short week. So they only have four active WRs. Do we have any WRs on the practice squad? Or will we be forced to bring someone in.

I’ve asked this before, but I don’t think anyone answered: what about Eli Rogers? He was cut because he was kind of redundant with Switzer, but now he seems like the more reliable option. He’s a pretty solid pass catcher who runs good routes out of the slot, and he already knows the play book. Seems like he could be an asset for Rudolph. Assuming he’s healthy.

[Shoes]

Isn’t Switzer injured? There’s probably no way he’ll play on a short week. So they only have four active WRs. Do we have any WRs on the practice squad? Or will we be forced to bring someone in.

I’ve asked this before, but I don’t think anyone answered: what about Eli Rogers? He was cut because he was kind of redundant with Switzer, but now he seems like the more reliable option. He’s a pretty solid pass catcher who runs good routes out of the slot, and he already knows the play book. Seems like he could be an asset for Rudolph. Assuming he’s healthy.


I'm not sure what the deal is with Rogers, I've wondered that myself.

[Mojouw]

Isn’t Switzer injured? There’s probably no way he’ll play on a short week. So they only have four active WRs. Do we have any WRs on the practice squad? Or will we be forced to bring someone in.

I’ve asked this before, but I don’t think anyone answered: what about Eli Rogers? He was cut because he was kind of redundant with Switzer, but now he seems like the more reliable option. He’s a pretty solid pass catcher who runs good routes out of the slot, and he already knows the play book. Seems like he could be an asset for Rudolph. Assuming he’s healthy.


I'm not sure what the deal is with Rogers, I've wondered that myself.

Something must be up. He hasn't resurfaced in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in the NFL. Does anyone honestly believe there are 150 better WRs in the entire league than Eli Rogers?

[HollywoodSteel]

Something must be up. He hasn't resurfaced in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in the NFL. Does anyone honestly believe there are 150 better WRs in the entire league than Eli Rogers?

I know that a couple teams worked him out this year, but I’m
not sure why he wasn’t signed.

The most recent thing I could find was the Texans brought in Rogers and JJ Nelson for work outs 3 weeks ago. As far as I know Rodgers isn’t hurt or anything. So who knows why teams are passing on him.

But then, I think we should value him more than others do because he knows our system... and we’re kind of desperate at this point.

[pczach]

Something must be up. He hasn't resurfaced in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in the NFL. Does anyone honestly believe there are 150 better WRs in the entire league than Eli Rogers?


No, there aren't 150 better WRs.

There must be something we don't know about, because if there wasn't another issue...he'd be on an NFL roster.

[teegre]

Isn’t Switzer injured? There’s probably no way he’ll play on a short week. So they only have four active WRs. Do we have any WRs on the practice squad? Or will we be forced to bring someone in.

I’ve asked this before, but I don’t think anyone answered: what about Eli Rogers? He was cut because he was kind of redundant with Switzer, but now he seems like the more reliable option. He’s a pretty solid pass catcher who runs good routes out of the slot, and he already knows the play book. Seems like he could be an asset for Rudolph. Assuming he’s healthy.

SWITZER:
Yes, he is injured... thank goodness. :toofunny:

ROGERS:
Supposedly, he & DHB were leaking info to the press about the locker room. Teams don’t like that kind of stuff.

That said, he’d be the instant upgrade that we need (as long as he keeps quiet).

[HollywoodSteel]

SWITZER:
Yes, he is injured... thank goodness. :toofunny:

ROGERS:
Supposedly, he & DHB were leaking info to the press about the locker room. Teams don’t like that kind of stuff.

That said, he’d be the instant upgrade that we need (as long as he keeps quiet).

Oh, seriously? I heard that rumor about DHB but this is the first I’m hearing that about ER.

Did you read that somewhere?

[teegre]

Oh, seriously? I heard that rumor about DHB but this is the first I’m hearing that about ER.

Did you read that somewhere?

I read it (somewhere) during the AB stuff... about how the Steelers were “cleaning house” of the distractions: AB, Bell, DHB, & Rogers.

[86WARD]

I read it (somewhere) during the AB stuff... about how the Steelers were “cleaning house” of the distractions: AB, Bell, DHB, & Rogers.

I think I remember seeing the same and I believe it was talked about here as well. Still doesn’t explain why other teams won’t take a chance in him...I mean NE is in dire need of WRs...same with Philly and Seattle. If he’s got anything left in the tank, someone would’ve signed him...even Miami or Cincinnati...no?

[tube517]

I'm not sure what Eli has left. His last good season was 2016. 2017 he went to the doghouse and lost his spot to Juju and even to Justin Hunter. 2018 was a wash due to injury.

But, then the Steelers signed him to a new contract in March 2019. :noidea:

Then he gets cut during the final round of cuts for preseason.

Strange

[HollywoodSteel]

I'm not sure what Eli has left. His last good season was 2016. 2017 he went to the doghouse and lost his spot to Juju and even to Justin Hunter. 2018 was a wash due to injury.

But, then the Steelers signed him to a new contract in March 2019. :noidea:

Then he gets cut during the final round of cuts for preseason.

Strange

Yeah, it is weird. If he were part of a “cleaning house” movement you’d think he’d have been cut sooner. He was in the mix until the end.

But there’s obviously SOMETHING that’s preventing us, and every other team, from signing him.

[HollywoodSteel]

Browns released Antonio Callaway.

Is he maybe better than Tevin Jones? Or are we just done with anyone named Antonio?

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Browns released Antonio Callaway.

Is he maybe better than Tevin Jones? Or are we just done with anyone named Antonio?

Ah, nevermind on this guy. He has major character issues and squandered his opportunities. Not worth it.