Will a big acquisition be made?
Greetings and welcome to the weekly Steelers Friday mailbag, where we respond to your inquiries. We appreciate the community at BTSC’s ongoing support. The envelopes need to be opened.
Note: In order to have a complete cycle of news to cover, we will now be doing the mailbags every two weeks as the Steelers are in their summer.
Q: Jarrett, was Tomlin and a few others present at the Senior Bowl workouts, or was the whole Steelers coaching staff present?- Michael Humphreys
A: No, it was only Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin, plus one or two scouts who stayed for the entire week. No team ever sends out their whole roster—that would be way excessive. Usually merely the general manager and head coach are eliminated, followed by the designated scouts.
Is there any way the Steelers can cut costs on Cam Heyward’s deal, or does he have to retire?- Bonairjim
A: Cam isn’t going away; he’s coming back. He’s not going anywhere, but I would anticipate that the Steelers will turn a portion of his pay into a roster bonus in order to avoid going over the cap.
Is Art Rooney II just that out of touch, or does he really realize how dire the QB situation is?- P-squared
A: I think the latter is more likely. Rooney is overly patient and inexpensive. He doesn’t seem to get that a strong defense and a mediocre quarterback are no longer enough to make you a contender in 2002. It’s the quarterback’s age. You have no chance if the other players on your squad are as close to flawless as possible and you don’t have a strong one, or at least one that is above average. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a major announcement. The “competition” at quarterback will be Ryan Tannehill and a mid-round draft selection.
