Let the battles begin.
While the NFL's offseason position battle emphasis is typically focused on what happens in training camp and the preseason, it's what occurs before that -- in OTAs and minicamp -- that set the stage for what is to come.
With that in mind, we'll take a look this week at the position battles that will be under the microscope when Phase 3 of the Steelers' OTAs — beginning next Tuesday — are open to media, then later in the month at minicamp.
We'll do these in order of significance, with the most pressing battles first and starting with the offense:
RIGHT TACKLE
When the Steelers surprisingly re-signed Ramon Foster and traded Marcus Gilbert to the Cardinals, it created an immediate competition at this position.
Matt Feiler, who would have been in the mix to replace Foster had he not been retained, is the de facto incumbent, having started 10 games at right tackle last season for the injured Gilbert.
Feiler, a former undrafted rookie, played well last season, but the Steelers have invested mid-round picks on Chuks Okorafor (third round, 2018) and Jerald Hawkins (fourth round, 2016) because they liked the upside of both players. And when asked about the right tackle position at the NFL meetings earlier this year, Mike Tomlin was quick to mention all three as possibilities.
Okorafor started one game at right tackle last season when both Feiler and Gilbert were out and performed well at Denver. He's got good feet and a lot of upside and could wind up being the favorite to win the job.
This is a big season for Hawkins. He has missed two full seasons with injuries, but was used as an extra blocker at tight end in 2017 with some success.
Given Feiler's ability to play both guard and tackle, the Steelers could want Okorafor or Hawkins to win the job so that Feiler can be a swing player on game days.
Will that come to fruition? Perhaps. But Feiler isn't going to go down without a fight. This could be the best battle of the offseason.
WIDE RECEIVER
We know JuJu Smith-Schuster will be one starter. Outside of that, nobody is really sure.
What we also know is James Washington, Donte Moncrief and Diontae Johnson are guaranteed spots. Beyond that, and how they will be deployed, is anyone's guess.
The Steelers expect Washington, a second-round draft pick in 2018, to take a big step forward in his second season. But nobody expects him to replace Antonio Brown's 104 catches. Washington struggled with some of his route running in 2018, which led to playing a tick slower than he should have. And that affected his confidence.
That shouldn't be a problem for Moncrief. He was one of the team's big free-agent signings after playing through a one-year, $9 million deal with Jacksonville last season. He caught 48 passes for 668 yards and three scores for the Jaguars last season despite the team's quarterback issues.
Washington and Moncrief will be in the mix somewhere. Whether Johnson, the first of the team's two third-round draft picks this year, can be a factor in the passing game remains to be seen. He got nicked up at the team's rookie minicamp, sitting out the final day, but it isn't expected to be serious. That's good news — the Steelers want him to pump up their return game, as well.
Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers return but are strictly slot receivers. In fact, they offer pretty much the same skill set, which could leave an opening for another receiver to make a push for a roster spot if the Steelers choose to keep six.
Who might that player be? Tevin Jones (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and Trey Griffey (6-foot-3, 195) both spent last season on the practice squad and offer good size. Jones is the more explosive player.
The Steelers also added veteran speedster Johnny Holton on Monday after his release by the Eagles, and CFL standout Diontae Spencer was signed in the offseason, as well.
But Holton has fumbled four times on just 18 career touches, while Spencer is tiny at 5-foot-8, 163 pounds.
If any one of these players can make a push, keep an eye on Jones to be that guy.
BACKUP RUNNING BACK
James Conner is the starter. And right now, Jaylen Samuels is the backup.
But fourth-round pick Benny Snell is a much more experienced running back than Samuels, who was used more as an H-back in college.
In fact, the 100-yard rushing game Samuels had in December against the Patriots was the first 100-yard game of his career — at any level. Samuels is much more accomplished as a receiver, a role he can still play in this offense. Samuels, as Conner did in his rookie season, struggled in pass protection. He should be improved in that area, but perhaps not enough to hold off Snell, who showed a knack for doing it at the college level.
The early guess is that Samuels serves as more of a third-down back, while Snell winds up being Conner's backup. All three should be active on game days.
NO. 2 QUARTERBACK
Ideally, it shouldn't matter who the backup quarterback might be. But as we saw last season, there are times when the backup is forced into action.
The Steelers rolled the dice with that in 2018, going with Josh Dobbs as the No. 2 and third-round draft pick Mason Rudolph as the No. 3 after releasing veteran Landry Jones.
The argument could be made it cost them a win in Oakland, when Ben Roethlisberger missed a quarter and a half with a rib injury.
Could that pecking order flip this year, with Rudolph supplanting Dobbs as No. 2? He'll be given a shot.
And given the fact Roethlisberger isn't an everyday participant in the offseason workouts -- or at least hasn't been in previous years -- those two will get plenty of work.
Then again, with so many new receivers in the mix, perhaps Roethlisberger will be around more often this year.
