Steelers News: The Dolphins are leaving players behind heading into the NFL trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 8 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the Miami Dolphins this week we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the next game starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how the Dolphins have decided to rule out several players who are subject to trade rumors leading up to the NFL trade deadline.

Let’s get to the news:

• The Miami Dolphins are in a bad spot, and most know they are simply playing this 2019 season for 2020 and beyond. It looks as if they are preparing to trade more players as they left some key names back in Miami before making the trip to Pittsburgh.

Kenyan Drake — who’s been the subject of trade rumors — not traveling to Pittsburgh for Steelers game

By: Miami Sun-Sentinel

Five Miami Dolphins players did not travel to Pittsburgh for Monday night’s game against the Steelers, but it’s very likely one of those players will be dealt by the team before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline.

Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake is the most notable player who did not make the trip, the team announced on Sunday. Drake is not injured.

The Dolphins also announced safety Reshad Jones, center Daniel Kilgore, defensive end Avery Moss and reserve offensive lineman Andrew Donnal also did not travel to Pittsburgh. Jones (chest), Kilgore (knee) and Moss (ankle) did not travel because of their injuries, while Donnal’s absence is not injury related.

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• No Stephon Tuitt? Time for Javon Hargrave to shine as a pass rusher.

Kevin Gorman: Steelers counting on Javon Hargrave to look the part of a pass rusher

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers are down a defensive end with Stephon Tuitt’s season-ending pectoral injury, so they will turn to the most unlikely of all pass rushers as a replacement.

Javon Hargrave has a nose for the quarterback, maybe even more so than he does for his position. The 6-foot, 315-pound nose tackle doesn’t look the part of a pass rusher, with his round rear end earning him the nickname J-Wobble.

But Hargrave’s statistics show that he can be a disruptive force. He has 12 ½ career sacks, including a career-best 6 ½ last season, from what is generally a run-plugging role.

“That’s what I love doing ever since I’ve been playing football,” said Hargrave, who registered 37 career sacks at South Carolina State. “That’s my favorite thing about football, getting to the quarterback.”

Where Tyson Alualu will start for Tuitt, the Steelers are counting on Hargrave to serve as the pass-rushing replacement in sub-package situations in their Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.

“There’s not a lot of nose’s that can do what he does,” Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “Sub-package wise, he’s going to get more of an opportunity, and we’re going to depend on him. He’s shown up in the past and will have to do it again.”

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• Mason Rudolph will be looking for contact, but let’s hope not too much contact.

Mason Rudolph will be seeking out contact in his return to action

By: Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

On Monday night, Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph will return to action for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week Five against the Ravens. He won’t be shying away from contact; instead, he’ll be looking for it.

“My dad’s a linebacker, my brother’s a defensive end — a lot of times I wish I could have more contact in the game because I truly love it,” Rudolph said this week, via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That’s kind of the backyard player that I am. So I’m not going to be gun shy at all. If anything, I’ll be seeking it out, contact, earlier in the game to get the rust [off] and know what it feels like to get hit.”

Cornerback Joe Haden understands Rudolph’s desire to mix it up physically.

“Unlike a quarterback, we can hit in practice,” Haden said, via Adamski. “So just being able to run into people like that, you get a little more comfortable. Because some of it is just mental, too.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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