Steelers News: Will Isaiah Buggs be able to do what Joshua Frazier didn’t?

With the 2019 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2019 season is fast approaching, and the news surrounding the black-and-gold is far from over. As the team now turns their attention to more offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp, there is no shortage of news.

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at whether or not rookie DT Isaiah Buggs will be able to do better than his former Alabama teammate, Joshua Frazier did when going into the NFL ranks.

Let’s get to the news:

• Is Isaiah Buggs on track to do more than Joshua Frazier? Frazier didn’t really set the bar too high as he was the only member of the 2018 NFL Draft class to not make the team. Buggs is ready for a big role behind the likes of Stephon Tuitt, Cameron Heyward and even Javon Hargrave.

‘Big Pooh’ Isaiah Buggs hopes for big role as Steelers rookie

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“Big Pooh” is hoping to make a big impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line this season.

More formally known as Isaiah Buggs, the rookie sixth-round pick from Alabama can ideally add an infusion of youth and depth to a Steelers position unit that is arguably the best on the team.

So, about that nickname – one that’s digitally immortalized on Buggs’ verified Twitter account (handle: @BigPooh_91).

To read the full article, click HERE

• The Steelers know how to get after the quarterback, the stats show this very clearly, but does the team’s defensive reputation match their output?

Tim Benz: Does the Steelers’ pass-rush production match its reputation?

By: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Is Bud Dupree better than we make him out to be? Is the Steelers’ pass-rush as good as its sack numbers indicate? Is the Steelers’ offensive line pass-protection as good as we say it is?

Based on some numbers compiled by ESPN’s Next Gen player-tracking stats those answers are:

• Probably

• Almost

• No

If you’re like me and you hear a statistical deep-dive interview, you tend to embrace the numbers being discussed if they support your preconceived notion. You dismiss them if they don’t.

To read the full article, click HERE

• Everyone loves to talk about camp battles, and those battles will start with Organized Team Activities (OTAs), but what if I told you the best battles will be on offense — not defense?

Analysis: Offensive battles will highlight OTAs

By: Dale Lolley, DKPittsburghSports

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:

To read the full article, click HERE

• Want to know more about the no-name quarterback who came into rookie minicamp and beat out a player who actually spent time in an NFL training camp?

Asked and Answered: May 16

By: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

DAVE O’BRIEN FROM BRADENTON, FL: Did you attend rookie minicamp? If so, do you have any thoughts about Devlin Hodges?

ANSWER: Yes, and what I can tell you about Devlin Hodges is that he showed up and won a roster spot over Brogan Roback, who was in an NFL training camp last summer with the Cleveland Browns. That’s not an easy task for a young player – to come into an NFL situation for the first time and in the course of a handful of practices be able to unseat a guy who knew what to expect because he had been through it before. A little background on Hodges: He was four-year starter at FCS school Samford, where he was voted Southern Conference Player of the Year three times. He finished his 45-game college career by completing 69.1 percent of his passes for an FCS record 14,584 yards and 111 touchdowns. Starting in 2016, Hodges threw 36, 31, and 32 touchdown passes in successive seasons. Right now, Hodges will go to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe as a fourth arm for training camp.

To read the full article, click HERE

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