Steelers News: Diontae Johnson focused on one thing — winning a Super Bowl

With all of the Steelers’ 2019 offseason workouts in the rear view mirror, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan base has to suffer through the dog days of summer until the boys of fall return to the gridon. In the meantime, don’t think the news surrounding the black-and-gold is over. As the team disperses for the summer, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until training camp!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how rookie wide receiver Diontae Johnson isn’t worried about playing time or his role on the team. He is worried about winning a Super Bowl.

Let’s get to the news:

• Diontae Johnson has been linked to Antonio Brown on many occasions, but don’t expect the former Toledo receiver to worry about anything other than winning the Steelers a 7th Super Bowl.

Johnson already knows plan: ‘Get to the Super Bowl’

By: Hunter Homistek, DKPittsburghSports

Me: “You’ve had a little more time now — with rookie camp, OTAs, now a day of minicamp — to kind of adjust and adapt to the team and to the NFL environment. How are you acclimating to everything?”

Johnson: ”Just taking it day by day, just trying to learn the playbook. That’s all I can do for real, just try to show them that I can be consistent and show them that I can retain information and just go out there and execute.”

Me: ”Working with Ben Roethlisberger — that’s something I know a lot of rookies take to heart and really appreciate. How has that been for you?”

Johnson: ”It’s been pretty good, just being able to show him that I can be consistent and I know what I’m doing on the field at all times and just execute and show him that I can make plays as well.”

It’s all there in both those answers. Learn. Get better. Execute. Make plays.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• When fans talk about the Steelers’ issues at safety, very few bring up Jordan Dangerfield’s name. But maybe they should...

Classroom: Communicating the ‘Danger’

By: Chris Carter, DKPittsburghSports

Depth at safety is a significant concern for the Steelers going into 2019. The only safety with legitimate starter experience on the roster behind Terrell Edmunds and Sean Davis is Jordan Dangerfield, a 28-year-old who has started three games in his four-year career.

Dangerfield earned a one-year contract to re-sign with the Steelers after 2018 because of his confidence within Keith Butler’s defense to play either strong or free safety. How did he get that job? We look closer:

To read the full article, click HERE ($$)

• Joshua Dobbs is entering his third season in the NFL, and it is now or never for the former Tennessee quarterback.

A tale of two seasons

By: Teresa Varley, Steelers.com

As he prepares for a training camp battle for the Steelers No. 2 quarterback spot, Joshua Dobbs can look back at what was a tale of two completely different seasons.

His rookie year in 2017 he was the team’s No. 3 quarterback, not getting a single snap in a game and rarely getting reps in practice.

In 2018 he was the team’s No. 2 quarterback, the guy behind Ben Roethlisberger who had to be ready at a moment’s notice, while at the same time knowing he would only play in case of an emergency.

They were two seasons that came with different challenges, but ones he had no problem dealing with.

“Both seasons were mentally challenging in different ways,” said Dobbs. “When you’re not dressing on Sunday you know you’re not going to go in no matter what happens throughout the game. That was what it was like my rookie year. It was tough. It’s a long season and you’re like, ‘Dang, I’m not playing.’ It’s extremely tough, especially when you’ve been the starter, been that guy since you were age five.

“But last year it was a different mental challenge because you are dressing on Sunday. But you’re not the starter and you don’t know when the opportunity is going to come, yet you have to be ready. Every play that goes on in the game, you are keeping your mind into. It can be tough because you’re removed from it, you’re standing on the sideline. It’s definitely mentally challenging to keep your head focused on every single play because you never know when you’re going to be thrust into action quickly. When you might go from standing on the sideline in a hat to running in there controlling the offense.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Why the Steelers running back position is not an open competition. Rather, just a competition for the primary backup.

Asked and Answered: June 27

By: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

JERRY AVERS FROM LANCASTER, PA: Is the running back position going to be an open competition since we added possibly a better one in the draft?

ANSWER: I don’t understand why you have such a low opinion of James Conner, but allow me to refresh your memory with some statistics: In 2018, his second NFL season, Conner rushed for 973 yards and averaged 4.5 per carry doing it; he also caught passes for another 497 yards, which gave him 1,470 yards from scrimmage; and in addition he scored 13 touchdowns. To put this into further perspective, this is a list of the NFL running backs who finished with more yards from scrimmage in 2018 than Conner: Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, Todd Gurley, and Alvin Kamara. The one negative that can be associated with Conner’s performance in 2018 was his four fumbles, and if that continues to be an issue for him, well, suffice it to say he would discover that Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t have a bottomless well of patience for running backs who cannot hold onto the football. But as of right now, James Conner is entering his third NFL season, and he has improved consistently over that time. If Benny Snell Jr. can find a way to carve out a complementary role as a rookie, the Steelers backfield – Conner, Jaylen Samuels, Snell, and fullback Rosie Nix – could be a real force during the 2019 season.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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