Steelers News: Minkah Fitzpatrick is ready to take his game to another level, and that is scary

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 season is officially over. After finishing the year 8-8, the Steelers, and their vast fan base, has another long offseason awaiting them. Just because the games are done doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is ready to take his game to the next level, and that is a scary thought.

Let’s get to the news:

• Minkah Fitzpatrick is already an All-Pro, but he feels he can be even better.

Minkah’s ready to ‘master the details’

By: Teresa Varley, Steelers.com

After Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers following Week 2 of the 2019 season, Coach Mike Tomlin put it best saying the safety got ‘On a moving train.’

Fitzpatrick was thrown right into the fire, getting a crash course on the defense, his teammates, the organization, the city, pretty much everything.

This offseason, that will all change for him.

After living life in fast-forward last year, Fitzpatrick is going to be able to slow things down tremendously when he takes part in the Steelers’ offseason program, which kicks off later in April and runs through the team’s OTAs, minicamp and then eventually goes into the next gear when they report to training camp.

The benefit of having an offseason with the team is something that is hard to measure because quite honestly, it’s invaluable.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Can James Conner bounce back in 2020?

Steelers ‘Believe it or Not’: Team’s belief in James Conner bouncing back in 2020

By: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Quotes from Tomlin, Colbert and Rooney on James Conner

Mike Tomlin on James Conner during his season-ending press conference (12/31)

When Tomlin was asked how he could evaluate James Conner’s season, given how often the running back was hurt last year, he did nothing to tamp down the growing frustration within the fan base about Conner’s frequent injuries.

Conner has missed 11 full games over his first three seasons. That’s not to mention other contests — such as four in 2019 against the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns — when he left early due to quad and shoulder injuries.

“That’s a big component of (that evaluation),” Tomlin replied. “He didn’t spend a lot of time on the field healthy. But that’s as much a part of the game as blocking and tackling. We’ll assess it with him in an effort to minimize (injury) to what degree we can moving forward. But injuries are part of the game.”

When Tomlin was asked about how the Steelers running backs currently on the depth chart could potentially have roles redefined, he said, “We are going to be defining that as we move forward in 2020.

“What somebody’s role was in 2019, I’m not going to put them in a box and define them for 2020.”

I asked him if the team may be inclined to add to the running backs room via free agency or the draft, or if he would prefer to just see the ones on his roster play better.

“I’m not ready to talk about what 2020 looks like in terms of our agenda from a free-agency standpoint or a draft standpoint,” Tomlin said.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Myles Garrett has some regrets...who would have thought?

Myles Garrett regrets doing ESPN interview without first telling Browns

By: Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

Promptly after the NFL reinstated Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Garrett submitted to an interview with ESPN. And we now know that his team didn’t know about the interview.

The ESPN interview sparked several days of scrutiny of Garrett’s claim that his attack on Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph was preceded by Rudolph using a racial slur. Garrett thereafter was interviewed by Tom Reed of TheAthletic.com during a trip to Africa in connection with the Waterboys program, and Garrett expressed regret for submitting to the ESPN interview without first telling the Browns he’d be doing it.

“I dropped the ball there,” Garrett told Reed. “I should have told the Browns before I did it. It sprung up in my lap and I thought it was a good chance to talk about Waterboys. I knew they would bring up the incident. I would have my say on it and move on to the next topic.”

Garrett added that his father, Lawrence, had a pointed critique of the interview: “Should have saved that for your autobiography.”

“[My father] was right,” Garrett told Reed. “Have your say some other day. That’s the best way to put it. Got to be smart with what you say and when you say it.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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