How do the Steelers envision Yahya Black’s role this season?
I couldn’t help but notice that Mike McCarthy dodged a question about Yahya Black yesterday concerning his role. While the question expanded its point, McCarthy avoided talk of any specific player and instead discussed generalities.
Speaking of Black and Keeanu Benton, the Steelers head coach did say that they “have position flex”. He didn’t say what kind of flexibility Black has or get into any specifics of any one player. McCarthy’s big emphasis all offseason has been about flexibility. At some point, however, specifics are going to matter.
The Steelers drafted Yahya Black in the fifth round last year. He logged over 400 snaps as a rookie, including a few starts.
Still, it seemed as though the Steelers struggled to figure out how they wanted to use Black. In fact, they mostly used him as a defensive end, former DC Teryl Austin reasoning that they didn’t want to move him as a rookie and put too much on his plate. Even though many believe he is best positioned as an interior player.
Not just because of the Steelers’ new coaching staff but also because he’s going into his second season, it’s prudent for the team to figure out what they think they have in Black. For one thing, that could also affect what they want from his body composition. Right now they don’t have any true pluggers in the middle. Neither Keeanu Benton nor Sebastian Joseph-Day are particularly conventional 3-4 nose tackles.
Black may be closer to that, but the Steelers never envisioned him as a spiritual successor to Casey Hampton. What do they envision him as, though, and when will they know, if they don’t already? It’s hard to evaluate linemen without pads, and they won’t have pads on until Aug. 3. But between now and then, what will the coaches be telling him about how to prepare his body? Do they want him to bulk up, slim down, or stay somewhere in between?
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017. With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you cover loses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.