7 Bold Pre-Training Camp Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers

We're still months away from the start of the 2017 NFL season, which means anything is possible for all 32 teams in the league.

Nothing fans can imagine is outside of the realm of the believable. Every team is a Super Bowl contender. Coming out of OTAs and minicamps, veterans look better than ever, rookies are more prepared than they've ever been, running backs have gained or lost weight (and it suits them) and everything is potential energy. It is one of the few upsides to this otherwise-bereft-of-football time of year.

It also means it is a more than appropriate time to start making predictions for the upcoming season. That includes for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are coming off of a heartbreaking AFC Championship loss and are yet again in pursuit of another Lombardi Trophy to add to the collection. Here are seven bold (but not outlandish) predictions for the Steelers' 2017 campaign.

JuJu Smith-Schuster Wins Slot Receiver Job

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Slot receiver has become one of the most important offensive positions in the NFL as of late, but the concept of the slot is often limited in people's minds. Often thought of as a smaller, shiftier player, the definition of the job is anyone who does it, and in Pittsburgh, that means not just players designated as receivers on the roster but also tight ends and, for the past four years, running back Le'Veon Bell.

That means the receiver who works in the slot will be in a timeshare of targets in his part of the field with tight ends Jesse James and Xavier Grimble as well as Bell. And for that reason, the Steelers don't necessarily have to save a roster spot for Eli Rogers, though he was the team's primary receiver in the slot a season ago.

The arrival of JuJu Smith-Schuster and the overall glut of receivers on the roster mean many talented players will be odd men out when the Steelers trim down to a group of 53 in September, and Rogers could be among them.

Yes, Smith-Schuster wasn't frequently working out of the slot at USC. According to Pro Football Focus, only 76 of his 437 routes were ran in the slot last year, with 15 catches (on 19 targets) yielding 147 yards and three scores. Rogers, in comparison, saw 53 of his total of 66 targets last year on his slot routes.

But the rookie has already been spending OTAs and minicamp in the slot, and should the trend carry into training camp and the preseason, Rogers' job security would quickly come into question. There's no reason for a second-round pick like Smith-Schuster to not be getting the benefit of first-team reps if he has done the work to earn them.

Rogers is a good player, but the numbers game in Pittsburgh just doesn't work in his favor like it did a season ago.

Steelers, Le'Veon Bell Don't Agree on a Long-Term Deal

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The Steelers chose to use the franchise tag on running back Le'Veon Bell in late February, a move that was intended to be a precursor to both sides coming to terms on a long-term contract.

But as of late June, that contract has yet to materialize—and Bell has yet to sign the $12.12 million tag or show up to the team's voluntary OTAs or mandatory minicamp. The Steelers and Bell have until July 17 to get the deal done or Bell must either work under the terms of the tag or hold out, and the two sides would have to wait until the offseason to resume negotiations.

There is every motivation for the Steelers and Bell to get this deal done, even under the shadow of Bell's absence from the team—he underwent groin surgery in March and would have been unlikely to participate in drills had he been at practices anyway. And ESPN's Adam Schefter said "A push before and at deadline is expected from both sides."

But Schefter also noted that as of his tweet on June 27 that "no deal [was] in sight" and that the outcome "could go either way." And if it goes the way of not getting done, Bell will once again be an unrestricted free agent in January. 

This has a number of potential consequences. Bell's price tag could rise above the $10.6 million per-year average Spotrac estimates he will command. The Steelers could be forced to use the franchise tag again, which jumps up to $14.544 million in 2018. Bell could suffer another injury or serve another suspension—two realities that, on the one hand, justify the Steelers' caution about locking Bell down for the long term but would also negatively affect Bell's professional future.

Bell could hold out, not signing the tag. And the Steelers could lose Bell outright on the free-agency market to a team willing to pay him more than they offer. 

But paying a running back is tricky, especially one who is not only is capable of rushing for over 1,000 yards per year but also accounting for 500-plus receiving yards. The Steelers and Bell may end up not having enough time left to find room for agreement, leaving only question marks after the July 17 deadline.

James Harrison's Snaps Will Finally Be Limited

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Two years ago, the Steelers attempted to limit linebacker James Harrison. Then 37, Harrison was supposed to be simply a pass-rushing menace, held to only 25 plays per game, per the orders of outside linebackers coach Joey Porter (a former Steelers teammate of Harrison's).

But despite the drafting of Bud Dupree, the signing of Arthur Moats and the continued presence of Jarvis Jones, Harrison never played as few as 25 snaps in a single game in 2015. He only did so twice in 2016.

But in 2017, that is about to change. Porter's decree will finally be realized, even though Harrison is clearly in the best shape of his life. While Jones is no longer with the Steelers, the team still has Dupree, Moats, Anthony Chickillo and 2017 Round 1 draft pick T.J. Watt. And it's Watt's presence that will cause Harrison's snap count to drop.

While Watt is a rookie, he's apparently quite the quick study. Porter lauded Watt's lack of mistakes during OTAs and minicamp when speaking to reporters, and Watt has already spent time with the first-team defense (because, it should be noted, Harrison doesn't need the reps).

This doesn't—and, realistically, shouldn't—mean Watt will be taking all of Harrison's plays away this season. But his abilities may be so apparent this early in his career that the Steelers will have no choice but to get him on the field often. And as an outside linebacker on the right side, that puts him in position to take plays away from Harrison in 2017.

Joshua Dobbs Beats Out Landry Jones for No. 2 QB Job

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When the Steelers drafted former Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the fourth round this year, it was the first time the team used a pick on the position in four years. The last time, it was also a fourth-round choice—Landry Jones, who has served as the primary backup to starter Ben Roethlisberger for two of the past four seasons.

With Jones having spent four years in Pittsburgh's system, he has the edge to maintain control of the No. 2 job and the chance to dress on Sundays and serve as starter should Roethlisberger have to miss time. Indeed, even Bob Labriola of the Steelers' official website believes that "there is no battle" between Jones and Dobbs for that No. 2 spot. But not everyone feels the same way.

One example is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik, who said on SiriusXM Radio in May (h/t Steelers Depot): "I think Josh Dobbs beats him [Jones] out already this year and become the No. 2 this year for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

He went even further to say "I think Josh Dobbs becomes, possibly, the heir apparent" to Roethlisberger. Dominik also had Dobbs graded out as a second-rounder in the draft.

The quarterback has been a fast learner so far in OTAs and minicamp, per Jacob Klinger of PennLive.com, and should see more than a few second-team reps at training camp (and maybe some with the first team on Roethlisberger's rest days). Pairing that with sharp play in the preseason could well result in Dobbs jumping up a spot on the depth chart.

Xavier Grimble Becomes Pittsburgh's Top Tight End

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With the departure of Ladarius Green earlier in the offseason and the Steelers opting not to draft a tight end in April, Jesse James has become the de facto starter at the position for 2017. 

In 2016, Green's numerous injuries also turned James into a starter in his second season in the league. He took advantage of those opportunities, with 39 catches on 60 targets in the regular season, earning Pittsburgh 338 yards and three touchdowns. He also had another 11 catches for 137 yards in three playoff games.

But it's not James who could lead the Steelers in tight end receiving yards and scores this year. No—2017 may just be the year of Xavier Grimble, a 2014 undrafted free agent who spent a summer with the New York Jets and another with the San Francisco 49ers before being signed by the Steelers in January 2016. 

Grimble appeared in 11 games, splitting time between the offense and special teams yet playing only 197 snaps (compared to 855 for James and 140 for Green, who was active for only six games). Still, he caught 11 of 21 passing targets for 118 yards and, most notably, two touchdowns. And with Green gone, Grimble seems primed for a larger role on offense, one that could turn him into the Steelers' No. 1 tight end before the season is over.

Even James has acknowledged Grimble is another asset in the passing offense, saying to the Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski that: "I feel [Grimble] and I are pretty similar in terms of how Ladarius would be used. He does a really good job running the deeper routes and making big plays down the field. Hopefully, we see that a little more this year. He can do it all."

If that holds true, look for Grimble to break out—so much so he's seen on the field more often than James.

Senquez Golson, Starting Slot Cornerback

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The Steelers aren't short on cornerbacks this year, and the two starting jobs on the outside are spoken for by Artie Burns and Ross Cockrell. Thus, the only starting vacancy left is at slot cornerback; otherwise, the rest of the position will be rounded out by backups. There won't be a shortage of competition for the job of helping to defend the slot, and one player who seems already on the roster bubble is Senquez Golson.

Though Golson was a second-round draft pick in 2015, he has yet to play in either a preseason or regular-season game. A shoulder injury derailed his rookie year, while a Lisfranc injury to his foot a summer ago cost him all of 2016. In those two years, Pittsburgh added numerous corners, including Burns and Cockrell, as well as Coty Sensabaugh, Cameron Sutton and Brian Allen in the past few months. That overcrowding did not indicate Golson would be a major part of the Steelers' plans this season.

Even further working against Golson is that his prowess as a ball-hawking cornerback (he had 11 passes defensed in college as well as 16 interceptions, 10 of those as a senior) will not be enough to assure him a roster spot. Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said Golson will have to prove himself as both a special teams gunner and a cornerback to make the team, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It's not all bad, though, with Lake elaborating, per Klinger: "Our special teams coach, Coach Smith, is going to probably be looking at [Golson] as one of those gunner types special teams core guys because of his athleticism, especially being a second-rounder, we expect that out of him."

And it's not as though Golson is incapable of proving himself to the extent he becomes impossible to cut and makes it imperative he starts.

With as wide-open a competition as the Steelers are set to have for their slot corner position, anything is possible. And anyone can win. That ends up putting odds more in Golson's favor than was initially thought. If he proves to be the kind of player who persuaded the Steelers he was worthy of a second-round pick two years ago, Golson could be a surprise survivor, making it through to the 53-man roster. 

The Steelers Defeat the New England Patriots

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Since 2004, when Ben Roethlisberger became the Steelers' starting quarterback, Pittsburgh has played the New England Patriots nine times in the regular season and twice in the playoffs, with Roethlisberger appearing in eight of the former and both of the latter.

The Steelers' record against New England in that span is 3-6 in the regular season (3-5 with Roethlisberger) and 0-2 in the postseason. The Patriots have had the Steelers' number and, in turn, have become Pittsburgh's most bitter non-AFC North rivals.

That rivalry is good for NFL business, though, and the league must be more than pleased the Patriots and Steelers are scheduled to meet up during the 2017 regular season, in Week 15, when playoff positioning is very much on the line.

The Steelers are the home team in this matchup, as they were last year, an October 27-16 loss. But the Steelers were without Roethlisberger in that game, and Pittsburgh scored only one offensive touchdown with Jones under center. This time, taking for granted that Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Bell, Martavis Bryant and the offensive line are all healthy, the Steelers should be able to match up with the Patriots' similarly considerable firepower.

Plus, the defense should look markedly different from the zone-based coverage and blitz-heavy pass rush the Steelers featured over the past two years. Man coverage and three- and four-man pass rushes are the keys to Pittsburgh's newer defensive look. In turn, that could result in the Steelers finally finding ways to quash the Patriots' myriad ways of employing their offense.

The Steelers have not been in better position to get a season-defining win over the Patriots in years. A Week 15 victory over the Super Bowl champions may also secure Pittsburgh's return to the playoffs as well, which could lead to another opportunity to take down New England in the AFC Championship Game for a second consecutive season.