Hard decisions await few key players on future
BALTIMORE — Bud Dupree is just waiting and talking things over with his agent. JuJu Smith-Schuster is hoping to put a disappointing season behind him. And Ramon Foster? Well, the longtime left guard has but one request for the Steelers if they decide to move on from him this offseason.
“I know the reality of this. If they’re going to release me, just tell me while I’m in Tennessee,” Foster with a chuckle. “Don’t wait. That’s all I’d say, don’t waste my time. And I know if it’s that, they’ll give me that common courtesy.”
It can’t be easy to think about in the moments after a season-ending 28-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, but all three were asked about their different situations in some form or fashion after the game.
Dupree is set to become an unrestricted free agent now that his rookie deal is up, but the Steelers could elect to sign him to an extension — which they chose not to do in the offseason — or place the franchise tag on him for one more year of his services at outside linebacker.
“This is my first time. You always want to finish where you start,” Dupree said. “That lets you know you’ve had a good career. At the end of the day, the NFL is a business. There’s a lot of stuff going on with our team. A lot of people are free agents this year.”
Foster echoed those sentiments, though unlike Dupree, he won’t have much say in his status for 2020. At 33 and now with 11 seasons to his name, Foster has one season left on the two-year extension he signed in March, but the Steelers could make the tough call to move on from one of their veteran leaders and get younger on the offensive line.
A 12th season in the NFL with the only franchise he has known would be just fine with Foster, but if not, he understands. He just would rather not be a training camp casualty, and plans to discuss it all with general manager Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin.
“If I’m able, they think I am capable of moving forward with this team, I absolutely will,” Foster said, but then reeled off all of his position mates who could be candidates for extensions — right tackle Matt Feiler, left tackle Al Villanueva, and backups B.J. Finney and Zach Banner.
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“There’s a lot of different things going on. Matt has played guard. I know that. It’s just part of the business.”
Most of all, Foster said he would like to be back to play with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger next year once he returns from his elbow injury. Especially since that makes life easier on everyone, including the offensive line. But he won’t commit to retirement if he doesn’t continue in Pittsburgh.
“Of course, right team, right paycheck, anything’s possible, right?” Foster smiled.
As for Smith-Schuster, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal, he claimed a potential extension this offseason hasn’t been on his mind.
“No, I haven’t talked about that at all,” he said. “I’m just doing what I’m told and trying to get healthy for next season.”
Watt finishes strong
It was a miserable way for the Steelers to end the season, but their team MVP showed out again.
Outside linebacker T.J. Watt was credited with a half-sack and also forced a fumble, tying Arizona’s Chandler Jones for most in the NFL this year. His final line in 2019 — 14.5 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions. He fell short of James Harrison’s single-season team sack record of 16, but was the brightest spot for the defense, as usual.
“Our defense has been smoking hot,” Foster said. “I find myself apologizing to them, like, ‘Guys, I’m sorry.’ ”
The only negative Sunday for Watt was three penalties, two for neutral zone infractions and one roughing the passer when he batted down a Robert Griffin III pass but then hit Griffin in the chest. The Steelers defense and Griffin had something of a chippy game in his first start in three years, with Watt and others often hitting him after he faked handoffs to his running backs, which is within the rules.
“I was talking to the official quite frequently. … Teams tried to do that to me earlier in my career,” Griffin said.
“I’ll probably be sore tomorrow. Today I knew that was probably going to be their plan, just for me. I think I showed them I’m built for that. I can take any hit, anything they’re going to try to do, clean, dirty, whatever.”
Comedy of errors
The fourth quarter was one to forget for the Steelers overall, but certainly the special teams, and few units were spared from embarrassment.
It started with 9:19 left with the Ravens backed up to fourth-and-1 at their 11, but after coming out in a punt formation, they faked it with a direct snap to linebacker Anthony Levine. Levine was awarded 2 yards and the first down, and Tomlin challenged the spot of the ball, but the original gain was upheld.
The Ravens ended up punting on that drive anyway, but when the Steelers got the ball back, they screwed up their own punt attempt. Jordan Berry bobbled the snap at his 5, recovered at the 3, aborted the kick, then fumbled as he was gang-tackled by seemingly the entire Ravens punt return team. Jordan Richards recovered in the end zone to make it 26-10.
Just to complete the hat trick, on the ensuing kickoff, returner Kerrith Whyte let Justin Tucker’s kick sail over his head and land at the Steelers 3. Eventually, he fielded it and ended up returning it to the 6, which set up a Ravens safety two plays later.
Inactives report
The Ravens, who wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC last week, rested seven of their starters, including quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Mark Ingram. Also not dressing for the Ravens were starting offensive linemen Marshall Yanda and Ronnie Stanley, tight end Mark Andrews, defensive lineman Brandon Williams and safety Earl Thomas.
There are no surprises among the players the Steelers deactivated. Center Maurkice Pouncey was declared out early last week and James Conner was declared out on Friday. Also not dressing for the game were tight end Zach Gentry, receiver Amara Darboh, offensive lineman Chuks Okorafor and outside linebacker Tuzar Skipper.
The 2020 slate
By virtue of Denver’s win against Oakland, the Broncos round out the Steelers 2020 schedule. Their home opponents are the three other AFC North Division teams — Batlimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland — and Philadelphia, Washington, Indianapolis, Houston and Denver. They will play on the road at the divisional opponents plus Jacksonville, Tennessee, New York Giants, Dallas and Buffalo.