The Pittsburgh Steelers made a late offseason splash when they traded for Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. They sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in the deal, receiving two Pro Bowl players in return. At the time, it felt like a confusing move. The Steelers seemed set at corner and tight end, so it was unclear where Ramsey and Smith would fit in. However, Omar Khan explained that the Steelers view those players in a variety of roles.
“You guys have heard me talk about how important position flexibility is for me,” Khan said Wednesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “That’s what those guys are. Those guys are both Pro Bowl players that, in my opinion, in our opinion, can line up in different places on the field and do exciting things. We’ll see how it all shakes out. That’s what training camp is for. We’ll figure out the roles.”
When the deal was initially made, reports indicated that the Steelers saw Ramsey and Smith in several roles. Khan’s explanation here lines up with that. While their roles might not be clear right now, the Steelers have plans for both of them to be major contributors.
Since Khan took over as general manager, the Steelers have placed more value on positional flexibility. His first draft pick is a perfect example of that. Broderick Jones has worked at both left and right tackle for the Steelers, although that hasn’t always been a good thing. However, it goes to show how much Khan values positional flexibility.
Ramsey explained that he’s comfortable playing anywhere the Steelers want him to, as long as he’s impacting the game. The team has quality outside corners, so Ramsey could see more time in the slot or at safety.
Just as well, perhaps Smith will line up as a receiver sometimes. He’s a much bigger threat in the pass game than in the run game. Pat Freiermuth figures to the Pittsburgh’s starting tight end, but Arthur Smith loves to utilize multiple players at that position, so he should see plenty of time on the field.
During that same press conference, Khan went into more detail on where the Steelers could use Smith.
“If you look at where he played last year, and even when Arthur [Smith] had him a couple years ago and he lines up at receiver. I hate to say that he could be the number two because obviously different plays and different packages require players to be the different target in a specific play. But he has the ability to play receiver, outside receiver, inside receiver, tight end. He can line up in the backfield.”
It’s easy to see why Khan values Smith. It isn’t often that teams can find a jack-of-all-trades like that at tight end. While the Steelers are a little light at receiver, Smith could help them solve that problem. He’s a versatile weapon that’s familiar with Arthur Smith’s offense. With the number of hats that he could wear, Smith could be in for a quality first season in Pittsburgh.
Like Khan mentions, their roles with the Steelers should become clearer as training camp progresses. They’re both talented, so they should have a positive impact. As long as they contribute to winning football games, specific roles shouldn’t matter too much.
