Steelers sign WR Donte Moncrief on 2 year deal

[Northern_Blitz]

We shall see, but don’t be discouraged if JuJu isn’t lighting it up like you expected rarely on.

JuJu I definitely a great WR but you can’t overlook all the attention AB received as our #1.

I think it's reasonable to assume that Juju will take some time to adjust to his new role.

And in week 1, I assume that the Pats will take Juju away and make us win with Conner and the new guys.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I think it's reasonable to assume that Juju will take some time to adjust to his new role.

And in week 1, I assume that the Pats will take Juju away and make us win with Conner and the new guys.

Whatever it takes. Last year, we beat them even though Ben threw for only 235 yards and was also intercepted twice.

With Conner on the shelf, we rode RB Jaylen Samuels to victory with 172 yards from scrimmage (19 rushes for 142 yards and 2 catches for another 30 yards).

[rpmpit]

Whatever it takes. Last year, we beat them even though Ben threw for only 235 yards and was also intercepted twice.

With Conner on the shelf, we rode RB Jaylen Samuels to victory with 172 yards from scrimmage (19 rushes for 142 yards and 2 catches for another 30 yards).

I love (but hate) how no one remembers this game. We were the last team to beat the Pats last year. Conner out (like you said) and AB only had 4 catches for 49 yards and a td.

Much improved defense and without Ben forcing it to AB, I think we surprise all of the non-believers opening day. CAN'T FRIGGIN' WAIT

[Northern_Blitz]

I love (but hate) how no one remembers this game. We were the last team to beat the Pats last year. Conner out (like you said) and AB only had 4 catches for 49 yards and a td.

Much improved defense and without Ben forcing it to AB, I think we surprise all of the non-believers opening day. CAN'T FRIGGIN' WAIT

I like that we've played them well the last few times in difficult circumstances.
- Last year with Conner out
- Two years ago after Shazier was injured.

I also like that we'll be playing them early and it seems to take them time to optimize their line up / memorize everyone else's playbook.

Hoping that we can start the season off with a win and I think we'll be counting on several young players. We have a tough start before the bye and every win is going to count.

If we can be above 500 at the bye, I think we'll end up having a pretty good season. But, I won't be surprised if it's a bit like last year with a slower start and we end up gutting it out at the end of the year

[RuthlessBurgher]

We drafted Devin Bush (and signed Mark Barron) to improve the coverage over the middle of the defense.

However, up in the New England, look at the TE's Bush could have been facing in his first real NFL game:

1. Gronk retired.
2. Ben Watson is suspended for the first 4 games.
3. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was released.
4. Much-rumored trade target Kyle Rudolph signed an extension in Minnesota.
5. They tried trading for Michael Roberts, but he failed his physical and the trade was rescinded.
6. They are left with guys like Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Andrew Beck, Ryan Izzo, and Jakob Johnson.

I guess Devin's first NFL game will be focused on RB's out of the backfield like James White and Sony Michel rather than TE.

[rpmpit]

We drafted Devin Bush (and signed Mark Barron) to improve the coverage over the middle of the defense.

However, up in the New England, look at the TE's Bush could have been facing in his first real NFL game:

1. Gronk retired.
2. Ben Watson is suspended for the first 4 games.
3. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was released.
4. Much-rumored trade target Kyle Rudolph signed an extension in Minnesota.
5. They tried trading for Michael Roberts, but he failed his physical and the trade was rescinded.
6. They are left with guys like Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Andrew Beck, Ryan Izzo, and Jakob Johnson.

I guess Devin's first NFL game will be focused on RB's out of the backfield like James White and Sony Michel rather than TE.

Biggest difference is No. 1. Gronk killed us every game. Over and over and over and...

Some people say they'd rather beat NE at their best but not gonna lie... glad he's retired.

[Northern_Blitz]

We drafted Devin Bush (and signed Mark Barron) to improve the coverage over the middle of the defense.

However, up in the New England, look at the TE's Bush could have been facing in his first real NFL game:

1. Gronk retired.
2. Ben Watson is suspended for the first 4 games.
3. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was released.
4. Much-rumored trade target Kyle Rudolph signed an extension in Minnesota.
5. They tried trading for Michael Roberts, but he failed his physical and the trade was rescinded.
6. They are left with guys like Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Andrew Beck, Ryan Izzo, and Jakob Johnson.

I guess Devin's first NFL game will be focused on RB's out of the backfield like James White and Sony Michel rather than TE.

And hopefully using his insane speed to put Brady on his ass a few times.

[hawaiiansteel]

Chance For New Steelers WR Donte Moncrief To Show He Isn’t ‘Overwhelmingly Average’ In 2019

By Dave Bryan
Posted on June 24, 2019

Andy Benoit‏, NFL analyst for Sports Illustrated and The MMQB, recently tweeted about new Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Donte Moncrief and what he had to say seemed to anger quite a few fans of the team.

It is true, however, that Moncrief has only averaged just a little more than 500 receiving yards a season since coming into the league in 2014 with the Indianapolis Colts. It’s also true, however, that Moncrief has had to work with several different quarterbacks since coming into the league and that number currently sits at 8 in total. Last season, Moncrief played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterbacks Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler and while he was targeted 89 times in total and caught 48 passes for 672 yards and 3 touchdowns, only 64 of those passes were catchable ones.

Quite honestly, Moncrief’s 2018 season was indeed quite average, all things considered. For starters, it was very easy to pick out his five top receptions from the 2018 regular season because his other 43 paled in comparison.

When you dig deeper into Moncrief’s 2018 target numbers you can really see how average of a season he had. For starters, while Moncrief’s average depth per target on 89 attempts last season was 13.2 yards, according to my charting, the average depth of his 48 total receptions was 9.2 yards. Obviously, that 4 yard difference is one you dont want to see but also keep in mind that 25 of the passes thrown his direction were scored as uncatchable by Sports Info Solutions.

According to my charting, 23 of Moncrief’s catches in 2018 came via passes thrown 6 or less yards past the original line of scrimmage. Additionally, he only caught 8 passes last season that flew more than 15 yards in the air past the line of scrimmage. He was targeted that distance 32 times, according to my charting, with 15 of those being uncatchable throws.

To best illustrate Moncrief’s receptions last season, I charted the distance of each pass he caught and where he was on the field when he caught the football. Keep in mind that every throw that’s charted on the field below is as if the original line of scrimmage of each play were the 30-yard-line.

As the charted data below shows, Moncrief only had two deep catches between the numbers last season. You can also easily see how many were caught 6 or less yards past the line of scrimmage. 9 of his catches last season came via short drag routes and 5 more came via short out routes.

Now, when Moncrief played with the Colts in his first four seasons in the NFL, and specifically with quarterback Andrew Luck, his average depth of completion in each of his first three seasons was 8.0. 6.7 and 8.8 yards, respectively. His average depth of total targets from 2014-2016 from Luck was 12.0, 9.8 and 9.8 yards. Also, Moncrief caught just 13 of 35 deep pass targets from Luck in those first three seasons and that percentage is not great.

When you compare Moncrief’s average depth of reception stat last year to his average when he was targeted by Luck in his first three seasons in the NFL, you see that last season’s number was better.

Now, as a means of comparison, last season Brown’s average depth per reception was 8.0 yards and his average depth of target was 11.4 yards from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Also, 60 of Brown’s 102 total receptions from Roethlisberger last season were caught 6 or less yards from the original line of scrimmage.

How will Moncrief do in his first season with Roethlisberger as his quarterback? Obviously he’s not going to be targeted 165 times like Brown was last season. He could, however be targeted at least 90-100 times in 2019 and if catches at least 63% of those passes, he could wind up having a career year, or at the very least, a better than average one.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/ch...erage-in-2019/

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers WR coach: Donte Moncrief “playing with a lot of confidence”

Posted by Josh Alper on June 30, 2019, 1:34 PM EDT

Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is in his first year with the Steelers, but it doesn’t look like he’s had a hard time adapting to a new offense.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger complimented Moncrief’s knowledge of the offense at the end of the offseason program and that the two players have already developed a shorthand for communicating with each other on the field. Wide receivers coach Darryl Drake noted that connection’s led Roethlisberger to have confidence in Moncrief and that the wideout spent the spring “playing with a lot of confidence.”

“There’s times where you get a guy, you bring him in and he’s been in two or three different systems, those systems start running together,” Drake said, via PennLive.com. “But he’s been able to distinguish the differences and go out there and do things that makes my job a lot easier because he has a feel for the position.”

After the Steelers traded Antonio Brown, there wasn’t much certain about how the receiving group in Pittsburgh would look beyond JuJu Smith-Schuster being at the top of it. Moncrief’s offseason work appears to have brought things into further focus.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/06/30/steelers-wr-coach-donte-moncrief-playing-with-a-lot-of-confidence/

[Steel Maniac]

Chance For New Steelers WR Donte Moncrief To Show He Isn’t ‘Overwhelmingly Average’ In 2019

By Dave Bryan
Posted on June 24, 2019

Andy Benoit‏, NFL analyst for Sports Illustrated and The MMQB, recently tweeted about new Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Donte Moncrief and what he had to say seemed to anger quite a few fans of the team.

It is true, however, that Moncrief has only averaged just a little more than 500 receiving yards a season since coming into the league in 2014 with the Indianapolis Colts. It’s also true, however, that Moncrief has had to work with several different quarterbacks since coming into the league and that number currently sits at 8 in total. Last season, Moncrief played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterbacks Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler and while he was targeted 89 times in total and caught 48 passes for 672 yards and 3 touchdowns, only 64 of those passes were catchable ones.

Quite honestly, Moncrief’s 2018 season was indeed quite average, all things considered. For starters, it was very easy to pick out his five top receptions from the 2018 regular season because his other 43 paled in comparison.

When you dig deeper into Moncrief’s 2018 target numbers you can really see how average of a season he had. For starters, while Moncrief’s average depth per target on 89 attempts last season was 13.2 yards, according to my charting, the average depth of his 48 total receptions was 9.2 yards. Obviously, that 4 yard difference is one you dont want to see but also keep in mind that 25 of the passes thrown his direction were scored as uncatchable by Sports Info Solutions.

According to my charting, 23 of Moncrief’s catches in 2018 came via passes thrown 6 or less yards past the original line of scrimmage. Additionally, he only caught 8 passes last season that flew more than 15 yards in the air past the line of scrimmage. He was targeted that distance 32 times, according to my charting, with 15 of those being uncatchable throws.

To best illustrate Moncrief’s receptions last season, I charted the distance of each pass he caught and where he was on the field when he caught the football. Keep in mind that every throw that’s charted on the field below is as if the original line of scrimmage of each play were the 30-yard-line.

As the charted data below shows, Moncrief only had two deep catches between the numbers last season. You can also easily see how many were caught 6 or less yards past the line of scrimmage. 9 of his catches last season came via short drag routes and 5 more came via short out routes.

Now, when Moncrief played with the Colts in his first four seasons in the NFL, and specifically with quarterback Andrew Luck, his average depth of completion in each of his first three seasons was 8.0. 6.7 and 8.8 yards, respectively. His average depth of total targets from 2014-2016 from Luck was 12.0, 9.8 and 9.8 yards. Also, Moncrief caught just 13 of 35 deep pass targets from Luck in those first three seasons and that percentage is not great.

When you compare Moncrief’s average depth of reception stat last year to his average when he was targeted by Luck in his first three seasons in the NFL, you see that last season’s number was better.

Now, as a means of comparison, last season Brown’s average depth per reception was 8.0 yards and his average depth of target was 11.4 yards from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Also, 60 of Brown’s 102 total receptions from Roethlisberger last season were caught 6 or less yards from the original line of scrimmage.

How will Moncrief do in his first season with Roethlisberger as his quarterback? Obviously he’s not going to be targeted 165 times like Brown was last season. He could, however be targeted at least 90-100 times in 2019 and if catches at least 63% of those passes, he could wind up having a career year, or at the very least, a better than average one.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/ch...erage-in-2019/

I'm feeling really good about where Moncrief is from all the reports and when I listen specifically to what Ben says about him ( I trust him already because he's where he's suppose to be) tells me that Moncrief is going to have a fine season. And coming into the season opener, with the attention Juju is going to get, Moncrief could come out the gates with a great game against the Pats; A 100 plus yard game.