The Steelers are well into training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., gearing up for another season and looking to bounce back from a disappointing, playoffs-less 2018 campaign.
With the team this year are several fresh faces, from free-agent signings to rookies, looking to make an impact with the squad. We dive into the stats to see what can be expected from wide receiver Donte Moncrief and more.
• A QB upgrade: Superficially, wide receiver Donte Moncrief's recent production looks pedestrian. The free agent acquisition caught just 53.9 percent of passes thrown his way in 2018, which ranked 69th out of 73 receivers who were targeted at least 75 times. But that's not really a fair assessment of the physical, 25-year-old wideout considering that he has been forced to catch oft-errant passes in recent seasons from guys who shouldn't have been starting NFL games. NFL Next Gen Stats tracks a quarterback's expected completion rate, which is based on a variety of factors including the game situation, the length and velocity of the throw, and the intended receiver's separation from defenders. If a QB has a higher actual completion percentage than expected, it's a sign that he's got some talent. If his actual completion percentage is lower, not so much.
Last year, Moncrief's QB, Blake Bortles, completed -6.9 percent fewer passes than expected based on the difficulty of his throws (second-worst among qualified QBs). Moncrief's main QB in 2017, Jacoby Brissett, completed -4.5 percent fewer passes than expected (10th-worst that year). Catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger (66.9 percent expected completion rate, 67 percent actual) must be a comparative dream for Moncrief.
• Samuels in small doses: With the Steelers set to spread the ball around more in 2019 without Antonio Brown or Le'Veon Bell, Jaylen Samuels could be a stealth candidate to get more touches. A 2018 fifth-round pick out of N.C. State, Samuels was one of the more productive players on a per-touch basis as a rookie. Sixty-four running backs received at least 80 touches (rushing and passing) last year, and Samuels ranked 17th with 5.5 yards per touch. A quasi-wideout/H-back in college, he was decent between the tackles (4.6 yards per carry) and displayed sure hands (89.7 percent catch rate). Samuels has to prove that he can remain that productive with a bigger workload, but he has at least positioned himself to emerge as an all-purpose weapon for a Steelers offense that isn't as star-laden.
• Hilton pay hike: This much is clear: slot corner Mike Hilton wants to get paid. A former undrafted player out of Mississippi who was cut by both Jacksonville and New England before arriving in Pittsburgh, Hilton has built a solid resume. Despite concerns about his size (listed at 5-foot-9, 184 pounds), Hilton leads NFL cornerbacks over the past two seasons in tackles for loss (16), QB hits (13) and sacks (five), according to Pro Football Reference. He also had a 70 overall player grade last season on Pro Football Focus' 0-100 scale, which ranked 40th out of 112 qualifiers at cornerback. The thing that Hilton lacks, however, is leverage. The exclusive-rights free agent may need to prove himself yet again -- and hold off rookie Justin Layne and 2017 third-rounder Cameron Sutton -- to get the kind of long-term financial security he seeks.