Bob Pompeani

Mason Rudolph is under contract, but if Will Howard shows he can be the guy, I don't think they're going to really be against that.

But as to a quarterback coming in next year, Will Howard, what he's going to need is an extended time playing this year and to prove he's the guy.

Otherwise, I think he's probably unfortunately a little bit behind the eight ball there just because of the realities of the NFL.

I'm not expecting Jonu Smith back.

Listen, this team, and something you hear just kind of repeatedly over time when you go on these trips is how highly this front office holds Pat Frymouth in regard.

One of those guys wasn't going to be back next year.

They're not going to spend $12 million on two tight ends that they couldn't maximize.

And McCarthy's scheme, it utilizes the tight ends, but it doesn't utilize them the same way

that you look at an Arthur Smith offense.

And so you need a move tight end, and Pat Fryman probably fits the profile better.

I mean, think of the guys he had in Dallas.

You think of the Dalton Schultzes, the Jake Fergusons.

That's pretty much Pat Fryman, and that's the thing.

They really like Pat Fryman's fitness offense.

Johnnie Smith's a better player than he showed out to be last year.

They didn't utilize him in a lot of the ways that Miami did.

But I don't think the fit right now with the salary is perfect for what the Steelers have.

Plus, I get the kind of sense from what I've heard from talking to people, the Steelers want to extend Darnell Washington this offseason.

And if that has to happen, too, you're adding more money to the room.

You can't have three tight ends with higher cap hits.