All through his tenure as a play-caller within the NFL, new Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator has had fairly a little bit of success with the tight finish place.
Getting into his first season with the Steelers because the offensive coordinator, Smith is getting an opportunity to work with tight finish Pat Freiermuth, who’s a participant that the coordinator has massive plans for this season.
In Smith’s tight finish pleasant offense, Freiermuth might have a monster season in 2024, the place he ought to have the chance to be utilized accurately within the passing sport, which is one thing that hasn’t at all times been the case with him in his first three seasons within the NFL.
For Smith, who spoke to the media Thursday forward of the season opener towards the Atlanta Falcons, Freiermuth is a novel participant that deliver a fantastic really feel to the place, significantly to find area and getting himself open on the sphere. That trait ought to assist him have fairly a little bit of success offensively.
“All these guys in that group, however Pat [Freiermuth], he’s a novel participant. He obtained numerous early success within the league and numerous success at Penn State. He’s obtained a fantastic really feel area,” Smith stated of Freiermuth, in keeping with the official transcript offered by the workforce. “I think about he was an excellent basketball participant, in all probability a stretch 4 if I needed to guess. …We had Jack Doyle in camp once I was a younger assistant in Tennessee.
“There are specific belongings you see, and guys that simply get it. They know methods to discover home windows in zone, they know methods to set guys up in man. He’s obtained a very good really feel as a decent finish, as an area participant.”
Early on in his profession, Freiermuth had a knack for working himself open, making performs within the passing sport. Lsat season although, that wasn’t the case. The center of the sphere was hardly utilized within the passing sport beneath former coordinator Matt Canada, and that, in flip, led to restricted manufacturing from Freiermuth.
However now, in Smith’s offense, Freiermuth can have a big position within the passing sport and may as soon as once more put himself among the many prime 8-10 tight ends within the NFL dialog, very similar to he was in his first two seasons within the league when he was within the course of of constructing historical past on the place.
Hopefully this season Freiermuth is ready to get again to his productive methods and present the league as soon as once more simply how distinctive of a participant he’s on the tight finish place.
