Our latest “Letters from Camp” Q&A with a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff features offensive line coach Pat Meyer. He answers five questions about what I have deemed to be the most important position group on the 2025 Steelers.
Why should we be confident that things will be better for Broderick Jones at left tackle than at right tackle?: “This pre-season, he’s been way more detailed, just in this process and the way he’s approached things. He’s been a lot better,” Meyer said.
“He came into the league as a young player (22 years old). Didn’t have a ton of game reps at Georgia. Experience is a big part of it. Maturing as you get a little bit older, and seeing how true pros do things and how they approach things. It’s all encompassing with experience, maturity, learning it, understanding. … He’s done a nice job.”
Is Troy Fautanu back to where he was before his injuries?: “Coming back early in camp, his timing was a little bit off,” Meyer admitted. “He’s got his timing back, and he’s learning the little, basic nuances to some of the different techniques, like with his feet and hand-timing, and his strike. He’s done a nice job over the last week or so of correcting some of that stuff. (We) expect big things out of him and Broderick both in the run game (and pass blocking) — tackles that are athletic and guys that can roll their hips and be powerful in the run game too, not just one dimensional.
Is Isaac Seumalo’s availability starting to become a concern for the regular season?: “No, not at all. I mean, a 10th-year player that’s had some injuries in the past, obviously, we’re going to be smart with him in terms of practice and how many reps he’s gonna take,” Meyer said. “He’s always out there. He always wants to practice when we do hold him out for his own health, and getting him to play on gamedays. If you’re going to go out and play hard and stay healthy, and somebody gets banged up, we’ve got some guys that are quality, high-level backups that we’re happy to have on the team too. We’ll be smart with Isaac and how many reps he gets in practice.”
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How are center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick developing in year two?: “They ended up playing a lot of ball (as rookies), and they answered the bell. Some of the things that they did last year, they’ve learned from — whether it be how you read, how you see the defense, to why we’re doing things. Then, some of the different things, like schematically and technically, how do we want to approach certain blocks? That’s where their improvement needs to continue to grow. I’ve seen improvement,” Meyer said.
“Two kids that love football. They really do. They’re eager to learn, and they’re eager to win their reps each and every down. That’s what we want, smart guys that are tough, that like to finish.”
Has Frazier fixed the bad snap issues that were problematic early in camp?: “That’s early camp stuff that we don’t want,” Meyer said. “Especially when you played all those games he had that were early on.”
Meyer suggested that the problems may have stemmed from Frazier being in a hurry too often.
“It was always the first play of the first team period. Whether that’s him thinking too much, trying to add things to his technique in terms like throwing hands and doing some things had him maybe a little bit off kilter,” Meyer continued. “We had a conversation about it, and that’s done. It’s over with. We’re not having any more. We’re not doing it anymore. He’s obviously diligent about it, so he doesn’t make any of those mistakes. And we can’t have those mistakes. He’s been solid the last two weeks now.”
Letters From Camp podcast: Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer discusses Broderick Jones’ switch to LT, Troy Fautanu’s return, Zach Frazier’s snaps and more
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
