Asked and Answered: Jan. 17

DARIUS LEE FROM HARRISBURG, PA: Do you think the Steelers front office blundered in player evaluation in allowing the more reliable JuJu Smith-Schuster to leave while extending Diontae Johnson’s contract?
ANSWER: JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson were in different situations with respect to their contracts. Smith-Schuster was an unrestricted free agent, and so it wasn’t that the Steelers allowed him to leave as it was Smith-Schuster who chose to leave for what he would judge as a different/better situation. My sense is that Smith-Schuster was looking for an opportunity to put himself in position for a big payday, and after assessing the Steelers’ situation following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, he chose to move on, which translated into him signing a one-year contract with Kansas City for $3.7 million. Johnson had one year remaining on the contract he had signed as a rookie when he and the team agreed to a contract extension.

RON TAYLOR FROM WEST POINT, IN: Do the Steelers get two picks in the second round of the draft this year?
ANSWER: The Steelers will have two second-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft – their original selection and the one obtained from the Chicago Bears in the trade for Chase Claypool.

STEFAN PISOCKI FROM WILMINGTON, DE: I was sorry to see Javon Hargrave leave the Steelers as a salary cap casualty a few years ago and am happy to see he has been a significant contributor to one of the NFL’s best defenses in Philadelphia. Is it possible he may come back to us?
ANSWER: Javon Hargrave can become an unrestricted free agent in March 2023, and at this point I would imagine his return to the Steelers is wishful thinking on your part.

ERIC SCHIER FROM DOWNINGTOWN, PA: Sean Voyles asked you for your opinion as to what positions the Steelers need to target in the first two rounds of the draft. Your reply was as if he asked you to guess what positions the Steelers would draft. A guess is different from an opinion. Did you not read his question…