CAN THE STEELERS BE THE EAGLES?

Here's an excerpt from my latest TribLive.com column:

Does Philadelphia winning change the NFL? It’s a copycat league. Does the pendulum swing to power football and physicality as a substitute for an elite quarterback? Probably not. It’s hard to assemble those components. The Steelers sure can’t, and the Eagles are exactly what the Steelers want to be.

If the Steelers want to be the Eagles, dump bean counter Omar Khan and promote Andy Weidl to GM. Weidl was part of Philadelphia’s organization when the groundwork got laid for these Eagles. Weidl knows what to do.

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The Steelers could be the Eagles. If the Steelers knew how to do that. If the Steelers were assembled and developed as competently as the Eagles.

Two years ago, the Steelers traded up in the draft to select OT Broderick Jones with the 14th choice overall.

The Eagles emphasize the trenches. It's the sort of pick they would make.

Jones was thought of as a LT. But incumbent LT Dan Moore Jr., a much lesser talent, lacked the versatility to switch to RT. So, Jones moved to RT. Veteran respect and all that.

Jones has since moved back and forth between left and right. Almost all of his playing time has been at RT. Jones might not have started this past season if not for injury to Troy Fautanu, another OT and the Steelers' first-round pick in 2024.

So far, Jones is a bust. His confidence seems siphoned out of him. He allowed 10 sacks and was flagged 10 times this past season. His football IQ and pass-blocking technique are poor.

Here's betting the Eagles would have done better with Jones. Or, if he's inferior, not drafted him.

Every team sets its priorities.

But the Eagles execute theirs. The Steelers don't.

The Steelers are the same team as the Eagles. Just a lot worse.