Madden Monday on Steelers training camp: 'You have to have resources to have position battles'

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a lot of position battles heading into training camp. That really shouldn’t be the case for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in five years and barely made the postseason at 9-7-1 a year ago.

But in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 The X has a very simple explanation why that’s the case — there’s just not enough depth at the second level of the roster to press starters who have languished in mediocrity the past few seasons.

“You have to have resources to have position battles,” Madden said. “For example, I would love to see a position battle between Alex Highsmith and somebody (at outside linebacker). I just don’t think Alex Highsmith is that good. Unfortunately, there is no one to battle him.”

The same could be said at tackle. Chuks Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr. don’t have resumes to suggest that they should be written in stone as the starters at tackle. Nor should Terrell Edmunds at the strong safety spot. Or Benny Snell as the backup running back.

Yet there doesn’t appear to be a viable candidate at any of the spots down the depth chart worthy of real consideration to displace an incumbent at starter right now.

Unless you are a believer that the starting quarterback position is truly up for grabs and that Mitch Trubisky could lose the job to either Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett.

Madden does not share that opinion.

“Pickett is going to be the third-string guy to open the season and be inactive on game days. I have no doubt about that,” Madden said. “At the beginning of the season, it will be Trubisky 1, Rudolph 2, Pickett 3. No matter what. And I don’t think Pickett will get all that many snaps or that much game time in the preseason.”

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Despite that scenario being Madden’s prediction, it’s not a plan he endorses.

“I disagree with all of this. I said when they drafted Pickett, if they are drafting Pickett, he should start. Since I knew they wouldn’t, I don’t think he should’ve been drafted,” Madden continued.

Madden said that QB pecking order will be the case even if a trade partner develops for Rudolph.

“I don’t think they are all that interested in trading Rudolph. I think they see him as the No. 2,” Madden said.

Also in the podcast, Madden and I discuss Ben Roethlisberger’s recent comments about Kevin Colbert, Pat Narduzzi’s criticism of Mark Whipple, offseason moves by the Penguins and Oneil Cruz’s ups and downs.

Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden talk about Steelers, Pirates and Penguins