Steelers news: Zach Frazier, failed Tyler Boyd trade and ESPN recognizes Steelers in mid-season awards

Someone should blow a conch or crack open a bottle of Heinz ketchup because the Steelers are nearly whole again. The return of Zach Frazier and Nick Herbig has brought them reinforcements for the second half of the season in the nick of time. Meanwhile, new acquisitions Mike Williams and Preston Smith have been quickly getting on the same frequency with their new teammates.

Zach Frazier's ankle is feeling good

Frazier’s return is a welcome sight for the Steelers. The last time Frazier was in the Steelers lineup was Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and the quarterback he was snapping to was Justin Fields. This week, the rookie center will have time to acclimate to Russell Wilson taking snaps. 

Before his injury, Frazier was playing like one of the league’s best centers. He still ranks 11th among interior blockers in pass block win rate. Pro Football Focus had him graded as one of the league’s best run and pass blockers at center. His impact was so significant that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Smith said Thursday that he doesn’t even view Frazier as a rookie anymore. Getting Frazier back is a huge deal on an offensive line that has been ravaged by injuries.

Potential Tyler Boyd addition was vetoed within Steelers organization

In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline there were faint whispers that the Steelers would finally act on their interest in Tennessee Titans receiver Tyler Boyd. During the off-season, Pittsburgh allegedly was interested in Boyd. The deal would have provided Pittsburgh with a reliable slot receiver and one who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, enjoyed a legendary high school career at nearby Clairton High School, culminating with him being named a High School All-American, then played three years for the University of Pittsburgh. Instead, Boyd opted to sign a one-year $4.5 million contract with the Titans.

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly explained during an appearance on The Joe Starkey Show that Pittsburgh ultimately passed on trading for Boyd due to concerns from players within the organization who have taken umbrage with him during his eight years as a Cincinnati i Bengal. 

"I don't know about Mike Tomlin, specifically, not liking him because of what he said," Kaboly said. "I just know that the Steelers weren't interested in him. Somebody within the organization, player-wise, pretty much stood up and said, 'Nope, we don't want him here.' It wasn't the coach, it was a player [who], I think, must have had some pull."

Kaboly never makes it clear who the alleged player is, but Boyd has been an outspoken antagonist of the Steelers for years. The Steelers have  integrated Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen smoothly despite briefly beefing with Mike Tomlin before getting indoctrinated with a three-year contract offer, which suggests the issue with acquiring Boyd must have run deeper than superficial rivalry talk.

Multiple Steelers named in ESPN mid-season awards

It’s mid-season awards season. A perfect time to prematurely crown the most outstanding performers at a variety of positions. It’s best not to count your eggs before they hatch, but showing up on this list is still a good sign.

In ESPN’s mid-season rankings, Bill Barnwell named multiple Steelers in his mid-season award contenders. For starters, Mike Tomlin is his frontrunner for Coach of the Year. Barnwell explained by citing the Steeler's defensive analytics. Currently, the pride and joy of the Steelers ranks second in points allowed and fifth in EPA per play while also maximizing Beanie Bishop Jr. on the offensive end.

It’s hard to disagree with Barnwell’s assessment even by playing devil’s advocate. Barnwell barely mentions the six weeks at the start of the season where the Steelers made due with Justin Fields and a much more conservative offense than the one that has appeared in the last two weeks before their Week 9 bye. 

A surprise appearance is made by the aforementioned Bishop, whom Barnwell named a second runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. If you’d said that Bishop would be this highly regarded a month ago when his mistakes had him in the doghouse, nobody would have believed you. It’s another testament to the Steelers player development program for vets and rookies alike. Will he actually win this award. Probably not, but he’s shown enough that the Steelers aren’t quite ready to bench him for returning veteran slot corner Cam Sutton yet.

Barnwell’s defensive player of the year pick is a familiar face. No, it’s not pass-rusher TJ Watt, despite putting the entire pass rush on his back during the first half of the season and playing over 90 percent of the snaps. He's been the betting favorite since Aidan Hutchinson blipped out of the race Thanos-style after breaking his leg. However, Barnwell believes Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson deserves more consideration.

I’m not sure that qualifies as bulletin board material, but Watt has his own case to be made, and as a Watt stan, allow me to briefly shell out the propaganda. Watt's counting stats are down. He's accumulated only 6.5 sacks so far and 10 stops in the backfield, but he's recorded four fumbles, including three in the red zone according to Barnwell. He also ranks ninth among edge rushes in pass rush win rate while being targeted for more chip blocks than any defender in the league, and is a lethal run defender. Watt’s 10 tackles for loss is only one less than the league leaders Maxx Crosby, Will Anderson Jr., Greg Rousseau, and Trey Hendrickson... Now I will furiously slam my laptop shut.