I want to start with the reality that right now in the NFL the thing we're seeing from all teams either online or in weekly releases that they're sending out they're original unofficial or for some the word unofficial isn't even applied depth charts the Steelers don't have the unofficial caveat on theirs other teams do and we've heard this for years coaches like to downplay these depth charts because the NF requires them to do them and oh it's just something our PR staff puts together well I'd like to think that you know the pr staff has a pretty good idea of what the coaching staff thinks and that the pr staff would have its finger on the pulse of the team given that the pr staff is you know around the team all the time so the more they try to tell us how meaningless they are the more I'm convinced they are very meaningful they are all we have they are the only way to begin to put together a pecking order as to where the players fit and from inside the building that's significant they know who's rated where and outside the building that's all we have now you could argue well the guys inside the building really know because they're at practice they know who's getting the reps with the first team well okay but even then if I'm a guy that's getting the predominant share of the Reps on the first team and I look at the depth chart and I see that I'm second string I'm wondering what the hell's going on because I'm going to hear from F uh family members and Friends questions about why the hell I'm on the second team and not on the first team so the more they try to tell us it means nothing the more convinced I am it means plenty it is the only guide we have to go by until it's time to play the games that count so yes it means something and I'm sure coaches have used in the past to send messages to try to put a foot in a guy's ass the farther you are down on the depth chart especially if you've been around for a while I'll give you an example the Giants we just posted this today Malik neighbors listed as a starting receiver good news for him bad news for Allan Robinson veteran receiver who was cut by the Steelers in the offseason signed at the Giants after the draft He's listed as a third Stringer behind neighbors and isaah hodin well a 30-year-old veteran isn't going to be a third Stringer a 30-year old veteran is a third Stringer is a guy who has to play on every special team to justify his existence on the roster they're not going to have Allan Robinson do that so if he's lower than second string when it's time to cut the roster to 53 he GNA be on the team so those things are very significant and again the harder they try to get us to say nothing to see here the more inclined I am to say there's something to say hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news an analysis from pro football talk