Day two of the Pittsburgh Steelers mandatory mini camp was a pretty uneventful one, but there were still a few things worthy of some attention just the same as the defensive coaches were allowed to talk to the media on Wednesday. Here is a recap for you.
Adams Football Family Reunion – Nothing has changed as far as injuries go as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (knee), tight end Heath Miller (knee), tight end David Paulson (ankle/foot), linebacker Sean Spence (knee), cornerback Terry Hawthorne (knee) and tackle Mike Adams (stab wounds) all remain sidelined as expected. Adams, however, was back with the team on Wednesday as he was scheduled to see the team doctor. Rookie wide receiver Markus Wheaton is of course still unable to attend.
Driving 55 Outside – Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review passed along the news Wednesday that linebacker Stevenson Sylvester as officially been moved from the inside to the outside. As I posted earlier, this move certainly doesn\’t help his chances of making the 53 man roster.
Ageless Dick Has Needs – Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau talked to the media on Wednesday and said that he is well aware of the fact that his unit needs to produce more turnovers than they have the last two seasons. LeBeau also praised the attitudes of rookies Jarvis Jones and Shamarko Thomas and said he is happy with where they are both currently at in their development. LeBeau also said that retirement was the furthest thing from his mind right now.
Butler Keeping Up With The Jones – Linebackers coach Keith Butler told the media that while Jones is making progress, he still has bad habits he needs to break, and that he still doesn\’t fully understand the defense right now. Until he fully understands what he is doing, Butler said the rookie won\’t see the field on defense.
No Quit In Troy – Safety Troy Polamalu once again let be known that he hasn\’t thought about when he might retire, and that he lives his life one day at a time. When asked about the difference between the strong and free safety positions in the Steelers defense, he said both he and Ryan Clark are interchangeable, although he is allowed to freelance more than his counterpart.
Carnell Slot Knowledge – Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake confirmed that cornerback Cortez Allen will indeed move into the slot when the Steelers utilize their nickel package this season. We have known this would likely be the case several weeks ago, so you can rubber stamp it now. Lake, like LeBeau, likes what he has seen so far out of his rookie safety and is excited about working more with him during training camp.
Thursday Hat Tricks – The Steelers aren\’t expected to do much of anything outside of a short walk-thru on Thursday, Being as it is the final day of the mandatory mini camp, we can probably expect to see players wearing all types of funny hats for the annual Hat Day.
