During the 2013 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said that while cornerback William Gay could play some safety in case of emergency; it\’s not something that he really envisions happening, as the Louisville product just isn\’t built for the position.
“In the past William has played some safety,” said Lake back in April. “He’s rotated back there based on some concepts that we were working. My first year with him and even in years past when he was here, he could play safety. I’m not counting on him being a down in and down out safety. He’s not built for a safety position, but he can do it.”
Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talked to Gay on Wednesday, and the cornerback told him he has yet to take a snap at the position during any of the OTA practices so far.
The fact that Gay hasn\’t worked at the safety position at all so far this offseason really isn\’t a surprise as the Steelers have several young safeties currently on the roster that could use the reps instead.
Being as Gay can possibly play the safety position in case of emergency, however, it could result in the team only carrying four safeties on their 53 man roster in 2013 as opposed to carrying five like they did last season.
With both Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark back together again as the last line of defense in the Steelers secondary in 2013, second-year safety Robert Golden and fourth-round draft pick Shamarko Thomas both figure to step into the reserve roles that were filled last year by Will Allen and Ryan Mundy, both of whom signed elsewhere doing the offseason as unrestricted free agents.
