As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepared to take a summer break between the close of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, new wide receiver Allen Robinson II stated his intention to get some extra work with quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“That is the plan,” Robinson told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We’ve talked it through. We’re both in New Jersey, so it can happen.”
Well, it apparently did not take long for the veteran receiver and the young quarterback to get to work, according to Tony Racioppi, Pickett’s personal quarterbacks coach.
A video shared by Racioppi showed Pickett taking a simulated shotgun snap and sliding back before delivering a quick pass to a slanting Robinson. Undoubtedly there was more than one rep worked on between the two, but it is encouraging to see them working together.
Robinson has talked about being a mentor to the younger receivers, especially a potential breakout candidate in George Pickens. However, the veteran wideout can also serve as a mentor of sorts for Pickett. While Robinson cannot work with Pickett on the finer points of a quarterback’s mechanics, he can help with communication, setting expectations of what a wide receiver and quarterback relationship looks like, and how to build a rapport between the positions.
Those are the intangibles that can bring an offense together, and Robinson can be a stabilizing veteran presence to help smooth out any potential bumps in the road. Pickett is still only entering his second year in the league, and it’s his first as the full-time starter. There’s a lot of pressure and expectation that comes with that. There are only 32 total jobs like that in the game, so any veteran wisdom can be helpful.
Then there’s the simple aspect of getting on the same page. Players like Pickens and Diontae Johnson have worked with Pickett in live-game situations while Robinson has not. The more comfortable the two are in practice, the more comfortable they will be when on the field come September.
Until training camp, a practice field in New Jersey will do for the two.
