WR Calvin Austin III appears to be hitting his stride after a slow start to training camp. Coming back from a foot injury that cost Austin his entire rookie season, it was expected that it may take some time to knock the rust off. However, he put forth his best practice at Pittsburgh’s annual Friday Night Lights practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, getting loose behind the defense for a couple big gains down the field.
Austin spoke to the media Sunday prior to practice and spoke about his experience in this training camp as well as his connection with QB Kenny Pickett. When asked about what kind of leader and mentor Allen Robinson II has been in the WR room, Austin spoke highly of the veteran pass catcher and the presence he brings to the rest of the room.
“He’s been a good one,” Austin said about Robinson via video from Steelers.com. “Just he creates like a calmness in the receiver room. He has a lot of experience when we, in the room and stuff. He can detail routes and small details that we may see in the game.”
Robinson was a player that Pittsburgh inquired about when he was on the trade block by the Los Angeles Rams, having a background with him dating back to when he came out of Penn State as a rookie. OC Matt Canada has spoken highly of the veteran receiver the Steelers ultimately added this offseason, calling him a great leader and a player who takes great pride in his work. Robinson is an established veteran that has had multiple 1,000-yard seasons with the Jaguars and the Bears, having been a No. 1 wide receiver for a vast majority of his NFL career.
While possessing great size and a large catch radius, Robinson is also a nuanced route runner who knows how to set up opposing defensive backs to get open. He has been mentoring WR George Pickens, being made roommates with the second-year pro who can learn a lot from Robinson regarding the technical aspect of the game.
Robinson is the experienced, battle-tested veteran Pittsburgh needed in its wide receiver corps, being able to share his knowledge with the other guys in the room. This will only help the guys like Pickens and Austin in their development as well as Diontae Johnson as the pressure can be off him to be the veteran leader in the room. Robinson’s calm demeanor also is an underrated quality that will benefit Pittsburgh, helping the young receivers in the room be able to keep a level head in adverse situations.
