A hot day in Latrobe helped cause tempers to flare during the final few plays of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sixth training camp practice. Let’s dive into what happened there and throughout the rest of the day at Saint Vincent College.
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Camp Notes (Day 6)
– The Steelers were in pads for the second straight day, which is how Mike Tomlin set things up in years past. Tomorrow could be lower key. Because you’d expect the team to be in pads for Friday Night Lights and NFL rules state that teams can’t be in pads more than three straight days, I’m assuming they’ll be pad-less tomorrow.
– Injury roundup: A handful of veterans received the day off, including OG Isaac Seumalo, DL Cam Heyward, FS Minkah Fitzpatrick, and OLB T.J. Watt. Watt spent parts of practice doing conditioning work on the far field. QB Russell Wilson (calf) worked in a very similar capacity as yesterday, going through most of the individual work with the occasional alteration or exclusion. He had four reps during the team period but only handed the ball off. He didn’t throw it.
Good news on TE Rodney Williams (shoulder/AC joint). He was in pads and went through practice in a limited capacity, working during the individual session. He caught passes and ran routes but didn’t hit the blocking sled, still being careful with his shoulder. WR Roman Wilson (ankle) didn’t practice, and I didn’t see him on the field, though I could’ve missed him.
During practice, OLB David Perales suffered a knee injury in Seven Shots on a touchdown run by RB Najee Harris. Perales immediately grabbed his knee (I’m not sure which one) as he went to the ground. He crawled a little bit before getting to his feet and being pulled aside by a trainer to get checked out. He did walk for awhile and slowly made his way across the field from one end to the other before the cart came out to take him for further evaluation. It didn’t look great, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Per Mike Tomlin, OLB Kyron Johnson also left due to hamstring tightness. With Watt getting the day off, that left the outside linebackers thin. Finishing practice were only Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon, and Julius Welschof. Watt, of course, should return tomorrow.
– New WR Tarik Black will wear No. 17, the former digits worn by Marquez Callaway. He worked in full today
– Payton Wilson was first on the field today and I didn’t even see him come down the stairs. He just seems to magically appear on the field.
– Eight officials were on-hand today for practice. Fans who line the stairs players walk down high-fived the refs, who were beaming for fans to actually like them for once. Once on the field, Russell Wilson had a quick chat with two of them.
– FS Damontae Kazee and QB Justin Fields were among the Steelers to sign a handful of autographs for fans prior to practice. Most players wait until after to sign. WR Van Jefferson hit the field but jogged to the fence line to sign footballs for two little girls, who were super happy to catch an autograph.
– Former QBs coach and senior assistant Mike Sullivan joked around with the players prior to the first horn, sharing a laugh with C Zach Frazier, OG Mason McCormick, and QB John Rhys Plumlee.
– In the very early going, Nate Herbig snapped to Justin Fields, Zach Frazier to Russell Wilson, Ryan McCollum to Kyle Allen, and Mason McCormick to John Rhys Plumlee.
– With Isaac Seumalo getting the day off, Spencer Anderson ran first-team left guard the entire practice. He continued to work as the team’s second-team right guard.
– George Pickens and Van Jefferson were the two receivers on the field in a 12 personnel grouping to start the warmup period.
– Kick returners during early special teams period: RB Jaylen Warren, QB John Rhys Plumlee, WR George Pickens, RB Daijun Edwards, and RB Jonathan Ward.
– Punt returners: WR Calvin Austin III, WR Scotty Miller, WR Quez Watkins, CB Cam Sutton, and QB John Rhys Plumlee. Austin and Miller had a tough time finding the football in the blinding sun.
– As usual, Plumlee worked in the punt- and kick-return lines. He continued to have issues fielding punts, but I did notice him holding a tennis ball while fielding one. I don’t know if he’s done that on previous days but if he has, maybe it’s one reason he was having difficulty. Maybe intentionally making these catches a little harder now in practice so they feel easier on gameday, I’m just spitballing. He was getting coached up on having higher and tighter hands to field the ball more cleanly.
– LBs Elandon Roberts and Patrick Queen played catch in the early going. Those two have seemed to become quick friends.
– So many former Steelers on the field throughout camp. Today, James Harrison was in attendance and palled around with Cam Heyward on his day off. Vince Williams and Ryan Shazier continue to serve as camp assistants while unofficial scout Ike Taylor is on the field every day. Yesterday, and I forgot to note this, Taylor and S Troy Polamalu (who has attended several practices this year), sat and hung out on the bench together. Today, it was Heyward, Harrison, and Williams chatting early in practice. Former QB Charlie Batch has also been on the field throughout camp while our photographer Tim Rice said RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac “Suddenness and Glide” Reman attended Tuesday’s session.
You can watch the 2024 Steelers and feel like you’re reliving the 2011 team, too.
– WR Dez Fitzpatrick getting coached by Zach Azzanni after Fitzpatrick took the wrong path in a run-blocking drill. Azzanni coached these guys hard throughout practice. While working on slants, Azzanni called out the need to be aggressive, creating space at the break point and having an aggressive/sharp angle, which will also help create space. He didn’t like how Quez Watkins ran his route and pulled him back to walk him and others through the drill again.
Later Azzanni, called out to George Pickens to get more vertical upfield after catching a slant. He did like one rep from Calvin Austin III. “I like that, CA!” he said.
– On the other side of the field, the safeties worked through a tackling circuit, led by DBs Coach Grady Brown while assistant Anthony Midget coached up the cornerbacks. That seems to be how they split the group.
– Steelers worked on kickoffs during a later special teams session. Still focused on the front-line blockers. Looking left to right from the kick returner perspective (like yesterday, LS Christian Kuntz and K Matthew Wright were the “returners” in the landing zone and there weren’t any actual kicks), here are the lines from first through third string:
1. Connor Heyward-Miles Killebrew-Mark Robinson-Jeremiah Moon-Payton Wilson-Tyler Matakevich-Dez Fitzpatrick
Rodney Williams MyCole Pruitt
2. Ryan Watts-Aaron Shampklin-Jacoby Windmon-Julius Welschof-Jeremiah Moon-Darius Rush-Cory Trice Jr.
Tyler Murray Jack Colletto
3. Anthony Averett-Nate Meadors-Willington Previlon-Logan Lee-Kyler McMichael-Thomas Graham Jr.-Jacob Copeland
Isaiahh Loudermilk La’Mical Perine
The names centered were right behind the front line. The other two players on the field would be the return men. You’ll notice on the third-team unit, there are three defensive linemen working. We’ll see who gets a shot in game action, but none are running with the starters right now.
First Team Period (11 on 11 – Seven Shots)
1. Ball on the defense’s 2. Justin Fields in at QB. O-line of Moore-Anderson-Herbig-Daniels-Jones. 12 personnel. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington the two tight ends. Fields looks for WR George Pickens right side, but the throw is behind and incomplete, the two not completely on the same page.
2. Payton Wilson hops in at ILB. Nick Herbig the LOLB, Alex Highsmith the ROLB. 22 personnel, Van Jefferson the lone receiver. Jaylen Warren muscles his way in over right guard for the score.
3. 11 personnel. Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson on the outside with George Pickens in the slot. Fields play-action. Throws over the middle complete to Jefferson, who makes a nice one-handed snag with his right hand, reaching back just a bit, for the score against Donte Jackson.
4. David Perales and Jeremiah Moon the outside linebackers. 13 personnel. Najee Harris finds the hole right side and puts his foot in the ground to get upfield and score. This is the play where Perales was injured.
5. Kyle Allen comes in at QB. OLB Kyron Johnson gets pressure off the edge and Allen throws the ball away through the middle of the end zone.
6. 11 personnel. Scotty Miller in the slot with Quez Watkins and Dez Fitzpatrick on the outside. Allen scrambles in for the touchdown but we give this win to the defense since it wasn’t a designed run.
7. I think Mike Tomlin agrees because a defensive win on the play above makes it 3-3 and necessitates a tiebreaker. Justin Fields and the first-team offense comes back onto the field. Handoff to Najee Harris over left guard. He leaps over the goal line and flies through the air, tumbling down into the end zone. Gutsy play for practice but it’s a win for the offense for the rep and the period, 4-3.
Linebacker/Running Back 1v1
– 1v1 coverage drill between the running backs and linebackers. I planned to initially watch the wide receivers, but they started off working on a blocking drill. They later went 1v1 on the goal line but by that point, I was focused on the linebackers and backs. Play-by-play of those reps. Understand these are slanted and heavily favored to the offense.
1. Najee Harris beats Elandon Roberts on an out route.
2. Jaylen Warren quickly whips to the outside and gets a step on Patrick Queen though the pass whizzes through his hands, a little high but catchable.
3. RB Jonathan Ward makes the grab against Payton Wilson.
4. FB Jack Colletto has a step on LB Mark Robinson and makes the grab.
5. LB Tyler Murray breaks up throw to RB La’Mical Perine.
6. Rookie RB Daijun Edwards wins on an out route against LB Jacoby Windmon, finishing with the grab.
7. LB Tyler Matakevich pretty grabby with RB Aaron Shampklin, who eventually escapes. Think he caught the ball but don’t have that noted.
8. Miscommunication on this pivot/choice route between quarterback and Jaylen Warren. Incomplete. Patrick Queen covering.
9. Clean win by Harris against Roberts.
10. Ward wins an on out route, attacking Payton Wilson’s inside leverage for the short, 5-yard grab. Tough spot for Wilson to be in and all these defensive players.
11. Nice nod route by Colletto to beat Windmon.
12. Easy win to the outside by Shampklin against Robinson.
13. Perine shakes Windmon to make the grab.
14. Matakevich stays in Edwards’ hip pocket and nearly rips the ball out on this out route, but Edwards does well to hang on as he goes to the ground.
15. Warren makes the grab against Roberts.
16. Harris bursts away from Queen on an out route but the pass goes through his hands, the two talking a bit after the rep.
17. Angle route by Shampklin and Murray shoves him hard when they get close together. Pass goes through Shampklin’s hands.
18. Nice read and jump by Wilson to undercut this angle route by Ward. Knocked away, incomplete.
19. Pivot route by Perine is broken up by Windmon.
20. Colletto wins on the out route versus Robinson.
21. Edwards runs vertically and deep downfield and has a step on Matakevich, but the pass (don’t know the QB) is overthrown.
22. Ward beats Wilson but the pass is high and incomplete. ILBs Coach Aaron Curry talks to Wilson as he walks back from the rep.
23. Easy out route reception by Shampklin against Windmon. These are tough to stop for the linebackers 1v1.
24. Najee Harris walks out like he’s splitting out wide against Payton Wilson. Runs a comeback but the ball is a little wide of his frame, hitting off his right hand. Incomplete.
25. Warren beats Murray on an out route.
26. Colletto bursts vertically and gains two steps on Windmon, making a nice snag over his shoulder. This grab and Wilson’s breakup the two best reps of the session.
– I did watch the final rep of WR/DB. CB Anthony Averett mirrored WR Quez Watkins and broke up the throw on the goal line.
Second Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Ball on the offense’s 45. Nate Herbig in at center. Damontae Kazee getting work as first-team safety with Minkah Fitzpatrick getting the day off. DeShon Elliott the SS. Elandon Roberts and Patrick Queen the ILBs, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith the OLBs, the base d-line of Larry Ogunjobi-Keeanu Benton-Isaiahh Loudermilk, the latter getting work with the 1s with Cam Heyward resting. Offense in 12 personnel, George Pickens and Van Jefferson the starting receivers.
Live tackling session. Good run by Najee Harris with a lane off left side for a gain of 8, getting the edge and good blocking out in front.
2. Russell Wilson in at QB. 12 personnel. James Daniels pulls on this run right to left. Jaylen Warren on the carry for 2 yards, Queen making the tackle.
3. Justin Fields back in at QB. 12 personnel. Pickens and Jefferson the receivers. Pistol formation. Fields play-action. Good fake and Fields rolls right, hitting Pickens in stride for a gain of 11. Pickens weaves through traffic, the defense not going all-out tackling on this pass. NT Keeanu Benton shows his hustle by chasing Pickens downfield and getting a hand on him along the sideline.
4. Ball at midfield. Kyron Johnson and Jeremiah Moon at outside linebacker. 11 personnel, Jefferson, Pickens, and Austin the three-receivers. Fields out of pistol. Warren carry right side. LB Mark Robinson has a free shot at Warren through the hole but Warren is a bowling ball and bounces off him, breaking the tackle. Only a gain of 2 or 3 yards but hard run.
5. 21 personnel, Connor Heyward in at FB. Kyle Allen in at QB. RB Jonathan Ward gets the carry left side for 3 or 4 yards. Robinson again came in and clipped Ward on his right shoulder. Ward spun around and fell forward for a little bit more.
6. 11 personnel. Allen throws to TE MyCole Pruitt moving left to right, making a nice diving tackle for 9.
7. Ball on the defense’s 45. 21 personnel, Colletto in at fullback. Anthony Averett and Darius Rush the respective left and right corner with Mark Robinson and Payton Wilson at inside linebacker. Miles Killebrew and Nate Meadors the safety duo. Good gain for Ward of roughly 6. Troy Fautanu and Spencer Anderson threw good blocks to help spring him.
8. Russell Wilson in at QB behind the third-team line of Hamilton-Beach-McCollum-Fisher-Hardy. 11 personnel. Shampklin 3-yard run left side.
9. Ryan Watts and Nate Meadors the safety duo, Thomas Graham Jr. and Kyler McMichael at corner on the outside. Julius Welschof the ROLB. Offense in 12 personnel. QB John Rhys Plumlee under center. Play-action and he hits WR Jaray Jenkins for 26 yards left side before Ryan Watts drags him down from behind.
10. 11 personnel. Graham and McMichael on the outside at corner with Beanie Bishop Jr. in the slot. Pistol. Perine carry left side, stood up and pushed backwards after a run of roughly 4.
– After this period, WRs George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, and Quez Watkins watched film with WRs Coach Zach Azzanni and assistant Bam Bryant.
Third Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Line of scrimmage on the offense’s 14. Herbig and Highsmith at OLB. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson as the outside corners with Beanie Bishop Jr. in the slot. Roberts and Queen at inside linebacker. Spencer Anderson still working first-team LG. 11 personnel with Pickens, Jefferson, and Austin. Pruitt the tight end.
Fields play-action. Hits Jefferson on a skinny post for a gain of 12, Porter covering.
“Good ball,” Tomlin calls out to Fields.
2. 12 personnel. 3×1 formation with Pat Freiermuth standing up to the right in a bunch look to the three-receiver side. Fields looks right. Nothing there. Looks left. Nothing there. Eventually scrambles to his left, eyes downfield, before throwing out of bounds in the general vicinity of Pickens. Kazee is on top of him, and the pass wasn’t meant to be a competitive one for Pickens to try to grab. Good plaster by the defense.
3. 11 personnel. Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton the defensive tackle pairing. Fields play-action with Pickens coming across right to left in the flat. Alex Highsmith has a free rush and pressure but peels off to not hit the QB. Fields drops his arm slot and hits Pickens, who jolts upfield for 12 yards.
4. 11 personnel. Payton Wilson and Mark Robinson the inside linebackers. Kyron Johnson and Jeremiah Moon the outside linebackers. Screen pass is batted down by Montravius Adams.
5. 21 personnel. Kyle Allen under center. Play-fake. Scotty Miller makes the grab working on CB Darius Rush. Gain of 16.
6. Rush and Averett the outside corners. 12 personnel. Meadors and Killebrew the safeties. Montravius Adams gets pressure while DeMarvin Leal bats down the Allen pass.
7. 11 personnel. Empty set. Allen hits Freiermuth in the right flat but S Nate Meadors is right there for the thud. Immediately meets him.
“Good job, Nate!” someone yells.
8. 12 personnel. Breiden Fehoko and Willington Previlon along the d-line, Kyron Johnson and Julius Welschof the outside linebackers. Kalon Barnes at LCB and Anthony Averett at RCB, Mark Robinson and Jacoby Windmon the inside linebacker. Windmon blitzes and gets pressure. Looks like an attempted running back screen but the pressure was immediate, and the pass was thrown near the line incomplete. Messy offensive play.
9. 11 personnel. McMichael and Graham the outside corners, left and right respectively. CB Grayland Arnold in the slot. Ryan Watts comes down in the box. 11 personnel for the offense. Plumlee looks for new WR Tarik Black, working in the team period on his first day after being signed. Throw slightly behind and Black slips trying to adjust, the pass incomplete as he goes to the ground. Graham covering.
10. Willington Previlon and Jacob Slade the DTs. Jacoby Windmon and Tyler Matakevich the ILBs. 11 personnel. Plumlee pumps left before taking off to the right, scrambling with lots of green grass against man coverage.
Fourth Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Line of scrimmage on the offense’s 17. Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton the DT pairing. Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith at OLB. 11 personnel with Van Jefferson and George Pickens on the outside and Calvin Austin III in the slot. Justin Fields in at QB out of pistol.
Najee Harris carry left side for 5 yards. “Stay on your feet,” Tomlin calls out, indicating this isn’t a full-tackle session.
2. 11 personnel. Anderson in at left guard. Bishop slot left at corner. Fields scrambles up the middle, but Larry Ogunjobi chases hard after him, swatting down through Fields’ right hand and knocking the ball out. It bounces around and there’s a fight for the football. RT Broderick Jones comes away with it.
3. Jaylen Warren run for about 2. Highlight here was C Zach Frazier driving his feet and pancaking Payton Wilson, folding him into the ground. Fun rep.
4. 11 personnel. Fields scrambles left side. Don’t have much on this play in my notes.
5. 2nd team o-line comes in. Offense in 13 personnel, Dez Fitzpatrick the lone receiver. Kyle Allen under center. ILB Tyler Matakevich knifes in and stops RB Aaron Shampklin in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. The non-tackling session continues and Shampklin throws a hard shoulder into a defender, either LB Jacoby Windmon or S Miles Killebrew, downfield, though the player wasn’t coming up to make a true tackle. Still, TE Pat Freiermuth was pumped and ran up to Shampklin to let him know about it.
6. Kyle Allen in empty set. Complete to Miller on a curl left side for 5.
7. 21 personnel. Colletto at fullback. TE Darnell Washington goes in motion. Ward carry for 4 yards, Matakevich meeting him in the hole.
8. 12 personnel. Kalon Barnes and Darius Rush the cornerbacks. Allen under center. La’Mical Perine has a good lane right side, Barnes tagging and letting him go. Gain of 7 or 8.
9. Graham and Trice on the outside with Arnold working out of the slot. 11 personnel for the offense. Russell Wilson in at QB. RB Jonathan Ward on the carry for a few yards but he fumbles at the very end. Big pile-up for the recovery. LB Jacoby Windmon is at the bottom and has the football as Ward is trying to wrestle it away.
“Don’t let it go!” a defensive coach calls out to Windmon, who clutches the ball tight until Ward gives up. Soon as he does, the coach rules it’s a turnover for the defense. Lots of whistles and chatter at the end of this one as coaches are trying to move to the next play.
10. Plumlee in at quarterback. 11 personnel. Plumlee wants a short throw to the right, but Arnold makes a great play to read it, peel off his zone, and step in front of the pass with a clean catch and interception. His second in as many days.
Offensive Line-Defensive Line
– Charting the 1 on 1 o-line and d-line session.
1. Alex Highsmith gains the edge on Dan Moore Jr. Moore is able to recover and tries to knock Highsmith up the arc, but I think they gave the win to Highsmith.
2. This time, Highsmith tries an outside spin. Maybe a new counter to his inside spin? We’ve talked about it before. But the move isn’t super effective and Moore mirrors with ease. Like we wrote yesterday, this is a time for a guy like Highsmith to work on these things.
3. Effective club from NT Montravius Adams pushes Spencer Anderson back a bit, though the latter stays square.
4. Adams swims on Anderson, who is able to recover late.
5. Clean win from Adams on Anderson with another club. Clean win.
6. Nate Herbig mirrors Keeanu Benton’s spin move.
7. Benton tries to club and then spin (he’s using the move a lot) and Herbig throws Benton down at the end of the rep.
8. Larry Ogunjobi swims James Daniels, who works to stay square and not let Ogunjobi completely past. But a good rep from Ogunjobi.
9. Good power on Ogunjobi’s punch against Daniels, though his punch is high and into Daniels’ helmet, stunning him.
10. They go again. Giving Daniels the win here, good grip strength to lock onto Ogunjobi and walk him upfield away from the pretend quarterback.
11. Troy Fautanu with tight hands and a good punch on Nick Herbig.
12. Fautanu and Herbig go again. Tomlin yelled at him, ostensibly to win a rep against the rookie, and Herbig tries to cross chop. Doesn’t work. Fautanu seals him up the field.
13. One more time. Fautanu wins again, locking on and winning the rep.
14. Good bull-to-rip combination from OLB Jeremiah Moon against LT Dylan Cook, using his strength and length to win the rep.
15. This time, Cook wins as he mirrors and handles Moon’s spin.
16. Tiebreaker. Moon loses his balance; Cook might’ve knocked his arm down. Moon goes to the ground as Cook wins the rep and series.
17. Isaiahh Loudermilk bull/rip attempt, Mason McCormick doing a good job to re-fit his hands and anchor.
18. Loudermilk tries to swipe McCormick’s hands but it fails. Falls late in the rep.
19. Willington Previlon’s spin move fails against the o-lineman (update: it was McCormick, read my notes wrong).
20. Breiden Fehoko with a club/bull that knocks Zach Frazier back.
21. Bull rush from Fehoko has Frazier on his heels. While Frazier stays square and might’ve been using a hop step to give some ground, Fehoko is really giving it to him. Fehoko ends it with a pat upside Frazier’s helmet as if to say, “You’ll figure it out soon, rook, but not today.”
22. They go a third time. Frazier, to his credit, saves face. Could sorta predict Fehoko uses more finesse here and Frazier quickly shuts down Fehoko’s swim attempt.
23. DeMarvin Leal quick off the ball against OG Joey Fisher, swimming late on him.
24. Spin move to Fisher’s inside/left hip from Leal easily wins. Great move from Leal, though I wish he would be going against stronger competition than a third-string guard.
25. Rookie OLB Julius Welschof gains the edge and corners past RT Anderson Hardy.
26. They go again. Welschof with a smooth inside spin move against Hardy for the win, an impressive rep from a tall and long rookie. Earns some “ooohs” from Welschof’s defensive teammates.
Fifth Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Ball on the offense’s 18-yard line. “Exclamation point on our work!” Mike Tomlin calls out to the team. 11 personnel. Van Jefferson in the slot with Calvin Austin III and George Pickens on the outside. Russell Wilson in at quarterback. Najee Harris carry left side. No full tackling but Harris shows off his power, trucking through CB Donte Jackson en route to a strong run of about 12. Harris was taken to the ground at the end — I think Patrick Queen got him from behind — and it led to a skirmish with a heated and helmet-less Nate Herbig.
2. 11 personnel. Justin Fields subs in. Nothing there on this pass attempt and he ends up chucking the football away.
3. 11 personnel. Larry Ogunjobi and DeMarvin Leal the defensive tackles. Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. Beanie Bishop Jr. working out of the slot. Fields in at QB. Read option, Fields carrying the ball to the right as he’s done several times already in camp.
Roberts throws a shoulder into him, knocking Fields to the ground. Mason McCormick comes screaming in to shove Roberts while Troy Fautanu is unhappy, too. Big scrum, couple punches thrown, guys on the ground, everyone running over. Countless flags from the refs, not that it means anything to anyone. Eventually broken up but the most intense moment of camp.
4. Eventually, things reset. Fields stays in at quarterback. 12 personnel. Fields hits Pat Freiermuth for about 12 yards, aligned slot right.
5. 21 personnel, Kyle Allen under center. Nice low-throw grab by Scotty Miller for a gain of 10 over the middle, the sixth-year veteran going to the ground and securing the catch.
6. Allen out of pistol, 11 personnel. La’Mical Perine carry right side for 3.
7. Russell Wilson in at QB. Kalon Barnes in at LCB. WR Dez Fitzpatrick helps WR Duece Watts get in the right spot before Fitzpatrick is motioned across right to left. Run by Jonathan Ward for no gain. Frazier ended up on the ground during the play, either missing or losing his block.
8. Allen replaces Wilson at QB. Nate Meadors and Cam Sutton the safety pairing. Allen checkdown to Perine for 4.
9. John Rhys Plumlee comes in. 13 personnel. Trice in at LCB, McMichael at RCB. Nice job by Welschof from his LOLB spot to shed the block and tag Perine for about 1 yard.
10. 11 personnel. Plumlee fakes right and wants to throw a bubble/tunnel screen to the left. But Plumlee’s lack of height and a rush works against him, DL Willington Previlon swatting the pass down. Another active day for the d-line disrupting throwing lanes.
Camp Summary (TL;DR)
– Jack Colletto looked athletic with soft hands in the 1v1 drill. An all-around player at Oregon State, he made some plays and caught my attention. Also has the size and power to lead block, though I’m still learning more about him in that regard.
– Rookie OT Troy Fautanu has looked smooth in the o-line/d-line drills and has had a lot of success. He covers a lot of ground and plays under control with good hand use and power. Just looks natural and fluid.
– C Zach Frazier has struggled with power and bull rushes in these drills. Had his hands full with NT Montravius Adams yesterday and NT Breiden Fehoko today. Work to do. Meanwhile, Nate Herbig continues to shine in camp and stack good performances. Don’t count him out of the Week 1 job.
– In terms of pecking order and reps, the top three receivers remain George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin III. In that order.
– TE Pat Freiermuth is having a good camp and has also been a great teammate. Hyping up his guys, congratulating them when they make a play, jogging and running around to greet them. He’s been a full participant even while waiting for a new contract and he’s doing all he can to be at his best and support his teammates.
– DL DeMarvin Leal definitely looks fast off the football. Explosive, though again, I want to see him 1v1 against better competition.
– Been a little quiet for NT Keeanu Benton, who has really tried to work on a spin move in 1v1. Probably testing different things since his club/over is already good and he needs a counter. Spin might be his idea of countering if linemen overset against him to take away an edge. But he’s run to the ball and is an impressive athlete for the position.
– Injuries at outside linebacker and Watt getting a day off were a benefit for German-born rookie OLB Julius Welschof, who impressed in 1v1s and team period against the run. He’s been good against the run during camp, something Josh Carney noted as a strength in his post-draft scouting report. Prior to today, it was tough for Welschof to even get reps.
– CB Beanie Bishop Jr. is dominating the conversation but back-to-back good days for NCB Grayland Arnold, who has been all around the ball. Interceptions each of the last two practices. We’ll see if he can make it three, but he’s shut down some of the short passing game.
– Overall, the Steelers’ defense and secondary have plastered and held up well in scramble drills. Will serve them well come the regular season with QB mobility so common.
– I don’t have it listed above but S Ryan Watts again played dime linebacker snaps as they see what he can offer the defense.
– Feels like CB Anthony Averett has seen increasing reps the last two days while CB Kalon Barnes hasn’t gotten as much work. Playing time still limited for CB Cory Trice Jr. DC Teryl Austin told reporters his work will ramp up during camp but the longer that takes, the more he’ll fall behind. He’s fighting for a job.
Saint Vincent Snapshot
Another look of the skirmish as things began to wind down. That’s No. 66, Mason McCormick, who helped start things, on the ground at the 33-yard line.
Steelers Short Kings
A series on the shortest and smallest players in team history with large stories to tell.
RET Stefan Logan: 5-7, 177 pounds (2009)
Making the team after an electric preseason, he worked as Pittsburgh’s punt and kick returner for 2009. His numbers were decent, registering 9.3 yards per punt and 26.7 yards per return. He’d spent three years in Detroit, returning one kickoff for a score, and spent seven years in the CFL, playing until he was nearly 40. Logan now competes in cyclist races.
Norm MacDonald Quote Of The Day
“In my opinion, if you’re going to fight the War On Terror, a good place to start would be this nation’s haunted houses!”
