Up to this point, undrafted rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. has served as Pittsburgh’s starting slot corner throughout training camp and in its first preseason game, but CB Grayland Arnold could be challenging him for more reps. Arnold dealt with a minor injury that caused him to miss time during camp, but now that he’s fully healthy, head coach Mike Tomlin said the team is going to take a longer look at him.
“We’re gonna not only give him more reps but more quality reps. When guys are often working themselves back from injury, they don’t get a lot of reps, and we don’t give them a lot of great reps. He’s healthy now and so he’s gonna get some of those,” Tomlin said via Steelers.com.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin also believes that will be a big week for Arnold as he gets back into the swing of things.
“Well, he just got back into practice last week, so this week will be an interesting week for him. Really to see him go full speed all week at practice and leading up to the game and I think that’s going to be an important one for him and how he performs this week will be key,” Austin said via transcript provided by the team.
Arnold was signed the day before the team brought back Cameron Sutton, and with Sutton suspended for the first eight games of the season, Arnold is a candidate for reps in the slot. Bishop has had a good camp and right now would probably be the favorite to win the job. But Arnold could make a late push to win the job, especially with him now getting more reps.
With 113 reps last season in the slot for the Houston Texans, it’s an area where Arnold has experience. He doesn’t offer much as an outside corner, but he does have 47 career snaps at free safety. However, he’s likely limited to being a slot guy in Pittsburgh, as is Bishop, so it could be the two of them fighting for one spot on the roster to open the season.
Arnold played just five snaps in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener, but it sounds like that number will increase against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. With Tomlin putting an emphasis on “quality reps” for Arnold, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get snaps against the starters or second-teamers.
The slot corner competition will be one to watch in the coming weeks as Pittsburgh finalizes its 53-man roster. If Arnold can put together a strong performance in practice this week and in the team’s second preseason game, he could push Bishop for the starting slot job.
