Touching Pouncey is ‘a privilege’
Maurkice Pouncey is the best center in the NFL, so it must be considered a privilege for any quarterback to receive his snaps.
At least that无毛视频檚 the way Steelers coach Mike Tomlin sees it. And his rookie quarterback, Landry Jones, has yet to earn that privilege.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l see in training camp,无毛视频� said Pouncey, who actually moved to right tackle when Jones made a rare appearance with the first-team offensive line Thursday at the final OTA of the season, this one at rain-soaked Heinz Field.
The moment in question occurred during the second of three scheduled scrimmage sets Thursday.
Without Ben Roethlisberger, Jones, the fourth-round pick, moved up to third team and entered the fray for a single rep. Pouncey reflexively switched spots with right tackle Kelvin Beachum, but it wasn无毛视频檛 to add versatility to Pouncey无毛视频檚 glittering portfolio.
无毛视频淐oach didn无毛视频檛 want me to snap to Landry Jones,无毛视频� Pouncey said with a shrug. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檝e got to earn that privilege.无毛视频�
Say, what?
无毛视频淲ell,无毛视频� Pouncey explained, 无毛视频淐oach said Landry has to be able to 无毛视频� I don无毛视频檛 know how to say it 无毛视频� but he has to earn the privilege to touch my (butt), and he hasn无毛视频檛 done it yet, so Beachum had to go to center.无毛视频�
Oh.
Pouncey appeared a bit embarrassed by the explanation, but shook it off with a laugh.
无毛视频淚t played out pretty cool, man,无毛视频� he said.
无毛视频� 无毛视频� 无毛视频�
On a more serious note, Pouncey was sorry to see the only backup he无毛视频檚 had in the NFL, Doug Legursky, move on to the Buffalo Bills as a free agent Wednesday.
Legursky, of course, started for the injured Pouncey in Super Bowl XLV, started three games at center in 2011 (including another post-season game), and also started two games at center last season.
Legursky also had 13 regular-season starts at guard during his four-year stay with the Steelers, but the team lost confidence in his guard play and began moving Pouncey to that spot when necessary. It likely played a role in the decision to allow Legursky to leave in free agency without having anyone with appreciable NFL experience along the interior.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 going to put a lot of pressure on Beachum/Malecki now,无毛视频� Pouncey said. 无毛视频淚 think they无毛视频檒l be able to handle it.无毛视频�
Pouncey used both names 无毛视频� Beachum and John Malecki 无毛视频� together as if both combined would have to fill the role.
Beachum has received a smattering of first-team center reps this spring. A rookie tackle last season, Beachum is also working at guard, so he and backup tackle Guy Whimper are roster locks at this point.
The eighth lock for the roster is probably Malecki, the former Pitt right guard who filled in at that position in last season无毛视频檚 finale against Cleveland. It was his first NFL appearance since beginning his four-team practice-squad odyssey in 2010.
Malecki, who at a listed 6-2, 298, is built like Legursky, has also been alternating with Beachum as a reserve center this spring.
无毛视频淪ame size, they do the same kind of technique, so it无毛视频檚 pretty cool to see it,无毛视频� Pouncey said of the Malecki-Legursky comparison. 无毛视频淏ut like I said, ever since I无毛视频檝e been here Legursky has always been a reliable guy. We have to find who that next reliable guy will be. I无毛视频檓 pretty sure Beachum/Malecki are ready for that. I无毛视频檓 OK with them.无毛视频�
Numbers 9 and 10 on the offensive line depth chart, though, will have to come from the undrafted/street free-agent pool of players already in tow, or from among the ever-thinning ranks of what无毛视频檚 already a picked-over pool of available veterans on the market. As I无毛视频檝e written since January, it无毛视频檚 a bright red flag on the depth chart.
无毛视频� 无毛视频� 无毛视频�
Demarcus Van Dyke made his position coach, Carnell Lake, smile and remark positively to Tomlin on the field the other day after Van Dyke smothered the smaller Emmanuel Sanders on a deep pattern down the sideline.
Van Dyke looks like a champ 无毛视频� in shorts, as do several of an exceptionally quick group of backup cornerbacks fighting for roster spots this off-season.
无毛视频淚 feel good 无毛视频� if it无毛视频檚 a track meet,无毛视频� said Tomlin. 无毛视频淏ut, can they get the man on the ground? That无毛视频檚 what we need to find out.无毛视频�
Tomlin put one of his 4.3 sprinters, Justin King, on IR yesterday and added undrafted rookie Nigel Malone, of Kansas State, in his place.
I have watched Malone play twice: Against Kansas he returned an interception 55 yards, and in the East-West Shrine game he returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown.
Little wonder I believed the savvy, 5-10, 185-pound zone corner who led the Big 12 in interceptions in 2011 would be a fit for the Steelers. But Malone went undrafted last April and signed with the Indianapolis Colts, who cut him last month.
Malone has a long list of players to pass before making the roster, or even the practice squad, and here无毛视频檚 how those players have looked so far:
无毛视频� Curtis Brown is the fourth corner and is looking as feisty, quick and nimble as he did through two previous off-seasons. Keenan Lewis looked good through two off-seasons, too, before breaking through the disappointment as a third-year player.
无毛视频� Van Dyke has been given Lewis无毛视频� No. 23 and from a distance looks the part. But he is skinny. Another 4.3 sprinter, Van Dyke is being watched closely because of that speed and his long limbs. But can he tackle?
无毛视频� Josh Victorian was beaten badly on a double move for a touchdown by Kashif Moore earlier this spring. A small, skinny Pitt player sitting next to me on a bench waited respectfully for another play to be run before asking me 无毛视频淲ho无毛视频檚 number 35?无毛视频� I told him it无毛视频檚 Victorian, and I asked him if he plays cornerback for Pitt. He said he did, and I said, 无毛视频淪o now you know you have a chance to make it in this league, don无毛视频檛 you?无毛视频� The kid just smiled.
Victorian 无毛视频� who came into the spring with a strong share of support from the organization because of his physicality 无毛视频� has continued to be burned by double moves.
无毛视频� Isaiah Green was a late-season pick-up last year and has blazing speed, which he无毛视频檚 used this spring to not only knock away deep passes but to blitz. Green, though, will also have to show 无毛视频渉e can get the guy on the ground无毛视频� at training camp.
无毛视频� Terry Hawthorne is the fifth-round pick who underwent a minor knee operation and has missed most of spring drills. He无毛视频檚 been there every day, though, helping out coaches when he can. He无毛视频檚 an enthusiastic rookie, but is raw and likely headed for the practice squad. People with whom I无毛视频檝e talked don无毛视频檛 dismiss him that readily, though, because they无毛视频檙e holding out hope he can show some killer kick-coverage skills at training camp.