Burns promoted to first team in nickel package
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Steelers first-round draft pick Artie Burns didn无毛视频檛 have time to sulk about his snap count dipping from 85 percent two games ago to 22 percent this past Sunday, because Burns has been moved to the first team.
无毛视频淔irst team nickel,无毛视频� Burns corrected. 无毛视频淭hat was just the nickel package. But it无毛视频檚 progress.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 major progress, considering the nickel package has become the Steelers无毛视频� primary defense.
Burns is no doubt preparing to play the outside corner 无毛视频� as he did when Sean Davis sat out two games ago 无毛视频� with William Gay kicking inside to the slot position. Ross Cockrell has been the other outside starting cornerback this season.
That leaves Davis out. The rookie slot corner confirmed on Wednesday that he worked behind Rob Golden and Mike Mitchell as a second-team safety.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e dealing with some injuries, me and my body, so we don无毛视频檛 know how long it will stay that way,无毛视频� said Davis. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e just taking it day by day.无毛视频�
For Burns, a starting spot would make for an exciting homecoming against the Dolphins. The Miami native said he无毛视频檚 already received ticket requests from family and friends and that 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l be getting as many as I can give them.无毛视频�
Burns wasn无毛视频檛 a Dolphins fan growing up, because 无毛视频淢e and my dad always watched the Cowboys and Steelers.无毛视频� But he said he supported the Dolphins as he matriculated through Miami Northwestern High School and the University of Miami.
With the Steelers, Burns has yet to intercept a pass, but his tackling improved from a disappointing performance in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Burns无毛视频� tackle over the middle last Sunday against the New York Jets was something the coaching staff wanted to see, as were his two interceptions in Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice.
无毛视频淕otta transfer that to the game and then we无毛视频檒l be good, we无毛视频檒l be solid,无毛视频� Burns said. 无毛视频淭ackling and picks. That无毛视频檚 what I无毛视频檓 going to work on.无毛视频�
And the mental part?
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 getting the defenses down,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵ou learn something every week, every day. Just got to keep it going. Keep learning on a daily basis and get better.无毛视频�
Add Vince无毛视频檚 little brother
The Steelers added running back Karlos Williams, the younger brother of linebacker Vince Williams, to the practice squad in a move that could have positive ramifications down the road 无毛视频� if Karlos can stay out of trouble.
Just off a four-game suspension for violating the NFL无毛视频檚 substance abuse policy, Williams said he stayed in shape and is at his playing weight, which at the 2015 NFL Combine was 6-0 3/4, 230 pounds.
无毛视频淚 think he无毛视频檚 really good,无毛视频� said Le无毛视频橵eon Bell after watching Williams in his first practice. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a big back. He runs with a lot of power. You can tell he无毛视频檚 one cut and go, no games. He无毛视频檒l get downhill right now.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 what Williams, the fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, did last year as LeSean McCoy无毛视频檚 backup. Williams gained 517 yards with a 5.6 per-carry average for the Bills. He also scored nine touchdowns.
But he learned about his suspension in July and then showed up at training camp a reported 20-25 pounds overweight. He was released on Aug. 20.
无毛视频淚 definitely think they无毛视频檒l have him lose a couple pounds,无毛视频� Bell said.
无毛视频淚 was a big guy at Michigan State and I thought I felt good. But he无毛视频檒l understand once he actually loses a couple pounds he无毛视频檒l feel a lot better and he won无毛视频檛 want to get back to how big he is now.无毛视频�
Vince Williams refused comment on his brother 无毛视频� even though they were on friendly speaking terms 无毛视频� so Bell was asked if he might provide guidance for the talented runner.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 going to try to,无毛视频� Bell said. 无毛视频淚 know he无毛视频檚 got a lot of talent. I definitely want to lead him in the right direction. He can definitely be a big part of this team eventually down the road, so I want to lead him in the right direction. I know he无毛视频檚 got a good head on his shoulders and he无毛视频檚 a good talent, so I want to do that for him.无毛视频�
On Tuesday, the Steelers added safety Jacob Hagen and offensive tackle Austin Shepherd to the practice squad to replace Al-Hajj Shabazz and Matt Feiler, who were promoted last week. To make room for Williams the Steelers released RB David Cobb.
Injury report
Sitting out Wednesday无毛视频檚 workout were WR Sammie Coates (finger), OT Marcus Gilbert (ankle), DE Cameron Heyward (hamstring), LB Ryan Shazier (knee), S Shamarko Thomas (groin), C-G Cody Wallace (knee), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) and RB DeAngelo Williams (not injury related).
Returning to full participation were Golden, CB Justin Gilbert, FB Rosie Nix and WR Eli Rogers.
无毛视频淩ight back where I left off,无毛视频� Gilbert said of his status with the team, and he may as well have been speaking for the rest of the returnees as well.
Ben: Dial it back some
Ben Roethlisberger experessed concern on his Tuesday radio show that perhaps the team无毛视频檚 physical practices are the reason for the number of injuries. He didn无毛视频檛 back down from the commentary Wednesday.
无毛视频淲e go as hard as anybody in training camp and during the season,无毛视频� said Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淥bviously, I无毛视频檓 not one to complain, because I don无毛视频檛 get hit like the other guys do. But, I will stand up for the guys up front and running backs, guys who take a pounding every day during a long season. The season is super long as it is and very physical. And when you无毛视频檙e doing it over and over and the guys无毛视频� shoulders are getting sore, knees start getting sore, and hips, and hamstrings, and quads and things, and then, they re-occur, you have to take a look at maybe what you无毛视频檙e doing. I know we pride ourselves as Pittsburgh Steelers of being a physical football team, so I know it无毛视频檚 a fine line you have to walk.无毛视频�
The last Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2011 curtailed tackling in training camp and created a limit of 14 padded practices per year, 11 in the first 11 weeks.