Smith-Schuster back on practice field
LATROBE 无毛视频� Ben Roethlisberger asked for Martavis Bryant, and the NFL said no.
But the team training staff said yes to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the organization said yes to Hines Ward.
It was a perfect match.
无毛视频淭oday was a more physical day,无毛视频� said Smith-Schuster. 无毛视频淲e blocked.无毛视频�
And Ward, the famed blocker, who in Smith-Schuster无毛视频檚 words 无毛视频渃hanged the game,无毛视频� was in the rookie receiver无毛视频檚 ear as a guest coaching intern.
无毛视频淲e were talking the whole practice,无毛视频� Smith-Schuster said. 无毛视频淗e was telling me things I could work on.无毛视频�
The Steelers无毛视频� second-round pick out of USC, who grew up idolizing Troy Polamalu, and who was compared as a draft prospect to Anquan Boldin because of his physical style, and who came to spring practice saying he hoped he could one day play like Ward, Smith-Schuster practiced for the first time since turning an ankle in the first period of the first practice.
Smith-Schuster lined up in an Oklahoma-style blocking drill for wide receivers and the 20-year-old proved he was clearly the most physical blocker out of Wednesday无毛视频檚 group, and probably the entire WR group when healthy.
What did Ward have to say about Smith-Schuster无毛视频檚 blocking?
无毛视频淗e said I无毛视频檓 good but I无毛视频檓 not close to where he was at, so I无毛视频檓 still working on it,无毛视频� Smith-Schuster said. 无毛视频淎fter every rep I was going over and he was telling me what I could do better to improve, just the little things.无毛视频�
It was a day for the back-up receivers to receive all the work. Antonio Brown was excused for the birth of a child and Bryant was still being frozen out by the league. It allowed Justin Hunter to draw the No. 1 cornerback in seven shots, and cornerback Artie Burns blasted Hunter in the back of the end zone to turn what at first appeared to be a great touchdown catch into an incompletion.
Darrius Heyward-Bey was the starting receiver on the other side, and he also had a touchdown in seven shots turned into an incompletion when Ross Cockrell rode him hard out of bounds.
As Smith-Schuster said, it was more of a physical day and the cornerbacks responded. But Heyward-Bey did run past Burns on a fly pattern to haul in a deep bomb from Roethlisberger later in the practice.
Over on another field, a perfectly good receiver was running under deep balls thrown by a trainer. And Roethlisberger doesn无毛视频檛 quite understand why Bryant 无毛视频� still being chained by NFL procedures after being allowed to return in the spring off last year无毛视频檚 suspension 无毛视频� can无毛视频檛 put on the pads and play with his team.
无毛视频淕oodness, he无毛视频檚 done everything the league has asked,无毛视频� said Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not really sure why they keep holding him out from being out there with the guys. To me, the best thing is for him to be out there with his brothers. I无毛视频檓 not really sure what the hold-up is but I know he无毛视频檚 doing everything he can to be out there.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger said he and Bryant sat down and chatted a couple of days ago, but wouldn无毛视频檛 delve into the specifics. He only reiterated his complaint about the league.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know whether it无毛视频檚 the league or a doc or what无毛视频檚 going on,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淕oodness, he无毛视频檚 paid his dues.无毛视频�
NOTES: Roethlisberger was asked when Le无毛视频橵eon Bell would arrive, but he doesn无毛视频檛 know. 无毛视频淚 texted him a couple times. Haven无毛视频檛 heard back,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频� In response to an earlier remark by Ramon Foster that Roethlisberger has four to five years of prime playing time left, Roethlisberger said, 无毛视频淚f those guys up front play as well as they无毛视频檝e been playing 无毛视频� getting sacked what 17 times last year? 无毛视频� I might be here a little longer.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Rookie running back James Conner has a minor shoulder sprain and is expected back in days. 无毛视频� Cam Heyward also missed practice due to the birth of his child. 无毛视频� Tomlin said 无毛视频渟ome of the other guys have soft-tissue injuries that are usually a week.无毛视频� That group figures to include absentees Ryan Shazier, Senquez Golson, Landry Jones and rookie Cam Sutton. Veteran James Harrison is still working at his pace on the far field as T.J. Watt takes advantage of the valuable first-team reps. Watt did leave practice late after being shaken up on a tackle, but he remained in pads and helmet and wanted to return. 无毛视频� ILB Vince Williams returned, and FS Mike Mitchell worked in individual drills 无毛视频� tight end Scott Orndoff, a native of Waynesburg, was waived/injured and tight end Jack McGee was signed.