Steelers slot receiver Eli Rogers could be in line for big season
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� A good 10 minutes after every other Steelers veteran had walked off the field following practice this week, a familiar voice bellowed from the doors that lead to the Steelers locker room.
无毛视频淓li! Eli!,无毛视频� Mike Tomlin shouted.
Like Pavlov无毛视频檚 whistle, Eli Rogers dutifully obliged, quickly trotting 55 yards across the field to meet with his head coach. This, of course, was in stark contrast to a similar scene two years ago when Tomlin publicly reprimanded the then rookie wide receiver for leaving the field early.
Consider it a lesson learned.
These days, there无毛视频檚 no way that Tomlin 无毛视频� or anyone else 无毛视频� could pull Rogers off a football field.
Coming off his first NFL season, the now 24-year-old reports that he is in the best condition of his fledgling career. The foot injury that shelved him the entire 2015 season is now a distant memory. After recording a respectable 48 catches for 594 yards and three TDs last season, Rogers says the game has slowed down for him and sees no reason why he can无毛视频檛 improve upon those numbers.
无毛视频淟ast year I played off of skill really, my prior knowledge to the game,无毛视频� Rogers said Wednesday after the ninth of 10 OTAs on the South Side. 无毛视频淚 have that experience now and experience is everything. So this year, I无毛视频檓 really excited to get back out there and put my experience on display and my new set of skills.无毛视频�
Though he doesn无毛视频檛 have the size of JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has drawn comparisons to Anquan Boldin, experience is one thing that Rogers has over the Steelers无毛视频� much-hyped second-round pick. Both players, along with Demarcus Ayers, are competing for the starting slot receiver position.
无毛视频淚 proved myself last year and I无毛视频檒l continue to prove myself this year,无毛视频� Rogers said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not out here competing with anyone. I无毛视频檓 competing with myself.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just trying to get better every day within myself. We无毛视频檒l see how that plays out. We无毛视频檒l see what the coaches think.无毛视频�
That new set of skills that Rogers alludes to includes an increased attention to detail. Already exceptional in coming out of his breaks, Rogers 无毛视频� or Smith-Schuster 无毛视频� could figure prominently in an offense that, if healthy, should rank among the NFL无毛视频檚 best in 2017.
During OTAs, Rogers has worked in the slot on the first team with Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant on the outside. With the deep threat Bryant back in the fold, and defenses having to respect Brown, a three-time All-Pro, that should open up the middle for the slot receiver to make plays underneath in coordinator Todd Haley无毛视频檚 offense. The possibilities are boundless.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 excited to see how it无毛视频檒l play out,无毛视频� Rogers said. 无毛视频淚 have a couple visions in mind that I无毛视频檝e seen. I无毛视频檓 just excited to see what it无毛视频檚 going to look like with all of us on the field.无毛视频�