Steeler WRs tearing it up
Associated Press
The Steelers无毛视频� Antonio Brown leads the wide receivers during minicamp on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
Associated Press
Steelers wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey makes a reception during the first day of minicamp Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Minicamp无毛视频檚 continuing along like the rest of the spring for the Pittsburgh Steelers无毛视频� wide receivers, who keep making one big catch after another.
That goes for the entire depth chart.
无毛视频淎ll the way down,无毛视频� said cornerback Artie Burns. 无毛视频淎nd I do mean all the way down. Justin Hunter was a starter on the teams he played for and he made plays. Even the guys who just came into the league are pretty good, too.无毛视频�
Hunter made a big catch of a deep Ben Roethlisberger pass on Tuesday. So did Canaan Severin. And Sammie Coates may never have held on to as many passes as he has this month.
Richard Mann said earlier this spring that he came back for one final year to coach the wide receivers because they provide him the opportunity for another ring. Mann won one as the Tampa Bay receivers coach in 2002, but he called his group in Cleveland from 1986-91 the best he无毛视频檚 had. Until maybe now.
无毛视频淭hat was a good crew,无毛视频� Mann said of Webster Slaughter, Reggie Langhorne and Brian Brennan. 无毛视频淭his group I think is a little deeper, but, again, we haven无毛视频檛 seen some of the guys play real football yet.无毛视频�
The trio of Slaughter-Langhorne-Brennan averaged a combined 136 receptions, 1,938 yards and 10 touchdowns per season 无毛视频� or nearly identical to the numbers Antonio Brown put up in 2015: 136-1,834-10.
Brown lined up opposite Martavis Bryant most of that season, but was without him last season as Brown无毛视频檚 numbers slipped to 106-1,284-12.
The star receivers obviously complement each other, and Bryant is back from suspension bigger, stronger and faster than at any point in his life. Mann has noticed.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 picking up right where he left off,无毛视频� Mann said. 无毛视频淲e just have to get him back in the groove of everything. I think he无毛视频檚 kind of fit back in real nicely. Hasn无毛视频檛 lost a lot when it comes to the system. He still knows it, so that无毛视频檚 a good thing. He didn无毛视频檛 lose any of that. And there are a couple of things we had to pick up on, but I无毛视频檝e been very pleased so far.无毛视频�
Mann said off the field, Bryant has 无毛视频渕atured a lot, a little different personality-wise, which is a good thing.无毛视频� And Mann无毛视频檚 goal in the next two days is to give Bryant a workload for the ensuing five weeks leading up to training camp.
Coates represents another noticeable change in the front-line receiving group. The third-year receiver played with a broken index finger last season and caught only four passes for 48 yards in the final 12 games, counting the playoffs. But he无毛视频檚 been catching just about everything this spring.
无毛视频淵eah, a lot better,无毛视频� Mann said. 无毛视频淚 think his finger无毛视频檚 healed. It无毛视频檚 crooked, but it don无毛视频檛 hurt.无毛视频�
Coates earlier that day had reeled in a deep ball from Roethlisberger that put a charge in the offense.
无毛视频淗e dropped one he should无毛视频檝e had, right here, and he came back and made a great catch down there,无毛视频� Mann said as he pointed to the end zone. 无毛视频淎 good football player always bounces back. That无毛视频檚 what I try to instill in him, and I无毛视频檓 starting to see some of that in him.无毛视频�
OFFENSIVE ONLY LACKS BELL
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley has that dangerous pack of receivers to go along with Pro Bowlers at quarterback, running back and two spots on an intact offensive line. Does he lack for anything on this offense?
无毛视频淣o, I无毛视频檓 really excited about this group,无毛视频� Haley said. 无毛视频淭he only thing is we have a long way to go. We have to get to Latrobe, get the pads on, make it through that healthy and having developed some physicality, and then we can talk more.无毛视频�
Of course, the Steelers are currently without Le无毛视频橵eon Bell, who has yet to sign his franchise tender and stayed home to recover from offseason groin surgery.
Does Haley have any doubt that Bell will report for training camp?
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not worried about it. I无毛视频檓 really not,无毛视频� Haley said. 无毛视频淗e was in the other day (and) I got to talk to him a little bit. He无毛视频檚 a great kid and I think he无毛视频檒l be ready to go.无毛视频�
The other potential holdout is left tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 out here so we无毛视频檙e coaching the heck out of him,无毛视频� Haley said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not in that position any more where I have to worry about that contract stuff. I just coach the heck out of the guys who are here and try to get better.无毛视频�
VILLANUEVA ON NEGOTIATIONS
Villanueva has yet to sign his exclusive rights tender, but did sign a waiver to practice this spring. He was asked if he has 无毛视频渁 number in mind无毛视频� for his ongoing negotiation.
无毛视频淣o, I don无毛视频檛 have anything,无毛视频� Villanueva said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know anything about this. I really don无毛视频檛 focus about contracts. I come from very little money. I spent most of my time in the military so I无毛视频檓 very institutionalized about the way I spend money. My agent will make a decision and he无毛视频檒l let me know. He无毛视频檚 a very smart guy and I trust him. He无毛视频檚 the guy that I trusted when I got cut from Philly and he taught me the steps of how to get back on my feet.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not a fun process. It无毛视频檚 not something that I like to go through. I hate being the center of attention on such a stupid topic, but at the end of the day there无毛视频檚 not a lot of things that are very exciting going on in OTAs and you guys have to write about something. But, I don无毛视频檛 think about this at all. I无毛视频檓 a very small part of this team. Everybody else in this building needs as much attention because they contribute to the team无毛视频檚 effort just as much. The team is very successful and will make whatever decision they have to make.
无毛视频淔rom my end, I无毛视频檝e been extremely fortunate to be where I无毛视频檓 at. I无毛视频檝e been to Afghanistan three times and a lot of service members have died next to me protecting my life, and so for me to be here is a blessing. I无毛视频檝e won 10 lotteries already. If I get a percentage of a lottery on top, it is what it is. And if not, then it无毛视频檚 something that I can live with.
无毛视频淎gain, I无毛视频檓 not the best at making decisions, but I feel very comfortable making decisions. It无毛视频檚 a process. I am very thankful for the Steelers and everything they无毛视频檝e done for me. I无毛视频檝e been very thankful of their treatment. They无毛视频檝e always been extremely respectful. The only thing I can do is show them respect back by trying to be here and contribute the best I can.无毛视频�
VILLANUEVA ON WATT
Third-round draft pick Cameron Sutton agreed to a four-year deal Tuesday and left first-round pick T.J. Watt as the Steelers无毛视频� last unsigned rookie.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 not a problem at all with me,无毛视频� said Watt. 无毛视频淩ight now I无毛视频檓 just playing football and doing the best that I can on the field.无毛视频�
How exactly has he been doing?
Left tackle Villanueva, who无毛视频檚 blocked Watt 无毛视频� the first-team right outside linebacker 无毛视频� at every spring practice, provided a rave review.
无毛视频淚n terms of going against first-year players 无毛视频� like going against guys from the Browns and first-round picks from other teams 无毛视频� he doesn无毛视频檛 make mistakes. That无毛视频檚 rare and very impressive,无毛视频� Villanueva said. 无毛视频淗e knows how to disguise the plays. He knows his responsibilities. Then the second thing is he plays with a lot of confidence. And he plays very well with his hands. He understands protections and the offensive line so he shows a lot of maturity that you don无毛视频檛 usually see. He无毛视频檚 also a guy who无毛视频檚 using moves. He无毛视频檚 not just relying on athleticism. He无毛视频檚 a very athletic kid, but he无毛视频檚 not relying on it. He无毛视频檚 really putting thought into the game, so I无毛视频檝e had a lot of fun going against him for the past month.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not easy coming in and not knowing what to expect, but he无毛视频檚 just come in here and worked really hard. He doesn无毛视频檛 take a play off. It无毛视频檚 annoying to go against a guy like that, but he knows that it无毛视频檚 one of his strengths, like his brother, relentless. He无毛视频檚 got high expectations and works really hard. Because of that I predict that he无毛视频檚 going to be a very, very successful player in the NFL.无毛视频�