Bell participates in first practice
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Le无毛视频橵eon Bell got on the scale, shook his head and said 无毛视频淲ow. I knew I lost a lot of weight.无毛视频�
How much do you weigh, Le无毛视频橵eon?
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 too light to tell anyone,无毛视频� Bell said as he walked away.
So much for the question about Bell无毛视频檚 conditioning. Even though he feels he无毛视频檚 too light, he looked as fit as a cheetah 无毛视频� or his usual level of fitness. And then he was asked whether he was in 无毛视频渇ootball shape.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 everybody无毛视频檚 concern,无毛视频� Bell said Monday after his first practice with the Steelers this season. 无毛视频淚 did a lot of training. At practice today they gave me my normal reps that I did last year and the year before that and all the years I无毛视频檝e been here, and I felt good. Wednesday might be a little different. There might be a little adjustment I make, but obviously I无毛视频檓 excited about this year and I无毛视频檓 ready to move forward.无毛视频�
The question everyone really wanted answered was this: Why?
Why did Bell miss the entire preseason when there was no possible gain to be made contractually?
无毛视频淚 wanted to make sure I无毛视频檓 fresh for the season,无毛视频� Bell said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 want to go out there jeopardize myself getting hurt in camp. I understand I无毛视频檓 under a one-year deal so I无毛视频檝e got to go out there and prepare and play football. I didn无毛视频檛 want to get hurt in camp. My rookie year I got hurt in camp, so I didn无毛视频檛 want to deal with it. I wanted to go out here, get ready for Game 1, games that count, and go out there and win a Super Bowl.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e was in shape,无毛视频� said Antonio Brown. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always in high condition. I think the volume of practice was turned up today. We took some periods back to back. That无毛视频檚 what we wanted to see, though. We want to come out strong and set a good tempo for the week.无毛视频�
Brand new secondary
Artie Burns went to a familiar place to meet his new teammate in the secondary, J.J. Wilcox.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 Ross无毛视频檚 locker,无毛视频� Burns said of the departed Ross Cockrell. 无毛视频淚 was like, 无毛视频楳an, that无毛视频檚 a legendary locker right there.无毛视频� But it无毛视频檚 cool, man. It comes with the job. It无毛视频檚 good to have new guys and build a new camaraderie up.无毛视频�
Wilcox confirmed that he rotated primarily with Rob Golden and Sean Davis at the first-team safety positions. He forgot to mention another safety working in with them.
无毛视频淚 practiced today,无毛视频� said Mitchell, who missed most of the summer with a hamstring injury.
Will he be ready to play in Cleveland on Sunday?
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l see,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭aking it day by day.无毛视频�
With the safeties sorting themselves out, two new cornerbacks worked into the first-team nickel defense. Mike Hilton confirmed that he was the slot corner between Burns and Haden.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not sure that that means anything,无毛视频� said Hilton. 无毛视频淢aybe they just wanted to see the chemistry of the ones, or build on it for the season, but yeah I was runing with the ones and I felt comfortable.无毛视频�
Hilton, the 5-9 first-year player who was with the Steelers无毛视频� practice squad last year, has been the biggest surprise of the offseason, and his playmaking skills have obviously been noticed and rewarded.
Oh, and he broke up a pass that popped into the air and was intercepted by a teammate.
无毛视频淛ust trying to make plays and help the team,无毛视频� Hilton said.
As for what comes of a secondary that无毛视频檚 thrown together one week before the opener, Mitchell was reminded of the game in New England two years ago in which communication breakdowns ruined any chance of a Steelers upset. He was asked if the new group will do any better.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 going to have to be,无毛视频� Mitchell said. 无毛视频淥bviously that result wasn无毛视频檛 good enough for us. It无毛视频檚 going to have to be different. Felt pretty good about the group that we had but obviously we made some new additions over the last couple of days. Communication was always key when playing defense so we无毛视频檝e got a lot of work to do.无毛视频�
X无毛视频檚 & O无毛视频檚
The Steelers named Ben Roethlisberger and Cameron Heyward team captains this season. There isn无毛视频檛 a special teams captain. Last year无毛视频檚 captains were Roethlisberger, Heyward, Will Gay and Robert Golden.
The Steelers waived/injured Jordan Dangerfield, placed Cameron Sutton and IR and signed ILB Steven Johnson. The Steelers will need to make another move with Bell, and the league has granted them a two-week roster exemption, or until Bell is activated for a game. 无毛视频� Wilcox was given jersey No. 27 and Haden wore No. 2 at practice. But Haden is bargaining with Mitchell for No. 23 and Mitchell is hoping to turn it into a three-way trade with Golden because Mitchell wants 21.