Steelers need Washington to ‘get it’ now
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Don无毛视频檛 ask Ben Roethlisberger if he misses guys like Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Eli Rogers and Martavis Bryant, because he无毛视频檒l just talk about Justin Hunter and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 loyal to vets that way.
But with rookies, like James Washington, the veteran quarterback realizes he must begin anew.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e got to work through some things to get certain guys on the field,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. And, of course, the second-round draft pick is primary among the 无毛视频渃ertain guys.无毛视频� In fact, Roethlisberger wasn无毛视频檛 shy about running into the red zone to illustrate the specifics of a new route he wanted Washington to master.
Washington didn无毛视频檛, but the session was a start.
无毛视频淲e work with who无毛视频檚 here,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said with a shrug when asked about it later.
As casual as Roethlisberger wants to make spring workouts seem, there appears to be more urgency surrounding Washington. Not that the rookie feels it.
无毛视频淚t doesn无毛视频檛 seem like that,无毛视频� Washington said. 无毛视频淏ut, at the same time, he wants you up to par as quick as possible.无毛视频�
Washington might not sense the urgency, but the Steelers NEED him to get it, and get it now. So, on some days it seems like the whole world无毛视频檚 a critic.
Washington receives instant feedback on his routes, how to make better use of his body positioning, how he needs to know where he无毛视频檚 at on the field. There was also the dreaded incomplete-due-to-juggling sign he got from an official after thinking he had caught a ball in the corner of the end zone.
Then again, there are days when Washington simply goes up to catch a ball, comes down with both feet inbounds and hears booming praise from his position coach, Darryl Drake, and gets a pat on the butt from a veteran cornerback.
无毛视频淗e comes to work every day at practice and doesn无毛视频檛 complain,无毛视频� said cornerback Cameron Sutton. 无毛视频淗e doesn无毛视频檛 drop his head when things aren无毛视频檛 going right for him throughout the day. He无毛视频檚 made some plays out there, as well. I无毛视频檓 excited for him this year and excited for everything he无毛视频檚 doing right now. Just got to keep building off of it.无毛视频�
So, he looks like a player?
无毛视频淥h most definitely.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 what Mike Gundy, his coach at Oklahoma State, told one TV analyst, who repeated during a game that Gundy believes Washington will end up in the Hall of Fame one day.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 never told me that, but I heard about it,无毛视频� Washington said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always told me how good I can be once I reach my full potential, but I feel in college I never really reached my peak. I feel like I无毛视频檓 just now getting started.无毛视频�
With the aforementioned receivers either traded, injured or just skipping the voluntary OTAs, Washington has received a ton of work the past three weeks. He said his biggest adjustment has been 无毛视频渢o the speed of the game. It无毛视频檚 so much faster than in college. You无毛视频檝e got defensive linemen that get to the flats so fast. I mean, it无毛视频檚 going to have to take time.无毛视频�
But, compared to where he was during the first of 10 OTAs, 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 a lot more comfortable,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 kind of getting used to the speed of the game and the concepts are getting easier to understand and remember. It all comes with more time on the field and meeting with coaches after everyone leaves.无毛视频�
And working with a 15th-year quarterback.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a good teacher,无毛视频� Washington said of Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚 run a route and he无毛视频檒l tell me what I did right, what I need to improve on. He无毛视频檚 testing me, throwing balls everywhere, seeing my range of motion.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger, in kind, praised Washington无毛视频檚 ability to make 无毛视频渃ombat catches.无毛视频�
无毛视频淎t Oklahoma State, that无毛视频檚 how I was coached every day, to make those combat catches in traffic,无毛视频� Washington said. 无毛视频淎t this point, no catch is going to be just wide-open clean now. Everybody无毛视频檚 good at this point.无毛视频�
Washington is a receiver with average size 无毛视频� 5-11, 213 无毛视频� and average speed 无毛视频� 4.54 无毛视频� but one with a gigantic heart and the work ethic of a farmer.
Of course, Washington is a farmer. He grew up working his father无毛视频檚 land in Stamford, Texas. And, he realizes that instead of dealing with the up-and-down struggles of becoming an professional wide receiver, Washington could be there.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 probably about 105, 110 back in Texas,无毛视频� he said.
When told that sounds awful, Washington shot back with his first smile of the interview: 无毛视频淚 love it. When I come back I无毛视频檒l be in perfect shape for training camp.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 a wheat and cotton farm that Washington will run one day, but when he returns to Stamford following next week无毛视频檚 mini-camp, Washington said, 无毛视频淚无毛视频檒l probably be working on tractors and cleaning up around the barn. My dad just finished planting cotton. That无毛视频檚 the hard part. There无毛视频檚 not really much left to do.无毛视频�
On the same day Terrell Owens was telling the Hall of Fame that he won无毛视频檛 be attending his own induction, Washington was expressing disappointment that his dad had to do all the hard work on the farm back home. Either Washington is a new breed of NFL receiver or he无毛视频檚 completely unique.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a great guy, a great locker room guy,无毛视频� said Brian Allen, another veteran cornerback. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 right next to me, so we talk all the time.无毛视频�
And on the field?
无毛视频淥h, I like him a lot,无毛视频� Allen said. 无毛视频淔rom what I无毛视频檝e seen so far he has great hands, great routes, great speed. I think he can replace what we lost with Martavis. I无毛视频檓 excited for him and I无毛视频檓 ready to see what he can do.无毛视频�
Washington无毛视频檚 best asset?
无毛视频淨uickness coming off the ball is one of the things I like about him,无毛视频� Allen said. 无毛视频淏ut, he still needs to get used to the speed of the game coming from college. For right now, from what I无毛视频檝e seen right now, his greatest asset that I无毛视频檝e seen so far is his hands. He has great hands.无毛视频�
Great hands go nicely with a gigantic heart.
无毛视频淣o doubt,无毛视频� Allen said. 无毛视频淚 feel like he can come in and play right away.无毛视频�