Confident Rudolph seeking to become primary backup
LATROBE 无毛视频� Mason Rudolph would seem to have it all going on for himself.
The tall, smart, good-looking rookie quarterback kept his mouth shut last season and worked hard without complaint, glad to be part of the NFL while pocketing a cool $1.4 million.
Did I say he无毛视频檚 easygoing?
That, too.
But only to a point. Ask him how he came out of his rookie season.
无毛视频淚 was very disappointed,无毛视频� said Rudolph. 无毛视频淎nytime you don无毛视频檛 play, anytime you can无毛视频檛 suit up on Sundays, it无毛视频檚 a huge shock.无毛视频�
However, the big guy can无毛视频檛 stay mad very long.
无毛视频淭here was plenty of positive stuff to take from it,无毛视频� he added. 无毛视频淚 loved game-planning each week and doing what I could to bring some little nugget of something to the table for Ben or Randy. That无毛视频檚 going to continue to be my routine and try to help our team in any way I can.无毛视频�
This sitting on the bench like a good soldier, though, isn无毛视频檛 his plan for much longer. To that end Rudolph went out and got better. He dialed up pitching guru Tom House, who introduced Rudolph to Adam Dedeaux, who runs 3DQB where seemingly all of the modern-day greats have trained.
If the name sounds familiar, it isn无毛视频檛 无毛视频� unless you remember legendary USC baseball coach Rod Dedeaux, Adam无毛视频檚 grandfather.
And so Dedeaux, the buzz at camp has gone, provided Rudolph with a stronger arm.
Is that even possible?
Well, Rudolph无毛视频檚 arm does appear to be stronger. And that added strength has led to more confidence. And that confidence has led to more presence in the pocket, which has led to the belief in most camp circles that Rudolph is in the process of separating from Josh Dobbs in the battle to become Ben Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 primary backup this season.
Is the arm stronger? Can throwing coaches actually make that possible?
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 possible,无毛视频� said Rudolph.
Really?
无毛视频淚 would say yay and nay,无毛视频� said Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. 无毛视频淚 definitely think arm strength gets improved when decisions get sped up and you无毛视频檙e confident, so then you might see a little more zip on the ball and things like that. He has a plenty strong enough arm. He always has. I think you无毛视频檙e just seeing footwork transitioning and balls are coming out quicker. You just know there无毛视频檚 a confidence level that lets him just throw that ball, as opposed to 无毛视频楢m I right?无毛视频� And so I think now you无毛视频檙e seeing balls zipping, and it无毛视频檚 coming out of his hand clean, a tighter spiral.无毛视频�
A touchdown pass to Tevin Jones on Monday was the perfect example. Jones ran a skinny post and Rudolph didn无毛视频檛 question what he saw, so when the small window opened up, the ball was there, right in stride, probably 25 yards down the middle of the field. And since Rudolph hit Jones running in stride, the receiver was able to continue sprinting past cornerback Herb Waters and then safety Jordan Dangerfield to the end zone for a 65-yard touchdown. Better processing added 40 yards to the total, and Rudolph无毛视频檚 per-completion yardage jumped quite a bit.
Is that what the QB guru did?
无毛视频淛ust mechanically taking a look at yourself,无毛视频� was how Rudolph explained the process. 无毛视频淭here were another set of eyes on you 无毛视频� separate from your coaches who have a lot going on and can无毛视频檛 always spend as much detailed time on your throwing motion, mechanics, footwork.
无毛视频淚 think there are always ways to improve. I think just driving the intermediary stuff for me was big. I knew I could throw the deep ball. I无毛视频檝e done that my whole life. But I wanted to be a lot more accurate and show a little more velocity on the intermediary stuff, and I think I无毛视频檝e done that.无毛视频�
He did it with Jones. But what does the receiver who knows Rudolph better than any other, James Washington, Rudolph无毛视频檚 primary receiver at Oklahoma State, think of the new Mason?
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a lot more relaxed,无毛视频� said Washington. 无毛视频淗e seems like when he gets in there he knows how to talk to guys, gets guys to move around. He studies the playbook like nobody else, so I无毛视频檓 not surprised that he无毛视频檚 more confident and relaxed.无毛视频�
What about his arm strength?
无毛视频淔or me it feels the same,无毛视频� Washington said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always had a strong arm.无毛视频�
And is he still throwing to you?
无毛视频淥h, yeah,无毛视频� Washington said with a smile. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e still boys like that.无毛视频�
Rudolph无毛视频檚 coach is happy, too.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 pleased with where he is right now, because he无毛视频檚 really competing,无毛视频� said Fichtner. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not easy, I don无毛视频檛 think, for young guys to find their way when you know that you have a franchise starting quarterback that无毛视频檚 here and the role ultimately in the end is to be the best solid backup he can be for this football team. We never address backup; we never address any of that. When you无毛视频檙e in the huddle, you无毛视频檙e the first guy and here we go. But you know inside, there无毛视频檚 a competition for the two spot, but there无毛视频檚 not a competition for the one spot. That无毛视频檚 somewhat hard.无毛视频�
Fichtner had to deal with the dynamic of merely backing up Roethlisberger with Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich and Mike Vick, among others. And those were three quarterbacks with impressive records as starters. But the dynamic holds for all quarterbacks.
无毛视频淭here isn无毛视频檛 a young guy out there that ever doesn无毛视频檛 think they shouldn无毛视频檛 be the one,无毛视频� Fichtner said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檝e been the one everywhere they无毛视频檝e been. Josh was a starter all those years at Tennessee, and Mason did everything at Oklahoma State. So, I love the drive of that and know that无毛视频檚 why they无毛视频檙e here, because of that drive to be the best and to want to be in the first group in the first huddle. But, you still have to navigate certain things.无毛视频�
At least in training camp and preseason, there exists the competition to become the No. 2 and at least dress for games.
To that end, how does Rudolph feel about his performance through the first week of training camp?
无毛视频淕reat,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚 think I无毛视频檓 been doing well. I think I无毛视频檝e been productive and I think I无毛视频檓 going to be a lot more comfortable going into the first preseason game with communication with receivers, bringing the young guys along, communicating. And our offensive line, the young guys there are doing well and Coach (Shaun) Sarrett无毛视频檚 doing a great job. It无毛视频檚 going to be fun to play.
It无毛视频檚 going to be fun to watch him play, too.
NOTES: The Steelers claimed WR Brandon Reilly off waivers from Detroit and waived CB Alexander Myres with a non-football illness designation. Reilly is a 6-1, 200-pounder out of Nebraska who spent time on the Buffalo Bills无毛视频� active roster in 2017 and the Dallas Cowboys and Lions practice squads in 2018. 无毛视频� Sitting out of Tuesday无毛视频檚 practice with minor injuries were Sean Davis, Donte Moncrief and Anthony Chickillo. David DeCastro was given the day off.