2016 Steelers offseason thread

DonKnock

DonKnock

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General Mills said:
:feedme:
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In the comments section of an Instagram post that poked fun at Bell, the running back responded from his verified account: “I’m not going to miss games, trust me.”

The original post showed Bell in uniform with a bong superimposed on his head. ESPN reported Friday that Bell is facing a four-game suspension. Bell and his agent have not returned calls.

A second response in the same comments section provided more confidence that he’d win his appeal.

“…I’m gonna win the appeal…ppl have no idea what happened, but don’t worry… let’em hate. When I end up missin no games at all, ppl for sure gonna try to love me again and I’m only ridin with my LOYAL fans.”
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Le'Veon Bell on Instagram: 'I'm not going to miss games, trust me'
 
DonKnock

DonKnock

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One day in the books but as the saying goes, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. So we’re taking everything in but we’re not rushing to conclusions.

Tomorrow will be another non-contact day so I’ll again be focused on more of where the players are lining up than anything else. We learned a good bit yesterday but it’s impossible to see everything. So here are some things I’ll be paying closer attention today.

1. Bruce Gradkowski’s Reps – It really didn’t feel like he got a ton of play yesterday but maybe I just missed some of his reps. We’ll check that out and see what the split between he and Dustin Vaughan is. Vaughan didn’t have a particularly good day yesterday but it’s important for a young player to have the opportunity to rebound and show some mental toughness.

2. Third Team OL Shuffle – I looked at the offensive line on air and glanced at it during team sessions but I want to see if Jerald Hawkins is getting all the third team right tackle reps or if they’re being split up between he and Brian Mihalik. If Hawkins can prove he’s able to play at a high level while working on two teams and going through one-on-one drills, it’ll speak greatly of his conditioning. And that’s the foundation for any young player.

And if Mihalik is getting work at left and right tackle, that’s a nice feather in his cap and will place him ahead of the other guys, who are only working at one spot currently. Mihalik told me earlier this offseason that he had no preference and felt like there were things he did well on each side (more natural on left, better footwork on right).

3. Tight End Technique – Bad days for Paul Lang and Mandel Dixon, two fringe guys who are aided by the fact Ladarius Green is on the mend. But they gotta take advantage of their reps and both struggled on the sleds. They’re not going to get any stronger overnight but hopefully take some of the technique to heart. And that’s what the sled shows, technique, not strength. You don’t have to be Mr. Universe to push that sled around – you just need to stay low, explode up, shoot your arms, keep your lower half under you, and drive your feet.

Green will eventually come off PUP and that means one of these guys is getting cut. Time to shine.

4. LB Rotation – We know the obvious. Bud Dupree/Jarvis Jones first team, Arthur Moats/James Harrison second team. But I want to keep an eye on the guys behind that. Is Anthony Chickilloplaying both sides? Is Travis Feeney seeing time at left and right? Got a sense for it but want to be more sure of things tomorrow.

You can apply the same for inside linebacker. I didn’t end up getting eyes on what the third team lineup was so I need to find that out tomorrow. Who is the odd man out between Steven Johnson, Tyler Matakevich, and Jordan Zumwalt?

5. Young Guys Standing Out – This is a given but for the young or unknown player, it’s important to show glimpses of what you can be. No one is going to be a finished product and while you ultimately look for consistency, I just want to see you flash. Give me the guy who wows me, even for a moment, than the dude I’m “meh” on for two weeks straight.



 
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DonKnock

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TL;DR: Shamarko sat out practice with undisclosed illness
:lupe::lupe:

The Pittsburgh Steelers have now wrapped up their second training camp practice of the 2016 season and while the start was delayed by rain, it appears as though it was a well-received challenge by head coach Mike Tomlin.

“I actually enjoyed the circumstances today,” Tomlin said at the conclusion of Saturday’s practice. “It’s good to have to adjust and to be able to have to take a group through it. We dealt with weather circumstances today, it affected our morning in terms of the walk-thru, it affected our practice out here. I thought the guys did a nice job of not letting those outside things affect the play. They had high energy and it was good work. We’ll continue to do it and over time we’ll be presented with challenges like this, things that are outside our control, and I think it’s a measure of your group in terms of how they respond to it and don’t let that become the story. I thought they did a good job of that today and made some plays and got better and that’s what we’re here to do.”

The Steelers appear to have gotten out of practice without any injuries on Saturday as well. Tomlin did say, however, that safety Shamarko Thomas failed to participate due to him being sick.

“We gave him the day there,” said Tomlin of Thomas. “He should pass in a couple of days. All of the other things are status quo.”

After missing time on Friday with cramps, tight end Xavier Grimble was able to return to practice on Saturday. Tight end Ladarius Green (ankle) and wide receiver Shakim Phillips (hernia) remain sidelined on the Active PUP list.

Second-year wide receiver Sammie Coates was the star of day-two as he made several fantastic catches, according to reports on Twitter. After practice was over, Tomlin was asked if he is satisfied with Coates’ development so far.

“Very rarely do I use satisfied,” said Tomlin. “He had a good day.”

Eli Rogers saw time as the first-team slot wide receiver on Saturday and Tomlin was asked about that after practice was over.

“I wouldn’t read too much into what you’re looking at in that regard right now,” said Tomlin. “I took some reps away from Markus Wheaton today that provided opportunities for younger guys that work inside. We’re going to continue to look at younger guys.”

Tomlin was asked if Markus Wheaton is one of those situations and players he intends on managing during training camp.

“It is,” he said.

The Steelers will practice again on Sunday and that will be their first time wearing pads.
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