The Steelers completed their third day of training camp here at the UPMC-Rooney Sports Complex on Saturday and had a number of firsts for this camp.
The team had its first injuries, as both J.C. Hassenauer and B.J. Finney walked off on their own and were not able to return. Compounding the issue was the fact rookie Kendrick Green, who had been running as the first-team center the first two days of camp, was given the day off by Mike Tomlin to handle a personal issue.
The injuries to both Hassenauer and then Finney left the Steelers without a true center to finish practice. First-year tackles John Leglue and Anthony Coyle handled the center duties for the remainder of practice.
"It created some challenges for those who remained. That’s the nature of this things," Tomlin said. "I thought the offensive line did an nice job of adjusting and allowing us to finish the work. I’m really appreciative of that."
Leglue, a Tulane product, is listed at 6-foot-7, 310 pounds, while Coyle, who played at Fordham, is 6-foot-4, 298 pounds.
To Tomlin's point, there were only a couple of bad snaps for the remainder of practice, as the Steelers continued to work.
Green, a third-round draft pick, is expected back Sunday. But the emergency plans that were in place worked out.
"We know," Tomlin said of having plans for players to move to other positions in case of injuries. "We’ve always got little projects going on the side, also. If you’re not working with four or five snappers, you’re less than professional."
• Speaking of professional, Tomlin was not all that pleased with rookie offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. and All-Pro defensive lineman Cam Heyward.
The two got into a brawl -- by football fight standards -- early in the team portion of practice, with Heyward driving the rookie to the ground and then unleashing a couple of blows on him.
The team is not yet in pads -- they won't come on until Tuesday, when the Steelers move over to Heinz Field -- and Heyward obviously didn't like the rookie's rambunctiousness. After that fight was broken up, the two got into it again on the next play, as an obviously fired up Heyward ran through the rookie on a dump-off to the flat to running back Najee Harris.
The two had to be separated again, though it didn't get nearly a physical as the first battle.
"I’m not interested in coaching that, to be honest," Tomlin said. "We work to compete but keep it professional. We acknowledge sometimes that tempers are going to flare and things of that nature. But we’re not going to waste one iota of our time coaching it. We’re putting together a rough and tumble football group, not an MMA squad. We’re not coaching it."
• The Steelers released their first depth chart of this camp on Saturday and there were no real surprises there.
In fact, when talking about linebacker Robert Spillane, Tomlin noted that even though Spillane is listed as the starter on the opening depth chart, nothing should be taken for granted.
Spillane doesn't seem to be doing so. He had a beautiful one-handed interception of Mason Rudolph late in practice, sliding underneath the intended receiver.
"I’m not assuming he’s stepping in," Tomlin said of Spillane and a starting role. "We’re competing here, and our work is going to determine what happens. Rob is a guy who ascended over the course of last year. Hopefully, that’s a springboard for him to continue to do some of the things he did today and beyond. I like his attitude. He came ready to go."
Dwayne Haskins is listed ahead of Josh Dobbs as the No. 3 quarterback, and Hassenauer is listed as the starter at center over Green, but Green has worked with the starting unit thus far in camp.
One thing of note is that Alex Highsmith is listed as the starter at right outside linebacker opposite T.J. Watt. Veteran Melvin Ingram, signed earlier this week, is listed behind Highsmith.
Antoine Brooks is listed as the top nickel corner, with Arthur Maulet behind him, though those two are rotating daily in that role.
• Ben Roethlisberger got the practice off today, as it seems the team is returning to having him work a full day, go about 50 percent the second day and then take the entire third day off.
That means Roethlisberger should be back to a full participant on Sunday. It also allows for more snaps for Rudolph, Haskins and Dobbs.
"We’ve got three of them going and all three of them are guys who have been around and played. Ben’s had this schedule, from my understanding, for seven or eight years," offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. "This schedule allows Mason to get reps with the ones, for Dwayne to go with the twos, Josh and Dwayne twos and threes. The more reps the better. And obviously, this is the schedule that Ben’s had for a long time and been very productive with."