Kovacevic: Claypool's got cleanup ahead, certainly by all appearances

I've seen football fights. I've seen camp fights, practice fights. And I've forgotten them almost as quickly as the combatants themselves.

This wasn't that.

I'm not permitted, per the agreement between the Steelers, the NFL and those of us in the Pro Football Writers Association, to report on the big-time nasty fight Monday afternoon on the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex practice field between Chase Claypool and Minkah Fitzpatrick that was soon followed by "a pile" of other players, as Tyson Alualu described it, unless what I witnessed was corroborated by coaches or players. So my news account, pieced together by my observations verified by a coach and three players, is right here.

But this is a column, meaning it's founded on opinion. And I'm feeling plenty free to share my view that this won't be one of those fights that fades away in a few hours.

This was ugly, both during and after. It was arguably worse after. Sides were taken between the offense and defense. Words were exchanged. One player in particular -- not Claypool or Fitzpatrick -- was going loco screaming at one of those sides. And once the full practice was done about 15 minutes later, Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger took the extraordinary step of both addressing the gathered group right out there on the grass.

"Wow! That's bad!" one former player texted me upon learning of the latter.

I know all the names. I heard all the words. Can't share any of that. I also watched the way they aligned on the field once it was done. I saw which player was the main target of ire. I saw who had support from his side, surrounded by some of the team's most vital leaders, and I saw who stood almost alone. Can't share any of that, either.

But if this incident doesn't rattle that other individual to his core, I can't imagine what will.

• Totally unrelated: If anyone's more widely loved/respected on the roster than Minkah, I'm unaware of it.

• Totally, totally unrelated: Don't mess with Minkah. Cool on the exterior, raging inferno on the interior. If the scenario should someday arise that Minkah's, oh, say, challenged in a manner he finds unbecoming, I'll bet we'd all be able to hear the rapid-fire sound of Minkah's fists echoing off the neighboring South Side Slopes.

• Tomlin's traditionally been direct with media about such incidents, even if only to downplay them.

Not this time, despite my best effort:

Whatever.

If that didn't seem guarded enough, the video of Tomlin's press access on this day, as published on the Steelers' official site, scrubbed out my question and his answer.

• Claypool's a titanic talent. My belief is that he could be one of the NFL's breakout players in 2021. Here's hoping, for all concerned, it happens. But between this and his trucking another safety in a non-tackling drill early in training camp, he's got work ahead of him. Beginning Tuesday morning.

• The most upbeat development Monday, at least from this perspective, was seeing a semblance of stability to the offensive line: Chuks Okorafor was shifted from left tackle to right, and Dan Moore was planted at left. The interior remained, left to right, Kevin Dotson, Kendrick Green and Trai Turner.

What of Zach Banner?

Didn't practice at all.

Tomlin declined to discuss any injuries until "later in the week," so there were no updates on Banner, Stephon Tuitt, Josh Dobbs or any other non-participants. Banner had his activity ramping up right until he played only two series of the Aug. 21 preseason game against the Lions, and he seems to have been ramped back down since then, not accompanying the team at all on the flight to Charlotte for the preseason finale this past Friday.

If Banner's had a setback, as it appears, moving the tackles to their stronger sides -- Okorafor started 15 games at right tackle in 2020, and Moore was a three-year starter at left tackle at Texas A&M -- makes sense.

Tomlin didn't make much of the switch for either player, saying of Okorafor, “He’s versatile,” then added, “Dan Moore is versatile. Joe Haeg is versatile. Everybody really plays right and left other than Banner. We’re just going to keep working our versatility in an effort to put our best available group together, and we’ll determine at a later date what that is.”

• The NFL's deadline to have rosters at 53 is 4 p.m. Tuesday. Kevin Colbert's got roughly $7 million in cap space. If tackle isn't the top priority, I'll be stunned. So bear that in mind, as well.

• I asked Dotson about the offensive line's legion of doubters and how/why he and the rest seem so confident in the face of it, which they really do.

He credited Adrian Klemm:

He might've kept some for himself: He didn't allow a single QB pressure in 52 pass-blocking snaps in the preseason.

• A couple key cuts came early Monday evening, with Jordan Berry losing the punter's job to Pressley Harvin III, and Kam Canaday losing the long snapper's job to Christian Kuntz.

I've got nothing to add here beyond that it's already laudable that this summer's draft class could produce four starters -- Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Green, Moore -- and the punter. 

• T.J. Watt practiced on his own, as he has throughout camp. I reserve my right to remain unworried about this situation. It'll get done. And in ample time.

• JuJu Smith-Schuster's a very good football player. That's all.

And when I say that's all, I mean that's all. For this column. There'll be practices Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by four full days off for the team.