The acclimation period of Steelers training camp is over. The next time the players take the field at Saint Vincent College, which'll be Tuesday at 1:55 p.m., the players will don full pads for the first time.
"The general approach to work with the group has been a really good acclimation period for us," Mike Tomlin said following Sunday's practice. "It's given us an opportunity to talk about some cultural things that we value, and really set the stage for how we work, so when we get in pads next week we can just get hyper focused on the ball and the technique required to be effective under those circumstances."
Just because the players haven't been able to fully go yet, especially those playing in the trenches, it doesn't mean there aren't some things that have stood out from the first four practices of training camp.
So, I'm emptying the notebook right here ahead of Tuesday's practice:
• Aaron Rodgers has been ... fine. He's had a few misses, but he's also had a few really great throws, none more sensational than a touchdown pass to DK Metcalf on an out route during Friday's seven shots drill. I am vehemently against counting training camp stats -- you should be, too -- but I can say the arm is live, he's moving around fine and he's constantly communicating with his teammates. There's nothing I've seen that should be alarming in any way.
• The feedback from Rodgers' teammates is very positive. And from what I can witness with my own eyes, he's an open book throughout practice and even after practice. There's no denying his work ethic thus far. In fact, I'm a little surprised he's practiced as much as he has, given that Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Darius Slay all earned full days off on Saturday.
• The pecking order at quarterback is Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Skylar Thompson -- in that order. There are times Thompson gets in front of Howard during 11-on-11, but Thompson has yet to take any reps in seven shots while Howard has earned at least one rep every time the team's done it. We'll see how things play out over the next week or so before the team travels to Jacksonville for the first preseason game on Aug. 9.
• Kaleb Johnson has had a few really good moments so far. His acceleration through holes and his vision are on display here. We'll just need to see how he fares once the boys in the trenches are fully engaged with pads on. Also, Johnson needs to prove himself as a receiver and in pass protection. This upcoming week will be his first real audition in the latter.
Johnson's obsessed with improving in pass protection, but the much-anticipated backs-on-backers drill only does so much. Pass protection is also about knowing where to go in blitz pickup. That's something the team doesn't have to worry about with Jaylen Warren in the backfield.
"He's almost like another lineman back there," Zach Frazier said Saturday. "We kind of leave Jaylen on an island because of how he can block. We leave some people other teams can't do just because of what Jaylen can do. He's great. A great person for Kaleb to learn from."
• The swing tackle position is not defined yet. Both Calvin Anderson and Dylan Cook earned snaps at left tackle when Broderick Jones left Sunday's practice and didn't return. Cook earned the majority of the reps, but Tomlin refused to anoint anyone as the unquestioned swing tackle.
• Tight ends are being used all over the place. Lots of 12 and 13 personnel being used, and in a variety of ways. There's a decent amount of motion so far, which is significant given how static some of the offenses in which Rodgers has played in recent years. And, it's not just Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith taking all the reps with the first-team offense. Darnell Washington is getting his fair share of reps, too, even after Smith became a full participant in practice over the past two days.
"Everybody's got a different skill set," Smith said Saturday. "We're going to feed off each other. It's a unique skill set with each individual. So as a collective, we come together to see how we can put ourselves in the best advantageous position on Sundays. I think that's the fun part about it for (Arthur Smith)."
• I remain convinced the Steelers will add another wide receiver at some point before the season. Nothing from the first four days has quieted concern for depth at the position. Calvin Austin III looks like a legit slot receiver, which isn't all that surprising. But, Roman Wilson has a long way to go to prove himself. The top three receivers with the first-team offense are Metcalf, Austin and Wilson, with Wilson taking the majority of the reps on the outside opposite Metcalf, but very few of the targets have resulted in catches.
• The defensive line has been having a lot of fun with the offensive line without pads. Obviously, neither side can fully engage, but the defensive line has been taking its liberties with the offensive line at times, which may have led to Ryan McCollum and Cole Holcomb getting into a scrap on Sunday.
• There's only so much to report on the offensive and defensive lines during this time in training camp. As Tomlin said following Sunday's practice: "The big man game is played in pads." There'll be much more to report and analyze in the upcoming week.
• Both Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon are earning snaps next to Heyward when the team is in nickel or dime. That second starter is not decided yet.
• Payton Wilson is the second linebacker next to Patrick Queen, and that's been consistent throughout the first four practices. Holcomb and Malik Harrison run with the second-team defense.
• When the Steelers are in their base 3-4, Jalen Ramsey is at free safety with Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay on the outside at cornerback. In the nickel, Ramsey plays in the slot while Slay and Porter play on the outside. Juan Thornhill then comes in to play free safety.
• Thornhill is having a really good camp thus far. He hasn't just been a product of having good players around him. He's always in the right position and has broken up multiple passes. Chuck Clark can play the spot, too, but it's Thornhill's to lose right now.
• After agreeing to terms with the team, Clark flew to Pittsburgh, went straight to Saint Vincent College, signed his contract and went straight to the field. Okay, it wasn't quite that immediate, but pretty darn close. He dove in head first and hasn't skipped a beat, flying to the ball during practice, all while he's still picking up the defense.
"I’ve been really impressed with his ability to digest schematics in a short period of time and execute defense," Tomlin said. "I'm not completely surprised by it, because we've competed against him over the years. I just know he has a reputation as a really solid professional. I think he's displayed that the short period of time he's been here."
• Brandin Echols is also having a sensational camp. He's the current CB4, and given his ability to contribute on special teams, it doesn't look like he's going to surrender that spot with the way he's playing.
• It's been very hot and humid at training camp thus far. It's hit 90 degrees multiple times, but the humidity has been suffocating down on the field. That doesn't look like it's going to change much. Forecasts for Tuesday's practice has the high reaching 90 degrees, following potential showers in the morning. That'll make for a very humid afternoon. Tomlin's getting his wish for miserable heat.
• Players are really itching to put the pads on. The scrap between McCollum and Holcomb is a testament to that. The heat is a stressor, and the restraints on physicality are making it difficult to keep things from boiling over. Troy Fautanu talked about it today, as well.
"You could tell guys were a little bit more on edge yesterday, obviously with the heat," Fautanu said prior to Sunday's practice. "This is something that Coach Tomlin planned for. This is something he told us before we went on break."
Tomlin has his finger on the pulse of the team. He knows his players are ready for the next stage of training camp.
"There's no doubt. Man, they're like racehorses," Tomlin said. "That's just the next step in this thing, and they're ready."
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THE ASYLUM
It all ramps up from here
The acclimation period of Steelers training camp is over. The next time the players take the field at Saint Vincent College, which'll be Tuesday at 1:55 p.m., the players will don full pads for the first time.
"The general approach to work with the group has been a really good acclimation period for us," Mike Tomlin said following Sunday's practice. "It's given us an opportunity to talk about some cultural things that we value, and really set the stage for how we work, so when we get in pads next week we can just get hyper focused on the ball and the technique required to be effective under those circumstances."
Just because the players haven't been able to fully go yet, especially those playing in the trenches, it doesn't mean there aren't some things that have stood out from the first four practices of training camp.
So, I'm emptying the notebook right here ahead of Tuesday's practice:
• Aaron Rodgers has been ... fine. He's had a few misses, but he's also had a few really great throws, none more sensational than a touchdown pass to DK Metcalf on an out route during Friday's seven shots drill. I am vehemently against counting training camp stats -- you should be, too -- but I can say the arm is live, he's moving around fine and he's constantly communicating with his teammates. There's nothing I've seen that should be alarming in any way.
• The feedback from Rodgers' teammates is very positive. And from what I can witness with my own eyes, he's an open book throughout practice and even after practice. There's no denying his work ethic thus far. In fact, I'm a little surprised he's practiced as much as he has, given that Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Darius Slay all earned full days off on Saturday.
• The pecking order at quarterback is Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Skylar Thompson -- in that order. There are times Thompson gets in front of Howard during 11-on-11, but Thompson has yet to take any reps in seven shots while Howard has earned at least one rep every time the team's done it. We'll see how things play out over the next week or so before the team travels to Jacksonville for the first preseason game on Aug. 9.
• Kaleb Johnson has had a few really good moments so far. His acceleration through holes and his vision are on display here. We'll just need to see how he fares once the boys in the trenches are fully engaged with pads on. Also, Johnson needs to prove himself as a receiver and in pass protection. This upcoming week will be his first real audition in the latter.
Johnson's obsessed with improving in pass protection, but the much-anticipated backs-on-backers drill only does so much. Pass protection is also about knowing where to go in blitz pickup. That's something the team doesn't have to worry about with Jaylen Warren in the backfield.
"He's almost like another lineman back there," Zach Frazier said Saturday. "We kind of leave Jaylen on an island because of how he can block. We leave some people other teams can't do just because of what Jaylen can do. He's great. A great person for Kaleb to learn from."
• The swing tackle position is not defined yet. Both Calvin Anderson and Dylan Cook earned snaps at left tackle when Broderick Jones left Sunday's practice and didn't return. Cook earned the majority of the reps, but Tomlin refused to anoint anyone as the unquestioned swing tackle.
• Tight ends are being used all over the place. Lots of 12 and 13 personnel being used, and in a variety of ways. There's a decent amount of motion so far, which is significant given how static some of the offenses in which Rodgers has played in recent years. And, it's not just Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith taking all the reps with the first-team offense. Darnell Washington is getting his fair share of reps, too, even after Smith became a full participant in practice over the past two days.
"Everybody's got a different skill set," Smith said Saturday. "We're going to feed off each other. It's a unique skill set with each individual. So as a collective, we come together to see how we can put ourselves in the best advantageous position on Sundays. I think that's the fun part about it for (Arthur Smith)."
• I remain convinced the Steelers will add another wide receiver at some point before the season. Nothing from the first four days has quieted concern for depth at the position. Calvin Austin III looks like a legit slot receiver, which isn't all that surprising. But, Roman Wilson has a long way to go to prove himself. The top three receivers with the first-team offense are Metcalf, Austin and Wilson, with Wilson taking the majority of the reps on the outside opposite Metcalf, but very few of the targets have resulted in catches.
• The defensive line has been having a lot of fun with the offensive line without pads. Obviously, neither side can fully engage, but the defensive line has been taking its liberties with the offensive line at times, which may have led to Ryan McCollum and Cole Holcomb getting into a scrap on Sunday.
• There's only so much to report on the offensive and defensive lines during this time in training camp. As Tomlin said following Sunday's practice: "The big man game is played in pads." There'll be much more to report and analyze in the upcoming week.
• Both Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon are earning snaps next to Heyward when the team is in nickel or dime. That second starter is not decided yet.
• Payton Wilson is the second linebacker next to Patrick Queen, and that's been consistent throughout the first four practices. Holcomb and Malik Harrison run with the second-team defense.
• When the Steelers are in their base 3-4, Jalen Ramsey is at free safety with Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay on the outside at cornerback. In the nickel, Ramsey plays in the slot while Slay and Porter play on the outside. Juan Thornhill then comes in to play free safety.
• Thornhill is having a really good camp thus far. He hasn't just been a product of having good players around him. He's always in the right position and has broken up multiple passes. Chuck Clark can play the spot, too, but it's Thornhill's to lose right now.
• After agreeing to terms with the team, Clark flew to Pittsburgh, went straight to Saint Vincent College, signed his contract and went straight to the field. Okay, it wasn't quite that immediate, but pretty darn close. He dove in head first and hasn't skipped a beat, flying to the ball during practice, all while he's still picking up the defense.
"I’ve been really impressed with his ability to digest schematics in a short period of time and execute defense," Tomlin said. "I'm not completely surprised by it, because we've competed against him over the years. I just know he has a reputation as a really solid professional. I think he's displayed that the short period of time he's been here."
• Brandin Echols is also having a sensational camp. He's the current CB4, and given his ability to contribute on special teams, it doesn't look like he's going to surrender that spot with the way he's playing.
• It's been very hot and humid at training camp thus far. It's hit 90 degrees multiple times, but the humidity has been suffocating down on the field. That doesn't look like it's going to change much. Forecasts for Tuesday's practice has the high reaching 90 degrees, following potential showers in the morning. That'll make for a very humid afternoon. Tomlin's getting his wish for miserable heat.
• Players are really itching to put the pads on. The scrap between McCollum and Holcomb is a testament to that. The heat is a stressor, and the restraints on physicality are making it difficult to keep things from boiling over. Troy Fautanu talked about it today, as well.
"You could tell guys were a little bit more on edge yesterday, obviously with the heat," Fautanu said prior to Sunday's practice. "This is something that Coach Tomlin planned for. This is something he told us before we went on break."
Tomlin has his finger on the pulse of the team. He knows his players are ready for the next stage of training camp.
"There's no doubt. Man, they're like racehorses," Tomlin said. "That's just the next step in this thing, and they're ready."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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