Clint Eastwood will have to pardon my use of the title but frankly, nothing else seemed to fit quite as appropriately as this one. Here’s the latest from Day Three of the Steelers’ 2017 Training Camp.
The Good
-For the first time, the team was able to practice at St. Vincent’s College after spending the first two days on the turf of Greater Latrobe High School.
-James Conner has immense pressure on him, mostly from the fan base, to perform well at camp. He proved he is on course to be a serious contender to be Le’Veon Bell‘s primary backup when he had some good success in the team’s famous ‘backs on backers’ drill. Being able to pass block is an absolute must and if you can’t do it you don’t play.
-Although Antonio Brown gets his, Artie Burns is continuing to play very well against the best wideout in the NFL. Their dual is as much ‘must-see’ as anything else going on in Camp.
–Jesse James made some very difficult catches look easy.
-T.J. Watt looked good in his first ‘backs on backers’ drill and he’s already had my favorite line of Camp thus fair. He said he “keeps his mouth shut and is like a sponge absorbing what others say.’ I think that’s great advice for any rookie. Be seen and not heard.
The Bad
-Both Scott Orndoff and Phazahn Odom got rude awakenings in their ‘backs on backers’ debuts. Odom at one point was sent airborne by fellow rookie Watt. This is by no means a death sentence for these two but it does illustrate what we’ve been saying. They will need time.
–Ben Roethlisberger was absent from practice today and was given an ‘excused absence.’ We are hearing there was a death in his family or someone close to him but I will leave it at that.
-Jesse James dropped some very catchable balls today too.
The Injured
-Conner looked good for the third straight day but also left with a banged up shoulder. no word on the seriousness of it just yet.
-Senquez Golson appears to have hit yet another snag in his attempt to make the roster. While it looked like a hamstring issue, I can’t be certain. He was carted off but Mike Tomlin stated this evening that all injury issues were heat related or of the soft tissue variety.
-Both Xaiver Grimble and Orndoff are dealing with boo-boos and that’s not good for a position that is already challenged by weak depth.
Don’t forget the Steelers will practice again at 255pm Eastern on Monday before getting a day off on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy: Weirton Daily Times
