The Steelers report to St. Vincent College next Wednesday, July 25th! Practices begin the following day with the conditioning test. We’ll get a sense then for who has and hasn’t prepared well enough for the quest for the seventh Lombardi Trophy that fans have clamored for since 2009. The organization has had some successful teams since, but none that were able to summit the mountain.
If you’re in Latrobe for camp be sure to visit out our sponsor Taps n’at for a wide selection of craft beers (or just an Ahhrn) and delicious Western PA food faves in neighboring Derry.
With the beginning of another chase for the seventh, we have begun our positional previews.
Previously we posted previews of the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Cornerbacks and Safeties. Today we preview the Specialists.
Returning Players
Chris Boswell (4th year), Jordan Berry (4th year), Kameron Canaday (2nd year)
Chris Boswell – Getty Images
- Chris Boswell, K – Boswell has been a reliable place kicker for the past three seasons, posting a field goal percentage above 90% in two of the past three years, including connecting on 33 of 38 tries from 40 – 49 yards and 6 of 8 tries from 50 yards plus over that period. He enters a contract year if he and the Steelers do not come to terms on an extension before the regular season. The expectation is that they will. Expect Ryan Succop’s 4 million dollar per year, 5-year contract to be the basis for negotiations with the Steelers.
- Jordan Berry, P – Berry is a study in contrasts. He is one of the best punters in the NFL at pinning teams down inside their 20, rather than kicking the ball into the end zone. However, when the Steelers are in need of a big punt because they ended a series pinned down deep in their own territory, he’s among the worst and most inconsistent.
- Kameron Canaday, LS – Canaday won last year’s camp competition with 6th round draft choice Colin Holba. Chris Nicolaou, Steel City Blitz’s draft junkie, who had spent extensive time scouting Canaday told us at SCB that this was likely,…. OK, just kidding. No one expected that.
New Arrivals
Matt Wile – Scott Cunningham, Getty Images
- Matt Wile, P – Wile was brought in to compete with Berry. Wile has punted for two NFL teams, Arizona and Atlanta. He’s punted a total of 12 times in spot relief as an injury replacement for a gross average of 46.1 yards and a net average of 39.7 yards. Two of his punts landed the opponent inside their 20 yard line.
Roster Outlook
Not really expecting any changes here. Boswell and Canaday are working unopposed and Matt Wile doesn’t appear to be a serious challenge to Berry. That said, no one expected Canday to make the team last year. He was just a guy who was supposed to push Holba. He pushed him off the roster.
