Good Thursday to you Steelers’ Fans.
Many have said that an NFL Training Camp doesn’t begin until the first fight between teammates. This happens because guys get tired of banging heads against the same people over and over. Yesterday, Alejandro Villanueva and Cam Heyward started going after each other and I couldn’t help but wonder… Is an Army Ranger the guy you really want to throw hands with Cam?? Look, these things happen. Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill here. Are these the two guys I would have bet on to have a little rumble? No but I’m good with it. I like to see a little fight right now.
The QB Battle Takes a Turn
The first few days of camp were not good for either Josh Dobbs or Mason Rudolph. Both had their moments but both also struggled more than expected. The last two practices however have seen a turn towards Rudolph. He was much better with his accuracy than was Dobbs was and overall looking more like the guy who needs to step up and be the number two QB. In fairness to Dobbs, the real tests will come in the preseason games and that’s where the battle will ultimately turn.
Tweet of the Day… This young lady is a talented artist!!
18”x 24” painting of TJ Watt ?? pic.twitter.com/5VyMB9ab2N
— Carlee Ann (@carleeannabella) August 1, 2019
The Training Table
David DeCastro had a veteran’s day off yesterday and that gave B.J. Finney an opportunity to work with the starters… Ryan Switzer, according to Joe Ritter of the Trib, has a thigh bruise. Hopefully that is just a minor thing… Donte Moncrief did not practice and gave is dislocated finger a day off. Diontae Johnson filled in for him. No new word on T.J. Watt’s hammy.
The Bush Perspective
Steelers’ First Rounder Devin Bush has been very good so far in his first pro Training Camp often showing his speed, ability to diagnose and tackling prowess but there’s one thing I know I’m keeping a close eye on. At Michigan, Bush had very good defensive line in front of him and often he was “covered up” by the defensive tackle. This means that the DL was directly in front of him making it harder for the opposing blocker to get to Bush. This allows a linebacker, in this case Bush, to roam more freely and make plays. This won’t always be the case in Pittsburgh. I want to see how Bush takes on blockers. Can he stack and shed? Can he keep bigger linemen from using their size and length? I don’t see any reason why he can’t check this box just as he has many others but it will be something to watch through his rookie campaign.
Highest-Paid No More
Former Steeler Antonio Brown forced his way out of town in large part because he wanted more money and more guaranteed money. The Oakland Raiders were wiling to give Brown the money he wanted making him the highest-paid wide receiver. Well… Michael Thomas is now the highest-paid wide receiver and the first non-quarterback to reach the $100 million threshold. This of course means that Brown will not have played a single game as the highest-paid receiver. I know, you’re tired of talking about him, but I couldn’t resist this point.
Big Ben Mentor
One of the really interesting things that our folks at Camp have noticed is that Ben Roethlisberger has definitely taken a mentor-ship role with Mason Rudolph. When you go back to the comments from Big Ben after Rudolph was drafted, many figured Roethlisberger wouldn’t give Rudolph the time of day but there’s a lot that we don’t see. Vance McDonald said yesterday that “this is a different Ben Roethlisberger” and perhaps this is part of that. Either way it’s good to see.
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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