2019 Steelers by position: WR. Are we better off?

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  • Steel Maniac
    Banned
    • Apr 2017
    • 19472

    Originally posted by AzStillers1989
    Okay “Mark”. ����
    yeah............

    Comment

    • hawaiiansteel
      Legend
      • May 2008
      • 35651

      Tomlin On WR Holton: ‘He Has NFL Resume In Tape’

      By Dave Bryan
      Posted on August 13, 2019

      Earlier in the offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Johnny Holton following him being waived by the Philadelphia Eagles. At the start of this year’s training camp, however, Holton missed a lot of practice time due to a hamstring injury. Fortunately for him, he was able to get over that injury in time to play in the Steelers preseason opener Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did Holton play, he provided the game’s longest play from scrimmage, a 59-yard gain after a short reception.

      Holton also had one other catch Friday night good for 10 yards in addition to drawing a defensive pass interference penalty good for another 27 yards. Oh, he also returned two kickoffs Friday night for a total of 45 yards in addition to registering one assisted tackle on special teams.

      During his Tuesday press conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked to disclose how aware he was of Holton prior to the team signing him back in May.

      “Very, very,” Tomlin said. “He has NFL resume in tape.”

      Holton, who originally entered the NFL with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, indeed does already have some limited NFL playing time on tape. In his 2016 rookie season with the Raiders, Holton registered just 2 receptions for 34 yards in the 51 total offensive snaps that he played. He did, however, play 137 special team snaps as a rookie and ended the 2016 season with 12 total special teams tackles, the second-most on the team.

      In his 2017 season with the Raiders, Holton registered another 9 receptions for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns in 230 total offensive snaps played. He also logged another 187 special team snaps in his second season and contributed 5 tackles, which tied him for the team high.

      Last season, Holton spent most of the year on the Raiders practice squad. He did, however, get promoted to the Raiders 53-man roster for one game in November but logged just 5 offensive snaps in that contest and finished without any catches. He also logged 5 special teams snaps in that one game but failed to register any tackles.

      While it doesn’t appear as though Holton has returned any kickoffs thus far during his NFL career, he did do a lot of that in college. In his two seasons of college football at Cincinnati, Holton returned 45 kickoffs for 942 yards. Also, in case you’re curious, at his 2016 pro day Holton reportedly measured in at 6005, 190-pounds and ran his 40-yard dash in 4.42-seconds.

      This past January, the Eagles signed Holton to a futures contract but waived him not long after the NFL draft took place. The Steelers quickly signed him off the street. During an offseason practice interview, Holton discussed the role he played during his previous time spent on the roster of the Raiders.

      “My role with the Raiders was pretty much a ‘gunner,’” Holton said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “And on other special teams. And just a vertical route runner, too.”

      As our own Daniel Valente pointed out in a May post, Holton can essentially be described as a younger version of former Steelers wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with a lot less pedigree. Heyward-Bey, who the team chose not to re-sign this past offseason, was a backup deep threat for the Steelers for the last five season and a key contributor on special teams. While the former first-round draft pick of the Raiders only managed to catch 33 passes for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns in the five seasons that he spent in Pittsburgh, he did contribute 13 total tackles on special teams. He also served as a veteran leader to the wide receivers in the locker room.

      Now that Holton has one nice preseason showing with the Steelers under his belt you can probably count on him get another long look in the team’s second preseason game Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field. An even better showing in his second time in a Steelers uniform under the stadium lights is sure to result in Tomlin being even more aware of him than he already is and that could ultimately result in the wide receiver landing a spot on this year’s 53-man roster to start the regular season.

      Earlier in the offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Johnny Holton following him being waived by the Philadelphia Eagles. At the start of

      Comment

      • hawaiiansteel
        Legend
        • May 2008
        • 35651

        Steelers inside the ropes: Moncrief back to making plays

        CHRIS ADAMSKI | Wednesday, August 14, 2019

        Over the first three days of training camp, before he suffered a finger injury, Donte Moncrief was wowing onlookers at Saint Vincent. The Pittsburgh Steelers marquee free-agent signing on offense looked as if he could be a quality No. 2 receiver to complement JuJu Smith-Schuster.

        A two-week absence related to the dislocation of his left ring finger muted the hype surrounding the former college star who had underwhelming production during his first five NFL seasons. But Moncrief returned for a full (and fully-padded) practice Wednesday at Chuck Noll Field. And he once again was making plays.

        Moncrief’s tough catches in the end zone during an 11-on-11 scramble drill and during a 7-on-7 were the highlights of what was a strong practice for him. On the former, Moncrief’s “touchdown” was from about 25 yards, beating defenders to the ball coming back to the goal-line pylon. On the latter, Moncrief leaped and got his feet down in the back of the end zone on a throw from Ben Roethlisberger, outmaneuvering a pair of defenders to the ball.

        • Wednesday’s practice was the last of camp to feature pads. It also was situational heavy, and it featured all healthy players. It was spirited in its hitting and its celebrating after positive plays, a departure from the more somber rain-affected practice Tuesday that was the first after the death of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake.

        • The offense was successful on four of the Seven Shots snaps, splitting the four using first-teamers. McDonald had an easy score, and JuJu Smith-Schuster beat Terrell Edmunds to the ball at the goal line. But Smith-Schuster threw a wounded duck that was intercepted by Mark Barrron on a trick play after an end-around. Edmunds also knocked down a looping Ben Roethlisberger pass to Smith-Schuster in the middle of the end zone.

        • Diontae Johnson caught touchdowns on the final two snaps with second-teamers, albeit the first might not have happened in a live game (and perhaps in a different era) because a looming Marcus Allen would have hit him very hard. Earlier, Xavier Grimble couldn’t get his feet down in play in the back of the end zone off a pass from Josh Dobbs.

        • Malik Williams was figuratively invisible over the first week or so of camp, but the big first-year running back has raised eyebrows with athleticism and playmaking in recent practices. Wednesday, he beat defenders to the corner of the end zone after catching a pass from Dobbs in a 7-on-7 situation. Earlier, Williams earned coach Mike Tomlin’s praise when he executed an ankle-breaking cut back to the inside on Allen. “Ohhhhh, the juke!” Tomlin exclaimed.

        • Tomlin was in a talkative mood, perhaps his way of guiding his team back to a normalcy after the death of Drake. After the Williams’ move on Allen, Tomlin reminded the latter, “It’s an angle-tackling drill! This is an angle-tackling drill we’re doing. Stay inside him!”

        • A pair of simulated 2-minute drills ended practice: ball at the offense’s 35, one timeout and 1 minute, 51 seconds on the clock. The defense won each. The first-team offense managed just one first down (a 25-yard completion from Roethlisberger to McDonald) before an ill-advised spike to stop the clock and an incompletion and short gain to Smith-Schuster brought up a fourth-and-long, on which Tyler Matakevich nearly had an interception. On the second snap of the “drive,” the offense was “flagged” for a false start. Tomlin initially instructed to leave the ball where it was in lieu of walking off a 5-yard penalty. Matakevich, though, yelled over toward Tomlin, “We don’t allow re-dos, Coach!” Tomlin smiled and used Matakevich’s nickname when he relented by saying, “I hear ya, Dirty Red!”

        • The second-team defense ended its 2-minute drill after one first down when Cameron Sutton intercepted a Dobbs pass intended for Ryan Switzer.

        Over the first three days of training camp, before he suffered a finger injury, Donte Moncrief was wowing onlookers at Saint Vincent. The Pittsburgh Steelers marquee free-agent signing on offense looked as if he could be a quality No. 2 receiver to complement JuJu Smith-Schuster. A two-week absence related to

        Comment

        • hawaiiansteel
          Legend
          • May 2008
          • 35651

          Diontae Spencer hopes big plays for Steelers in preseason opens NFL eyes

          KEVIN GORMAN | Sunday, August 18, 2019

          Diontae Spencer didn’t play in the first half of Saturday’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, so he told himself to make the most of every touch.

          Spencer knew he would be handling the returns for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half, so he told himself to be ready to be successful whenever he got an opportunity, even if he didn’t have a catch.

          When the Chiefs punted to Spencer, he darted right, made one defender miss and then cut to the outside and slipped another tackle on his way to a 38-yard return to the Kansas City 47.

          “That was my job, to come in and start the offense off in good field position,” Spencer said, “and I felt like I came in and did that.”

          A 5-foot-8, 170-pounder who spent four seasons in the CFL, Spencer has a resume as an explosive playmaker. That’s especially true as a return specialist. He averaged 11.3 yards on punt returns with two touchdowns and 22 yards on kick returns.

          “That’s what I do: I make plays,” Spencer said. “When I settle down and get a feel for this game and how fast the speed is, it’s going to come. It’s going to come to me. I just don’t want to press it, press it, press it. I felt like that’s what I was doing last week. This week, I just felt a lot better. I was able to have some good plays, some good exposure plays. Hopefully, I can carry that on to the next one.”

          Spencer’s next play involved a carry, as he ran an end-around 19 yards to the Kansas City 29 in the fourth quarter. Three plays later, Devlin Hodges threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson in the 17-7 victory over the Chiefs at Heinz Field.

          The 27-year-old Spencer realizes he faces long odds to make the Steelers, as veterans Johnny Holton, Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer have NFL resumes, and Johnson was a third-round draft pick. All four also are vying for slot receiver/return specialist roles.

          As much as Spencer’s ability to break a big play opened eyes, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was blunt when asked if Spencer has done enough to earn a higher ranking on special teams.

          Tomlin’s answer: “No.”

          But Spencer knows he put plays on film, whether that’s for the Steelers or another NFL team. And he plans on making more plays when given the opportunity.

          “Any position I’m at, it’s all about making plays and trying to be successful,” Spencer said. “That’s not my job to determine. If I can go out there and make plays, there’s always a spot for me.

          “Last week was my first NFL game. It took me awhile to get here. There were a lot of emotions running through my head. This week, things started to slow down. I was kind of myself a little bit, going out there and playing fast and not thinking too much.”

          Diontae Spencer didn’t play in the first half of Saturday’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, so he told himself to make the most of every touch. Spencer knew he would be handling the returns for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half, so he told himself to be

          Comment

          • hawaiiansteel
            Legend
            • May 2008
            • 35651

            Young Steelers receivers James Washington, Diontae Johnson making impression

            GERRY DULAC
            Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
            AUG 18, 2019

            Ben Roethlisberger has maintained it will take a committee of targets to help replace the production loss of Antonio Brown, who has more catches since 2013 than any player in any six-year period in NFL history.

            Roethlisberger knows he has one receiver with big-time production already — JuJu Smith-Schuster, who actually eclipsed Brown’s receiving numbers in 2018. But, if the past two preseason games are any indication, he might have two more receivers he can depend on to be part of the committee.

            James Washington has shown in victories against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs he can be a big-play receiver catching any type of throw, whether deep over the middle, a toe-tapper on the sideline, a leaping two-hander or a back-shoulder touchdown. He is averaging 20.3 yards per catch on his eight receptions in the preseason and appears ready to make a big jump in his second season.

            And now there’s rookie Diontae Johnson, who showed in his Steelers debut Saturday night at Heinz Field he can be as good as advertised.

            “When he’s been in there at practice, we identified him as a guy who can really run any route and get open,” quarterback Josh Dobbs said. “We were expecting that. For him to go out in his first opportunity in a stadium, to do it and deliver, is definitely a good thing to see.”

            It was for the Steelers because they hadn’t seen much of Johnson since the spring. The third-round draft choice from Toledo was limited in OTAs by a hamstring injury and in training camp by nagging hip and groin injuries. But, in his first game in a Steelers uniform against the Chiefs, he caught three passes for 46 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown, and had what appeared to be another 24-yard touchdown catch negated by a debatable offensive pass interference call against him.

            Granted, it’s only the preseason and defenses will start to game plan once the regular season begins. But, like Devin Bush in his debut, Johnson showed in his opening performance he can be a good addition for the offense. He runs solid routes and catches the ball with ease, and will be a nice extra target for Roethlisberger when he makes his expected preseason debut Sunday night in Nashville, Tenn.

            “The catches he makes, you anticipate,” Dobbs said. “Throw him the ball and he’s able to snap his head around make catches. He can hold the ball in the air, make contested catches with big strong hands. He has a big catch-radius for his size. I think he’s going to be a really good player.”

            Comment

            • RuthlessBurgher
              Legend
              • May 2008
              • 33208

              JuJu Smith-Schuster working to improve as a deep threat

              Posted by Josh Alper on August 22, 2019, 8:01 AM EDT

              JuJu Smith-Schuster knows the big question that everyone is asking about him as he heads into the 2019 season.

              “How is JuJu going to do without AB?”

              Smith-Schuster is the No. 1 wideout in Pittsburgh now that Antonio Brown is on the Raiders and he’s spent the offseason working to make sure that the answer to that question is a positive one. One of the things that he’s done on that front is focus on improving as a deep threat.

              Smith-Schuster has a pair of 97-yard touchdowns on his resume, but both came on long runs after the catch and he wants to try things the other way this season.

              “Being able to catch the deep balls down the field, those go balls, those free balls that they send down the field where I’ve got to go make those plays,” Smith-Schuster said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “That’s what I’ve focused on a lot, catching the ball over the shoulder and being able to be a threat on the outside.”

              Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he already feels Smith-Schuster “can do kind of everything” the team asks of a receiver, but polishing up that aspect of his game should help him make good on hopes that the Steelers offense won’t miss a step this year.

              https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/08/22/juju-smith-schuster-working-to-improve-as-a-deep-threat/
              Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

              Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

              We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

              We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

              Comment

              • hawaiiansteel
                Legend
                • May 2008
                • 35651

                Film Room: Diontae Spencer Knows How To Make You Miss

                By Alex Kozora
                Posted on August 23, 2019

                Diontae Spencer is comfortable with winning in space. When you played in the CFL’s wide open fields and have 4.3 fields, you can make defenders look silly. That’s what Spencer has done through his first two games. By my count, on offense and special teams combined, he’s forced nine missed tackles.

                Let’s take a look at the damage he’s done already.

                His change of direction and lateral mobility is evident most times he has the ball. What I love about him as a return man is that he’s able to routinely make the first guy miss. Cut to his left, force the miss, get a couple extra yards out of this punt return.

                Same thing his next punt return. Good posture, catches it cleanly, plants that left foot in the ground and gets upfield. Another solid return.

                Same thing in the kick return game. The initial impression of what he did against Tampa Bay didn’t feel great, sullied by an ugly 3rd down drop, but looking back, he was productive. Those two missed tackles aren’t as obvious as the first pair but he has the speed to beat the angle of two coverage players and get past the 30 yard line, a huge win for the return game. Offense an extra seven yards ahead of where they’d be had he taken a knee.

                And from last week. Three missed tackles on this punt return. Well blocked, we covered that yesterday, but he has the speed to beat the angle of the first two would-be tackles while juking out the punter (I know, hardly counts) for a 38 yard runback.

                Another ankle-breaker in the punt return game. And again, making the first man miss.

                And one more on offense for good measure. End around to him. Plants that foot, cuts upfield, wins in space. That’s what Spencer brings to the table.

                In the return game, I can’t stress enough how important it is to make the first guy miss. You do that and your return is even half-decently blocked and you can make big plays. Make the initial defender miss and factor in the kicker/punter and now it’s 11 on 9. Advantage offense.

                The Steelers’ kick return game has been horrible the last two years and the punt return game has only been average. Already, Spencer feels like a better return man than Ryan Switzer though he’s less proven as a receiver and might not have the level of trust in the coaching staff. Then there’s the lack of consistency that’s plagued the Steelers forever (the last time they had the same kick returner in consecutive years since Rod Woodson in 1992 and 1993).

                Spencer still has work to do. His path to the roster comes as a return man only, essentially, and to do that, you have to prove consistency and big-play ability throughout. But he, like Johnny Holton, haven’t taken themselves out of the running for earning a roster spot, making these next two games critical for both of them.

                Diontae Spencer is comfortable with winning in space. When you played in the CFL's wide open fields and have 4.3 fields, you can make defenders look

                Comment

                • hawaiiansteel
                  Legend
                  • May 2008
                  • 35651

                  2019 Steelers Training Camp Recap: Wide Receivers

                  By Alex Kozora
                  Posted on August 24, 2019

                  For the rest of the preseason, we’ll give a recap, position-by-position, player-by-player of what I saw during the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games. Rounding out the skill positions with the wide receivers.

                  Wide Receivers

                  JuJu Smith-Schuster: Not that you needed to know much about him at this point, at least not in the preseason, but he had an excellent camp. Led the team, predictably, in receptions, targets, yards, and touchdowns. His average was impressive, a healthy 12.8, and he led the team in 20+ yard receptions with eight of them. Good stuff all around.

                  Camp Grade: A

                  James Washington: A very good camp for him. And yes, we were saying the same things a year ago. But by all accounts, he’s in better shape, conditoning, and much improved above the neck to instill the confidence and create the consistency he lacked during that miserable rookie year. Washington balled out in his first two preseason games, winning vertically and showing the ability to attack and high point the football. Fully confident he’ll be the #3 receiver in 11 personnel, allowing JuJu kick to the slot. His numbers will probably be inconsistent, he’s primarily a deep threat, but there’s every reason to expect a jump Year One to Year Two.

                  Camp Grade: A-

                  Diontae Spencer: Spencer’s camp can be described by a series of ebbs and flows. Quiet-ish initial start, really picked it up around practices #5 through #9, came back to Earth in the preseason opener and end of camp, but rose again versus Tampa Bay. We profiled his ability to make the first man miss and he’s already up to nine missed tackles in the first two games, an absurdly good number. If he makes the team, it’ll be as a returner, not a receiver, though in the latter, his straight-line speed is legit. Not just a product of facing lesser competition in the CFL. He averaged 14.3 yards per catch in camp.

                  His hands though? Different story. Not the best.

                  But he has his work cut out for him and to bump Switzer off the roster, will have to make a compelling case these next two games. That means returning at least one kick or punt for a touchdown.

                  Camp Grade: B

                  Eli Rogers: Rogers didn’t see the ball a lot in camp but he, as you’d expect, was a much bigger downfield threat than Ryan Switzer was in Latrobe. Rogers averaged 9.8 yards per catch. Switzer only 6.5. Rogers consistently ran ahead of Switz in the slot though Rogers lacks some of the extra value that Switz does (multi-facet return game, less versatile to move around the formation). If Switzer is the lock the media has made him out to be, then Rogers is the man whose spot is in danger though for now, I think he’s safe. He’ll just have to hold off Johnny Holton.

                  Camp Grade: B-

                  Johnny Holton: Holton missed the first portion of camp with a hamstring injury but got himself right in the nick of time. He had one of the best individual practices of any of the receivers, catching two deep balls the final session before the Bucs’ game, and then carried that over to a long 59 yard catch and run in the opener. He’s able to separate himself from the gaggle of small, slot receivers with his big frame, long stride, and coverage ability. Though he can return kicks too. To make the roster, he’ll likely have to find a way to push Rogers off of it. It does seem he’s practice squad eligible and I wouldn’t be mad if they stashed him on there. If he’s on the 53, he has value as a receiver and gunner.

                  Camp Grade: B-

                  Donte Moncrief: Unfortunately, pretty quiet for him. Blame that one a left finger injury that caused him to miss the middle chunk of camp. By the end of Latrobe, he showed chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger that bodes well for the two in the regular season. Despite the lackluster month, and the fumble in the Chiefs’ game, he’ll begin the year as the team’s starting X receiver opposite of JuJu.

                  Camp Grade: C+

                  Ryan Switzer: Switzer had a fine camp. It was as expected. He made plays underneath, often targeted by Roethlisberger, and looks like a trust and sure-handed return guy. I was hoping for him to do more damage downfield though. He had just one reception of 15+ yards. Compare that to Rogers who had three of them (with fewer overall catches). The value he brings as a kick/punt returner though is huge and probably enough to secure his roster spot. He also led the team with the most receptions – 22 – without a drop, though he did let one through his hands during one of the preseason games.

                  Camp Grade: C+

                  Diontae Johnson: Johnson definitely flashed his ability to do damage after the catch. I remember him turning Brian Allen around early on for a big run-after-catch. But he struggled to win vertically consistently during camp (he did flash that against the Chiefs though neither were really contested) and the dings he’s dealt with throughout have set him back. He’s looked shaky as a punt returner too and it’s hard to trust his judgment and ball security right now.

                  There could still be a role for him and he will make progress as the season goes on but he’s taking a back seat to start. It’s possible, likely, even, he begins the year inactive.

                  On the field, he’s probably a little better than the “C” grade I’m about to give him but the lack of availability pushes him down. That’s hurting him. But I want to be clear – his future remains bright.

                  Camp Grade: C

                  Tevin Jones: After a terribly quiet start, Jones picked it up in the middle and finished second on the team in receptions and third in targets. No one saw more jump balls/back shoulder fades than Jones, who uses his size and frame well to box guys out. But he doesn’t seem to offer much more than that. Some versatility, he can play inside out, but not a strong route runner, questionable hands (five drops in camp alone, at least one at Heinz Field) and I haven’t seen much out of his coverage ability this year. I still think they like him and his potential and he may be kept on the practice squad, he should root for Holton to make the 53, but he didn’t wow me this year and I doubt he’ll ever be more than a practice squad-bubble player.

                  Camp Grade: C

                  Trey Griffey: Griffey knew how to make a splash. Only 11 receptions despite practicing every single day but he averaged over 14 yards per snag, including two of 35+ on nine routes down the sideline. But he disappeared most days and there’s no standout trait about him. If they want to keep a special teams/coverage guy on the practice squad, it’ll be Holton. Not Griffey. Team kept him around all of last year but they’re probably moving on now.

                  Camp Grade: C-

                  Brandon Reilly: Barely enough information to get an evaluation here. Reilly was signed during camp after injuries to the position caused the lines to get thin. Decent size, questionable hands, and a below average athlete. He’s about an easy to move on from as anyone on the 91 man roster. If I had to rank ’em, he’s probably in that 88-90 range.

                  Camp Grade: D

                  Comment

                  • RuthlessBurgher
                    Legend
                    • May 2008
                    • 33208

                    Steelers' James Washington believes big-play preseason isn't a tease this time

                    12:32 AM ET

                    Jeremy Fowler
                    ESPN Staff Writer

                    PITTSBURGH -- James Washington is not all that impressed with his big-play August. He's been through this before, tearing up the 2018 preseason only to disappear for parts of his rookie year.

                    This time around, he even looks unimpressed with himself after each leaping catch. That's because he expects it to last.

                    "I'm just trying to show coaches something and put it on their minds that I've gotten better," the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver said.

                    That improvement is on the minds of many inside the Steelers' building. Motivated to rebound from last year's quiet 16-catch, 217-yard campaign, Washington has nine catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns through three preseason games. Sunday's untouched 41-yard score might have been his best, easily beating Tennessee Titans coverage up the middle as former Oklahoma State teammate Mason Rudolph found him in stride.

                    Though Donte Moncrief appears to have solidified a starting outside receiver job opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster, Washington looks like an X factor the offense needs with his ability to make difficult catches.

                    Moncrief, Ryan Switzer and Eli Rogers were on the field with the first-team offense Sunday as the Steelers employed a quick passing game to ensure two things for QB Ben Roethlisberger: release the ball quickly, stay healthy.

                    The offense still needs an additional vertical threat, and Washington's playmaking elicited this reaction from staff members a few times during camp: 'That's a heckuva catch.'

                    On deep balls, Washington is getting open consistently enough that he often has to back-track to secure throws in practices and games.

                    Washington is quick to point out he's facing vanilla preseason defenses and isn't always going up against first-string defenders. But that hasn't quelled the excitement from Smith-Schuster, who sees a "huge difference" in Washington.

                    "... As you guys can see during preseason, he’s making plays left and right," Smith-Schuster said. "Like I said, there is no doubt in my mind he’s going to be doing that during the season. Super excited to watch him.”

                    Natural ability was never an issue for Washington. Last week, a contest broke out in the Steelers locker room to see which players could touch the roughly-12-foot ceiling off a vertical jump (no running start). Washington (5-11) and safety Terrell Edmunds (6-2) were the only players to do it.

                    But Washington was uncomfortable in the offense a year ago and lost his confidence. Roethlisberger and tight end Vance McDonald were among teammates to call him out, obviously seeing the potential.

                    Coming off two 60-plus-yard games in the final three weeks of 2018, Washington invested in the Year 2 jump. Losing 15 pounds in the offseason while working on the family farm in Stamford, Texas, should help Washington sustain a 16-game season.

                    Now, Washington wants to be more than a niche receiver.

                    "Just making plays and taking everything that comes my way," Washington said. "Doing what I can do to be successful for this team...I'm more effective with (the offense). The playbook, I know it better now. Things are fluid and that helps me react faster."

                    https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31135/steelers-james-washington-believes-big-play-preseason-isnt-a-tease-this-time
                    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

                    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

                    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

                    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

                    Comment

                    • hawaiiansteel
                      Legend
                      • May 2008
                      • 35651

                      Comment

                      • Ernie
                        Legend
                        • Aug 2013
                        • 8470

                        And to think the term "Talent deficient" was used to describe the WR corp in the off season

                        Comment

                        • Oh wow
                          Hall of Famer
                          • Mar 2019
                          • 2753

                          Washington has stepped up but it’s still preseason.

                          Comment

                          • Oviedo
                            Legend
                            • May 2008
                            • 23824

                            Originally posted by Oh wow
                            Washington has stepped up but it’s still preseason.
                            Just look at the Washington glass as half full and adding more to it. Embrace the positive
                            "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

                            Comment

                            • Steel Maniac
                              Banned
                              • Apr 2017
                              • 19472

                              Originally posted by Ernie
                              And to think the term "Talent deficient" was used to describe the WR corp in the off season
                              boom........

                              Comment

                              • hawaiiansteel
                                Legend
                                • May 2008
                                • 35651

                                how quickly things change, JuJu Smith-Schuster is the only Steelers WR who was in the roster in 2017.

                                Comment

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