Training Camp Visit - Tuesday

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  • flippy
    Legend
    • Dec 2008
    • 17088

    Training Camp Visit - Tuesday

    Got to Latrobe for the afternoon and it was a great day and here are a few nuggets I noticed.

    1. one of the most crowded camps I remember. 2-3x the crowd of last year for the 1st day of pads. Our spot we like to watch from that we often had all to ourselves in the past or would be around 2-3 other people was packed full. There is definitely some buzz around this team and people believe.

    2. Lots of casual fans that really did not know who a lot of players were. Guys like JPJ, Cole, and Green were the 1st on the field long before practice started and no one seemed to know any of them. Then KP comes along and old men turn into fan girls. It was cute and funny.

    3. There is music now during warm ups. Made me think about Chase Claypool saying they need music in practice. Now that he is gone, we got some music for him.

    4. Dan Moore is not going down easy. He looks ripped. And he and Broderick seem close tagging along with each other and working together a lot. Was thinking maybe Dan can compete on the right side after he eventually loses out, but then you watch Chuks and he might be our best Olineman. Dude is a beast, powerful, and pretty athletic. Made me think back and really wonder why is Chuks not our LT. He really does look the part. Although Chuks also seems a little too pleasant to be a NFL player.

    5. Isaac has mean resting face. He looks all biz. He will be a huge upgrade for us. The whole line looks night and day different and will be the strength of the O.

    6. Everyone talks about George, but Johnson and Robinson are our best WRs. Both of those guys practice hard and run really good routes. Those 2 are some serious pros. Khan took the Rams to the cleaners getting ARob. Dude is legit. I was thinking he might be our best WR, then I noticed Diontae catching everything today. And he wasn?t running backward. He was possessed and he is flying under the radar and is going to have a huge year. Do yourself a favor and add Diontae on your FF football team when everyone else sleeps on him.

    7. George is working on his routes. The catch he had against JPJ was right in front of us and might be the best catch I?ve seen in person. No clue how that happened but really cool to see how hard those 2 are going at each other. While everyone was excited about George and rightfully so, I was more excited about JPJ. He was glued to George and I thought, for other WRs to beat JPJ, they?re gonna have to make catches like George which aint gonna happen. JPJ gonna be special.

    8. George makes great catches but then he drops some easy ones and his routes need to develop

    9. Pat P is savvy. He had coverage a few times right in front of us and I saw a couple of slick little tugs on guys and holds. Our backend is gonna be good this year. Might be one of our best secondaries.

    10. Herbig looks like a bundle of energy, but dude is small in person and it is noticeable. And it is not just a little, it like how Calvin Austin looks tiny.

    11. On the flip side, Najee looks a little bigger too and is not a guy I would want to tackle. He looks ready to carry the load and other teams do not want to have to run into him 20+ times a game.

    12. Kenny is throwing harder and you can really sense he is going 110% all the time. I also noticed him all over the field spending time with a lot of different guys. Lots of guys stick with their units, but Kenny, Najee, Cam, and TJ are all over and really engaging teammates.

    13. While Kenny is throwing harder, I also noticed he is under throwing a lot of guys when he makes throws 30-40 yards down the field. Not sure if he is trying to let guys make plays or if it is unintentional. There were a couple guys open and with separation and had 10-15 yards to the back of the end zone and there?s no reason he shouldn?t have tried to put the ball out in front of them rather than turning it into a contested catch.

    14. We made a lot of throws to the middle of the field.

    15. Pat is not a blocker.

    16. Darnell did ok against TJ in backs on backers, but in a couple of plays, TJ ran right by him to get to Kenny easily.

    17. Some guys that seem the nicest - Larry O, Pat P, Calvin, and Matt Canada. Makes it easy to root for these guys.

    18. Still anxious to see where Leal fits in. Guy is a beast. So thin and cut for a DLineman.

    19. Our ILBs are physical and people are gonna like em.

    20. Highsmith looks like his agent didn?t tell him he signed a contract yet. He seems to be playing to get paid. Guy is gonna get better and he is really getting after it every time I watched him.

    Lots more info out there, but just tried to share some observation I have not seen others noticing.

    Overall highly recommend the experience and get out to Latrobe if you can. These practice and experiences are almost better than any games.

    And we met a lot of awesome fans. A lot were 1st timers. Some flew in from far away. Great vibe and excitement. Lots of great interactions with fans and players. Good giveaways and some decent food trucks. And the weather was fantastic. Coolest camp I?ve been to with temps in the mid 70s.
    sigpic
  • NorthCoast
    Legend
    • Sep 2008
    • 26640

    #2
    Nice write-up flippy!

    On Pickens, after reading the lengthy story by The Ringer yesterday on how Pickens is kinda a jokester I worry he will never be serious enough to perfect his route running into an elite receiver. He'll live mainly off his athleticism (which would still be above average but maybe not elite). Fingers crossed he grows up at some point and puts in the work.

    Comment

    • Joel Buchsbaum
      Legend
      • Jan 2021
      • 7744

      #3
      Originally posted by flippy
      Got to Latrobe for the afternoon and it was a great day and here are a few nuggets I noticed.

      1. one of the most crowded camps I remember. 2-3x the crowd of last year for the 1st day of pads. Our spot we like to watch from that we often had all to ourselves in the past or would be around 2-3 other people was packed full. There is definitely some buzz around this team and people believe.

      2. Lots of casual fans that really did not know who a lot of players were. Guys like JPJ, Cole, and Green were the 1st on the field long before practice started and no one seemed to know any of them. Then KP comes along and old men turn into fan girls. It was cute and funny.

      3. There is music now during warm ups. Made me think about Chase Claypool saying they need music in practice. Now that he is gone, we got some music for him.

      4. Dan Moore is not going down easy. He looks ripped. And he and Broderick seem close tagging along with each other and working together a lot. Was thinking maybe Dan can compete on the right side after he eventually loses out, but then you watch Chuks and he might be our best Olineman. Dude is a beast, powerful, and pretty athletic. Made me think back and really wonder why is Chuks not our LT. He really does look the part. Although Chuks also seems a little too pleasant to be a NFL player.

      5. Isaac has mean resting face. He looks all biz. He will be a huge upgrade for us. The whole line looks night and day different and will be the strength of the O.

      6. Everyone talks about George, but Johnson and Robinson are our best WRs. Both of those guys practice hard and run really good routes. Those 2 are some serious pros. Khan took the Rams to the cleaners getting ARob. Dude is legit. I was thinking he might be our best WR, then I noticed Diontae catching everything today. And he wasn?t running backward. He was possessed and he is flying under the radar and is going to have a huge year. Do yourself a favor and add Diontae on your FF football team when everyone else sleeps on him.

      7. George is working on his routes. The catch he had against JPJ was right in front of us and might be the best catch I?ve seen in person. No clue how that happened but really cool to see how hard those 2 are going at each other. While everyone was excited about George and rightfully so, I was more excited about JPJ. He was glued to George and I thought, for other WRs to beat JPJ, they?re gonna have to make catches like George which aint gonna happen. JPJ gonna be special.

      8. George makes great catches but then he drops some easy ones and his routes need to develop

      9. Pat P is savvy. He had coverage a few times right in front of us and I saw a couple of slick little tugs on guys and holds. Our backend is gonna be good this year. Might be one of our best secondaries.

      10. Herbig looks like a bundle of energy, but dude is small in person and it is noticeable. And it is not just a little, it like how Calvin Austin looks tiny.

      11. On the flip side, Najee looks a little bigger too and is not a guy I would want to tackle. He looks ready to carry the load and other teams do not want to have to run into him 20+ times a game.

      12. Kenny is throwing harder and you can really sense he is going 110% all the time. I also noticed him all over the field spending time with a lot of different guys. Lots of guys stick with their units, but Kenny, Najee, Cam, and TJ are all over and really engaging teammates.

      13. While Kenny is throwing harder, I also noticed he is under throwing a lot of guys when he makes throws 30-40 yards down the field. Not sure if he is trying to let guys make plays or if it is unintentional. There were a couple guys open and with separation and had 10-15 yards to the back of the end zone and there?s no reason he shouldn?t have tried to put the ball out in front of them rather than turning it into a contested catch.

      14. We made a lot of throws to the middle of the field.

      15. Pat is not a blocker.

      16. Darnell did ok against TJ in backs on backers, but in a couple of plays, TJ ran right by him to get to Kenny easily.

      17. Some guys that seem the nicest - Larry O, Pat P, Calvin, and Matt Canada. Makes it easy to root for these guys.

      18. Still anxious to see where Leal fits in. Guy is a beast. So thin and cut for a DLineman.

      19. Our ILBs are physical and people are gonna like em.

      20. Highsmith looks like his agent didn?t tell him he signed a contract yet. He seems to be playing to get paid. Guy is gonna get better and he is really getting after it every time I watched him.

      Lots more info out there, but just tried to share some observation I have not seen others noticing.

      Overall highly recommend the experience and get out to Latrobe if you can. These practice and experiences are almost better than any games.

      And we met a lot of awesome fans. A lot were 1st timers. Some flew in from far away. Great vibe and excitement. Lots of great interactions with fans and players. Good giveaways and some decent food trucks. And the weather was fantastic. Coolest camp I?ve been to with temps in the mid 70s.
      Thanks Flippy. Any pictures?

      12. Kenny is throwing harder and you can really sense he is going 110% all the time. I also noticed him all over the field spending time with a lot of different guys. Lots of guys stick with their units, but Kenny, Najee, Cam, and TJ are all over and really engaging teammates.

      13. While Kenny is throwing harder, I also noticed he is under throwing a lot of guys when he makes throws 30-40 yards down the field. Not sure if he is trying to let guys make plays or if it is unintentional. There were a couple guys open and with separation and had 10-15 yards to the back of the end zone and there?s no reason he shouldn?t have tried to put the ball out in front of them rather than turning it into a contested catch.
      >> I noticed this too. Kenny is throwing it harder and there is more zip to his passes. He did target the middle of the field more. This is the sub 10 yards throws. But you are seeing players open with Pickett under throwing them deep. It could be his arm strength. IMO he is waiting a tad to long to locate his man when they just get open, and turning his throws into contested catches. Soild point.

      When I was coaching, a long time ago it dawned on me that there are three speeds for a quarterback that few people talk about. They are: Physical throwing speed and MPH of the football, release speed, and the important mental speed of how long it take to process the information to locate the open man.

      I agree with your assessment on Kenny of day one with pads.
      Last edited by Joel Buchsbaum; 08-02-2023, 07:19 AM.
      Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game in seven years and counting. The earliest will be eight years. I guess that in Art Rooney's II, opinion is worth a 3 year extension.

      Our 2024 draft looks to be grade A. Our 2023 draft is an A. The roster is talented, but Mike Tomlin is still the head coach.

      *** Mike Tomlin is the best coach since the AFL- NFL merger that has not won a playoff game in 8 seasons or more. It's either him or Lewis. ***

      Comment

      • flippy
        Legend
        • Dec 2008
        • 17088

        #4
        Originally posted by Joel Buchsbaum
        Thanks Flippy. Any pictures?



        >> I noticed this too. Kenny is throwing it harder and there is more zip to his passes. He did target the middle of the field more. This is the sub 10 yards throws. But you are seeing players open with Pickett under throwing them deep. It could be his arm strength. IMO he is waiting a tad to long to locate his man when they just get open, and turning his throws into contested catches. Soild point.

        When I was coaching, a long time ago it dawned on me that there are three speeds for a quarterback that few people talk about. They are: Physical throwing speed and MPH of the football, release speed, and the important mental speed of how long it take to process the information to locate the open man.

        I agree with your assessment on Kenny of day one with pads.
        No pics unfortunately. My phone battery died and was super bummed cause we had a chance to chat with so many players/coaches.

        Was cool seeing some old players like Ike and Peezy at camp. Almost missed Peezy but noticed a whole family wearing 24 jerseys and it clicked.

        I think Kenny will be fine. Just work to do on the metal side and getting things going with all the new players. I’ve been a fan since his Pitt days and have seen him develop and have seen this trajectory before. Hang in there. I didn’t believe he was gonna be anything at Pitt and he got really good and we went thru a similar cycle.

        Id say physically he’s probably got an arm on par with guys like Brady, Carr, Tannehill, Montana, and the like. It’s good enough and he’s working to get stronger. But at some point it will be the mental side of the game that determines who he is and that’s where I think KP is unique and will prove to be a winner.
        sigpic

        Comment

        • Joel Buchsbaum
          Legend
          • Jan 2021
          • 7744

          #5
          Originally posted by flippy
          No pics unfortunately. My phone battery died and was super bummed cause we had a chance to chat with so many players/coaches.

          Was cool seeing some old players like Ike and Peezy at camp. Almost missed Peezy but noticed a whole family wearing 24 jerseys and it clicked.

          I think Kenny will be fine. Just work to do on the metal side and getting things going with all the new players. I’ve been a fan since his Pitt days and have seen him develop and have seen this trajectory before. Hang in there. I didn’t believe he was gonna be anything at Pitt and he got really good and we went thru a similar cycle.

          Id say physically he’s probably got an arm on par with guys like Brady, Carr, Tannehill, Montana, and the like. It’s good enough and he’s working to get stronger. But at some point it will be the mental side of the game that determines who he is and that’s where I think KP is unique and will prove to be a winner.
          Well first off, you must work on that phone battery!

          Yes, Kenny has transformed his body and worked on his strength from the off season.

          Sorry, I do not think Pickets arm is as good as Brady's. I think Tannehill's arm is better as well as Carr. Brady and had better accuracy the Kenny ever had. Maybe his arm is comparable to Montana, who played several decades ago. But again its the metal speed and reading a defense that Brady and Montana had. I try to avoid comparisons with GOAT's and players who showed little as rookies besides stating a few games.

          And the Steelers can NOT afford to wait as Pitt did for 3 years for him to come around in college. They just can't.
          Last edited by Joel Buchsbaum; 08-02-2023, 10:57 AM.
          Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game in seven years and counting. The earliest will be eight years. I guess that in Art Rooney's II, opinion is worth a 3 year extension.

          Our 2024 draft looks to be grade A. Our 2023 draft is an A. The roster is talented, but Mike Tomlin is still the head coach.

          *** Mike Tomlin is the best coach since the AFL- NFL merger that has not won a playoff game in 8 seasons or more. It's either him or Lewis. ***

          Comment

          • WindyCitySteel
            Legend
            • Nov 2011
            • 15684

            #6
            Do you see anything on offense that suggests they have plays that scheme players open, or is it all still contested and every yard gained is like squeezing blood from a turnip?

            Comment

            • feltdizz
              Legend
              • May 2008
              • 27568

              #7
              I thought I heard music during warm ups.. lmao.

              Will be awesome if DJ and Robinson are actually better than Pickens and our WR group improves dramatically this year.
              Steelers 27
              Rats 16

              Comment

              • whisper
                Legend
                • Mar 2020
                • 9423

                #8
                Thanks for the comments, Flippy. Much appreciated. A little worried about Kenny comments. If he can't complete passes downfield, we are in for trouble.

                Comment

                • whisper
                  Legend
                  • Mar 2020
                  • 9423

                  #9
                  Originally posted by WindyCitySteel
                  Do you see anything on offense that suggests they have plays that scheme players open, or is it all still contested and every yard gained is like squeezing blood from a turnip?
                  I don't know why we should anticipate a wholesale change in the approach, tiger can't change stripes and all that. Should be same old squeezing blood from a turnip routine.

                  Comment

                  • SteelerOfDeVille
                    Legend
                    • May 2008
                    • 9069

                    #10
                    You wonder if underthrowing is just timing and working more with those guys. It takes a while to get a sense for someone's speed and how much to lead them without overthrowing on an open pass - you'd rather underthrow a little and ensure the catch than overthrow and end up on c'mon man...
                    2013 MNF Executive Champion!

                    Comment

                    • Oviedo
                      Legend
                      • May 2008
                      • 23824

                      #11
                      Much appreciated Flippy
                      "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

                      Comment

                      • flippy
                        Legend
                        • Dec 2008
                        • 17088

                        #12
                        Originally posted by WindyCitySteel
                        Do you see anything on offense that suggests they have plays that scheme players open, or is it all still contested and every yard gained is like squeezing blood from a turnip?
                        It?s hard to say because there were a lot of drills, 7 on 7, etc. Time will tell but from what we saw in a subset of plays, they were using the middle of the field which is a positive.

                        There were a lot of different sets of players and a lot of different routes being run.

                        I did notice a couple of times they would motion one way and go the other and I felt like I was still consistently guessing where they would go a lot.

                        Im guessing once we get some games in preseason, we?ll know more.
                        sigpic

                        Comment

                        • flippy
                          Legend
                          • Dec 2008
                          • 17088

                          #13
                          Originally posted by SteelerOfDeVille
                          You wonder if underthrowing is just timing and working more with those guys. It takes a while to get a sense for someone's speed and how much to lead them without overthrowing on an open pass - you'd rather underthrow a little and ensure the catch than overthrow and end up on c'mon man...
                          I was thinking along these lines and wondering if KP was trying to see what guys could do and who could make plays for him.
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • feltdizz
                            Legend
                            • May 2008
                            • 27568

                            #14
                            Originally posted by WindyCitySteel
                            Do you see anything on offense that suggests they have plays that scheme players open, or is it all still contested and every yard gained is like squeezing blood from a turnip?
                            I doubt it at this point in camp.

                            Also doubt we would want to run those schemes on the first day of camp
                            or even in preseason.
                            Steelers 27
                            Rats 16

                            Comment

                            • pczach
                              Backup
                              • Jul 2023
                              • 303

                              #15
                              Originally posted by flippy
                              Got to Latrobe for the afternoon and it was a great day and here are a few nuggets I noticed.

                              1. one of the most crowded camps I remember. 2-3x the crowd of last year for the 1st day of pads. Our spot we like to watch from that we often had all to ourselves in the past or would be around 2-3 other people was packed full. There is definitely some buzz around this team and people believe.

                              2. Lots of casual fans that really did not know who a lot of players were. Guys like JPJ, Cole, and Green were the 1st on the field long before practice started and no one seemed to know any of them. Then KP comes along and old men turn into fan girls. It was cute and funny.

                              3. There is music now during warm ups. Made me think about Chase Claypool saying they need music in practice. Now that he is gone, we got some music for him.

                              4. Dan Moore is not going down easy. He looks ripped. And he and Broderick seem close tagging along with each other and working together a lot. Was thinking maybe Dan can compete on the right side after he eventually loses out, but then you watch Chuks and he might be our best Olineman. Dude is a beast, powerful, and pretty athletic. Made me think back and really wonder why is Chuks not our LT. He really does look the part. Although Chuks also seems a little too pleasant to be a NFL player.

                              5. Isaac has mean resting face. He looks all biz. He will be a huge upgrade for us. The whole line looks night and day different and will be the strength of the O.

                              6. Everyone talks about George, but Johnson and Robinson are our best WRs. Both of those guys practice hard and run really good routes. Those 2 are some serious pros. Khan took the Rams to the cleaners getting ARob. Dude is legit. I was thinking he might be our best WR, then I noticed Diontae catching everything today. And he wasn?t running backward. He was possessed and he is flying under the radar and is going to have a huge year. Do yourself a favor and add Diontae on your FF football team when everyone else sleeps on him.

                              7. George is working on his routes. The catch he had against JPJ was right in front of us and might be the best catch I?ve seen in person. No clue how that happened but really cool to see how hard those 2 are going at each other. While everyone was excited about George and rightfully so, I was more excited about JPJ. He was glued to George and I thought, for other WRs to beat JPJ, they?re gonna have to make catches like George which aint gonna happen. JPJ gonna be special.

                              8. George makes great catches but then he drops some easy ones and his routes need to develop

                              9. Pat P is savvy. He had coverage a few times right in front of us and I saw a couple of slick little tugs on guys and holds. Our backend is gonna be good this year. Might be one of our best secondaries.

                              10. Herbig looks like a bundle of energy, but dude is small in person and it is noticeable. And it is not just a little, it like how Calvin Austin looks tiny.

                              11. On the flip side, Najee looks a little bigger too and is not a guy I would want to tackle. He looks ready to carry the load and other teams do not want to have to run into him 20+ times a game.

                              12. Kenny is throwing harder and you can really sense he is going 110% all the time. I also noticed him all over the field spending time with a lot of different guys. Lots of guys stick with their units, but Kenny, Najee, Cam, and TJ are all over and really engaging teammates.

                              13. While Kenny is throwing harder, I also noticed he is under throwing a lot of guys when he makes throws 30-40 yards down the field. Not sure if he is trying to let guys make plays or if it is unintentional. There were a couple guys open and with separation and had 10-15 yards to the back of the end zone and there?s no reason he shouldn?t have tried to put the ball out in front of them rather than turning it into a contested catch.

                              14. We made a lot of throws to the middle of the field.

                              15. Pat is not a blocker.

                              16. Darnell did ok against TJ in backs on backers, but in a couple of plays, TJ ran right by him to get to Kenny easily.

                              17. Some guys that seem the nicest - Larry O, Pat P, Calvin, and Matt Canada. Makes it easy to root for these guys.

                              18. Still anxious to see where Leal fits in. Guy is a beast. So thin and cut for a DLineman.

                              19. Our ILBs are physical and people are gonna like em.

                              20. Highsmith looks like his agent didn?t tell him he signed a contract yet. He seems to be playing to get paid. Guy is gonna get better and he is really getting after it every time I watched him.

                              Lots more info out there, but just tried to share some observation I have not seen others noticing.

                              Overall highly recommend the experience and get out to Latrobe if you can. These practice and experiences are almost better than any games.

                              And we met a lot of awesome fans. A lot were 1st timers. Some flew in from far away. Great vibe and excitement. Lots of great interactions with fans and players. Good giveaways and some decent food trucks. And the weather was fantastic. Coolest camp I?ve been to with temps in the mid 70s.
                              Great insights flippy! I really like a lot of your observations on the individual players and how guys are showing leadership.

                              Awesome job! Thank you for taking the time to report for us!

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