Smith-Schuster back on practice field
LATROBE 鈥� Ben Roethlisberger asked for Martavis Bryant, and the NFL said no.
But the team training staff said yes to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the organization said yes to Hines Ward.
It was a perfect match.
鈥淭oday was a more physical day,鈥� said Smith-Schuster. 鈥淲e blocked.鈥�
And Ward, the famed blocker, who in Smith-Schuster鈥檚 words 鈥渃hanged the game,鈥� was in the rookie receiver鈥檚 ear as a guest coaching intern.
鈥淲e were talking the whole practice,鈥� Smith-Schuster said. 鈥淗e was telling me things I could work on.鈥�
The Steelers鈥� second-round pick out of USC, who grew up idolizing Troy Polamalu, and who was compared as a draft prospect to Anquan Boldin because of his physical style, and who came to spring practice saying he hoped he could one day play like Ward, Smith-Schuster practiced for the first time since turning an ankle in the first period of the first practice.
Smith-Schuster lined up in an Oklahoma-style blocking drill for wide receivers and the 20-year-old proved he was clearly the most physical blocker out of Wednesday鈥檚 group, and probably the entire WR group when healthy.
What did Ward have to say about Smith-Schuster鈥檚 blocking?
鈥淗e said I鈥檓 good but I鈥檓 not close to where he was at, so I鈥檓 still working on it,鈥� Smith-Schuster said. 鈥淎fter every rep I was going over and he was telling me what I could do better to improve, just the little things.鈥�
It was a day for the back-up receivers to receive all the work. Antonio Brown was excused for the birth of a child and Bryant was still being frozen out by the league. It allowed Justin Hunter to draw the No. 1 cornerback in seven shots, and cornerback Artie Burns blasted Hunter in the back of the end zone to turn what at first appeared to be a great touchdown catch into an incompletion.
Darrius Heyward-Bey was the starting receiver on the other side, and he also had a touchdown in seven shots turned into an incompletion when Ross Cockrell rode him hard out of bounds.
As Smith-Schuster said, it was more of a physical day and the cornerbacks responded. But Heyward-Bey did run past Burns on a fly pattern to haul in a deep bomb from Roethlisberger later in the practice.
Over on another field, a perfectly good receiver was running under deep balls thrown by a trainer. And Roethlisberger doesn鈥檛 quite understand why Bryant 鈥� still being chained by NFL procedures after being allowed to return in the spring off last year鈥檚 suspension 鈥� can鈥檛 put on the pads and play with his team.
鈥淕oodness, he鈥檚 done everything the league has asked,鈥� said Roethlisberger. 鈥淚鈥檓 not really sure why they keep holding him out from being out there with the guys. To me, the best thing is for him to be out there with his brothers. I鈥檓 not really sure what the hold-up is but I know he鈥檚 doing everything he can to be out there.鈥�
Roethlisberger said he and Bryant sat down and chatted a couple of days ago, but wouldn鈥檛 delve into the specifics. He only reiterated his complaint about the league.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know whether it鈥檚 the league or a doc or what鈥檚 going on,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淕oodness, he鈥檚 paid his dues.鈥�
NOTES: Roethlisberger was asked when Le鈥橵eon Bell would arrive, but he doesn鈥檛 know. 鈥淚 texted him a couple times. Haven鈥檛 heard back,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥� In response to an earlier remark by Ramon Foster that Roethlisberger has four to five years of prime playing time left, Roethlisberger said, 鈥淚f those guys up front play as well as they鈥檝e been playing 鈥� getting sacked what 17 times last year? 鈥� I might be here a little longer.鈥� 鈥� Rookie running back James Conner has a minor shoulder sprain and is expected back in days. 鈥� Cam Heyward also missed practice due to the birth of his child. 鈥� Tomlin said 鈥渟ome of the other guys have soft-tissue injuries that are usually a week.鈥� That group figures to include absentees Ryan Shazier, Senquez Golson, Landry Jones and rookie Cam Sutton. Veteran James Harrison is still working at his pace on the far field as T.J. Watt takes advantage of the valuable first-team reps. Watt did leave practice late after being shaken up on a tackle, but he remained in pads and helmet and wanted to return. 鈥� ILB Vince Williams returned, and FS Mike Mitchell worked in individual drills 鈥� tight end Scott Orndoff, a native of Waynesburg, was waived/injured and tight end Jack McGee was signed.