TE Grimble looking good in OTAs
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Jesse James has looked every bit the part of the high draft pick among the Pittsburgh Steelers鈥� tight end group this spring.
Of course, James was only a fifth-rounder.
That might say something about the group, but, then again, the other guy, the undrafted guy expected to replace Ladarius Green as the playmaker of the group, looks better than at any point during HIS stay with the team.
鈥淴 is looking really good,鈥� Ryan Shazier said of the Steelers鈥� X-factor this season, Xavier Grimble, who on Wednesday was making plays as if he was born to make them.
Short, deep, inside, outside, Grimble seemed to be everywhere on a day that was obviously intended as a showcase 鈥� maybe even a test 鈥� for the tight ends.
Grimble beat Tyler Matakevich short to score an early touchdown, and then beat Bud Dupree and Vince Williams on an intermediate pass that turned into a long touchdown run. It was an impressive performance, even by spring standards.
鈥淵eah, I had a better day than yesterday,鈥� Grimble said with his typical humility.
Not that he had made any mental mistakes on Tuesday. That was his red line. But he said he 鈥渓eft some plays out there.鈥� So he went home, curled up with his playbook and went to bed early.
鈥淚 got my rest and got ready to come back out here with a better frame of mind,鈥� he said.
Maybe he just cleared his head, because when it was mentioned that it didn鈥檛 appear Grimble was thinking on the field, he was quick to smile.
鈥淵ep, just playing,鈥� he said as if the weight of a thousand previous practices had fallen from his shoulders.
鈥淚t鈥檚 what you hope for, to play just for pure fun, when you鈥檙e not thinking about nothing but making the play.鈥�
Grimble has shown those glimpses since the 6-4, 261-pounder played at USC. He wasn鈥檛 drafted, but spent time on a pair of practice squads before landing with the Steelers. He spent 2015 on the practice squad before making the active roster last season.
In 11 games he caught 11 passes for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and has suddenly been thrust into the role of playmaking TE upon the release of Green.
Behind Grimble and James this year are H-back/fullback David Johnson and a pair of undrafted rookies: Scott Orndoff 鈥� the better blocker and all-around tight end 鈥� and the tantalizingly athletic 6-foot-8 Phazahn Odom.
The two rookies can follow Grimble鈥檚 path, which he discussed after doing post-practice sprints on the far field. He was the last man off the field on this day.
鈥淐oming from where I鈥檝e been, it鈥檚 hard to let that pressure of being an outsider go,鈥� Grimble said. 鈥淓verywhere I鈥檝e been it鈥檚 always been that way. Part of me wants to carry that with me everywhere I go, just so I keep that same work ethic. But, yeah, I finally can let a little bit of that pressure go 鈥� a tiny bit.鈥�
Grimble said the release of Green came as a surprise to all.
鈥淗e had told me earlier in that week that he was coming in on Thursday and he told me to save his seat and everything,鈥� Grimble said.
Green was cut after failing his physical on Thursday, May 18.
鈥淒efinitely sad about it,鈥� Grimble said. 鈥淗e was a good guy, a guy I watched his whole career. I was glad to have him here so I could work with him. It was tough to see him go but it鈥檚 a tough business. I wish nothing but the best for him.鈥�
Noble sentiments from the next man up.
HARGRAVE HURT
Javon Hargrave left the field Thursday in obvious discomfort after taking a blow in the chest.
The Steelers don鈥檛 release spring injury information, so the seriousness of the apparent injury won鈥檛 be known until next Tuesday鈥檚 practice. But Cameron Heyward, who was standing with Hargrave as he was being checked by the training staff on the sideline, doesn鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 a serious injury, such as a torn pec.
鈥淣o, no,鈥� Heyward said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 really know what it is yet. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 that serious. I think it鈥檚 a contusion of his chest.鈥�
Heyward sat out of Thursday鈥檚 practice as he recovers from his own torn pec, but said he鈥檚 fine and coming along at the proper pace. He and opposite end Stephon Tuitt (hand surgery) have missed most of the spring scrimmages, and with Hargrave out the first-team DL was comprised of L.T. Walton, Daniel McCullers and Johnny Maxey.
Veteran free-agent acquisition Tyson Alualu has missed all scrimmage time with a calf injury, but undergoes conditioning on another field.
ASTRO BOY
Rookie fourth-round quarterback Josh Dobbs received extra reps Thursday without Ben Roethlisberger in attendance, and the aeronautical engineer from the University of Tennessee was asked about the learning environment here on the South Side.
鈥淚t鈥檚 different,鈥� Dobbs said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a different environment than I鈥檝e been in. (It鈥檚) an environment where you鈥檙e just around football each and every day. I鈥檓 really enjoying it and I鈥檓 learning a lot from it. Just becoming a professional, you wake up and all you do is football. It鈥檚 a little different than splitting your days half and half with school and football, especially with all the studying. I鈥檓 enjoying the process and learning a lot each day.鈥�
Dobbs was known to stay up until 3:30 a.m. on game days to finish difficult school projects. But that鈥檚 in the past 鈥� for the time being.
鈥淓veryone on the team is embracing you no matter what the position is,鈥� Dobbs said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been able to give me different tips and different nuggets, whether it鈥檚 before or after practice in the film room, on the field in the middle of practice, even when I鈥檓 not with them and I go and watch football by myself I can add to my game. It鈥檚 been a great learning experience.鈥�
MARTAVIS鈥� NEW BODY
Martavis Bryant added 10 pounds while spending the winter and spring undergoing a serious workout regimen for, he admitted, the first time in his life.
Bryant did sit out one practice the first week, so he was asked if his new muscled-up body might be prone to nagging pulls.
鈥淚鈥檓 not worried about injuries,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淚njuries come and go. As long as I feel great with my body and how big I am, I鈥檓 happy. It鈥檚 working great.鈥�
Bryant said he 鈥渨orked on my legs, my upper body, conditioning,鈥� while under suspension.
鈥淓verything you do in training, I did it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 took care of my body.鈥�
Does Bryant need to wait until training camp to appreciate his added strength?
鈥淣o, I know that I鈥檓 strong,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not worried about that stuff. When the pads come on, I鈥檒l be ready for that. Plus, I get to go back home and train for another month and I鈥檓 going to work out and do things to get me ready for camp.鈥�
MITCH THE BOBCAT
Mike Mitchell talked to reporters after Thursday鈥檚 practice while wearing his Ohio Bobcats ballcap.
Mitchell is one of eight Bobcats drafted by the NFL in the last 10 years, and as a second-rounder in 2009 was drafted in an earlier round than any Bobcat since first-rounder Art Lewis in 1939.
鈥淚 love to wear it out here as a reminder to the guys,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a small-school guy who鈥檚 out here balling. It鈥檚 also a reminder to myself that this is where I came from, so I always want to come out there with the right mindset that I want to work and get better. Nothing鈥檚 ever been given to me. I鈥檝e earned everything I got.鈥�
X鈥橲 AND O鈥橲
Third-team slot cornerback Mike Hilton 鈥� a 5-9 first-year player out of Ole Miss 鈥� made back-to-back diving pass breakups Wednesday and was rewarded the next day as the first-team slot replacement for the absent Will Gay. 鈥� An offensive line that didn鈥檛 have a starting player miss any spring practices last year worked Thursday without Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster. All three were on the sidelines watching replacements Jerald Hawkins, B.J. Finney and Chris Hubbard. 鈥� Back-to-back plays by the starting cornerbacks put smiles on the defensive coaches Thursday. A play after Artie Burns dove to break up a pass to Antonio Brown, Ross Cockrell stepped in front of a pass to Sammie Coates and took it the other way for a touchdown.