Bell participates in first practice
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Le鈥橵eon Bell got on the scale, shook his head and said 鈥淲ow. I knew I lost a lot of weight.鈥�
How much do you weigh, Le鈥橵eon?
鈥淚鈥檓 too light to tell anyone,鈥� Bell said as he walked away.
So much for the question about Bell鈥檚 conditioning. Even though he feels he鈥檚 too light, he looked as fit as a cheetah 鈥� or his usual level of fitness. And then he was asked whether he was in 鈥渇ootball shape.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 everybody鈥檚 concern,鈥� Bell said Monday after his first practice with the Steelers this season. 鈥淚 did a lot of training. At practice today they gave me my normal reps that I did last year and the year before that and all the years I鈥檝e been here, and I felt good. Wednesday might be a little different. There might be a little adjustment I make, but obviously I鈥檓 excited about this year and I鈥檓 ready to move forward.鈥�
The question everyone really wanted answered was this: Why?
Why did Bell miss the entire preseason when there was no possible gain to be made contractually?
鈥淚 wanted to make sure I鈥檓 fresh for the season,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to go out there jeopardize myself getting hurt in camp. I understand I鈥檓 under a one-year deal so I鈥檝e got to go out there and prepare and play football. I didn鈥檛 want to get hurt in camp. My rookie year I got hurt in camp, so I didn鈥檛 want to deal with it. I wanted to go out here, get ready for Game 1, games that count, and go out there and win a Super Bowl.鈥�
鈥淗e was in shape,鈥� said Antonio Brown. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always in high condition. I think the volume of practice was turned up today. We took some periods back to back. That鈥檚 what we wanted to see, though. We want to come out strong and set a good tempo for the week.鈥�
Brand new secondary
Artie Burns went to a familiar place to meet his new teammate in the secondary, J.J. Wilcox.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 Ross鈥檚 locker,鈥� Burns said of the departed Ross Cockrell. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥楳an, that鈥檚 a legendary locker right there.鈥� But it鈥檚 cool, man. It comes with the job. It鈥檚 good to have new guys and build a new camaraderie up.鈥�
Wilcox confirmed that he rotated primarily with Rob Golden and Sean Davis at the first-team safety positions. He forgot to mention another safety working in with them.
鈥淚 practiced today,鈥� said Mitchell, who missed most of the summer with a hamstring injury.
Will he be ready to play in Cleveland on Sunday?
鈥淲e鈥檒l see,鈥� he said. 鈥淭aking it day by day.鈥�
With the safeties sorting themselves out, two new cornerbacks worked into the first-team nickel defense. Mike Hilton confirmed that he was the slot corner between Burns and Haden.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure that that means anything,鈥� said Hilton. 鈥淢aybe they just wanted to see the chemistry of the ones, or build on it for the season, but yeah I was runing with the ones and I felt comfortable.鈥�
Hilton, the 5-9 first-year player who was with the Steelers鈥� practice squad last year, has been the biggest surprise of the offseason, and his playmaking skills have obviously been noticed and rewarded.
Oh, and he broke up a pass that popped into the air and was intercepted by a teammate.
鈥淛ust trying to make plays and help the team,鈥� Hilton said.
As for what comes of a secondary that鈥檚 thrown together one week before the opener, Mitchell was reminded of the game in New England two years ago in which communication breakdowns ruined any chance of a Steelers upset. He was asked if the new group will do any better.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to have to be,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淥bviously that result wasn鈥檛 good enough for us. It鈥檚 going to have to be different. Felt pretty good about the group that we had but obviously we made some new additions over the last couple of days. Communication was always key when playing defense so we鈥檝e got a lot of work to do.鈥�
X鈥檚 & O鈥檚
The Steelers named Ben Roethlisberger and Cameron Heyward team captains this season. There isn鈥檛 a special teams captain. Last year鈥檚 captains were Roethlisberger, Heyward, Will Gay and Robert Golden.
The Steelers waived/injured Jordan Dangerfield, placed Cameron Sutton and IR and signed ILB Steven Johnson. The Steelers will need to make another move with Bell, and the league has granted them a two-week roster exemption, or until Bell is activated for a game. 鈥� Wilcox was given jersey No. 27 and Haden wore No. 2 at practice. But Haden is bargaining with Mitchell for No. 23 and Mitchell is hoping to turn it into a three-way trade with Golden because Mitchell wants 21.