Who is the Steelers’ real free safety?
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Vince Williams did such a good job breaking down the linebacker position for reporters, he was asked about those playing behind him.
鈥淢an, it鈥檚 like a whole new group back there,鈥� Williams said of the safeties and cornerbacks. 鈥淓verybody has new numbers and everything. But I鈥檓 pretty sure they鈥檙e going to get it patched up. I was talking to those guys. Morgan鈥檚 a cool dude. He鈥檚 in the box a lot, so I鈥檓 excited to see what they can do.鈥�
Morgan Burnett, No. 42, was playing one half of the box, since the supposed free safety who played strong safety at Green Bay, was paired deep with Sean Davis, No. 21, the possible free safety who鈥檚 played strong safety his first two years in Pittsburgh.
Who鈥檚 the real free safety?
鈥淭here really is no designated free and strong as of right now,鈥� said Davis. 鈥淲e just played left and right today, so we played both, free and strong today.鈥�
The Steelers, of course, normally have distinct roles for their free and strong safeties. Why did they play the two as right and left on the first day of OTA practices?
鈥淛ust because he can do both and I can do both,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still learning how to communicate with each other so that just made things a little easier for us. Communication-wise, he controlled his side of the field and I controlled my side of the field.鈥�
Will the Steelers revert to distinct roles back there?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know,鈥� Davis said.
Davis came out of college as a safety with cornerback experience, so he was known as a coverage safety who could strike. He measured 6-1, 201 and ran a 4.46 40 at his 2016 NFL Combine.
Burnett came out of college in 2010 with similar numbers. He measured 6-1陆, 209, and ran a 4.51 at his Georgia Tech pro day. He鈥檚 spent his entire eight-year career in Green Bay, and averaged 7.03 tackles per game, 0.45 pass breakups per game, and 0.26 turnovers per game, primarily as a strong safety.
Davis, in his two seasons at strong safety, averaged 5.0 tackles, 0.41 pass breakups, and 0.19 turnovers per game.
鈥淗e鈥檚 an awesome guy, high-character guy,鈥� Davis said of his new partner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 his ninth year in the league, so I look up to him. He has a lot of wisdom and I鈥檓 looking at picking at him, trying to get everything I can get off of him. But, yeah, he鈥檚 an awesome guy, a good guy to being around. I鈥檓 looking forward to playing out there with him.鈥�
Both players are learning from a new defensive backfield coach, former Penn State assistant Tom Bradley.
鈥淵eah, we鈥檙e all learning,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 different from Coach (Carnell) Lake. But I like Coach Bradley and he has a good group of guys. I鈥檓 looking forward to rising with him.鈥�
NOTES: Le鈥橵eon Bell, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Cameron Heyward were absent from this voluntary OTA. Heyward arrived late and said he was receiving minor treatment. 鈥� Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt flopped sides, reportedly for good. Dupree is now the blind-side rusher on the right side. 鈥� Other number changes in the secondary: Joe Haden (to 23( and Mike Hilton (now 28). 鈥� Running back Stevan Ridley changed to number 22. 鈥� Ben Roethlisberger said he offered this bit of advice to rookie QB Mason Rudolph: 鈥淗e was probably six or seven yards from Rosie (Nix) and he threw it pretty hard. 鈥� I just pulled him aside and said, 鈥楬ey, listen. You鈥檒l learn quickly that every throw doesn鈥檛 have to be the hardest throw you can make. You don鈥檛 have to put every throw on a guy鈥檚 chest as hard as you can. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to just give him a nice easy touch pass.'鈥� Roethlisberger鈥檚 first impression of Rudolph? 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a big arm. He underthrew A.B.(Antonio Brown) 鈥� but he seems to understand the offense. Seems to not have any issues in the huddle, so I thought he did really well.鈥� 鈥� Tyler Matakevich opened the spring at the mack inside linebacker position, the position played by Ryan Shazier. Williams opened at his normal buck ILB spot.