Hargrave having outstanding camp
LATROBE 鈥� The tape says so. One of the men tasked with blocking him says to, too, and so does the leader of his unit, a man who normally prefers to calm media enthusiasm.
They all agree that Javon Hargrave is having an outstanding camp.
What does Hargrave think about it?
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that,鈥� said the Steelers nose tackle. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to work, man. Just trying to put plays together and get better every day.鈥�
Doesn鈥檛 Hargrave believe the hype?
鈥淎hhhh, I do,鈥� he said as he cracked a smile. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the best years I鈥檝e had.鈥�
So, it鈥檚 true, because Hargrave might be his own harshest critic 鈥� if not for Cam Heyward, the veteran leader of the defensive line who鈥檚 not only a tough critic of younger players, he prefers to temper all media hype.
鈥淲hy would I temper that?鈥� Heyward asked. 鈥淗e鈥檚 improved, and he鈥檚 a big cohort for us. Whether it鈥檚 a run or pass, he鈥檚 definitely a force to be reckoned with. And with his flexibility we鈥檙e able to put him at different positions 鈥� and he鈥檚 dominating everyone.鈥�
That鈥檚 what they鈥檙e all saying. Left guard Ramon Foster has to block Hargrave when he moves off the nose to nickel tackle.
鈥淗e鈥檚 playing like he knows it鈥檚 his contract year,鈥� Foster said with a laugh. 鈥淣o, seriously, he鈥檚 looking Really. Damn. Good. Like, quicker. His lower body seems stronger. I think he鈥檚 getting to the point this year where people are going to have to notice him.鈥�
Foster reinforced that he was merely kidding about Hargrave being in salary drive, and that 鈥淗e鈥檚 gotten better every year.鈥� But it鈥檚 a nice coincidence for Hargrave鈥檚 bank account. He鈥檚 entering his fourth season and is a priority with the front office for an extension. Talks will begin with Hargrave and Sean Davis once the Steelers complete negotiations with Joe Haden.
On that front, Davis has missed almost all of camp with a dislocated finger, while Hargrave has been working in the trenches in a way that鈥檚 elicited raves from those who watch tape and have to block him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 had this one move that he鈥檚 been trying to perfect and he鈥檚 actually got it down,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad he鈥檚 on our side.鈥�
Hargrave was a third-round draft choice in 2016 out of South Carolina State, where he compiled 37 career sacks 鈥� a ridiculous total for a 6-1 1/2, 309-pound nose tackle.
As a rookie, 鈥淲obble,鈥� as he was dubbed by Heyward, started 13 games, had 18 solo tackles, 2 sacks and 3 QB hits.
In 14 starts last season, his third, Hargrave had 32 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks and 8 QB hits. The 6.5 sacks is an unofficial Steelers record for a nose tackle 鈥� unofficial because cocked nose Joe Greene, officially a 4-3 tackle, had seasons of 11 and 9 sacks. We also can鈥檛 be certain that all of Hargrave鈥檚 sacks came from the nose. He did plenty of damage as a nickel tackle in a 4-man front last season, and will do even more of it this season.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting a lot of reps there this camp,鈥� said Hargrave, who explained why this is his best camp in this way:
鈥淚 just know what I鈥檓 doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know my techniques and I just know where the ball鈥檚 going, I know what gap I need to be in. I just know how to make plays. I feel like I鈥檝e been here long enough. I鈥檓 pretty good at making plays, so I鈥檓 just working for that.鈥�
He agreed that his coming of age hasn鈥檛 been intentionally timed for a salary drive.
鈥淚t just feels right,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing here for my fourth year, I鈥檝e just tried to grow every year. I really came here in the best shape I鈥檝e ever been in. That鈥檚 a lot to do with it, too.鈥�
Hargrave ran more this summer and checked in at 305 pounds. He鈥檚 one of the reasons this might be the fastest defense in his time here.
鈥淲e all can run, from the D-line all the way back to safety,鈥� Hargrave said. 鈥淚 just think everybody on our team is fast. Everybody on our defense can run a 4-something. I think we鈥檙e all fast, we all can get to the ball pretty quickly.鈥�
Even if one of the league鈥檚 fastest nose tackles is still called 鈥淲obble.鈥�
鈥淥f course that nickname鈥檚 stayed on,鈥� laughed Heyward. 鈥淗opefully we can make some money out of it.鈥�
Oh, he will. Hargrave鈥檚 getting paid, be certain of that.
Notes
A spate of in-practice injuries bedeviled the Steelers in their return to Saint Vincent College on Tuesday: Foster, LT Alejandro Villanueva, RBs James Conner and Ralph Webb, OLBs Bud Dupree and Sutton Smith, TE Trevor Wood and CB Justin Layne all left practice. 鈥淗opefully they won鈥檛 be out. Hopefully it鈥檒l be in the day-to-day variety,鈥� said Mike Tomlin. 鈥� With the OL injuries, and Maurkice Pouncey out from the onset of practice, the first-team OL in the 2-minute drill to end practice was (left to right) Jerald Hawkins, Matt Feiler, B.J. Finney, undrafted rookie Fred Johnson and Chuks Okorafor. Both the first and second-team defenses stopped the offenses quarterbacked by Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. 鈥� OLB T.J. Watt participated in his first padded practice of the year and said 鈥淚 feel great鈥� and that the hamstring pull hasn鈥檛 hurt his fitness.