Pouncey says tight end position this year’s sleeper
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The seer has spoken 鈥� although he spoke like a sportswriter.
Yes, Maurkice Pouncey is overthinking his spring sleeper this year.
In 2017, Pouncey easily identified Mike Hilton as the player to watch at training camp. Last year, the team captain called out rookie Chuks Okorafor following minicamp. Both Hilton and Okorafor made the team, started, earned coaching raves, and remain with the team.
This year, Pouncey couldn鈥檛 narrow it down to one player, only a position.
鈥淢an, honestly, it鈥檚 going to be one of the young tight ends,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know who it鈥檚 going to be yet 鈥� maybe the guy we drafted from Michigan, maybe the undrafted kid, 87. But I think one of the young tight ends will be one of the guys. And obviously, I like my Florida kid. He鈥檚 looking really good in practice, too.鈥�
Undrafted rookie guard Fred Johnson is Pouncey鈥檚 鈥淔lorida kid.鈥� The 6-7, 326-pound Gator was playing right guard on the second-team line, even with David DeCastro, the first-teamer, back at practice. Johnson was the only rookie playing on the first or second line during veteran days at minicamp.
Later in the afternoon, when Pouncey was pressed to make a call and not intellectualize his sleeper pick with team needs, he could only drop Johnson to honorable mention status.
鈥淭he two tight ends are my picks,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淚 like both of them. It鈥檚 going to be out of those two because, you know, we need one of them.鈥�
The Steelers return veteran tight ends Vance McDonald and Xavier Grimble, but they lost Jesse James in free agency, didn鈥檛 re-sign Jake McGee or Ryan Malleck off injured reserve, and then released practice squad TE Bucky Hodges a day before the draft.
To replace them, the Steelers signed No. 87, Kevin Rader, to a futures contract on January 9, and then selected No. 81, Zach Gentry, in the fifth round of April鈥檚 draft.
The Steelers also return English rubgy player Christian Scotland-Williamson to their roster via the NFL鈥檚 International Player Pathway program, but he鈥檚 still learning the game. They also added Texas A&M鈥檚 Trevor Wood, a 6-6, 265-pounder with long-snapping ability, after the draft.
But Pouncey chose Rader and Gentry, even though he couldn鈥檛 find a particular order.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen enough yet because we haven鈥檛 done a lot since we don鈥檛 have pads on, so I can鈥檛 pick the guy,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淭he other guys, like when I picked Hilton, it was like 鈥楾his (expletive)鈥檚 blitzing and picking plays off.鈥� And Chuks played on the line so I already knew he could play. But out of those two guys, trust me, it鈥檚 gonna be one of them. Mark my words now.鈥�
Pouncey agreed to let one of the veteran tight ends break the tie, but the most tenured of that group, Grimble, couldn鈥檛 decide.
鈥淗mmmm, 81 and 87,鈥� Grimble pondered. 鈥淭oo close to call. I have to wait till camp.鈥�
Gentry consistently worked with the top groups during spring workouts. His touchdown on the last play of the final team scrimmage of minicamp sparked a raucous celebration for the offense.
The 6-8, 265-pounder caught 49 passes at an impressive 16.7 yards per catch and scored four touchdowns in his only two seasons as a starter at Michigan. He grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., and went to Michigan as a quarterback, but was moved to tight end. When he arrived in Pittsburgh, he was given his college number, 83, but acquiesced to Ben Roethlisberger鈥檚 request to switch numbers out of respect for the great Heath Miller, who wore 83 throughout his 11-year career with the Steelers.
Rader (6-4, 250) was born in Pittsburgh and attended Pine-Richland High in the north suburbs before heading off to Youngstown State as a defensive end. He was moved to tight end as a redshirt sophomore, caught 41 passes at 14.7 yards per catch, and was signed after the 2018 draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Rader drew raves from Mike Tomlin on the practice field Tuesday after a downfield block inside the 5-yard line catapulted Tevin Jones into the end zone to complete a long catch-and-run.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my game,鈥� Rader said later. When asked if he meant downfield blocking, he said, 鈥淣o, playing until the whistle.鈥�
Rader grew up idolizing Miller and believes No. 83 should be retired by the Steelers.
We鈥檒l have much more on both Gentry and Rader next week. But since Pouncey was in a talkative mood, he wanted to deliver one final spring comment on the evolution of the team鈥檚 chemistry following a chaotic 2018 season featuring since-departed superstars Le鈥橵eon Bell and Antonio Brown.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 locked in,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淚t actually has a good feeling to it. Things have been fun at practice because it鈥檚 all about football.鈥�
Are the Steelers making a point of coming together?
鈥淵eah,鈥� Pouncey said. 鈥淗onestly, man, it was all worth it. Things happen, man. When you have a relationship that鈥檚 lasted so long, with so many ups and downs, some days I love 鈥檈m, some days I hate 鈥檈m. That鈥檚 just how it is. Sometimes people don鈥檛 understand the real meaning of that and what that actually leads to. But actually, man, things have been great. We appreciate everything that everybody鈥檚 done in the past and there鈥檚 no more talking bad about anyone. We respect everything they鈥檝e done and we鈥檙e glad for them. Go on and carry on your career somewhere else and be happy about it.鈥�
Pouncey paused before putting a wrap on the spring.
鈥淚 just like the whole vibe of the team,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone seems happy. Everyone鈥檚 locked in. Everyone鈥檚 having a good time.鈥�