Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp: 5 Early Storylines to Watch

We're a mere five days away from the Pittsburgh Steelers opening their 2015 training camp, which means the football season is not far behind. But before the Steelers can face the New England Patriots in Week 1, they must get the team ready to do battle.

Many new storylines will emerge as camp unfolds, but there are already ones to keep an eye on in training camp's early days. Here are the five to watch right now.

Bud Dupree's Progress

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Steelers' Round 1 draft pick, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, has already spent time with the first-team defense during OTAs and minicamp, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. It is a trend that is likely to continue through training camp given what a quick study he has been so far.

But things can change rapidly once the pads come on and players can practice with full contact. Will this bring out the best in Dupree, or will it expose him for the rookie he really is?

Dupree's 2015 playing time will depend on how he handles the transition from college to the NFL this summer, which means he will have to continue to outperform expectations to steal snaps from the likes of James Harrison, Arthur Moats and Jarvis Jones.

The Backup QB Situation

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While it's not likely that Bruce Gradkowski will be unseated as the Steelers' No. 2 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger, the No. 3 job is, for all intents and purposes, is up for grabs.

The incumbent is Landry Jones, the Steelers' 2013 fourth-round draft pick. But Jones has shown little progress over his two years with the team. He'll be competing with former New York Jets' 2014 draft pick Tajh Boyd. 

And there's also the matter of the quarterbacks-slash-wide receivers to consider. Devin Gardner and Tyler Murphy could push both Boyd and Jones off the roster if their two-position skill sets make them more valuable to the team than one-position players like Boyd and Jones.

Though preseason games will have more influence on these four players' chances to make the final 53-man roster, who they work with and how often in training camp will provide insight as to what the Steelers may be thinking at the No. 3 quarterback position.

Dri Archer's Role

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The Steelers' Round 3 2014 draft pick, Dri Archer, admitted that his rookie season was disappointing, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But this year, he will have added incentive to really make an impact on the Steelers offense.

Starting running back Le'Veon Bell will be facing a three-game suspension to start the year, which means that DeAngelo Williams will be the team's primary back during that time. But Archer could prove a valuable change of pace behind Williams and, later in the year, behind Bell.

Archer is fast and elusive but a little undersized (5'8", 173 lbs). Still, he could finally break out as a runner and a receiver this year. And he could have the first shot at the kick returner job as well, per Dulac. Where the Steelers are using Archer in training camp will provide hints as to how they want to use him during the 2015 season. He's a player to watch.

The Young Defensive Backs

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Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said in June that he is open to one or more of the rookie defensive backs earning a starting role this year, granted that they have earned it, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

With the Steelers trying to find a combination in the backfield that works, particularly at cornerback, this could open opportunities to rookie corners Senquez Golson and Doran Grant to steal snaps away from veteran incumbents William Gay, Cortez Allen and Antwon Blake.

It would not be surprising to see Golson and Grant, in particular, get increasing training camp practice time with the first-team defense. And if that playing time increases at the expense of one or more of the veterans, we could be seeing rookies in the starting lineup come Week 1.

Keith Butler's Defense

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The Steelers' new defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, has been with the team since 2003, serving as linebackers coach until this year, when the team moved on from longtime coordinator Dick LeBeau. In fact, Butler has been with the Steelers one year longer than LeBeau had in his most recent stint with the Steelers.

That means some things won't change about Pittsburgh's defensive philosophy, while other things will be tweaked considerably. As defensive end Cameron Heyward said to MMQB.com's Robert Klemko:

"

I would think our defense will be pretty similar, but there may be some conceptual changes, some more blitzes [Butler] wants to add. I think he wants to generate more turnovers and get more one-on-ones up front where we're maximizing everyone's talents and making sure everyone has a chance to get after the quarterback or get a turnover.

"

And even if Butler's defense looks close to identical to LeBeau's, his on-field style at training camp will be different. Heyward noted, "I think Coach LeBeau was a little bit more laid back and Butler is a yeller. Everybody paid attention when Dick would get mad. With Butler it's like there’s no playing around. No being laid back. He wants a great season."

Either way, our first chance to really take a look at what Butler has planned for the Steelers defense this season will be during training camp.