Pittsburgh Steelers: What We've Learned Through Week 4 of Preseason
It's the final week of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2015 training camp. Though preparations for the upcoming NFL season will continue, they will happen at the Steelers' facility in Pittsburgh, not their camp at Latrobe's St. Vincent College.
Though camp has wound down, news from the Steelers has not stopped flowing. Here is what we have learned from the Steelers' final days of training camp and the preseason.
QB Bruce Gradkowski Returns
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The Steelers activated the team's true No. 2 quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski, from the physically unable to perform list on Sunday. Up to that point, Gradkowski had missed all of training camp while nursing an injury to his right shoulder.
Gradkowski was eased into practices, eventually starting to throw in Wednesday's practice. But before that even took place, the Steelers made some personnel changes on offense. The team released backup Tajh Boyd on Tuesday and signed rookie free-agent receiver Jarrod West.
Boyd, who was initially expected to push No. 3 quarterback Landry Jones for his job, hadn't played a single snap in the Steelers first two preseason games. Though Jones hasn't been lighting up the field while handling the majority of Pittsburgh's quarterback duties in those two games, he's done enough to outperform Boyd.
With Gradkowski back, and Tyler Murphy also capable of taking quarterback reps, Boyd was the no-brainer cut. We'll likely get a look at Gradkowski during the Steelers' third preseason game on Sunday.
Ian Wild's Position Shift
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When Ian Wild came to the Steelers from the CFL this offseason, he was considered a safety. But because the Steelers have gotten thinner due to injury at the inside linebacker position, and because Wild is such a physical player, he has been transitioned to linebacker in the final week of training camp.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told PennLive's Jacob Klinger that the move was made because "it's a natural way for [Wild] to continue to get reps and show some versatility and help us in an area where the lines are short." In addition to linebacker, Wild has also been working with the special teams unit.
In Wednesday's practice, Wild had at least two would-be sacks of backup quarterback Landry Jones. But the progress Wild has made will need to be seen clearly in the team's remaining preseason games. Roster spots are limited, and Wild will have to show that he can play safety, linebacker and special teams to crack the 53-man roster.
At this point, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette sees Wild as a practice-squad player, noting that there are "so many in front of him," on the depth chart. Still, the minor injuries sidelining interior linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Vince Williams have at least given Wild more opportunities than he would have had otherwise.
Punter Battle Update
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The only true preseason battle playing out for the Steelers right now is at the punter position, with Brad Wing and Jordan Berry vying for the roster spot. Thus far, the competition has been close.
On Wednesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin heckled Wing, saying that Berry was outperforming him. But Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora wrote that "Wing continued to get better distance and Berry shanked one of his but the rookie punter is consistently getting better hangtime." He concluded that "it's a close race" between the two.
The race won't be won until the preseason is over. But with neither man truly outperforming the other, it appears the Steelers have a tough decision ahead. Field position matters. It's about whether the Steelers prefer Berry's hangtime or Wing's bigger leg.
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Bud Dupree Gets Chippy
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The Steelers' Wednesday practice took an aggressive turn, particularly where rookie linebacker Bud Dupree was concerned.
As observed by Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora, the first fight took place in 11-on-11 drills and led to a large pile that resulted in linebacker James Harrison and defensive end Cam Heyward having to pull Dupree aside to calm him down.
That didn't work, though, as Dupree later confronted guard Ramon Foster. Dupree would not relent, forcing head coach Mike Tomlin to shove Dupree and kick him out of the drill, sending him to a different seven-on-seven group.
Fights are common in training camps, whether between teammates or between opposing teams working together in joint practices. It wasn't a common occurrence in Latrobe this year, but given that camp is winding down, players' nerves are beginning to wear thin.
Luckily, things were a lot more lighthearted on Thursday.
Additional Roster Move
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In addition to the Steelers releasing quarterback Tajh Boyd and signing rookie receiver Jarrod West, the team made another roster move this week, waiving injured second-year linebacker Jordan Zumwalt and claiming linebacker L.J. Fort off of waivers from the New England Patriots.
Zumwalt spent most of his rookie summer last year injured and spent 2014 on injured reserve with a groin injury. He returned this year to try to earn a roster spot, but now his time with the Steelers could come to an end. Zumwalt may spend another season on the team's injured reserve list or could be released with an injury settlement.
Fort was an undrafted player who came into the league in 2012. He spent the 2012 season with the Cleveland Browns and had one start, totaling 20 combined tackles, one sack, one interception and three passes defended. In 2014, he spent time with both the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks and was picked up by the Patriots earlier in August before being waived.
The Steelers roster remains at the league maximum of 90 players. The deadline to reduce the roster to 75 players is September 1. It must be reduced to 53 players on September 5.
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