Journeyman Hunter hopes to claim a role with Steelers
Justin Hunter is the definition of a journeyman receiver in the NFL. He is on his fourth team in five seasons and the one-year contract he signed with the Steelers in March only guaranteed him an opportunity in training camp — not much more.
But there was a time not all that long ago that NFL scouts were salivating over Hunter’s unique skill set — a rare blend of size, speed and athleticism. At the 2013 combine, Hunter, 6 feet 4, ran a 4.40 in the 40-yard dash and had a 39½-inch vertical jump.
In many ways, Hunter is similar to Martavis Bryant, who was drafted by the Steelers one year later. But unlike Bryant, Hunter never could live up to the hype that came with being the No. 34 overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Hunter never had more than 500 receiving yards in his first four NFL seasons and was not a highly soughtafter free agent. The Steelers signed him for $775,000 but only $30,000 guaranteed in a signing bonus. He has to earn all the rest by making the 53-man roster.
Due to injuries to Sammie Coates and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bryant’s stalled reinstatement process, Hunter has been getting reps with the firstteam offense, including some impressive work in the red zone through the first four practices.
“I think he’s passed all the tests thus far,” receivers coach Richard Mann said. “I’ll hold judgment until I see him play. That’s old school.”
Hunter has developed a nice early rapport with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who can be seen instructing Hunter and other young receivers on the finer points of the offense. Hunter is relishing his time with Roethlisberger after playing with quarterbacks of lesser stature in Tennessee, Miami and Buffalo.
“He spends time with me on the field, talking to me, telling me what he wants,” Hunter said. “I’m trying to pinpoint that and be as detailed as I possibly can. Especially with a guy like him, 14 years in, he’s not going to tolerate foolishness and not listening and stuff like that.”
Hunter’s best season came in 2014 when he started eight games and caught 28 passes for 498 yards and three touchdowns for the Titans. But a year ago, the Titans cut him before the start of the regular season. He played one game for the Dolphins and 12 for the Bills before becoming a freeagent in March.
One frequent criticism of Hunter in his previous stops was inconsistent hands, but Mann said Hunter hasn’t had many problems catching the ball since arriving with the Steelers.
“We’ve been working with him since he’s been here,” Mann said. “His hands look pretty good to me. If you watch practice you see him catch the ball.”
If everything goes as planned, Smith-Schuster, Coates and Bryant will return in the next few weeks. But until then, Hunter will be getting an extended look. And he’s hoping to make enough of an impression to stick around for a while.
“Overall, the feeling of the organization, it’s definitely different form where I’ve been,” he said. “I just want to do whatever I have to do to stay.” JuJu could be a hybrid Mann likes the idea of having a bigger slot receiver as an option, and it sounded as if Smith-Schuster could get an opportunity for some reps there when he is healthy again.
“There are some things you can do with a bigger guy that you can’t do with a smaller guy and vice versa,” Mann said. “If you get a guy who is nifty and he’s big and he’s quick, then that’s a plus. It’s a good thing to have both if you have them. A lot of times you don’t have that luxury. If you have a smaller quicker guy that can be a plus. If you have a guy who has both [qualities], then that’s the best of both worlds.”
Smith-Schuster could be that guy. Mann didn’t want to crown him because he hasn’t played in an NFL game yet. But make no mistake, he loves his potential.
Smith-Schuster injured his left ankle Friday in the first training camp practice. Since then he has been attached to Mann’s hip the past few days and his coach has been impressed with the rookie’s attention to detail.
In fact, Mann won’t have any problem moving SmithSchuster back and forth between the slot and outside receiver upon his return.
“He knows both spots,” Mann said. “It depends on what Todd [Haley] wants to do and we’ll take it from there. He’s not getting any physical reps, but he’s getting mental reps. He’s a quick study that guy.”