WR Rogers OKs contract for one year
Veteran receiver Eli Rogers agreed to a one-year contract with the Steelers Wednesday, the same day the team reported for training camp at Saint Vincent College.
Rogers tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the playoff loss to Jacksonville in January. The Steelers did not tender him a contract in the spring, but he was cleared by doctors last week. After a visit with Kansas City earlier this week, Rogers re-signed with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
“Feels great to have this process over with,” Rogers tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “I’m grateful to be back for another year in the Black and Gold. Now let’s make a run to this Super Bowl.”
After missing the 2015 season with a foot injury, Rogers caught 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns in 2016. Last season, Rogers was bypassed on the depth chart by JuJu Smith-Schuster and recorded just 18 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Rogers will add depth to a receiving corps that lacks experience after starters Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown. The Steelers are counting on rookie secondround pick James Washington to develop quickly and become the No. 3 receiver.
Rogers, who must prove he hasn’t lost a step in camp this summer, will compete with Marcus Tucker for a roster spot. Tucker spent parts of the past two seasons on the practice squad and was given a long look by the coaches during the spring when Rogers was absent.
OL fails conditioning test
Offensive lineman Bryce Harris was the only player to fail the conditioning test Wednesday.
Harris, 29, was signed to the Steelers 90-man roster a few days after third-year tackle Jerald Hawkins suffered a season-ending quad injury in the spring. He was expected to be the top backup tackle this season.
Harris was brought in to compete with rookie thirdround pick Chuks Okorafor and others for the swing tackle job, but his inability to finish the run casts some doubt upon whether he’ll be able to offer much in terms of competition.
The swing tackle job has been an important one for the Steelers in recent years. Chris Hubbard held the job last season and ended up starting 10 games when starting right tackle Marcus Gilbert suffered through an injury-riddled season that also included a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. In 2015, Alejandro Villanueva rose from swing tackle to starting left tackle after Kelvin Beachum suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Harris is the only reserve on the 90-man roster with starting experience at tackle. The Steelers also have tackles Jake Rodgers and Joseph Cheek on the 90man training camp roster. Rodgers spent some time on the practice squad last season.
Running back Trey Johnson did not participate in the conditioning run due to a shoulder injury. Tomlin also excused several veterans, including offensive linemen Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert and Maurkice Pouncey, from the conditioning test.
Get ready
The Steelers will practice 11 times in the next 12 days. The only off day between Thursday and the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles is Tuesday.