Worries about defensive line are put to rest
Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward was watching from the sideline in Week 15 of the 2016 season when the Steelers played the Bengals in Cincinnati. On injured reserve with a pectoral injury, Heyward watched starter Stephon Tuitt exit the game on the first series and then wondered for the duration of the game how the line would get through it.
In addition to Tuitt, backup defensive end Ricardo Mathews also got banged up and forced Javon Hargrave, L.T. Walton and Daniel McCullers to play more than they had all season to finish the game.
“We were running out of guys,” Heyward said. “I was talking to the outside linebackers like, ‘Can y’all play defensive end?’ I don’t think we’re going to have to deal with that this year.”
For one, Heyward and Tuitt are healthy again. Beyond that the depth appears to be much-improved after the signing of freeagent Tyson Alualu and the improved play of Walton.
The Steelers have built their defensive line depth to the point where they don’t have to worry any longer about overworking Heyward and Tuitt. There was a time not all that long ago that defensive line coach John Mitchell didn’t feel like he could take Heyward or Tuitt out. Heyward played 88 percent of the defensive snaps and Tuitt 79 percent in the 2015 season.
Now, with the offseason addition of Alualu and the development of Hargrave, Walton and McCullers, the Steelers have a versatile group.
“I think it allows us to go into a game with three nose tackles or six or seven ends because guys can play multiple positions,” Heyward said. “You can put anyone out there. It allows us to be free. If someone gets injured it doesn’t feel we’re limping around. I remember the Cincinnati game. We ended up with three defensive linemen and one of them could only play nose.”
Red-zone emphasis
The Steelers have been working on their red-zone offense and defense the past few days, devoting large portions of practice Saturday to it.
The Steelers had one of the top red-zone defenses in the NFL in 2016, but the offense was 16th. Cleveland, Jacksonville, Buffalo and Indianapolis fared better in the red zone than the Steelers.
“I’m not stat-driven, but 16th says you’re average,” Tomlin said. “Average isn’t good enough. It’s a critical area of the field for us. We’ll continue to do things like that. It’s important to highlight certain areas of football. That’s the difference between being good and great and winning and losing.”
Corner depth added
With three cornerbacks injured the Steelers signed free-agent JaCorey Shepherd Saturday, and he took part in practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
Starting corner Artie Burns, rookie third-round pick Cameron Sutton and third-year corner Senquez Golson didn’t practice Saturday. Sutton and Golson have been out a week or more and Burns was injured Friday night.
Burns had both knees wrapped in ice late in practice. Coach Mike Tomlin said Burns was examined Saturday, but he did not have an update on his injury.
“I don’t have the details of it,” Tomlin said. “Just visiting with him he appears to be in good spirits. Hopefully, it’s minor and a number of days, but I don’t have anything definitive.”
Shepherd spent last season with San Francisco, where he also served as a kick returner.
A number of other players continue to sit out with injuries. Running back James Conner (shoulder), safety Mike Mitchell (undisclosed) and receiver Sammie Coates (knee) missed practice again. Coates did some work on a side field with conditioning coach Marcel Pastoor.
To make room for Shepherd the Steelers released defensive end Nelson Adams.