Mike Tomlin: 'Everybody's got a chance' to win Steelers' No. 2 wide receiver role

[polamalubeast]

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Coach Mike Tomlin's advice for suspended Steelers wideout Martavis Bryant was brief and to the point during Tuesday's AFC coaches breakfast.

"I want to see him get better as a man," Tomlin said. "Football and all the things associated with that are secondary."

Bryant's absence from the lineup strips Pittsburgh of an electrifying playmaker who piled up 17 total touchdowns over the past two seasons. The Steelers will miss his red-zone prowess, but Tomlin views the loss as an opportunity for someone else to emerge.


Per Tomlin, the Steelers are preparing for an open competition between Markus Wheaton, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates for the role of Pittsburgh's No. 2 receiver across from All-Pro Antonio Brown.

"Everybody's got a chance to compete for that job," Tomlin said.

Wheaton feels like the clear-cut front-runner, but Pittsburgh's coach wasn't shy about suggesting that second-year wideout Sammie Coates was a candidate to break out in 2016.

"I'm excited about where he is," Tomlin said of Coates. "He worked hard last year, really saw improvement over the course of the season. I think it's reasonable to expect a guy in his second year to make a quantum leap. It's his second lap around the track and he knows what he's getting into and I look forward to watching the natural progression associated with that."



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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000646515/article/tomlin-everybodys-got-a-chance-to-win-no-2-wr-role?campaign=Twitter_atn

[hawaiiansteeler]

1) AB
2) Wheaton
3) Coates
4) DHB
5) Eli Roger / Shakim Phillips

[steelreserve]

Wheaton is probably our fourth-best receiver; I hope they don't hand the job to him by default.

Does no one remember what happened when we tried to have him take over the #2 spot for the first third of the season last year? He was horrible. Same with the playoff game missing Brown. He cannot get open against players other than the nickel CB or a safety.

Given equal playing time and an equal role, DHB was head and shoulders above Wheaton. Coates we don't know, but I'd like to see him get a shot. With Wheaton we know what we have, which is a pretty-good slot receiver but a disaster at anything else.

[pczach]

I think it makes sense to look for Coates to emerge as the outside receiver.

Wheaton is experienced at slot, and I think it would keep the flow and potential of the offense as if Bryant was in the lineup. Having a tall WR outside with deep speed and great running ability just seems to fit with what the offense wants to do, and is the perfect compliment to AB on the other side as well as the running game.

Keeping 2 WRs in their natural positions helps them play faster and at their best. It also helps Ben in that he knows he has two players that he can count on to be where they are supposed to be, and are capable of reading the defense and adjusting routes on the fly. Also, having Coates for his big play ability matches what Bryant has brought to the offense, whether he stretches the defense deep or takes a WR screen for a big gain.

[steelerkitty]

I think it makes sense to look for Coates to emerge as the outside receiver.

Wheaton is experienced at slot, and I think it would keep the flow and potential of the offense as if Bryant was in the lineup. Having a tall WR outside with deep speed and great running ability just seems to fit with what the offense wants to do, and is the perfect compliment to AB on the other side as well as the running game.

Keeping 2 WRs in their natural positions helps them play faster and at their best. It also helps Ben in that he knows he has two players that he can count on to be where they are supposed to be, and are capable of reading the defense and adjusting routes on the fly. Also, having Coates for his big play ability matches what Bryant has brought to the offense, whether he stretches the defense deep or takes a WR screen for a big gain.

I love Coates but, his build is more like Anquan Boldin's or a David Boston. He doesn't have Bryant's height, length or speed. Not saying he is slow, but not Bryant. Wheaton does have that speed. So Pitt may wanna keep him outside.

[Dwinsgames]

I love Coates but, his build is more like Anquan Boldin's or a David Boston. He doesn't have Bryant's height, length or speed. Not saying he is slow, but not Bryant. Wheaton does have that speed. So Pitt may wanna keep him outside.


NFL Comparison

Martavis Bryant

Bottom Line

Big, fast and raw. Vertical wide receiver with the ability to hit big plays and have dominant games.

Bryant is 3 inches taller , Coates has longer arms ( 1 inch ) and Coates has a 2 inch vertical advantage ) making them the same guy at high point of the ball ( but Coates is more physical )

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/sammie-coates?id=2552470


side note one runs a 4.43 -40 the other ran a 4.42 40 ...


(http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/sammie-coates?id=2552470)

[polamalubeast]

I love Coates but, his build is more like Anquan Boldin's or a David Boston. He doesn't have Bryant's height, length or speed. Not saying he is slow, but not Bryant. Wheaton does have that speed. So Pitt may wanna keep him outside.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L0SVbaC_T4

[steelerkitty]

NFL Comparison

Martavis Bryant

Bottom Line

Big, fast and raw. Vertical wide receiver with the ability to hit big plays and have dominant games.

Bryant is 3 inches taller , Coates has longer arms ( 1 inch ) and Coates has a 2 inch vertical advantage ) making them the same guy at high point of the ball ( but Coates is more physical )

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/sammie-coates?id=2552470


side note one runs a 4.43 -40 the other ran a 4.42 40 ...


(http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/sammie-coates?id=2552470)





The very fact that ONE Website has Coates compared to Bryant is not " Germane " to my point.

- - - Updated - - -


The very fact that ONE Website has Coates compared to Bryant is not " Germane " to my point.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HJWA0LLQ-M

[steelreserve]

The most important thing in that debate is that Wheaton sucks as an outside receiver and always has. If you can't get open, it doesn't matter what your speed is. It's not like you just run straight down the field and right past the cornerback, whose 40 time is the same as yours. Many of Wallace's best plays using his speed came on short and middle routes where he then ran past someone at an impossible angle to break it for a big gain. Much rather see Coates outside - at least he's a relative unknown, whereas Wheaton is known to suck.

[Dwinsgames]

The very fact that ONE Website has Coates compared to Bryant is not " Germane " to my point.

- - - Updated - - -







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HJWA0LLQ-M


perhaps not but when that " 1 website" happens to be owned by the league ... the guys who write these articles are pretty well versed in what they do and in this particular case it was Lance Zierlein who is a highly respected draft annalist with far more experience in doing this sort of thing than any of us and probably many of us put together ...

[steelerkitty]

perhaps not but when that " 1 website" happens to be owned by the league ... the guys who write these articles are pretty well versed in what they do and in this particular case it was Lance Zierlein who is a highly respected draft annalist with far more experience in doing this sort of thing than any of us and probably many of us put together ...



Is that the same site that came up with this GENIUS Comparison ?



http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/jarvis-jones?id=2540137

[vasteeler]

Wheaton is probably our fourth-best receiver; I hope they don't hand the job to him by default.

Does no one remember what happened when we tried to have him take over the #2 spot for the first third of the season last year? He was horrible. Same with the playoff game missing Brown. He cannot get open against players other than the nickel CB or a safety.

Given equal playing time and an equal role, DHB was head and shoulders above Wheaton. Coates we don't know, but I'd like to see him get a shot. With Wheaton we know what we have, which is a pretty-good slot receiver but a disaster at anything else.

to me that statement shows just how stacked we are at the position. he is easily a number two on most other teams

[pczach]

I love Coates but, his build is more like Anquan Boldin's or a David Boston. He doesn't have Bryant's height, length or speed. Not saying he is slow, but not Bryant. Wheaton does have that speed. So Pitt may wanna keep him outside.


Coates is explosive. From a speed standpoint and from a sheer power standpoint.

He is far more athletic and explosive than Anquan Boldin. He is a prototypical outside receiver with his skillset, speed, and athleticism. I'm not sure where you're getting your info about Coates, but it's incorrect. The knock on him was that he had inconsistent hands, but that he was a physical freak from a size/speed perspective.

[steelerkitty]

Coates is explosive. From a speed standpoint and from a sheer power standpoint.

He is far more athletic and explosive than Anquan Boldin. He is a prototypical outside receiver with his skillset, speed, and athleticism. I'm not sure where you're getting your info about Coates, but it's incorrect. The knock on him was that he had inconsistent hands, but that he was a physical freak from a size/speed perspective.

What I said, or meant was that from a Body/strength stand point he resembles Boldin. And from a bigger WR mold only with speed, he resembles David Boston, who was 230Lbs, but ran a 4.20 forty. His build is not like Bryant's. And he is not nearly as tall, or as long.

[Dwinsgames]

What I said, or meant was that from a Body/strength stand point he resembles Boldin. And from a bigger WR mold only with speed, he resembles David Boston, who was 230Lbs, but ran a 4.20 forty. His build is not like Bryant's. And he is not nearly as tall, or as long.

he has longer arms by 1 inch .... he has a higher vertical by 2 inches , meaning he gains 3 inches at high point of the ball in the air on Bryant who is 3 inches taller ... when you account for the other physical attributes Bryants 3 inches in height is wiped out and places them at the same size for high pointing the ball .. HOWEVER Coates is the more physical player of the two giving you a better chance at those jump balls or balls in traffic ...

now all he has to do is prove it at this level , the tools are there ..

I wont get into the " hands" because BOTH of them where drafted with some question marks in the hands department

[Mojouw]

I think that the hardest thing to replace with Bryant will not be the actual receiving skills - some mash-up of Coates/Wheaton/Green/and insert random WR here can do that. It will be finding someone who can take a bubble screen 40+ yards down the sideline. That was a major part of the offense last year and there were a number of critical 3rd down conversions using that play. And yes, I realize that AB can run like he has video game cheat codes turned on - but it is nice to be able to throw to the "other" WR that isn't already drawing all the double teams on 3rd downs.

The more I think about, the more I feel that IF he stays healthy - Eli Rogers makes the team and gets a hat on gameday to return kicks and do "gadget" stuff in the offense.

As far as the Coates and Bryant comaprisons - we already know the only answer that matters. The Steelers already envision Coates as a replacement for Bryant's role in the offense. They stated as much when Bryant's last suspension came to light. Coates was drafted because the Steelers wanted to insulate themselves from exactly what is happening right now - Bryant getting banned for a significant period of time. Now, clearly they will fill that role in a different way, but as long as Coates brings some "explosion" to the side of the field opposite AB and puts the safeties in a "no win" set of choices - the results will look similar for the overall offense.

Imagine a 2 TE set and Bell in the backfield. Then AB on one side and Coates on the other. Defense is in a base package. IF Coates has demonstrated that he can catch the ball down the field - what do the safeties do in that package? Drop down into the box to guard against the run? Take Green down the seam? Rotate to help over the top on AB? On Coates? What about Bell on a route out of the backfield? Long story short, as long as teams view Coates as "legit" the offense can force them into some of the same "mismatches" that they were able to after the emergence of Bryant.

[cold-hard-steel]

What I said, or meant was that from a Body/strength stand point he resembles Boldin. And from a bigger WR mold only with speed, he resembles David Boston, who was 230Lbs, but ran a 4.20 forty. His build is not like Bryant's. And he is not nearly as tall, or as long.

I think we need to all pitch in and get you some catnip.

[cold-hard-steel]

Steelers are ept when it comes to drafting receivers. You challenge that then you are or will be a fool . I 've been around enough to know how we like to stock up on wr's. I think some of them could have become excellent cb's. Maybe the NFL has not yet come onto that mentality.