Training camp with pads start today!
Training camp with pads start today!
On Claypool...
Ben is going to love Claypool.
second full practice in a row for Ben
Practice Report: Aug. 19
https://www.steelers.com/news/practice-report-aug-19
Rudolph's reports are not good, at least for yesterday's practice....
https://steelersnow.com/training-cam...es-to-impress/
I'm not going to freak out too much about these interim reports. Either positive or negative.
For instance on Monday/Tuesday of this week; Chuks was supposedly forcing his way to the starting RT position according to reports. Now on Wed/Thurs of the same week; Banner is separating himself. That seems like a push between the two at best...or different observers seeing different things...
It is, unfortunately, almost certainly true that Rudolph stinks. BUT...even the short write-up indicates that one of the incompletes was on the receiver falling down. If he is running with the second and third tier guys, what if they run the wrong route and Rudolph throws to the proper spot? That's an incompletion but who was at fault? Same with drops or whatever...without more details it is really hard to tell what is happening...
Probably should all take a breath and wait it out a bit. Plus, it doesn't really matter until the words "Maybe Paxton Lynch continues to get more reps with the second unit" start to appear in the reports. Until then, Rudolph is the back-up QB for better or worse...
This is one of the reasons why the preseason can be useful ... 4 games may be too much but 2-3 games can give us ideas on the questions mark (like Ben's arm) or on young players ... But unfortunately even if I understand we don't have much information and the reports from Mark Kaboly or others might be interesting but we need to pay to see his articles.
And what I've seen, for the most part Ben's reports are positive and he hasn't had a day off but his motion for his deep ball seems to be a question mark, at least for now.
spot on ...
this year it will be even more difficult than ever for us ( and the coaching staff ) to figure out position battles ... I normally go to camp myself and get eyes on key battles , this year not gonna happen .... coaches usually have more practices in pads , they have preseason games to use as tools to determine pos battles ...this year not gonna happen every year there is a guy or 2 from almost every team across the league that makes the club week 4 of the preseason none of those guys will do so this year .........
so 50-60 guys at the start of the season that ordinarily would be in the league will be pushing carts at local walmarts across the country or selling drugs on some inner city street corner because they didn't get a normal shot at the league ....
this season ( provided there is one ) will be far more fluid in terms to the practice squad and last roster spot or two is my guess
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles didn't value him either , now he is a Stain at the Mistake by the Lake 3 teams in 4 years more of a shooting star than a superstar
https://steelersdepot.com/2020/08/ri...egular-season/
I think this is kind of how a number of roster competitions are going to go down. Especially when the "loser" of the competition is still going to make the final roster. Why decide until you have to?
IMO....A TE's ability to run block is important but not half as important as pass catching. So long as the effort and technique are there to hold a block for a 2 count should be long enough for an NFL RB to get past. The ability to not tip run or pass to the defense is the important thing. If the defense knows Ebron refuses to block then he only comes in on passing downs is a huge tip-off. Just making him an OK blocker should be enough. We all already know it will be in the passing game where Ebron will be most effective. At 6'4" and 255lbs he should be OK as a blocker with good technique, whether on a edge rusher or 2nd level.
I understand your point .... He just needs to not be awful in run blocking and have an effort on that and he's going to be fine I don't know if it will be the case but we will see when the season start... Of course,the steelers must use Ebron's strengths as often as possible.
Starting his 8th season in the league during an abbreviated training camp with no preseason games to rep any new approaches and it is almost certain that Ebron will not make any great strides as a blocker. They tried to make Jesse James a better blocker as well with minimal impact and he was younger and came with less preloaded bad habits.
Ebron is going to be what he is and has always been - an extremely large WR that drops a few and also makes a few plays that make you shake your head in disbelief that he pulled it off.
^^^ Claypool catch radius is crazy
Per the reports on Steelers . com
Marcus Allen has been apart of back-on-backers (along with Hilton) and has been great. This transition to linebacker should have happened last year.
Gentry has greatly improved his blocking per reports. Kaboly noted on twitter that Gentry "upped his blocking big time"