Much was made a year ago about rookies Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. taking some time to work their way into the starting lineup. It didn't happen from Day 1.
But both players had entered the NFL Draft as underclassmen, so Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wanted to make sure they didn't hit a rookie wall by playing them a lot early.
He might not have the same limitations on the team's 2024 draft picks.
"What I do is based on individuals and it's not just a cookie-cutter approach," Tomlin said. "It's based on the maturation and maturity and readiness of individuals, and so what may have applied to last year's class may not apply to this year's class. I think a lot of this year's class are older guys than maybe last year's class. Bunch of fifth-year guys and things of that nature in this class. There might be more immediate maturity and readiness."
To Tomlin's point, Jones had 19 career starts before the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft. Porter had been a three-year starter at Penn State, but one of those seasons was a COVID-shortened campaign.
The Steelers' draft class this season all had plenty of experience at the collegiate level. Center Zach Frazier, the team's second-round pick, and defensive back Ryan Watts, a sixth-round selection, are the two youngest players in the class at 22. But Frazier also started 54 games in his career at West Virginia, a school record, while Watts appeared in 41 career games at Ohio State and Texas.
The rest of the team's draft class, first-round pick Troy Fautanu, third-round selections Roman Wilson and Payton Wilson, fourth-round selection Ryan McCormick and sixth-round pick Logan Lee, all have plenty of collegiate experience, as well.
And even though Porter didn't start for the Steelers early in the season, he still played 807 defensive snaps, which was the fourth-most on the defense a year ago.
They might all be rookies, but they also are more seasoned and prepared for what they'll face as rookies. Roman Wilson, for example, played 15 games at Michigan last season because the Wolverines won the national championship. McCormick did the same thing at South Dakota State, albeit at a lower level.
"In a nutshell, I don't paint with a broad brush," Tomlin said. "We make decisions on an individual basis."
• While there is an excitement that surrounds the start of training camp each year, it kind of gets tempered a little when practices start and they are essentially an extension of OTA and minicamp sessions.
That all changes Tuesday when the pads go on and the practices actually get some physicality to them.
To this point, making judgments based on what is happening in practice is largely guesswork. As Tomlin likes to say, it's all been football in shorts.
When the pads go on, that's when spots are truly won and lost.
"I think we had a great offseason. OTAs were exceptional," said Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. "I thought we did a really good job going against a really good defense, I thought we did a good job of competing every day. I think the best thing is that we get to put the pads on now. The reality is you really get to see who are men and who can really play in this league a long time and be physical and contest things, all those things. We'll figure out more things while we're here."
It's fun to speculate what this or that camp battle or the offense will look like, but until the pads go on, it's all just that – speculation.
There are just things that can only be done on a football field when you're in pads.
"Without pads, it's working on things I can't with pads in terms of hand placement and things like that," said Fautanu. "Once you do get to put the pads on, it's a little bit better because it's real football. That's when the playbook will open up more and we'll be able to get after it on offense. The defense will bring it every single day."
• The Steelers are now one of just eight teams that still go away from their facility for training camp. And one of those eight, the Green Bay Packers, stay at St. Norbert College in Green Bay and practice at their own facility, so they're really not going away for camp.
Count Wilson among those who are excited about the opportunity to go away to work.
"I haven't gone away before. Seattle was always right there," Wilson said. "I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to get in the playbook. I'm excited to be here with the fellas for the camaraderie. The fans, I'm excited for that part. I haven't really gotten to experience that yet. You're walking around seeing all the fans wearing Steelers gear. It's game time. I'm ready to play some football."
With the exception of the two COVID seasons, the Steelers have held their training camp here at Saint Vincent College for more than 50 years. So, while it might not have some of the creature comforts of a camp at home, it is a home away from home.
And the ability for the players to not only work together all day, but also hang out together all night is something that's part of the process.
• Dale Lolley is co-host of "SNR Drive" on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe to the podcast here: Apple Podcast | iHeart Podcast
"We value that which we cannot measure, the camaraderie, mutual understanding and respect gained in informal time spent," Tomlin said. "At the end of the day our work is done, but there are picnic tables being used by guys, guys get to know one another in each other's journey. It's individual and collective growth in those opportunities.That's why we value this awesome venue."
• There wasn't anywhere near the drama surrounding the Steelers reporting to camp this week as there was with some other teams around the league.
Several star players, most notably Trent Williams in San Francisco and CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, chose not to report as they try to gain leverage in contract negotiations.
A number of other players around the league are "hold-ins," meaning they showed up, but aren't working as they try to get a new deal.
Currently, there is no language in the CBA for teams to do anything about hold-ins. Players can choose to report, avoid mandatory fines, but not join their teammates on the field.
But as the trend continues to grow, expect the league to try to do something about it.
One thing for certain, players who choose to hold-in had better be pretty darn secure in the idea they're going to make their respective team.
It also could lead to some late August movement of players, as teams decide to trade away players they can't come to terms with on a new deal after seeing how some of the other players on their roster perform while the hold-in is sitting out.
This is, after all, a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.
• This is something to file away for later in the summer.
While Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins has been cleared to return from his Achilles' tendon injury, Cousins told reporters he doesn't expect to play at all in the preseason.
That is significant considering the Steelers open the season Sept. 8 in Atlanta.
Cousins, who signed with the Falcons in the offseason, hasn't played in an NFL game since Oct. 29 of last year against Green Bay. That means he will have gone nearly a year without playing in a game.
And he'll also be adjusting to a new team and offense.
Cousins is a pro and a good quarterback. But there's sure to be some rust that will take some time to knock off in the game against the Steelers.
