Per usual, the Pittsburgh Steelers Friday Night Lights practice was electric, with fireworks buzzing throughout another padded session. We saw a hotly contested backs-on-backers session and the league's highest-paid defense living up to their billing by definitively winning the night overall. With the first preseason game now a week away, we're getting close to seeing this group square off against someone else other than their teammates. But first, here are a couple notable observations worth sharing from Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
The Steelers offseason has been so eventful to the point that it feels like the signing of Darius Slay , a six-time Pro Bowler, has been merely a footnote. Maybe it's his age that has fans holding their breath in an effort to temper down some of the expectations after the Patrick Peterson experiment a few seasons ago. With that being said, the 34-year-old was excellent on Friday night and has stacked a couple of quality days together now. He broke up two passes in seven shots, undercutting a whip route intended for Metcalf and then playing through the hands of Pat Freiermuth near the back pylon to deny another touchdown.
We all know that one-on-ones between receivers and cornerbacks are hardly a fair fight, but he had one of the best reps that I saw in the drill, clamping down on a curl route from Wilson from a press coverage alignment. Slay's vibrant personality is showing up on and off the field. One of the first plays of the team period was in his direction with the offense leaving him unblocked, but the veteran set the tone with an aggressive form tackle to bring the running back to the turf. Of course, Jalen Ramsey is the physical freak known for his physicality, but Slay's far from soft and a reliable tackler himself. After the 1s headed to the sideline, his teammates were elated over the stick, giving him kudos for setting the tone in the drill.
Earlier this offseason, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith quipped that the Steelers didn't acquire Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf to run the wishbone. The connection between the two is in the early stages of development, but they're working diligently to get on the same page. The first play of seven shots featured Metcalf isolated on the backside, tasked with running a whip route to the front pylon. Beyond what could perhaps evolve into a more expansive route tree, he was moved around the formation a good bit, aligning at the foot of stacks and even as the #3 in empty formations. Once the team period began, he was the first read on a couple of consecutive quick game throws underneath.
Rodgers' best throw of the night was an uncorked hole shot down the left sideline that unfortunately hit the receiver's hands before falling incomplete. It's still a work in progress. Whether by design or out of necessity (likely both), Metcalf looks like he's in line for the biggest target share of his NFL career. Notably, Robert Woods had a really rough practice, putting the ball on the ground and committing a pre-snap penalty, and Roman Wilson 's quiet start to camp continued as there were an abnormal amount of "coverage sacks" that resulted in faux scramble drills on Friday night. The tight ends will help shoulder the load in the passing game, but Pittsburgh's betting big on their $132M investment continuing to level up his game.
Luckily for everyone involved, Watt's brief holdout reached a predictable conclusion with him becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in the sport. Unlike other organizations dealing with unnecessary drama, the Steelers get to reap the benefits of having a superstar playing on the practice field. As a proven commodity with a gold jacket caliber resume, he doesn't need as many reps as others, and his best plays are mostly shrugged off as things we expect. But his presence around the team provides hidden value that cannot be calculated in the form of numbers. After Troy Fautanu got the better of him on a couple of pass sets, the former Defensive Player of the Year headed back to the sideline for a brief water break with Jack Sawyer , his replacement.
As soon as the fourth-round draft pick came back to the sideline, a lengthy conversation began between the two, with the team captain demonstrating different moves and giving the youngster some valuable pointers. The Ohio State product was soaking up all of the knowledge, something that could prove invaluable down the line. Later in the night, Watt matched up with Fautanu once again in one-on-ones, with the first rep being a slow win with a power move, which he followed up with a pretty sweet speed rush around the corner. Shortly after, the two were seen talking shop, with the second-year pro intently listening to the elder statesman. Iron sharpens iron is a popular phrase around these parts, and Fautanu is facing a gauntlet of talented rushers during camp, which should pay significant dividends once the regular season comes around.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : DB's Steelers Friday Night Lights Takeaways
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