Steelers Takeaways: Tomlin Loves His ILBs, Heyward at FB

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers held their last practice before they fly to Atlanta to meet with the Falcons on Thursday. However, the team continues to stack their playbook and roles on top of one another in beginning preparations for their first game against the San Francisco 49ers. What is the talk of the town in the Steelers’ locker room?

Dime Package Install

The Steelers started to install their dime package near the end of training camp. There, the dime linebacker started as Kwon Alexander, and the defensive backs were the six guys you would expect, with a rotating cast of guys as the dimebacker and Patrick Peterson inside. The team got a chance to pull it out against the Buffalo Bills, and that held, though Keanu Neal became the team’s dimebacker.

The veterans in the unit are allowing for a swift installation for the team. Damontae Kazee sees the team as having multiple guys who can play anywhere and do many things. That should allow them to create situations to disguise coverages with all veterans.

“Of course, we can (sprinkle new things in),” Kazee said. “All of us can play anywhere. We’ll see; I don’t want to give out too much. But we can do some fun things.”

Alexander joined the group late but hopped into the barrel right away. The Steelers gave him the keys to the kingdom as the dime linebacker, but that is a role that Alexander has played before in his career. So, there is not much difference, and he feels comfortable slotting right in there.

“I’m very comfortable there,” Alexander said. “That’s part of my skill set. I’ve been practicing there all off-season. So, I’m really comfortable and confident in what I’m doing. This stuff, that’s what I do.”

In other words, the team’s dime package installation is going swimmingly. That is not a surprise with the number of veterans they boast, but there is confirmation after losing some key pieces like Cam Sutton.

Close Safety Room

The Steelers spent most of the early training camp at the safety position with scant depth. Minkah Fitzpatrick spent a week away from the team for personal reasons. Damontae Kazee, Keanu Neal and Tre Norwood all missed time with injuries.

That left plenty of playing time for guys like Kenny Robinson and Trenton Thompson on the back of the defense.

Now that the group is returning to health, with Norwood back at practice this week and expected to play on Thursday in the preseason finale, the reps have gotten more limited for the third-teamers.

At practice on Tuesday, Robinson and Thompson got one rep in a particular assignment. The only problem was that both wanted to be the safety that would drop down into coverage instead of the high safety.

Robinson won. Thompson took it in stride.

“You’ve got to be close with the guys at your position,” Thompson said.

Thompson credited the Steelers locker room veterans for taking him under their wing and feels that his brief but whirlwind experience in the Steelers locker room has been a positive one.

Varsity ILB Play

Varsity inside linebacker play on the Steelers? Well, it’s certainly been a while since the Steelers can boast that truth, but Mike Tomlin thinks the trio of Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander could be the group that drags the second-level to varsity play. Thus far, Tomlin is extremely impressed by that room and the work of new inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry with the veterans.

“All three are Varsity, and that’s good,” Tomlin said. “They have varying skill sets. And I think in today’s matchup football game, that’s going to be helpful to us.”

For those specific skill sets — Alexander sees himself as a hard hitter but a coverage-first guy. Holcomb is a solid athlete but the leader and green dot holder. Roberts acts like a flying missile and the best run defender of the bunch. Pittsburgh should see a committee at the position, depending on the game and the team’s style.

Heyward at FB

For the first time in a while on Tuesday, Steelers tight end Connor Heyward confirmed he started to work as a traditional fullback. As in, legitimately with his hand in the ground and going into holes for lead blocks. Heyward is a swiss army knife that plays not just fullback, but about five other positions on the field, too. He can split out to a Y or F tight end, play H-Back, running back, and traditional in-line tight end on top of the traditional fullback. But the traditional fullback spot will be a little bit different for Heyward.

“It’s different, even though I did it last year because we had Derek Watt, so I’m doing it a bit more,” Heyward said. “Whenever that guy had the ball, he converted it. I’m looking forward to doing it more. You know, running the ball, catching it out of the backfield, and doing different things like that. Whatever the coaches ask me.”

Heyward learned the importance of blocking angles from Watt last year at the position. He heads into his first full year there, ready to tackle it with the lessons learned from Watt. But it will not be his main position, as the Steelers see Heyward as someone who can condense many roles.

“Well, he would always find the soft spot,” Heyward said. “You know, he had a good feel for working with his linemen up the field. If somebody is tight or taking the higher guy, just something experience teaches you.”

Of course, Heyward will also be a core part of their special teams. So, the roles that Heyward can condense into his skill set are plentiful and a key part of why the Steelers like the second-year do-it-all tight end.