Sights and Sounds from Steelers OTA No. 5

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers moved their 11-on-11 practice session from the middle of the field to the far end on Wednesday, as they worked in the red zone to start practice.

The red zone work will be a big part of the new-look Steelers offense that will have to replace Antonio Brown’s 15 touchdowns and another three from Jesse James, both of whom have moved on.

Top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (seven touchdowns) and starting tight end Vance McDonald (four touchdowns) will probably have big pass-catching roles. Running back James Conner (13 total touchdowns) will again be a dual threat.

But there will need to be more than just that rotation in 2019. Some of the Steelers’ options are traditional red zone options, like 6-foot-8 tight end Zach Gentry, 6-foot-2 wide receiver Donte Moncrief. Others, like 5-foot-11 wide receiver James Washington and 5-foot-8 slot man Ryan Switzer don’t have traditional red zone skillsets.

But Switzer made a couple catches on Wednesday, showing that it doesn’t take a big body to make plays in the red zone.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS