PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers put the ball in Aaron Rodgers’ hands with less than two minutes on the clock to close practice Wednesday. Facing a fourth-and-long, the 42-year-old quarterback reared back and let it rip. The ball sailed well over 50 yards in the air and hit Roman Wilson, in stride, streaking down the field for a touchdown.“It’s crazy just to see a guy like, I don’t wanna say older guy, but (Rodgers) still ain’t lost a step yet,” tight end Darnell Washington said. “Just to see the arm talent still there and Roman just opening up the deep ball, running downfield like that. It for sure was crazy just to see it.”That play was not only one of the last live reps of Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp, but it may have been one of the last meaningful snaps of the offseason program for many veterans. Over the last three weeks — two weeks of OTAs and one week of mandatory minicamp — new coach Mike McCarthy’s focus was on completing all the installs. On Thursday, they’ll do some team bonding, Pittsburgh-style, at Kennywood Amusement Park.They still have one more week of voluntary OTAs, but those sessions are likely to focus on developing young players, with many established players heading out of town. Now that most of the heavy offseason lifting is behind the Steelers, let’s look back at what we’ve learned so far.Watt moving around more — and he’s not aloneIt feels like every minicamp and training camp, T.J. Watt talks about how this is the year he’ll move around more from his familiar spot on the left side of the defense, where he’s usually rushing against an opposing right tackle. This year, it might actually happen.“I think in the past, it was a little more me being stubborn,” Watt said. “This new system, I really can’t say no. A lot of us are interchangeable parts. You’re not just learning your position. You’re going to have to learn the whole defensive front structure. I think you’re going to see a lot more movement out of not just me, but the whole front.”That doesn’t just mean flipping sides. Watt could be dropping into coverage more or rushing from different lanes more often as well. The Steelers will also likely deploy more of their three-outside linebacker looks than in years past as a way to highlight their depth at the position.Speaking of linebackers moving around, new $100 million man Nick Herbig was asked about potentially playing off the ball. While we aren’t yet allowed to report everything we see freely like we are during camp (and Herbig has only been at two practices), he didn’t shut the idea down entirely. He’s not changing positions, but there could be some wrinkles.Ramsey’s roleTo get a sense of how the new coaching staff envisions Jalen Ramsey fitting into the defense, flash back to McCarthy’s days with Charles Woodson.“Charles came to Green Bay; we moved him inside to nickel,” McCarthy said. “That took his game to a whole different level, with his ability to be so impactful when we moved him closer to the ball.”McCarthy said he’s observed Ramsey from afar and believes that the 31-year-old defensive back could also become an impactful player from the slot. (By the way, the Steelers, like many teams, are calling this position the “Star.”)The new coaching staff has made a point to say Ramsey is a “defensive back,” instead of putting him into a specific bucket as a corner, slot corner or safety. He’ll probably wear a number of different hats. However, his primary responsibility will likely be the Star, especially considering the Steelers will probably be in sub packages about 75 to 80 percent of snaps.They need another safetyDefensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jason Simmons acknowledged that the Steelers will frequently play from a two-high shell. This means they’ll align with two deep safeties pre-snap, but it doesn’t mean they’ll stay in a split-safety coverage.
T.J. Watt on the move, safety still a need: 10 takeaways from Steelers OTAs
Plus, two mid-round Steelers rookies stand out, and a former first-rounder tries to make it as a tryout player.











