Monday, August 1, 2016

Observations From My First Training Camp Experience


Today I made my first ever trip to Latrobe for training camp! While my fiance was swooning over Ben Roethlisberger, I was trying to take in as much as possible while the guys did work all over the field. It was such a great experience seeing all of these guys that you see on TV practice in person; I definitely recommend everybody making the trip at some point in their lives.

 I jotted down some notes throughout practice so here are some of my observations:

 - Alejandro Villaneuva & Dan McCullers are both massive human beings.
- The guys played the fan-favorite game where they competed to see who can catch the most balls consecutively without putting any down. Surprisingly, Roosevelt Nix tied Sammie Coates with 5 balls. The game definitely got the crowd fired up. 

 - It was really funny hearing the guys, notably Cam Heyward, heckle DeAngelo Williams during stretches. "Happy birthday D-will!" "You get tomorrow off for your birthday!"

 - Eli Rogers sure is quick; he flew threw the agility drills today. I still think he makes the 53 man roster. 

 - Got to witness a camp fight today - Cash Lyons & Brian Mihalik had a little scrum. 

 - Sammie Coates was burning guys all day. He made Doran Grant look silly in the 1v1 drill when he blew past him on a vertical route. The Steelers may have found another deep-threat gem.

 - Sammie Coates also had a big drop today during drills, which drew a collective "awwww" from the crowd. We can certainly expect some drops this season from Coates along with his big plays.

 - Antonio Brown versus Artie Burns just isn't fair. Brown blew by Burns with ease and seemed to be toying with him in open field with his shiftiness. Really regret not filming it...

 - This squad sure can hit. Heard lots of pops during drills today. These safeties, especially Ross Ventrone & Jordan Dangerfield, love bringing the hammer. 

 - Anthony Chickillo got a pick today - intercepting Bruce Gradkowksi. Chickillo isn't fooling around this week and has been making a lot of noise. 

 - If you say David Johnson can't catch, you're a liar. He made an impressive grab today where he and Ryan Shazier caught a ball simultaneously and Johnson ripped it away.

 - Roosevelt Nix got time in the slot today and did well! The former linebacker made some good grabs and showed off his soft hands. One of my favorite players is getting even better! 

 - Daryl Richardson had an impressive day, making some good catches and getting a big run. He may provide some legitimate competition for Fitzgerald Toussaint. 

 - Dustin Vaughn didn't do much during his limited playing time. He seemed like he was lost. But hey, he's QB #4 so who cares.  

 - Xavier Grimble showed off his athleticism today in 11v11's with this nice catch in traffic.

- Antonio Brown continued to show today why he's the best receiver in the league. Crazy to watch him fly in person.


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