Minicamp takeaways from my conversation with Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh

Steelers’ beat writer Nick Farabaugh from @PennLive was Thursday’s guest on my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast, and he had some interesting observations from this week’s mini-camp. The player to the show is below, but here are a few notable takeaways from Nick:

Hitting the right tones

Aaron Rodgers has said and done all the right things so far since signing with the Steelers last week. While his on-field work has been limited, Rodgers has praised the Steelers’ organization, offered to mentor rookie quarterback Will Howard, talked earnestly about wanting to continue to play for his love of the game, and generally comported himself like an ideal teammate. It’s the honeymoon phase of the Rodgers era, so there are plenty of good vibes to go around. But Rodgers has expressed great respect for Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin — something that was not apparent between him and Robert Saleh in New York last year — and seems genuinely happy to be in Pittsburgh.

Questions at wide receiver

Nick tweeted on Wednesday that wide receivers’ coach Zach Azzanni made it clear to reporters that Calvin Austin III was the team’s starting outside receiver — aka “WR2” — opposite of DK Metcalf. While this is encouraging news regarding Austin, and suggests the Steelers are pleased with his progress, expectations are the team will sign a veteran at some point to at least add depth to the group. News emerged on Wednesday that Keenan Allen, whom I believed would be a great fit for Arthur Smith’s offense, has no interest in coming to Pittsburgh. Nick said there are rumblings around mini-camp that the team may be interested in Amari Cooper, and that Gabe Davis continues to be floated as an option. Whomever it is, the Steelers are most likely not done tinkering with this position group.

Georgia Boys

Nick said that tight end Darnell Washington has been impressive at mini-camp. Washington has lost weight and seems to be moving better, which has allowed Smith to integrate him more in the team’s passing game. Washington has just 26 receptions in two seasons in Pittsburgh, and with the Steelers lacking a viable receiving option at tight end opposite Pat Freiermuth, his emergence would be significant.

Washington’s teammate at the University of Georgia, Broderick Jones, has also slimmed down considerably. Jones was overweight and out of shape last summer, but that does not appear to be the case this year. A lighter, more agile Jones should be a good thing as he moves from right to left tackle this season and is tasked with protecting Rodgers’ blind side. Nick said Jones may actually be too light right now, and may add some muscle before the season starts. But he appears to be in much better playing shape than he was a year ago.

The Rookies

Nick was impressed with Howard, the sixth-round quarterback from Ohio State, on Wednesday, as he led a two-minute drill for a touchdown in seven-on-seven. He said the learning curve for Howard remains steep, but that the game appears to be slowing down a bit for him.

Not much to report on first-round pick Derrick Harmon, as unpadded practices tend not to yield honest evaluations on linemen. But Nick did say that Harmon is attached at the hip with Cam Heyward, which bodes well for the rookie’s acclimation to the pro game.

Similarly, third-round running back Kaleb Johnson seems to be asking plenty of questions as the running backs go through drills. Nick has been impressed with his attention to detail, and his desire to improve his pass blocking technique.

Finally, fourth-rounder Jack Sawyer has stood out for his non-stop motor. Nick said Sawyer attacks every drill at game speed and is a high-effort, high-energy player.

There were plenty of other interesting nuggets from our conversation, including Juan Thornhill’s impressive start, Minkah Fitzpatrick looking like Minkah Fitzpatrick, and T.J. Watt’s contract status. Check out the complete show in the link at the top of the article.

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