Steelers News: While James Washington is losing weight, Mike Hilton is bulking up for 2019

With the 2019 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2019 season is fast approaching, and the news surrounding the black-and-gold is far from over. As the team now turns their attention to more offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp, there is no shortage of news.

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how as the Steelers prepare for the 2019 season, every individual player realizes their strengths and weaknesses. James Washington needed to add speed and agility, so he lost weight. Mike Hilton, hoping to gain power, has been on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Let’s get to the news:

• As one man loses, another man gains. This is true for James Washington and Mike Hilton, but Hilton is on the gaining side of the ledger.

Bulked-up Mike Hilton hopes Steelers appreciate his work

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Hilton looked noticeably bulked up during the opening three days of organized team activities last week. The slot cornerback said he added 7 or 8 pounds of muscle onto his 5-foot-9 frame and he intends to play this season at close to 190 pounds. He is listed at 184 on the team’s roster.

“It was intentional,” Hilton said. “Especially coming off my (elbow) injury, I feel like if I get stronger, I will be able to handle that type of weight.”

The small player with the big role is practicing through the weight of a contract dispute of sorts. After two years playing major snaps at the increasingly important position of nickel defensive back, Hilton quietly declined to sign the the exclusive-rights free-agent tender the Steelers presented him in March.

To read the full article, click HERE

• The Steelers’ wide receiver depth is being given the dangerous ‘P’ word attached to them — POTENTIAL.

Analysis: Breaking down receiving options

By: Dale Lolley, DPittsburghSports

Even without Mr. Big Chest, the Steelers still boast a receiving corps with plenty of potential.

Of course, in many athletic circles, potential is a dirty word, especially if you fail to live up to it.

That wasn’t the case with JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2018. Coming off a strong rookie season, Smith-Schuster had the potential to break out in his second season. He did just that, catching a team-high 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven scores.

But with Antonio Brown gone, the Steelers need someone -- or perhaps several someones -- to fill that void.

To read the full article, click HERE

• P.J. Locke is making all sorts of headlines...

Undrafted rookie P.J. Locke chose the Steelers because he can make the roster

By: Michael David Smith, ProFootballTalk

Former Texas safety P.J. Locke didn’t get drafted last month, but he was a good enough player in college that as the third day of the draft was winding down, he got several offers from teams that wanted him to come in as an undrafted free agent. He told them all he wasn’t ready to sign just yet.

What Locke did instead was spend the Sunday after the draft researching NFL rosters to get a feel for which team he thought he had the best chance of making, given their needs on defense and the skill set he brings to the table. And then on Monday, the Steelers called, and they were one of the teams he thought would be a perfect fit.

“I had some offers on the table; I was kind of like weighing my options,” Locke told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I just didn’t want to make a decision real quick. I wanted to see what the best fit was me. And then, come that Monday. . . . As soon as they gave me the offer. I looked into it and I felt like it was the place for me.”

To read the full article, click HERE

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