Steelers 2021 Training Camp Recap, Day 5: Tight Ends take on new role, and attitude

It isn’t Saint Vincent College, but it hasn’t been Latrobe, PA since 2019. The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking in their 2021 Training Camp between Heinz Field and their UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the Southside of Pittsburgh.

What went down during the latest training camp practice? That is where this article comes in. Check out all that was said, as well as photos and videos from the day’s workouts.

Here we go...

There were several positions which can be deemed as weak entering the 2021 offseason. Tight end might not be atop the list, but it would certainly make the cut. And this isn’t breaking news. Fans knew it, coaches knew it and so did the players. That was a driving force behind the Steelers taking Pat Freiermuth in the 2nd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and the focus on the position remains in training camp.

In fact, the primary tight end tandem Eric Ebron and Freiermuth were in front of the media, and they are focused on changing the perception of the position in 2021. In fact, their tight end room has a nickname, courtesy of new TE coach Alfredo Roberts, and it is “the bad asses”.

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step, and that would describe where the team’s tight end depth chart currently resides.

Now onto the other news from Monday’s practice at Heinz Field...

No Big Ben

Fans who constantly criticize the Steelers giving Ben Roethlisberger days off won’t like this news, but Mike Tomlin excuses Roethlisberger from practice Monday for personal reasons. He is expected back for the first padded practice of camp Wednesday.

Injury Update...sort of

If you were looking for an injury update, this is about as close as we go from head coach Mike Tomlin after Monday’s practice:

“Had a number of guys that missed some work for a variety of reasons, most of which we’ve been talking about. I gave Ben (Roethlisberger) the day off for personal reasons. He’s been excused by me. We look forward to getting him back tomorrow. Other guys that are working their way back, getting back to us, we’d expect those guys to be back in a short number of days.”

A lot still to prove

A huge part of the issues surrounding the tight end position has been their blocking, or lack thereof. Freiermuth has been flashing his pass catching/play making abilities throughout camp thus far, but with pads being donned soon, fans will soon know what their 2nd round pick can do, from a blocking perspective.

We don’t draft first round picks to not block

Don’t think Eric Ebron doesn’t know what drafting Najee Harris being drafted in the first round means for the tight ends. Just watch...

How good were the TEs at blocking last year? Try terrible...

Speaking of Ebron’s honesty, is there anything more honest than his comments on how poor the tight ends were last year?

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BTSC Training Camp Recap Podcast

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