Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not show the joy one would expect from a quarterback who had just been given the second highest ranked running back in the draft and one of the highest rated wide receivers - a receiver who meets specifically the criteria that he was on record requesting earlier in the spring.
As leader of the team, Big Ben has an obligation to respect those around him and he has played this game very well in the past to the point of praising the offensive line's objectively abysmal performance. In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roethlisberger spoke of the people on he team already and how the new guys would have to find ways to fit into the team.
"We have guys. It's not like we don't have a running back. We have a couple great ones. Same with wide receiver. We got guys. There's no real rush to push anybody into a starting spot.
"If they develop into it, I guess they develop into it. We've seen it too many times on any team with any player in the league -- anybody can be good, anybody can be bad...."
"I've got my guys out there. I've got my receivers who I've been working with, Limas will have to work his way in. For the first day or so [of minicamp] I won't be throwing too many passes to him unless they work him with the first group."
I believe this will be correctly read as Ben being diplomatic towards the team's veteran although it will be interesting to see if the new players take it that way. Ben was less diplomatic discussing receiver earlier this year.
"I'm always going to ask for a tall receiver," Roethlisberger said. "That's just me. Our receivers are unbelievable, but our tallest guy might be Hines? Or Santonio? Hines is going to say he's 6 foot, but he's 5-11, now."
"It's nice to have a bailout guy, you know when you're in trouble and you just kind of throw it up. In the red zone its nice to have a guy like that. Obviously, we have a guy like Nate who can jump out of this world. He can jump so high. It's nice to have that.
"But to have a big guy who can create mismatches -- the same thing happened when Plax was here. So much presence went to Plax's side just because he's a big, good receiver, that Hines was always open or Antwaan [Randle El]. I just think it would open stuff up for us a lot more."
Pro Bowl wide receiver and all-time Steeler reception leader Hines Ward came under fire two years ago when he was allegedly unwilling to take first round draft pick wide receiver Santonio Holmes under his wing for saying,""Somebody who wants help, I'll try and help him." This blew up on talk radio and the internet with Ward being depicted as arrogantly making Holmes come to him for help.
This was despite reports that Ward was working with Holmes extensively after practice.
Holmes, though, has been getting some good tutelage. Ward stays after practice almost every day and works with the rookie receiver, sometimes pretending to a defensive back and showing Holmes how to use his arms to protect the ball. After meetings, Ward will go over the playbook with Holmes.
It will be interesting to see how much of a tempest blows up from this. It's not likely there would have been much as Ben hasn't the enemies that Hines Ward has in the talk radio community. Still, he's very fortunate the Penguins are one game away from a second consecutive sweep and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals and are sucking all of the oxygen out of the tent.
No comments:
Post a Comment