Sammy Coates

I'm surprised by the lack of appreciation for Wheaton. He is a solid route runner with great hands, and this year he repeatedly showed the ability to catch a ball over the middle in traffic and take a big hit and hold on. He is the closest thing we have to AB on this team right now, he's like AB's little brother

Gonzo -- thanks for posting those videos, Golson and Grant both look like they have great hands. It sounds like Golson will be the best option outside but Grant might fit well in the slot if Boykin looks elsewhere.

I agree with you as well about Coates after watching that Combine video, he has a ways to go. Golson and Grant don't miss one ball thrown their way, and Coates missed several. While Coates and Bryant have the raw size and speed, they just don't have that polished precision. I can only hope Bryant continues to train with AB and improve his fundamentals.

Check out this video a few years back with Chad Johnson, Mike Wallace, and AB running routes in the offseason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcffMecIwDA

Look at the precision that 85 and AB show: the foot work, that quickness...incredible.

Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittapaldo this week is providing a breakdown by position on potential roster changes for 2016

Tuesday was the QBs

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2016/01/19/Position-by-position-QBs.html

Yesterday was the running backs -  I am noting the comments about Le'Veon Bell's future in the existing Bell thread rather than get this thread off the topic of wide receivers

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2016/01/20/Position-by-position-RBs.html

Today Fittapaldo discusses the potential wide receiver roster for next season - some excerpts and link to the full blog post

The Steelers draft receivers better than any other team in the NFL....

With four receivers under contract next season, the expert drafting gives the front office the ability to bypass the position altogether this year. The Steelers are talented and young, with depth beyond the players mentioned.

The 2016 training camp darling was undrafted rookie Eli Rogers out of Louisville. Before his season-ending foot injury Rogers developed a special chemistry with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He’ll be in the mix again this summer.

The emergence of Sammie Coates late in the season could mean the end of the line for Darrius Heyward-Bey with the Steelers....

The 2016 season could be the final one for Wheaton with the Steelers, especially if Rogers can pick up where he left off and become the much-needed slot receiver the Steelers don’t have. Wheaton has steadily improved over the course of his first three seasons, but he’s not likely to earn a second contract with the Steelers....

The wild card of the bunch is Bryant, who missed the first five games of the season under a drug suspension. His next misstep will cost him 10 games....

The only thing that’s missing from the Steelers’ offense is a pass-catching tight end that could help the team overcome its issues in the red zone. We’ll explore that issue tomorrow when we take a look at the tight end position.

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2016/01/21/Position-by-position-WRs.html

Bryant and Wheaton both made progress this season, I wanna see more from coats, DHB is only 27, same age as AB and his size came in handy a lot. I like the core of receivers, wish we could keep them all.

I was just reading a mock draft that had us taking Braxton Miller in the 4th Round as a receiver and the author said that Miller would be an automatic lock for the 4WR spot...



Pretty sure the receiver position is the least of our worries at the moment, and I think Sammie Coates would have a thing or two to say about that, considering that's his natural position, and Miller is extremely raw, having only played WR for one collegiate season.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

I was just reading a mock draft that had us taking Braxton Miller in the 4th Round as a receiver and the author said that Miller would be an automatic lock for the 4WR spot...



Pretty sure the receiver position is the least of our worries at the moment, and I think Sammie Coates would have a thing or two to say about that, considering that's his natural position, and Miller is extremely raw, having only played WR for one collegiate season.

Some of these people that pass themselves off as experts are clowns. That's a really idiotic statement to make about a guy that has only played the position for one year going to a team that is stacked with talent at that position. I'm sure somewhere in his head he's thinking about the Ohio St. connection and the Steelers history of drafting former quarterbacks that move to a different position. I'm not sure it makes sense in this situation though....unless he can be a kick return specialist. We could use one of them.

Miller is a tremendous athlete. I can see him being very successful at the NFL level in time. He's got crazy talent.

pczach wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

I was just reading a mock draft that had us taking Braxton Miller in the 4th Round as a receiver and the author said that Miller would be an automatic lock for the 4WR spot...



Pretty sure the receiver position is the least of our worries at the moment, and I think Sammie Coates would have a thing or two to say about that, considering that's his natural position, and Miller is extremely raw, having only played WR for one collegiate season.

Some of these people that pass themselves off as experts are clowns. That's a really idiotic statement to make about a guy that has only played the position for one year going to a team that is stacked with talent at that position. I'm sure somewhere in his head he's thinking about the Ohio St. connection and the Steelers history of drafting former quarterbacks that move to a different position. I'm not sure it makes sense in this situation though....unless he can be a kick return specialist. We could use one of them.  

Miller is a tremendous athlete. I can see him being very successful at the NFL level in time. He's got crazy talent.

I think Miller will probably be like a 5th to 6th round pick. He's really raw at receiver, and he's definitely not quarterback material in the NFL. That being said, you're right about his athletic abilities. He's definitely gifted, and he'd be a project, and I think with a little time he could be a playmaker in the NFL.

Hard to say though, Terrelle Pryor was supposed to be amazing, and he's been kind of underwhelming. He makes a play here and there but rarely do I ever hear him mentioned. I think he's probably the most comparable player to a guy like Braxton Miller.

Agreed about not everyone making the leap when they play on Sundays

The quality of the competition in college can make many players (e.g. Jarvis Jones) look like future All Pros. When players get to the next level where there is superior strength and speed across the board some of those can't miss college players are NFL journeymen.

lotas wrote:

I'm surprised by the lack of appreciation for Wheaton. He is a solid route runner with great hands, and this year he repeatedly showed the ability to catch a ball over the middle in traffic and take a big hit and hold on. He is the closest thing we have to AB on this team right now, he's like AB's little brother

Gonzo -- thanks for posting those videos, Golson and Grant both look like they have great hands. It sounds like Golson will be the best option outside but Grant might fit well in the slot if Boykin looks elsewhere.

I agree with you as well about Coates after watching that Combine video, he has a ways to go. Golson and Grant don't miss one ball thrown their way, and Coates missed several. While Coates and Bryant have the raw size and speed, they just don't have that polished precision. I can only hope Bryant continues to train with AB and improve his fundamentals.

Check out this video a few years back with Chad Johnson, Mike Wallace, and AB running routes in the offseason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcffMecIwDA

Look at the precision that 85 and AB show: the foot work, that quickness...incredible.

I agree, Wheaton averaged 17 yards per reception as the #3 WR, has great hands and gets in and out of his breaks like a vet.

Grant had a solid combine and Senior Bowl. He looks like a technician that takes care of the details and that makes him successful. Golson on the other hand just looks like a kid that is a natural athlete, natural catcher of the football and is loose. Some guys hone their technique, to minimize steps and be in the right position to break up the pass....then there are guys that just line up, get in their backpedal and make plays.(I think that is who Gholson is, while Grant is the former)

Nice video on AB, CJ and Wallace. Watch as they get their choppy steps and how the level of their hips drop...then the rise up to get out of their cut. They lower their center of gravity, to make the 90 degree out cut, then rise up and get to top speed again. That is what the draftniks mean "they get in and out of their breaks quick". Some taller WR's are stiffer and don't bend at the knees as well to make their short area breaks, but are instead long striders and fast. I think DHB and Sammy are more in that category.

In the end, Coates will need to learn to be better at catching the football, but until then I expect him to make some drops that fans will anguish over, but with the ball in his hands he reminds me of Terrel Owens.