Steelers defensive coordinator tempers expectations on Joey Porter Jr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers approached the offseason and NFL Draft with a clear plan on defense: Get younger, bigger, and faster. And while they may have accomplished that and more, don't expect it to be all sunshine and rainbows on the field this fall: Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is excited about the turnover coming to […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers approached the offseason and NFL Draft with a clear plan on defense:
Get younger, bigger, and faster.
And while they may have accomplished that and more, don't expect it to be all sunshine and rainbows on the field this fall:
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is excited about the turnover coming to the defensive side of the ball. A mix of heady veterans and youthful energy will percolate throughout the starting 11 but it doesn't mean things will be easy sailing:
"Yeah, they're all kind of going in together and they're all working together. They'll have their growing pains together and all that stuff, but we think when they come out of it, we're going to be pretty solid there," said Austin when asked about the new faces in new places.
But despite the potential of having as many as seven new starters on defense, Austin is confident that the group can coincide:
"We've gotten good work from the guys; I think the guys that we've added seem to be pretty smart football players, which helps," added Austin. "They're good communicators with the other veterans and the other guys in the room to try to smooth it over, ‘hey, how do we do things here,’ you know how it is, you have to try nail down different things. And so, I think it's been pretty smooth that way."
A smooth transition is always best, but while veterans have the capacity to make a move to a new team look seamless, even the best of rookies can struggle to adapt to the NFL as they are thrown head-first into the fire that is professional football.
One of the rookies potentially facing that battle is highly anticipated second-round pick, CB Joey Porter Jr.
Here's what Austin had to say about his development and outlook thus far:
"So, you look at those two things (understanding your role and playing fast) and then there's usually a moment where you just go, ‘okay, I think this guy is ready,’ and you're ready to throw him in, and understand he may take some lumps with him at some point, but then he'll grow through those lumps," said Austin on behalf of when Joey Porter Jr. will be ready.
"And, I've had that, my first year in the league we drafted Marcus Trufant, and he ended up starting right off the bat. When I was in Arizona my next stop, we drafted Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and it was the same thing, he started off the season as a third corner and I think it was about Week Six it got to the point where you said, ‘hey, listen I think this guy is ready,’ even though we know there's going to be some growing pains, but he's ready."
"And like I said he had a better understanding in five, or six weeks… he had a better understanding, he had a better feel for the NFL game, and it was time to let him go. And I don't know when Joey's time is going to be, but when it comes, I think we'll know."
So time will tell when the moment arises that Porter is in fact "ready." Maybe it's early as scrimmages in training camp. or as late as multiple weeks into the regular season. But patience is a virtue and with the experience of Austin and Tomlin when it comes to defensive backs, Porter will shine when it's his time.
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