Watt, Harmon, Sawyer, Wilson, Rudolph Media Availability (Aug. 5) | Pittsburgh Steelers

Watt, Harmon, Sawyer, Wilson, Rudolph Media Availability (Aug. 5) | Pittsburgh Steelers

I we’ve been doing it. Um it’s not something that we’re doing every single day. I think we’re picking days to kind of work on it. I’d rather work on one side for that day. Um just to get more reps at it as opposed to going over there for a rep here or there. Um something that we’re going to continue to do. What are the challenges or what are the differences when you’re flipping sides? I mean, I’ve talked about this a bunch. I think it’s just uh something that’s not as comfortable, but uh working on getting it to be more comfortable. You’ve been on a lot of defenses, gone through this process, several years here at training camp. Is this the best defense you’ve been a part of so far? It’s too early to tell. Um, everybody looks good this time of year. Um, until we get new stadium with another team, until we allow the offense to continue to make more adjustments to attack us differently, allow us to make more adjustments. Um, to see how many guys are willing to tackle. Um, all those things are still yet to be determined. Will there be a point in practice where you do flip from side to side within the same practice to simulate like you might do in a game? Uh, very likely. I mean, that’s Don’t rule that out. TJ, how’s how’s Jack assimilating himself into the room? Oh, he’s a big guy. Um, a guy that has been a sponge. He’s asking all the right questions. I see continual improvement from him. Um, he’s been a great rookie so far and I think he has a very high ceiling. Where have you seen Nick Herbin kind of make some jumps? I know he trained with you a little bit in the offseason, was under your wing all last year. Just where have you seen him grow so far? He’s he’s so hungry. He really is. He’s a very hungry individual. Um, asking the right questions still to this day and just constantly working. um whether it’s pre-practice with nobody out there postpractice um just working new moves uh he’s not afraid to fail but he doesn’t fail much um it’s been fun to watch him grow he told us that Mike Tomlin gives us a lot of grief gives him a lot of grief about his run stop how much have you seen that improve over his time here yeah he’s done a great job I think that’s the biggest key to being an outside linebacker here is you want to be a well-rounded player and um not only for yourself but for the whole team and you want to be reliable and I think he’s working his way towards that and as smaller body guy. Um he’s put on some weight. He’s he’s trained with me in the offseason. He’s stronger than ever and uh it’s been fun to see him attack the run like he has. We’ve talked to guys like Patrick and Payton at the inside linebacker spot. They they they said they’re excited because they’re blitzing a lot more and they’re coming with you in the blitz. What does that do for you as an edge rusher that have other linebackers coming from different spots also, you know, the rush? Yeah, it’s huge. I mean, Payton’s playing fast, PQ’s playing fast. Um both them second year in the system. Um, anytime you get those huggers coming as quickly as they are, um, it allows us to have those one-on-one pass rush opportunities or, um, it even allows for a potential mish up where one of us is running free. So, um, the quicker those guys play, the better it is for everybody. TJ, you said you wanted to age like Cam or at least use him as an example. As you get older, how much of a focus is the power of your game when you’re going to be, you know, at the end of this contract 34, the explosiveness might not be the same as it is right now? I mean, I’d like to think the explosiveness is always going to be there. Obviously, realistically, I don’t know if that’s the case. I mean, it still is right now. Um, but it’s just constantly finding new ways to win. Um, evolving with the game, like Coach T says, adapt or die. Um, but at the end of the day, if you have a fast ball that works, keep throwing the fast ball. Along the lines of Chris’s question about the linebacker splits, and it also seems like you’re bringing a lot of nickel pressures. What’s the benefit when you have a nickel like Jaylen Ramsay, you know, rushing off the edge along with you? Yeah, I think it’s one of those things where you never know where Jaylen’s going to be. You never know what he’s going to do. And the better that we disguise, the better that everybody eats. Um, so I’m really looking forward to continuing to get better. Um, and our guys in the back end, helping them up front as well. Dunar, Dunar’s helped with obviously Jared Allen, Cam Hayward. What kind of things has he done to help you try to prolong your career the way that some of those guys have and did? I think taking care of us, making sure that even if we want to practice, making us take days off and um, just being smart. I think more than anything, um, when you play for Carl Dunar and Denzel Martin, you want to turn on the film and see physical football players using their hands, um, turning their hips, making sure those things are ready so that when it’s game time, um, we don’t have to warm up to it. How do you balance not practicing all the time knowing that you will be doing some different things this year in the rush? I mean, is it tough to not go out there and want to practice it all the time and just get as familiar as you can with it? Yeah, I think it’s a push and pull. I mean, in 2021, I didn’t practice with the team um at all and felt really good going into the season. Um there’s been I mean, as the years go on, I don’t practice as much, but I still feel good. And it’s just a matter of getting that individual work, working on the right side, running hoops, and doing things. Um sometimes almost as a benefit as opposed to wasting that rep in in five action. Do you adjust? And if so, how much getting ready for a season as you get older? I think it’s just being more and more comfortable with the system. Um, not feeling like I have to be ready right now. Um, even though I feel great, it’s just a slow ramp up, a slow build um, to the season. I don’t have to have my best days right now. I can continue to try new things um, and have fun with it. Me and Herb um, and uh, and Alex are trying this new pass move we’ve been working on all off season and it hasn’t been working out really well. So, I think we’re probably to the point of the offseason or like the start of the season where you ditch that move and you get back to what you’re doing. Um, stuff like that is fun this time of year. How much do you pay attention to sack totals as a defense? You guys were kind of middle of the road last year. Do you do you think about wanting to be top five, wanting to be top 10, and what’s the ceiling for this group? Yeah, I mean I my first couple years we were always at the top. I think we can definitely be better, but at the end of the day, I think splash is is always on our mind. We talk about splash each and every week, whether that’s sacks, TFLs, tip passes, picks, anything that we can do to affect uh the offense and deliver the ball um and good field position for our offense is something we’re always talking about. TJ, I apologize. I might have missed this card in the background, but when you’re going up against F, John, you’re seeing him develop and come along. He’s healthy and as he’s described, a red shirt season under his belt. How’s he doing with your face? Yeah, I think he’s getting better each and every day. I think uh he’s a very physical, a very I should say a very uh quick tackle. Uh very athletic. He can recover really well. Uh I think he’s just getting his confidence under him, trying to give him a myriad of things where I can bull rush him um to get his confidence in that knee and then also just trying to to work some things. It’s fun to go up against a young guy uh like that who’s really athletic. There have been a lot of talk that he was on a really good track prior to his injury last year. Have you seen him manage to get back to that, if not beyond now him healthy? Yeah, I think he’s doing some really good things this camp and it’s only going to get better the more and more reps that he gets. When it comes to the quarterbacks, it seems like you guys have, you know, with you guys with Ramsay, with Slay, with Joey, you guys going to be able to run a lot more press man. What does that kind of stuff on the back end help you guys do as as pass rushers? Yeah, I mean, rushing coverage goes together and we’ve said that from day one. Um, anytime that they can give us just an extra half a second or a tenth of a second is going to be huge for us and anytime that we can affect the quarterbacks going be huge for them as well. So we work together. It looked like on Sunday that eventually that was uh you Sunday where it was you and Keano basically all the young guys in at the same time. What’s that been like working with those guys in particular as younger guys in this defensive line? Um KB like I said K this is his third year so he know he know what it is in this league. Me and Ya like I said KB um Cam TJ all been great vets. Um it feel good to see the future of the D line and see how we can really um compete together at a high level. What kind of resources K been having been in your positions to help you? A very great resource, man. Um always giving my uh tips and reminders and just telling me little details on the um on the front end, back end of things. And I take a lot of things from the older guys cuz like I said, they’ve been in this world before, been in the world a long time. So I’m just trying to pick everybody brain in that room. Derek, kind of a out of left field question, but growing up, did you watch a lot of the Steelers defense? And if so, like what did you kind of know about the identity of this group? Um, yes and no. What I seen is there a lot of hard-nosed football around here, man. Um, a defense with some attitude to them. They got to compete at a high level, man. And you got to have that little edge to you to play on this defense. Feel like you guys are getting there. Most definitely. Yes, sir. Patrick Queen said over the weekend, he talked about I asked him about like you guys not just going after the quarterback, not just going after the run, but also keeping the linebackers clean. He said that’s something you guys already were comfortable doing and asking him, hey, are we doing this right when you got here? What’s that been like keeping that as part of your game and how long has that been something that you’ve always been focusing on? Um, just from my defensive college from Michigan State to Oregon. Um, I take pride in that run. Um, and if my linebackers is free to shoot that gap and where I got them two big guys on me, hey, let’s make a play. I feel like that’s my play too cuz I helped that uh them two O linemen up for my linebacker make that play. So, it excites me like I made the uh tackle, too. Have you have you seen had had those moment where you’re you’re holding up your guys and all of a sudden you see the Queen or Wilson just fly through? Most definitely, man. You can see all the film these past few padded practices. Do you feel at all connected with Harmon and Black? You guys are all kind of brought here for the same purpose. Yeah, I mean we got we all us three had a great relationship as well with other guys too. So, you know, knowing that we’re the we’re the you know, the new guys here, the new class and came coming in together being here since rookie OTAAS with each other. So, we’ve got a good chance to develop a friendship and and a relationship out on the football field as well. How excited are you to get into your first NFL game this weekend? Yeah, super excited. You know, it’s going to be uh it’s going to be pretty cool, you know, be able to put the pads on and and get out on the stadium for the first time as a Steelers. So, uh you know, we’re all really anxious about it. You know, looking forward to it and preparing as much as we can. What has been your biggest adjustment, J? You know, I just think that uh you know, just taking the steps and you need to learn the way that that we do things here and uh trying to learn as much as I can from TJ and those guys and Nick Herby’s been great. Alex Heisman, they’ve all been super good with with all of us young guys and helping us, you know, elevate our growth and and continue to take steps in the right direction every day. What’s it been like? You see him from the outside and then you interact with them and it’s like is it weird to have like TJ Watt showing you what you’re doing? Yeah. No, it’s awesome. I mean, you know, no better guy you’d want to learn from and he’s been great, you know, good guy off the field, too. So, being able to learn from him and see how he attacks, you know, every day, whether it’s on the field or off the field and recovery, uh, it’s been great for me already. What’s the biggest thing you learned as an Ohio State Buckeye with a competition to be at to be able to perform at this level? Yeah, I think it’s just, uh, you know, we always, you know, playing at Ohio State, we’re playing against, you know, the best in the country week in and week out. And obviously in the playoffs, you know, we played four of the best teams in the country four straight weeks. So, I think just going against guys who, you know, are going to play at the next level, which we’re at now, has prepared us and helped us. What’s your thoughts of Latroe in the first couple weeks of camp? Yeah, I think it’s beautiful out here. It’s just awesome. We get to come to a destination camp and and get away and and just be here focused on ball and uh it’s been fun and I like the competitiveness to it and uh you know, it’s been fun. Are the techniques that much different at this level or is it just going against better people? Well, I mean, you’re going against better people and there’s some different things, you know, to learn to help, you know, help your game at this next level since it’s different. But, you know, nothing too No, nothing too different, but, uh, just trying to pick up as much as I can. I know it’s a lot’s been made of TJ switching sides of the pass rush. How much does that help you and some of the other younger pass rushers? Yeah, I think that, uh, you know, we’re all trying to be as versatile as we can be. So, you know, playing both sides of the ball so teams can’t game plan for, you know, the best player in the league, uh, you know, definitely will help him and obviously helps us, too. give us a chance to, you know, rush from a different side and feel, you know, feel the game out from both sides. So, I think it’s beneficial to everybody. In college, were you primarily one side or did you switch sides, rush from different positions? Yeah, I would rush from both sides. You know, last year I played a lot on the left just cuz me and JT just got in a groove on on our on the sides we were playing at. So, uh, but you know, being able to get here and and being able to play both sides, feel comfortable doing both. How tough is it to be comfortable doing both? I mean, how different are the moves coming from either side? I mean, they’re the same. It’s just, you know, working on the opposite side. You know, you’re kind of twisting and turning on on the other side of your body. So, something you got to get used to in practice, but it’s been going good. Jack, how how well do you feel like you know the playbook at this point? Yeah, I feel good. I feel confident in what I know and and knowing the defense and being able to do my job out there. Um, so I think for me, just continue to, you know, study it and continue to practice it and and, uh, you know, hopefully by the time game rolls around this weekend, be ready to roll. What do you feel like you learned about specifically in the pass rush department some of those one-on-one reps you get? What do you feel like you learned about the maybe the way your game plays at this level in that regard? Yeah, I mean I think that uh you know I think I’m a versatile player. You know, I think I can you know I got good power and I’m able to bend as well and I think that the way we play our defense allows you to showcase all that and be able to use you know every every facet of the of your game that you can use. So I think it’s been good. Is there any one thing TJ has shown you a move or anything that’s coming in handy? You know, I think he’s uh you know, he’s been great with me. So, he’s been he’s been trying to help me, you know, you know, refine and and retool all my moves and and give me little trip tips and tricks that he does when he does certain moves I like to use and I just trying to pick up everything he tells me. So, trying to be a sponge. What kind of what’s kind of your mindset going into this game week? And what ways are you hoping to see your game kind of jump in these next couple of days heading into the game? Yeah, I’m excited. Obviously, super excited. you know, first time, you know, first professional game, you know, for all of us of all of us rookies and first- time guys. Uh, you know, even though it’s preseason, you know, we’re treating as if it’s a game cuz first time we get to suit up and run to play against someone else at this level. So, you know, hope just looking for a good week of practice, preparing as much as we can, you know, keeping your body in in check and and doing all the stuff you need to do so when you hit the field, you’re ready to play. Jack, what’s one of the game that you feel like? Yeah, I think I’m trying to improve in all areas obviously like we all are, but uh you know I think I’m I’m think I’m just making steps daily in all the right areas and uh just looking forward to continue to grow in every facet of the game. You know, not really just hone in on one, but but really, you know, try to work at the whole body of work and get better in all areas. Thanks, guys. Seemed like that connection between you and Aaron Rogers has really been growing today. How do you feel like that’s been developing through camp? I just taking it step by step, day by day. I tell myself, you know, don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just be consistent and uh just keep chipping away. So, I mean, you guys like to say it showed up today, but you know, just come back tomorrow and try to repeat it. Is it still good to see, you know, actually make some catches and and find that connection, it’s one thing to like talk about and go through, but to actually see it coales and actually show up on the field today. Does that make it feel better? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. It seems like you’re really smooth in and out of your breaks at several different levels of of your routes. What has Zach Katani been working on with you to try to make things sharper? We’re talking about right now um I get kind of wide in my stance. He wants me to get more um get my feet in front of myself, which which I actually need to work on. Um like edge break, top end, a lot of different things. He’s coming negative on my breaks. It’s just, you know, he’s been a real blessing working with coach Z. You feel like you’re taking big strides out here at camp or is it like a 3% every day just getting taking it day by day? How do you feel like your route running is coming? Um, when you line up on the outside, it’s been good. Like I said, day by day, inside, outside, wherever I’m lining up at, um, if I say it’s good, it could always get better. So, just take it day by day. Earlier in camp when there were misconnections between you and Aaron, what’s what’s the conversations like? Cuz it seems like he’s very hands-on in terms of explaining things and kind of walking you through. It’s been pretty good. Uh, I feel like no matter where you go and you got new guys coming around in different things, you know, it takes a second for it to click. and uh you know just keep working on it. What happened on the the sliding catches start seven shots. That’s a good way to start practice. Just a little bit of a scramble drill. Uh he threw a good ball just trying to make a play. Two minute drill. Did you get a hand on it or Man, I’m either looking at the film for that one. Wish I would have made a better play. Who do you feel like has been like your rival as far as the corners or who you’ve been going up against the most in your game? I don’t know. You might have to ask someone else. I don’t feel like I have a rival yet, but uh maybe maybe soon. Maybe soon. When everything clicks, how do you feel like your skill set could fit Aaron? Cuz I mean, you did a lot with inb breaking routes in college and good route runner underneath. How do you feel like that meshes with some of the things that Aaron wants and is looking for? Uh kind of just like what you say, just being open deep down the field, intermediate down the field, uh low crosses, things like that. You know, just trying to be open at all times. You know, I want him to want to use me and I want to be that guy. down the map. A lot of people talk about Rogers obviously as a Hall of Famer how new Mason work with him last year catching passes from Mason. From Mason. Yeah. What do I learn from catching passes from Mason? How’s your guys? I mean, he he’s my um his locker’s next to mine. We talk a lot of ball, talk a lot of film. Um I just like working with him. He’s just a guy just like, “Man, just get open. I’m going to feed you the ball.” So, I just like his trust, his confidence, and I love playing with him. Calvin said uh last week that you two have have worked together really closely past while it been like working with him and how how does he help you get better even when he’s not out here last? Yeah, I was just talking to someone about this over there. Um just going through my injury, he’s helped me a lot. Gave me a lot of advice. Gave me a lot of wisdom. He’s helped me out on the football field a lot. And you know, I look up to him. He’s like a big brother and I feel like he’s always got the right answers for me. This is your first chance to play in Pittsburgh again since all that started. How special is that going to be and what are you expecting in terms of response uh when you do play at home again? Well, yep, we go to Jacksonville Saturday and then and then uh Buccaneers at home after that. So, yeah, I mean it’s it’s a it’s a once it’s a one ofone sort of a stadium with with the feel of the best. It’s exciting to be back. You know, just such a historic football city. Fans are are awesome. So, it’ll be fun. And what do you when you’ve gotten back here, what have you felt in terms of your return here to patrol and sort of meeting with the fans again? Yeah, I mean the warmest of the warmest of welcomes. I I uh Yeah, I I think makes you appreciate training camp here with all these fans and um them sitting through hot practices to cheer us on. It’s it’s special. People are come on from from all over the country on a family vacation and save up for this all year to get get a few signatures and watch some football. So, uh we always try to put on a show for them if we can. Mike Tomlin talked about the energy in practice today. You guys didn’t necessarily have to warm up to it. Was that sort of your sense given that there’s a game at the end of this week? What was sort of the mood here? Yeah, I think um yeah, I think anytime you got a game sitting waiting on you at the end of the week, you’re a little bit more motivated and um yeah, I think I think uh I just feel like we as an offense are starting to, you know, we we’ve had about a week, 10 days into camp and we’re starting to understand there’s been a lot of new new installs Arthur’s thrown at us. I think the guys have really handled it well. What do you think the biggest thing is for preseason, you know, that you guys are going to try to do on offense? really try to gel and mesh and kind of get that playbook under control with the other new guys. Yeah, I think uh it’ll be a lot of the rookies first first time suiting up and um but you know we got to go execute and it’s a boring cliche answer but we got to go uh you know play well and preseason games are always sort of interesting and you’re you’re you’re in for a few series and you’re out and and and you kind of got to you know get get warmed up depending on when you’re playing in the game quickly but that’s sort of the life of a of a backup quarterback and um I think it prepares you well for the regular season. Have you been given any indication about your division of labor for Saturday up? No. Not just for Jacksonville or even for Tampa, but like that’s kind of been your story anyway, isn’t it? Like not knowing what your role is going to have to be in any given moment. Have you gotten used to that? Yeah, it helps you become light on your feet. Um, anxiety levels are always a little high, but they pay us well, so it’s uh, we’ll just suck it up. But it’s it’s fun. When you went to Tennessee, did you ever envision yourself putting on this uniform again? I I didn’t um I was just I don’t really know the answer to that. I was sort of focused on doing my job there. And um, I didn’t think it would be this soon. I didn’t think I’d be back this soon. No. Jason, what does having uh Johnny Smith and Pat Farmouth do as an offense to have two guys like that out there at the same time? It’s great. I think they complement each other very well. Pat’s uh been a big leader for our team. He’s really become much more vocal the last couple years, which is cool because I think he’s naturally a, you know, a bit of a a bit of a quieter guy, but he has really uh stepped up to the plate and and we we feel his, you know, his presence in practice and in the locker room. So, he’s he’s awesome. And and then John, who’s really come in and and played well. He’s he’s uh doesn’t look like a guy going into year nine. He’s very much in shape. Explosive. I think we can do a lot with him. Put him in different spots and they’ll they’ll compliment each other. Well, this offense has had that two tight end thing when Arthur had Janu before and actually two different stops. What What does it specifically do well for this offense? Why is it such a fit for what Art’s trying to do? Um, yeah, cuz he likes to run the ball. And I think, uh, when you can get in those heavy sets of tight ends, you can kind of sort of dictate the coverage that, you know, when you get into big personnel, teams only have a, you know, they don’t have the rolodex of coverage and and blitz and pressure looks they do when you’re 11 personnel. It’s it’s seems to be it’s it’s always much more vanilla.

T.J. Watt, Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer, Roman Wilson and Mason Rudolph spoke to the media on Tuesday, August 5

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