On hand Day 1: A player who could have easily been given a pass on being at Day 1 of OTAs is defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
Entering his 15th season, Heyward has definitely been there, done that on the OTA front.
But he was there with his teammates working on Tuesday.
“I am going through the process, going through the process,” said Heyward. “It’s not anything crazy. I wanted to get out here. I’ll get back to the offseason stuff, what I’ve been doing and training, but it’s fun to mix it up.”
Heyward even spent extra time on the field after practice, working with the other defensive linemen to just get a little bit more work in.
“These are things I practice every day,” said Heyward. “So, if I get them in practice or I get them after practice, it doesn’t matter. It’s just sharpening the tools.”
No doubt Heyward is the veteran presence on the line, his participation a sign to the younger players of what the offseason program is all about.
It’s something he learned from players before him, guys like Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel, and now he is the shining example for rookies like Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black.
“It’s early in the process, but I think it comes down to communicating the right way, getting on good footing, seeing what their questions are and then going from there,” said Heyward. “I think learning from those guys before me, one, you’ve got to be receptive to it. I think Derrick, Yahya, they’ve all been receptive. It’s the first day, but that’s half the battle. And then questions will come around, just being a resource for them early on in their careers, trying to get them ready for the season.”
As Heyward stressed, it is only the first day of OTAs, but from what he has seen of Harmon, the team’s No. 1 draft pick, he likes.
“I think he moves well, plays with his hands,” said Heyward. “Definitely gets on the edge a lot more than a lot of younger guys. I think it’s just computing that to our scheme and getting guys caught up.
“He’s definitely capable of playing this year. It’s just getting caught up, dealing with the rookie wall as it comes about. But I think he’s positioned himself well to contribute.”
Heyward said it’s not to the point where it’s ‘about passing the torch,’ but rather making sure the young players are up to speed so they can make an impact.
“It’s about how can we make this team the best it can be,” said Heyward. “It’s not about holding secrets or anything. It’s about making sure we’re all growing at a pace that by week one, we’re ready to kick this thing up. I’ll pass the torch when I have to, but I think the main thing is making sure that we’re a strong unit that from top to bottom we can compete with anybody.”