Things might look a bit bleak in the secondary right now for the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the Joey Porter Jr. contract situation, but the franchise got a nice boost Monday with the return of standout defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
Ramsey, who suffered an injury in minicamp that landed him on Active/PUP to open training camp, was activated off the PUP list Monday and returned to action for the first time since minicamp.
Right away, Ramsey made his presence felt for the Steelers’ defense under new coordinator Patrick Graham.
That has first-year head coach Mike McCarthy buzzing about his veteran chess piece.
“Having Jalen [Ramsey] out there was great. I definitely felt him,” McCarthy said of Ramsey, according to the transcript provided by the team. “We’re a different defense with Jalen [Ramsey] out there. I think everybody felt that, and I would think he felt that. So having him play primary, the inside piece there.
“I thought he’s an impactful player, clearly, for us.”
The Steelers are a different — and better — defense with Ramsey in the mix.
He can wear a number of hats and brings a vast amount of experience to the table. The Steelers’ new defensive coaching staff under Graham, particularly defensive backs coaches Joe Whitt Jr. and Jason Simmons, believe Ramsey could play the Charles Woodson role within the defense, moving around, wearing a number of hats and being an ultimate playmaker.
Ramsey moved around plenty last season, stepping into the starting role as an outside corner early in the year and dabbling in the slot, before then shifting to safety midway through the season to help plug a significant hole in the secondary due to injuries. He was solid in that role for much of the season, though he fell apart late in the year with some mistakes in coverage.
But that versatility, his experience and his ability to communicate clearly has McCarthy and the defensive coaching staff excited for what’s ahead with the veteran. He makes Pittsburgh a better defense, there is no denying that. Hopefully he can get up to speed quickly in a new scheme before the season opener against Atlanta so that his full impact and presence can be felt.