With Roman Wilson Sidelined, Steelers Sign Wide Receiver
With Roman Wilson Sidelined, Steelers Sign Wide Receiver
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed wide receiver Tarik Black, to help offset the loss of rookie Roman Wilson, who is expected to miss multiple weeks with ankle injury.
Wilson suffered the injury early in practice on Tuesday and was removed from the field. He is expected to miss multiple weeks after being injured while running a jet sweeps during seven shots.
Black was one of a handful of players that the Steelers tried out just before the start of training camp.
Black, 26, is entering his fourth professional season. An undrafted free gent out of Texas for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, he spent two seasons with the New York Jets, playing one game for the team in 2021. Black was most recently with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad last season, but was released in January.
At 6-foot-3 and 217-pounds Black fits the big-body mold that the Steelers have seemed to prioritize in searching for receiver depth as of late. In pre-draft testing, Black record a 9.55 Relative Athletic Score out of 10, posting high marks for his size and explosiveness, despite running an relatively average 4.54-second 40-yard dash.
His size and explosiveness are his calling cards, because Black was not extremely productive in college. His best season came in 2019 at Michigan, when he caught 25 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown. A transfer to Texas for his senior year did not result in an increased workload, catching 10 passes for 240 yards over eight games for the Longhorns before entering the NFL.
To make room for Black on the 90-man roster, the Steelers released defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall. They are at the roster maximum entering Wednesday’s practice at St. Vincent College.
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NFL
Titans star rips into radio host during live broadcast
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NFL
Fight! Steelers’ Justin Fields Hit Late Causing Huge Brawl At Training Camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers have intense training camp practices, probably even more so than the other 31 teams around the league. Their practices start off with a competition between the offense and the defense, which sets the tone for that day of practice. The two sides of the ball are always at one another’s throats, and that was seen during practice on Wednesday. Justin Fields took a late hit from the defense, and members of the offensive line quickly jumped in. Fields tends to use his athleticism, and he has been displaying it on runs during training camp. Although he is running the football, the rule still stands that defenders cannot hit the quarterback. Fields took off during a team period on Wednesday, and he took a late hit which involved both Elandon Roberts and Beanie Bishop Jr. Offensive lineman jumped in to protect their quarterback immediately. It seems like the majority of the offense and defense got involved, which is expected. Tempers flare during training camp, and it is a good thing to see the offensive line going after the defense for hitting the quarterback. Maurkice Pouncey made a name for himself doing that in defense of Ben Roethlisberger. Steelers Rookies Defend Justin Fields What was especially impressive to see was the rookie offensive linemen getting involved. Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick were some of the first linemen to retaliate. They are making their presence felt early, which is something Head Coach Mike Tomlin likely loved to see. The two rookies quickly stepping in to protect their quarterback will make the Steelers’ defenders think twice before hitting Fields in practice again. This is the first fight that has been seen this training camp, and there will likely be more. All of this is expected, but it’s great to see that the two guys who were leading the charge haven’t even stepped onto an NFL field yet. Fields isn’t even the Steelers current starting quarterback, yet the offense fired back with intensity when one of their own took a hit. This is the type of physicality that has been missing from Pittsburgh’s offense in recent years. This is a sign of a major step forward from the unit, which should have every fan optimistic about the 2024 season.
NFL
Micah Parsons calls out Cowboys teammate: ‘Either you will or you won’t’
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NFL
Intel on the five most intriguing NFL training-camp QB battles
With NFL training camps underway, several quarterback battles are heating up. Here are the five most intriguing competitions we are tracking: Denver Broncos | Bo Nix vs. Jarrett Stidham vs. Zach Wilson Is Wilson already falling behind? At the start of camp, all three QBs split reps with the first-team offense. However, Stidham worked with the starters Tuesday when it was supposed to be Wilson’s turn. Following practice, Broncos head coach Sean Payton claimed he’s not changing the plan but didn’t clarify whether Wilson would receive more snaps with the starting offense. According to longtime NFL reporter James Palmer, Stidham is the team’s best QB, but Nix could usurp him if he keeps making big plays. The Denver Gazette’s Kyle Fredrickson reported the rookie escaped a broken pocket for a 20-plus-yard scramble during Monday’s practice. More importantly, Nix is impressing his teammates. On Monday, Broncos offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey told reporters, “He will do great things for us.” Las Vegas Raiders | Gardner Minshew II vs. Aidan O’Connell Raiders HC Antonio Pierce signaled neither QB has separated himself thus far, but he wants that to change. “I’d like to see — again, I’m gonna keep saying it — somebody to just take it and say, ‘I’m the guy, AP.’ Make it clear and evident,” Pierce said Tuesday. “And then we’ll make that decision at that point.” That may take time, though. Per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, O’Connell took most of the starting snaps Tuesday after Minshew did Monday. Reed added O’Connell played slightly better, but both QBs struggled. Minnesota Vikings | Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy McCarthy — the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft — worked with the No. 3 offense in OTAs and minicamp, but he’s climbing the depth chart. During a Tuesday episode of NFL Network’s “Inside Training Camp Live,” Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said he plans to give McCarthy snaps with the No. 1 offense. “I’m so excited about J.J. McCarthy,” O’Connell said. “He’s confirmed in every possible way what we had hoped and really proven in a lot of ways early on to be even more than we hoped from the standpoint of the type of person and player we brought in.” Still, former first-round pick Darnold has spent more time with the starting offense, giving him an advantage. O’Connell pointed out that he should flourish with a stacked receiving corps that includes WR Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson. New England Patriots | Drake Maye vs. Jacoby Brissett On Monday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told FanDuel’s Kay Adams he would choose Brissett over Maye if they were “neck-and-neck” at the end of training camp. Although Brissett hasn’t started since 2022, Mayo’s comments shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Maye must improve his accuracy. NESN’s Keagan Stiefel claims that the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft completed 3-of-11 passes during competitive periods in Monday’s practice. Brissett, meanwhile, went 12-of-17. Expect Brissett to keep pulling away. ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted the veteran passer may start multiple regular-season games in 2024 before Maye takes over. Pittsburgh Steelers | Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields Wilson suffered a calf injury during the first week of practices, allowing Fields to work with the first-team offense. He took advantage of his opportunity. Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker reported Fields ran for 20-plus yards on a read option. He also connected with wide receivers Calvin Austin III and George Pickens on deep passes. Former Super Bowl champion Wilson returned to practice in a limited capacity Tuesday but looked sharp. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo notes that he threw a long pass to TE Connor Heyward during seven-on-seven drills. Regardless, it seems Fields is catching up to Wilson. In a Tuesday interview with CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin praised Fields and said he’s excited about the competition’s “trajectory.”
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