Steelers/NFL
Steelers already seeing red flags with Martavis Bryant?
The unwritten rule in the NFL is that unless you’re a star player, you better be showing up to VOLUNTARY workouts.
Martavis Bryant learned last Wednesday he was officially reinstated by the NFL and it was outlined what he needed to do moving forward.
Why isn’t a player who was suspended for a full season in Pittsburgh yet for phase-2 of off-season workouts?
He’s yet to take care of business, that’s why.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert appeared on 937 The FAN Tuesday afternoon with the Cook and Poni show and talked at length of Bryant not yet being in Pittsburgh. He said all the right things but you can still get the gist of the situation that the Steelers have their doubts with Bryant.
“No[hide], he’s not in town,” Colbert said when asked by the hosts if he’s met with Bryant. “We did speak to him once we were able to do that and once he gets in here we’ll visit and try to extend his career and give him the opportunity to have the type of career he could have. These guys are not obligated to be here. So, whenever they take care of the logistics of getting here and transferring back in and finding places to live and all that, that’s an individual by individual case. But at this time of the year we can’t mandate for those players to be here.”
Colbert during the interview, admitted Bryan’t situation had something to do with the Steelers taking JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round but at the end of the day, Smith-Schuster was the best player available on the Steelers board. Colbert explained you just can’t pass up on a talent like that.
“As I’ve said, until he’s [Martavis Bryant] here, because he still has to do some things within the league structure to make sure that he’s continuing on the right path, and all indications are he will, but again, in JuJu’s case, he was clearly the best player for us,” said Colbert. “Any time you pass on the best player, even though you have some pretty good players, including one great one at that position, you may regret it. JuJu was someone we had our eye on and I can’t say we would have done it regardless of Martavis, but we wanted to add another solid player into that position and he also gives us something that really you don’t have and that’s the ability to make that contested [catch], because there will be times when Ben just has to take a chance and get it close and hope that his receiver can make a play. JuJu’s displayed that ability in his college game and now we just hope it transfers to the pros.”
— Colbert and the Steelers have been criticized from all angles for selecting a long snapper in the sixth round.
On the selection of Colin Holba, Colbert as expected defended the decision when asked Tuesday on 937 The Fan.
“Those same people that are asking [about Holba], I hope they remember that if we’re lining up for a game-winning field goal in the Super Bowl and we want to never take that snap for granted,” said Colbert. “In college football today most of the long snappers are 6-1, 215-220 lbs and most of them are walk-ons because the rules in college football allow for you can get away with a smaller guy because they’re not involved as much in the protection. They have different rules protecting them. So, when a guy comes along that is of that size and not only the ability to snap, but the ability to also hold up in protection, both as a punt snapper and a long snapper, really, it’s our obligation to make sure that we have that position covered.”
Colbert continues to draw parallels to Greg Warren as a reason to back up the selection of Holba.
“Greg Warren has been solid as a rock for us for a lot of years, but he’s 35 years old and you have to prepare for his eventual decline as well,” said Colbert. “So, if you can provide competition for a very critical position, you want to do that as soon as possible in that situation.”
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