Steelers inside the ropes: Veteran WR Allen Robinson II fitting in well as slot option

Allen Robinson II will turn 30 before his 10th NFL season begins in September, and he hasn’t topped 40 catches or 500 yards in a season since 2020. Early returns from Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, though, suggest the veteran wide receiver could prove a significant part of the offense during his debut with the Steelers.

Robinson made plays during the second day of practices Friday at Saint Vincent, showing veteran savvy in finding openings and soft spots in the defense while running out of the slot.

First was Robinson’s scoring catch during the “seven shots” 2-point conversion simulation drill when Robinson beat Chandon Sullivan on a post route to catch a pass from Kenny Pickett and deftly get his feet in bounds at the back of the end zone.

Later, Robinson had a 45-yard catch-and-run on which Pickett found him after being flushed from the pocket. After Robinson outran, among others, T.J. Watt, to the end zone, Pickett and Robinson conferred briefly on where and how Robinson should release when Pickett scrambles.

A third catch for Robinson during 11-on-11 play wasn’t as flashy but did show why he could become a reliable third-down target for Pickett. Robinson came from the right side of the formation and worked his way across the defense in a soft spot about 5 yards downfield and made a sliding catch on a ball thrown over defensive linemen.

• After the Steelers eschewed “seven shots” for the first practice of camp, the traditional anticipated opening of team drills was back for Day 2. And with a bonus snap. Coach Mike Tomlin unilaterally called for a re-play of the fourth snap when it was suggested there was a pre-snap penalty on a play that was broken by way of a poor shotgun exchange from Kendrick Green to Mitch Trubisky. On the seven snaps that “counted,” the offense scored five times: Robinson, Anthony McFarland off a swing pass from Pickett, Trubisky on a scramble, Gunner Olszewski beating Miles Killebrew to catch a quick flip from Trubisky and Dez Fitzpatrick similarly beating Duke Dawson to the goal line on a slant from the left side to catch a pass from Trubisky.

• The defensive “wins” during “seven shots” came via a pair of incomplete passes from Pickett to Pat Freiermuth.

• With Diontae Johnson missing most of the 11-on-11 play because of heat-related issues, Calvin Austin III got plenty of run with the first-team offense. Austin cashed in on a long “touchdown” when he beat Cole Holcomb down the left sideline and caught a slightly underthrown pass from Pickett about 35 yards down the field.

• A day after Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow was injured while running on a scrambling play, two of the biggest gains of the day for the first-team offense came when Pickett took off and waved through the defense, showing good speed and acceleration.

• On the first 11-on-11 snap from the middle of the field, Watt batted down a Pickett pass, a signature move by the recent NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

• Joey Porter Jr. continued to get some first- and second-team reps at outside cornerback. The rookie at one point collided with George Pickens, but Pickens got back up and made the catch anyway. Porter’s chain necklace fell to the ground during the collision, and both Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin remarked to Porter in a teaching but firm manner that he was at fault for the play.

• The team’s third longest-tenured player and a defensive co-captain, Watt showed some leadership tendencies after Pickens caught a short pass along the sideline during a team drill late in practice. With multiple defenders around, Pickens was content to step out of bounds. As Watt sprinted over to finish the play, he yelled, “Run through the play!” Seconds later, he jogged past Pickens and said, “Keep running, GP!” Pickens acknowledged Watt with a nod.

• During a special-teams session, a staffer slammed a soccer ball into the ground near the goal line while players leaped to bat it back into the field of play, simulating the downing of a punt.

• A day after leaving practice for heat-related reasons, reserve tight end Rodney Williams made a nice catch and run off a pass from Mason Rudolph on the penultimate snap of Friday’s practice.

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