Steelers notes: As Calvin Austin III mends, will team add to its WR depth?

Monday became the latest occasion in which a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ brain trust expressed praise for the team’s wide receivers corps.

Of course, it also became the latest day in which the team was reported to have sought to add to the position from the outside.

Speaking about two hours after ESPN reported the Steelers were scheduled to host free-agent wide receiver Gabe Davis, coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the Steelers’ WR depth.

“I’m comfortable with it,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, things get tight this time of the year and lines get short and usually in one area positionally. There is strength and safety in numbers.”

Two of the receivers all but guaranteed to make the team — Calvin Austin III and Ben Skowronek — are currently out because of injury. But aside from new star WR1 DK Metcalf and returning 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson, plenty of question marks remain at the position with the regular season less than three weeks away.

Options include veterans Scotty Miller, Robert Woods and Brandon Johnson, as well as undrafted rookie Ke’Shawn Williams.

On Monday, the Steelers cut undrafted rookie receiver Roc Taylor. Austin again sat out practice — merely working out on the side — extending to more than two weeks the time he has been out because of an abdominal injury.

“I’m right on point, right on the correct timeline,” Austin said after practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Austin declined to say whether he believed he would be able to play by the Week 1 opener at the New York Jets on Sept. 7.

“Whatever the medical staff and ‘Coach T’ says, I’m going to follow that,” Austin said. “It’s very frustrating (not being able to practice). … Not being out there is never fun. I’m just trying to stay engaged.”

Freshened up

On their first day back at their headquarters on Pittsburgh’s South Side, the Steelers welcomed visitors to some spiffed-up digs.

The UPMC Rooney Sports Complex underwent some light renovations over the two months between the end of minicamp and the team breaking training camp at Saint Vincent College last week.

Aside from a sleek and modern backlit logo on the wall at the entrance to the locker room, most of the changes were merely new paint, lighting and carpeting. The walls were painted black.

“I like the new paint job,” offensive lineman Broderick Jones said. “Now I think I am going to go black (paint) around the house.”

An additional six permanent lockers were added to the locker room, replacing a trophy case that was rarely used.

When the complex was built in 2000, practice squads during the regular season were limited to five players and the injured-reserve list was less utilized than it is today because it meant a player was out for the season. Now, with 16-player practice squads and IR lists typically approaching double digits, coupled with the 53-man active roster, it translates into 80 or more players having lockers in-season. The team installed temporary lockers last year during the regular season.