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The Pittsburgh Steelers misplaced a few starters out of their secondary from final season, together with slot cornerback Mike Hilton, who signed with their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, in free company. They didn’t carry anyone in to exchange him, immediately, however they’ve some in-house candidates they’re exploring.
The main candidate because the begin of the offseason program has been Antoine Brooks Jr., a 2020 sixth-round security out of Maryland, who has stated that he has dropped 15 to twenty kilos since popping out of college at about 220 final yr, which had normal supervisor Kevin Colbert describing him as “half a security, half a linebacker”.
Now, he’s taking part in the slot nook place, and he’s going up towards big-bodied, skilled, Professional Bowl varieties like JuJu Smith-Schuster each day in apply. The veteran extensive receiver hopped on SiriusXM Radio yesterday to speak with hosts Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller, and he needed to give some reward to the man he’s been battling these previous couple of weeks.
“He’s doing an incredible job. Him and Cam [Sutton], the 2 new guys on the protection who’re truly stepping up”, he stated. “I’m going towards Antoine each day, and he’s placing great things on movie. He’s giving me competitors and we’re placing within the work and we’re simply making one another higher”.
The Steelers have just a few choices that they could discover by the point the common season is right here. Arthur Maulet, a veteran who has expertise within the slot, was signed quickly after the 2021 NFL Draft. They might additionally transfer Cameron Sutton inside and play James Pierre exterior within the nickel.
However Brooks most closely fits what they’re in search of, any individual who gives extra of a measurement presence and a bodily strategy to run help and blitzing. Sutton’s main energy is strictly as a protection participant, so that you don’t need him spending 60-70 % of his time within the field, in case you can keep away from it.
There may be nonetheless a number of this course of left, however Brooks has drawn constructive early evaluations. He’s slated to begin the Corridor of Fame recreation towards the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow because the protection’s slot defender, however different choices could get their alternatives afterward.
Other than Maulet, one other potential candidate is Tre Norwood, who has been making performs as a security. Head coach Mike Tomlin has stated that they needed to get him established on the again finish first, however that they have been open to giving him the chance to maneuver round when he has extra of a foothold on what he’s doing.
However Brooks is the chief within the clubhouse, and at this level, it’s a must to think about that so long as he performs above the road all through this course of, it’s going to be his job when the season opens. They should be versatile and open to vary if he struggles, however he’s the place to begin as they search for their greatest mixture within the secondary.
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