Since Heath Miller's team MVP season of 2012, the Steelers haven't gotten much bang for their buck from the tight end position.
Miller, the team's all-time leader in receptions among tight ends, suffered a knee injury in the regular season finale that season, and while he returned to play for three more years, he clearly had lost some of the explosiveness he had shown when he caught 71 passes for 817 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012.
It's not like the Steelers haven't tried to include the tight ends as more of a weapon in their offense since then. After all, Miller was targeted 91 and 81 times in 2014 and 2015 before his retirement, and the team signed Ladarius Green in 2016 in an effort to recapture some of that magic Miller had earlier in his career.
But it wasn't the same. Miller couldn't split a zone down the middle upon his return from the knee injury in 2013 and Green couldn't stay on the field in the injury-plagued season he spent with the Steelers before his release.
Enter Vance McDonald and Jesse James.
Between the two, the Steelers might just have their best shot at replicating the production of a pre-injury Miller. And if that happens, it might be the tight ends, not another receiver, who help this team replace the production -- and downfield threat -- provided by Martavis Bryant.
With Bryant having been traded to Oakland for a third-round draft pick, the Steelers' offense is lacking some of that stretch-the-field ability he provided, especially if rookie second-round draft pick James Washington doesn't develop quickly.
But the speedy and athletic McDonald and massive James could help with that by keeping opposing safeties occupied in the middle of the field. That's been something new offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has been working on as he works to tweak what the Steelers did under former coordinator Todd Haley.
"We obviously have a different skill set. We use him out wide a little bit. I'm in-line most of the time," James said Tuesday, comparing himself to McDonald as the Steelers started their second week of OTAs. "We have some cool, unique sets that we'll be running that we're getting into a little early this year. To get into them this early is awesome. Randy has us a couple of steps further than we usually would be."
The Steelers used the double tight end packages in the past, but it was difficult, at times, to do so last season because McDonald joined the team so late and was then injured off and on throughout the season.
Acquired in a trade with San Francisco Aug. 29 last year, McDonald didn't get the opportunity to work with the Steelers in the offseason or training camp. Then, he wound up missing six games with back spasms, ankle, knee and shoulder injuries that might not have typically held him back had he been with the team longer.
Because he hadn't had an offseason with the Steelers, the coaching staff didn't always feel comfortable using him in situations where he hadn't practiced during the week because of the minor injuries. In many ways, he was treated like a rookie.
That's why McDonald is enjoying the opportunity to work at OTAs this year so much.
"As coaches, they have it on the line. You don't put a guy out there who hasn't done it in practice," he said. "Games matter. You only get 16 opportunities. (Practicing) gives the coaches confidence. Missing time last year was a big hitch."
Being here now also has allowed McDonald the opportunity to settle into Pittsburgh, something he wasn't necessarily able to do well last year. While veteran cornerback Joe Haden also was acquired late in the process, he was only coming to Pittsburgh from Cleveland. If he needed to drive to Cleveland on a day off to pick up things or take care of a family issue, he could go up and back quickly.
McDonald had to move to Pittsburgh in a matter of days -- from San Francisco -- all while trying to do the things necessary to play each week.
It can be hectic.
"It takes some resiliency and some support from other people," he admitted. "It was tough, but it's in the past now. It's one of those things you look back on and wish you could have done differently, but ..."
James also is continuing to grow. Though he has been with the team for three seasons, he will only turn 24 next month. As they shown time and again, the Steelers like to draft players young and allow them to grow at the NFL level.
"They talk about it," James said of the Steelers. "Kevin (Colbert) told me, 'Let's treat this like your redshirt year and see how you develop over the next few weeks and try to get you out there at the end of the season.' It happened like that. I was able to earn my stripes and do that."
Now, the Steelers expect to begin to reap some of the rewards for that patience.
The two combined to give the Steelers 57 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns, not bad production, but certainly not great, either. McDonald then caught 10 passes for 112 yards in a playoff loss to Jacksonville, showing the tight end position might be one the team can truly make use of heading into 2018.
They're intent on becoming bigger weapons in 2018.
To that point, tight ends coach James Daniel has been having his players watch plenty of film on some of the top tight ends around the league, showing them the things that makes the better receivers at the position the players they are. And yes, that still includes plenty of Miller film.
"JD will keep that (Miller) film going forever," James said. "But we're watching Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) and seeing some of the things he does. (Travis) Kelce, some of the better receiving guys, to see what we can add and how we can do some of that stuff."
