It didn't take long for James Washington to catch more passes from Ben Roethlisberger at the Steelers' OTA sessions this week than he did in all of last year's practices.
In fact, he got that out of the way with his first reception on Tuesday. It is, after all, tough to catch the football when you don't get a single rep with the starting quarterback.
That, however, wasn't the fault of Washington or the Steelers' coaching staff. Roethlisberger only showed up for the first day of OTAs a year ago, then left on a family vacation.
Forget the WiFi not connecting, as Brown famously said about he and Roethlisberger early last season, Washington and the quarterback had no connection.
This year, he took his offensive specialists on a little vacation to his home in Georgia the week before OTAs began, allowing the Steelers to hit the ground running -- or throwing, as it were -- when they opened practices this week.
It's made a huge difference for Washington, a 2018 second-round draft pick, who admits he and Roethlisberger never really meshed on the field last season.
"It was a lot of fun. It was a time for us to get to know each other a little better," Washington told me Wednesday of staying at Roethlisberger's vacation home last week. "Last year, we never really hung out, so it was always me looking at him like, ‘That’s Ben Roethlisberger, Hall of Fame quarterback.’ When we went down there, I started looking at him more like a human being, like I am. It helped everyone. I think everyone felt kind of the way I did, so it was good for us."
It's made Washington ponder what might have been if he had gotten the opportunity to work with Roethlisberger more last offseason and earn the quarterback's trust.
"Oh, for sure," he told me. "I would have approached the season much differently. Every time I was in the huddle with him, I was always nervous because you didn’t want to mess up when you’re getting reps with that guy. It really helped relax me."
He and the Steelers both hope that pays dividends this season.
Roethlisberger has seen the difference, as well.
"It’s good. Even guys like James, you see the work he’s done. He’s doing some great things," Roethlisberger said of Washington.
He had better. With Antonio Brown now with the Raiders, the Steelers expect Washington to at least help make up for the 100-plus catches, 1,300 yards and double digit touchdowns Brown regularly contributed to the offense.
It might be a lot to ask for a player who had just 16 catches for 217 yards and one touchdown as a rookie. But Washington is always up for a challenge.
"It wasn’t just what they wanted. I wanted it too," Washington said of his rookie season. "It was a disappointment last season. I’ve got high expectations for myself and this team has high expectations for me."
So Washington went into this season with a plan. He said he played last year at 225 pounds, a lot of weight for his 5-foot-11 frame and 12 pounds higher than his listed weight. He's dropped down to 210 pounds in the offseason in an effort to improve his speed.
"It was about 40 percent farm work, 60 percent field work," said Washington, who spent time working on his family farm back in Texas. "It was a little of both. Last year at the end of the year, I wrote down some goals and that was my top goal, to lose weight to get faster, not just for me but for this team. That was my main priority of the spring."
And improving that connection with his quarterback.
Washington was always on the same page with third-string QB Mason Rudolph last season, as would be expected. That duo lit up college defenses while teammates at Oklahoma State.
But considering Rudolph didn't see a snap in his rookie year, that was not what the Steelers needed out of Washington. It made for a tough season, culminating in him being inactive for a game late in the year to get his mind right.
"Ben kind of sat me down and we talked," Washington said. "He gave me some encouragement. It helped me perform those last few games."
Washington came back from his benching to catch three passes for 65 yards in a win over the Patriots. Then, in Week 17, when Brown skipped out on the team, he had three receptions for 64 yards in a win over the Bengals.
That gave the Steelers some hope the rookie can carry that play into 2019.
"It’s starting off a lot higher," Washington said of his confidence level. "That’s because of the hard work I put in. I cut weight, so I’m coming in a lot fresher, and I know the playbook a lot better."
And the quarterback, as well.
DALE'S VIEW
Washington is a serious young man. And you could tell he was walking on egg shells around Roethlisberger last season.
That won't be the case -- at least not as much -- this year. In retrospect, you can bet Roethlisberger now wishes he had worked harder with his young receiver last season.
But the fact he's doing it now should pay dividends. Washington has talent to be sure.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers organized team activity, Rooney Sports Complex, May 22, 2019 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS