LATROBE, Pa. -- As the Steelers' tight ends finished up their work on the blocking sled a few days ago, Mike Tomlin pointedly told them they had better be prepared to do a better job of blocking than what was happening.
"Real soon, there's going to be a guy across from you and he's going to hit you back," Tomlin told them.
"Real soon," has been here at Saint Vincent College the past couple of days and the results have been spotty — at best.
The team's tight ends beyond starter Vance McDonald have had their moments, but it's become more and more obvious the Steelers have just one legitimate player at the position. The rest are fringe prospects or, in the case of Xavier Grimble, players who constantly leave the team wanting more.
That's not something we didn't already know. But the Steelers were hopeful Grimble would take the next step and fifth-round pick Zach Gentry might show better than he has.
Because of that, don't be surprised if the Steelers bring in a veteran tight end soon, via free agency or a trade. At the very least, they will be watching roster cuts very closely at the end of August.
But chances are, the team won't want to wait that long.
• Perhaps that was the reason for the team to restructure Stephon Tuitt's contract and free up $3.9 million.
The Steelers turned nearly $5.2 million of Tuitt's $6 million salary into signing bonus this season. That move put them nearly $5 million under the 2019 salary cap.
Kevin Colbert said the other day the team has adjusted how much it wants to be under the cap going into a season. It used to be around $3 million. But Colbert said that figure is now $5 million, enough to sign 10 players to league minimum salaries.
• The timing of Tuitt's renegotiated deal is interesting. Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Joe Haden, was here over the weekend. But no new deal has been announced.
An extension for Haden likely would have lowered his 2019 cap hit, as his base salary of $10 million could be lowered and turned into signing bonus.
That nothing has been announced and with Tuitt restructured, it tells me the Haden extension might not be in the cards anytime soon.
Colbert never makes a move until he has to make a move -- he's very prudent that way.
The fact that Colbert went another direction in clearing cap space is telling.
• One team to keep an eye on if the Steelers go tight end shopping is the Texans.
Houston has four tight ends -- Darren Fells, Jurell Adams, Jordan Atkins and Jordan Thomas -- with NFL experience on its roster.
The Texans are only going to keep two or three of those guys. So unless they have an injury at the position, they're going to be shopping at least one of those players.
• Rookie tight end Trevor Wood is also listed as a long snapper but never snapped in a game at Texas A&M. At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, Wood is a big man. And he's had some moments thus far in camp, standing out in backs on backers Sunday and then running safety Marcus Allen over after a catch Monday.
But he's no danger to supplant Kameron Canaday as the team's long snapper. He also had 11 career catches for 80 yards in college after spending four years at Arizona and one at Texas A&M.
Texas A&M did have highly-talented Jace Sternberger at the position, as well, so that was a factor. But for those thinking Wood might have some dual roster flexibility, that's not the case.
• McDonald is the Steelers' backup long snapper. And he's pretty good at it.
The team also is working with backup center B.J. Finney and first-year nose tackle Casey Sayles as long snappers, just in case something would happen to Canaday in a game and McDonald isn't available.
• That bodes well for Sayles. The team wouldn't be working with him as a long snapper unless there was a feeling he was going to have a good shot at being a part of this team.
Sayles was signed as an undrafted rookie out of Ohio University last year but was released at the end of the preseason. Sayles played for the Birmingham Iron in the AAF, recording 12 tackles — five for a loss — in eight games.
He also bulked up. Sayles joined the Steelers at 289 pounds last season. He's closer to 305 now -- though the Steelers' roster still lists him at 289. That's why you can never trust those weights that are on a team's roster.
Player weights are not something that get changed all that often, even though players are constantly gaining and losing weight to see what works best.
• Everyone loves Ola Adeniyi as a pass rusher. That's never been in question. But when you watch him try to play the run, it's a different story. He gets caught on blocks way too much and engulfed at times.
So let's tap the brakes a little bit about him supplanting Bud Dupree this season, or even next. He's got to earn a roster spot first.
• One of the funniest things to watch from the sidelines at practice is when it comes time for Finney to play center in team situations. When he does, Finney will put on a pair of shorts over his football pants.
Why? Well, Finney is a sweater. As in a profuse sweater.
It seems Finney putting on shorts over top of his pants is the best way for the team's QBs to line up under center and not come away with swampy hands.
• It was interesting Monday that when Tomlin gave Ramon Foster the day off, right tackle Matt Feiler kicked inside to guard to replace him, with Chuks Okorafor working with the first-team line at right tackle.
That gives some insight into the thinking of the team if something were to happen to either Foster or David DeCastro.
