Steelers explain why promising wide receiver isn’t playing much: ‘He’s not in the doghouse’

PITTSBURGH -- Roman Wilson had an encouraging summer at training camp, but the second-year Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver has yet to get going.

So, what could possibly be happening to keep Wilson off the football field? Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni says it might not be as much about what Wilson is doing, but what the Steelers’ offense is doing.

Currently, the team leads the league in 12 personnel (2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers, 1 running back), and Calvin Austin III and DK Metcalf continue to take those snaps. When the team wants to go big for blockers, they go to Ben Skowronek.

Meanwhile, when the team has needed someone to step up in case of injury, the other star of the summer, Scotty Miller, is who they have turned to in those instances.

“Roman’s progressing. He’s doing a good job. You know, I’ve gotten that question a bit from a lot of people, and he’s doing great. There’s no ‘Roman’s in the doghouse’ or anything like that. Roman’s doing just fine,” Azzanni said on Tuesday. “We just happen to be pretty good at tight end and wideout and what we’re doing, running the ball. But Roman, he’s in the mix just like all the other guys. Obviously, his role will keep elevating as the season goes on, for sure. Organically. And it will just start to happen. I just tell him, ‘When it happens, be ready. Be ready for that opportunity.’ Just like that (recovering an) onside kick (against Minnesota). And he was.”

If Austin has to miss time with a shoulder injury suffered against the Minnesota Vikings, Wilson would be in contention to take over that role, but it seems Miller would be the first in line.

So, outside of that, what could the team really look to do with Wilson? For now, he has to keep grinding away at his role, which is mostly as a speedy slot receiver who can make explosive plays.

“It’s not just one person,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said about replacing Austin. “I mean, it’s like week-to-week. … Certainly Roman, those other receivers, there will be more opportunities depending on what Calvin — how long they tell us, what’s really going on there.”

The preseason showed that Wilson has a skillset that can pop, even against starters. Wilson played just two drives against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but in that time, he beat starting cornerback Tyson Campbell on a crosser. He finished with two receptions for 26 yards, an impressive outing for him.

Against the Buccaneers, Wilson carried that momentum into his second preseason game. He dusted quarters coverage from Jamel Dean over the top on a post route, hauling in a 42-yard connection from Mason Rudolph. Later on, he would separate on a crosser easily, gaining a chunk of 30 yards on another reception.

However, the regular season is a different beast, and in order for Wilson to gain more snaps, he has to become more well-rounded as a player.

Jaxson Dart on Saints Passing on Him: 'Always a Chip on Your Shoulder'

The Saints drafted offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the ninth overall pick and waited until the second round to select a quarterback, Tyler Shough, with the 40th overall pick. The Giants selected Jaxson Dart 25th overall.

Dart made his first start for the Giants on Sunday, a 21-18 upset of the Chargers, while Shough has seen only three snaps in mop-up duty.

The Giants play the Saints on Sunday, and Dart admits he hasn’t forgotten the quarterback-needy Saints passed on him. (Of course, the Giants passed on Dart, too, by picking defensive end Abdul Carter with the third overall pick.)

“There is always a chip on your shoulder any time something like that happens,” Dart said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN. “But yeah, I’m just going to go out there and play as hard as I can.”

The Saints showed interest in Dart, who had multiple visits with the team in the pre-draft process. They had Dart believing he might end up in New Orleans.

“Yeah, I felt like my visit with them went good,” Dart said. “You kind of have thoughts in your head about what options are realistic, and I felt that was a place that could’ve panned out. But things didn’t work out that way.”

Dart ended up where he needed to be and where he most wanted to be.

“I love it here. There’s not a place that I’d rather be,” Dart said. “I love just how passionate people are outside the facility, in the facility. I like the attitude the East Coasters have. It’s a lot of fun. So I love it.”

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