The regular season is upon us and Steelers.com is taking you inside the preparation for one of the most exciting weeks of the season.
The upcoming episode of 'The Standard' will hit Steelers.com and all of the team's digital and social platforms on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
'The Standard' will provide an inside look at how some new pieces are fitting into the puzzle on offense and defense.
Receivers Coach Zach Azzanni shares his take on adding All-Pro receiver DK Metcalf to his room this offseason via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Metcalf, who is in his seventh season, brings a strong resume with him, appearing in 97 games, starting 93 of them. He has 438 receptions for 6,324 yards, a 14.4-yard average, and 48 touchdowns, which ranks eighth-most among active players in the NFL.
But he brings more than numbers per Azzanni.
"He fits in all areas," shared Azzanni in the video feature. "Obviously physically with size, speed, all the things you're looking for on that front. I think everyone can see that.
"But just as a human, he's a fantastic human being. He is a humble guy. He wants to learn, he wants to improve his game. Those things, coming in and jumping on a moving train, are very, very important.
"He adds to the room in a lot of different ways, and obviously his experience. He's caught a lot of balls. He's got an impressive resume, so those things also add to the room."
On the other side of the ball, defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander also has a new All-Pro in his room in Jalen Ramsey, who was acquired via a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Alexander likes what Ramsey brings to the table, having appeared in 135 games, starting 134 of them, in nine seasons. He has 534 career tackles, 432 of them solo stops, 108 passes defensed, 27 tackles for a loss, 24 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, three sacks, seven forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
But Alexander shared in 'The Standard' what Ramsey's versatility brings to the defense, as he can move around in a manner not many players can.
"When you think from a play call standpoint, you have a guy who can be a very versatile piece and he can be anywhere," said Alexander. "When you look at it on the flip side offensively, they've got to worry about where he is.
"He can be on the field, and we can have a variety of different personnel groupings, and he won't be a changing piece in regards to subbing in and out of the field, but he can a changing piece in regards to what piece of the puzzle that he's playing. It makes you good on defense in regards to the amount of versatility that you can have within a package when you have one player who can play multiple roles and really play them with minimal error."
The current episode of 'The Standard' also features former Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks, who is in his first season as the color commentator for the Steelers Audio Network, and an exclusive look at the Steelers three preseason games from never seen before camera angles and sound bites.
The upcoming episode of 'The Standard' will hit Steelers.com and all of the team's digital and social platforms on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
