PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – We know there is a conversion going on with the Steelers to Matt Canada's offense. Receiver Chase Claypool said Thursday, it's not that big of a deal.
"It's pretty easy to transition into it because there are concepts like we've been running earlier on last season," Claypool said. "It's not too much of a learning curve. I think it's nice because we will be able to stick with it through the season."
With all of the talk of improving the running game and drafting tailback Najee Harris in the first round, much of the change will be an emphasis on the run game. That is going to involve Claypool and the others receiver blocking more and maybe not in the same locations as normal.
"We are not just going to going to be blocking corners," Claypool said. "We will be coming into the box and trying to help out on some run schemes and run fits. We are excited about it. I think Diontae is excited to block a linebacker. We're ready to get our hands dirty."
The 22-year-old said he spent the offseason working on the same drills as last year with former Bengals receiver TJ Housmandzadeh. He also believed he was left-side dominant and is now more balanced with his strength.
"We have to complete those contested catches," Claypool said. "I know I had a couple I could have come down with. We were on the same page with timing, keep working off that. Getting more separation down field, obviously the more the better. Staying healthy down the stretch will always help."
He saw teams beginning to cheat his way during a rookie season where he caught 62 passes for 873 yards and 9 touchdowns.
"I think they started doing that in the second half of the year," Claypool said. "I think it's good because guys like Diontae, JuJu, James and RayRay can go off. Now that we have Najee in the mix, it will be fine. If they put two or cloud me, I'm fine with that. As long as the other guys are eating."
A couple of his friends return, Claypool said JuJu Smith-Schuster is more than just a good player, but also a good teammate. JuJu signed a one-year deal with less to remain with the Steelers. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger initiated a five million dollar pay cut to allow room to sign players.
"I'm definitely happy he came back," Claypool said. "There are very few quarterbacks in the league that can come in and bring that savviness and football knowledge. He may be one of two."
High praise for his quarterback as his window is almost shut. Can these young players, the additions in the draft and a new offensive coordinator get them over the top in 2021?
