LATROBE (93.7 The Fan) – While the Steelers new veteran receiver is Michael Pittman getting three-years, $59 million, and rookie is third-round pick Germie Bernard, don’t count out Roman Wilson who got early praise from his quarterback.
“I think the guy out of anybody that's really shown this new staff a lot of great tape is Roman Wilson,” said Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “I think Roman had a really nice spring. Got to know him on a deeper level during that trip (with Rodgers, Wilson and a few other receivers out west), which was fun. But I expect him to start to make some splash plays. He did in the spring. And I expect him to have a nice camp.”
Praise for his potential was also heaped on Wilson from Rodgers last year and it only showed up in spurts. He played in 13 games (four starts) with 12 receptions for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
This year he’s caught a number of passes through the first couple of practices. He looks confident, running good routes.
“The way I prepared this offseason was to be a great football player and do everything I can to be better than last year,” Wilson said after practice Friday.
It looks like it. He says all the right things about working every day, taking every day as an opportunity, having confidence in what he does.
“I just look back to Roman and, like a lot of things in life, I look at him with the first impression,” said Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. “Frankly, him and I were walking up from the meeting or driving back from the meeting yesterday, and we were talking about the Michigan workout. When he came out. I was
at the workout, and we were talking about the Harbaugh family and just what an impressive team it was, and how impressive that whole workout was, and him coming out of college.”
“Going back to when I arrived here, we had a conversation on the phone. He wanted to introduce himself and talked about his first year and this really hasn't changed since then. I said “I need you to be a multiple position player.” I said, “I want to be able to line you up both inside and outside.”
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Wilson has done that to an extent early in camp and said he will do anything he can to help the team win.
“He's done a hell of a job inside,” McCarthy said. “Frankly, I haven't even talked to him yet about this, but I think we can start working a little bit more outside too because his vertical speed and his ability to, we call it the Autobahn out there on the numbers. I think he has an excellent skill set for that also too. But he's done a really nice job. I mean he can line up at X, Z and F and so far, he's done exactly what we asked.”
Wilson believes he’s built a relationship with Rodgers, saying he ‘loves everything about him’ and is happy to be a part of his career and to have him in his. The third-year receiver also said he’s been listening to what Rodgers has been telling him.
Now it’s time for him to show it before what might be a last opportunity, disappears.
“Just to be a great receiver,” Wilson said of his work and goals. “I’m trying to leave my legacy on this team and do everything I can to play.”
‘I’m trying to leave my legacy on this team’
‘I’m trying to leave my legacy on this team’
