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He doesn't think the Steelers will have that problem this season,China Jerseys Wholesale.
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Cam Heyward vividly remembers a December road game last season at Cincinnati,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, where the Pittsburgh Steelers were quickly running out of healthy bodies along the defensive line.
Heyward recognizes the progress made last season by his younger teammates along the line while he was sidelined. Now, Heyward's back in the fold, making expectations greater along the line with added depth and experience.
The Steelers intended to give Heyward and Tuitt a much-needed breather along the defensive line when they made Javon Hargrave their third-round draft pick in 2016.
"I remember the Cincinnati game, I was talking to the outside linebackers like "can y'all play defensive end," but I don't think we'll have to deal with that this year."
"He has a great motor," Heyward said. "You saw that in Jacksonville and he brought it here. He was drafted in the first round Jerseys From China for a reason and I'm glad he came here."
Heyward is back and ready to anchor a young unit that gained depth and experience in his absence.
An improved Stephon Tuitt joins Heyward to give the Steelers a formidable tandem along the defensive line.
"When Cam Heyward went down, I really grew a lot," Tuitt said. "You don't ever want to be in a situation like that, but it helped me grow and I'm going to be a better veteran player because of that,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys China, because I have so much confidence this year."
The plan worked NFL Jerseys Cheap as Hargrave gained valuable experience as a rookie, playing in 15 games and making 13 starts at defensive tackle. He also played in the Steelers' three playoff games and got his first career postseason sack on Tom Brady in the AFC championship game during a lopsided loss against New England.
A pair of sixth-round picks, Daniel McCullers and L.T. Walton,Cheap Jerseys From China, also continue to develop. McCullers, drafted in 2014, and Walton, a 2016 pick, have appeared in 53 games, making a combined five starts in three seasons.
The 28-year-old Heyward, who enters his seventh season, wants to put a forgettable 2016 in the past.
Heyward was already sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle for a game the Steelers won by four points. He saw teammates along the line start to fall because of injury.
"We can go into the Wholesale China Jerseys game with three nose tackles or six or seven ends because guys can play multiple positions," Heyward said. "It just gives us depth and if someone gets injured, we don't feel like we're cramming around.
"I feel like my season got cut short," Heyward said. "I don't really count last season because I was injured too much, so I'm back to my sixth year."
"You see guys get a lot of reps and I thought they grew throughout the year," Heyward said. "I just want them to take the next step this year."
Since entering Cheap Football Jerseys China the NFL as the Steelers' first-round draft pick in 2011, Heyward played 85 consecutive regular-season games - third-longest active streak among NFL defensive ends at the time. But that string ended when a hamstring injury forced Heyward to miss two games. His season concluded soon after when Heyward tore a pectoral muscle against Dallas in November.
The Steelers added a veteran presence in March when they gave a two-year contract to Tyson Alualu, a longtime defensive lineman in Jacksonville, and 2010 first-round draft pick.
Tuitt,Jerseys NFL China, the Steelers' second-round pick in 2014,Cheap Jerseys From China, stepped up significantly to lead China Jerseys Cheap the line in Heyward's absence. Tuitt set the tone the week after Heyward's season-ending injury when he tied a single-game career high with two sacks and was chosen AFC Defensive Player of the Week. |
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