Golson injured again, leaves practice on cart
LATROBE – Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said last week he couldn’t wait to see what second-year cornerback Senquez Golson could do on the football field.
“We’ve haven’t seen him, well, we haven’t seen him at all,” Butler said. “I was going to say since, but there hasn’t been a since. So we’ve got to see what he can do. For us, it’s about teaching him what we think he can do to give us some depth and some options.”
Butler better not have blinked.
Golson, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery, suffered what head coach Mike Tomlin said was a mid-foot injury in an 11-on-11 drill Monday at training camp at Saint Vincent College.
Golson, the Steelers’ second-round draft pick in 2015, appeared to suffer the injury without contact with another player. He limped out of action and slammed his helmet to the ground before sitting down where trainers worked on him. He was eventually taken off the field on a cart, throwing his mouthpiece in disgust as it drove off.
Golson had been lining up as the slot cornerback in nickel packages early in training camp and was replaced by rookie Sean Davis, the second-round draft pick this year.
The Steelers selected Davis (6-1, 202) with the idea of playing him at safety. But he also played cornerback at Maryland, giving the Steelers a good-sized safety with pass coverage ability. He finished his college career with 318 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles.
Butler hopes to utilize those talents.
“What’s happening is everybody is running what we call kings people – three wide receivers, a tight end and a back – so we’ve got to have somebody who’s more of a hybrid, somebody that’s a safety who can cover wide receivers,” Butler said. “We’ll see what our corner/safety can do, too. We’ll see what his attributes can be.”
That corner/safety is Davis, who has shown the ability to time blitzes well out of the slot and has been a ferocious hitter in the live run drills, taking down running backs easily.
He’s been an early standout in the first two days of padded practices.
“I like to hit,” Davis said. “They all fall the same way. I wasn’t too scared. I was ready to get the first one in. I’m not scared of anyone out there. I’m just looking forward to keep hitting.”
If Golson is out for an extended period, those opportunities could continue. Davis got plenty of work at the spot in the offseason as Golson missed time with an undisclosed injury.
That is paying dividends now.
“It definitely helped me a lot, getting those extra reps in at nickel,” Davis said.
“I think that has prepared me well. Hopefully, Senquez is all right. But as long as my number is out there, I’m going at it.”
And when his unit is not on the field, Davis quickly jogs back to stand next to defensive backs coach Carnell Lake 50 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Lake, a former Pro Bowl safety, likes to view the offense from that vantage point and give the defensive backs tips from there.
“Every rep when I’m not in, I’m there with Coach Lake, trying to get my mental rep in,” Davis said. “I’m not taking any reps off.”
Going into the draft, there were questions about whether Davis was a cornerback or a safety. The Steelers see him as a little bit of both. That versatility has gotten Davis on the field more quickly than first-round draft pick Artie Burns, who is strictly a cornerback.
“I’m just happy that my skillset is finally paying off,” Davis said. “I’ve got the size and strength of a safety, but the quickness and speed of a corner. I’m just using my abilities.”
After taking Sunday off, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was back at practice Monday. … Linebacker James Harrison also suffered what Tomlin deemed a slight ankle sprain. … Also leaving practice Monday was rookie tight end Mandel Dixon (head). … Linebacker Jarvis Jones (illness) did not practice. His roommate, safety Shamarko Thomas, who was ill Sunday, was back at practice. … The Steelers are off Tuesday and return to practice Wednesday at 2:55 p.m. It is open to the public.