Jul 29, 2016 4 min read

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The first day of practices at Steelers training camp is in the books and there were some interesting things to be seen and heard.

Early in the day, Adam Crowley and I sat down with Steelers GM Kevin Colbert on SNR for a chat.

Colbert reiterated what he had said in the offseason regarding star receiver Antonio Brown’s contract status. Namely, that was that the Steelers don’t renegotiate deals that have more than a year remaining for non-quarterbacks.

It might not be what Brown, who has been fishing for a new deal for the past two offseasons, might want to hear. But the Steelers have remained steadfast.

As for a possible restructuring, such as moving some of next year’s money into this year as the Steelers did in 2015, that might not be possible this time around.

Last year’s restructuring of moving $2 million of his 2016 salary into 2015 raised Brown’s cap hit this year to $12.3 million. Considering the Steelers are just over $3 million under the salary cap and want to get some other deals completed, Brown might have to wait until the offseason.

• Colbert said the Steelers had their eye on Ladarius Green since he came out of college and were very interested in him in the draft.

He also noted that Green has the ability to stretch the field, something Heath Miller could never really do, despite all of his talents.

The Steelers also expected Green, who is coming off an offseason ankle surgery, to possibly miss the start of training camp all along, so they’re not troubled by Green opening on the PUP list.

• Since today was basically nothing more than another mini-camp practice – the live hitting doesn’t start for a couple of days – I’m not into blow by blows of what happened.

But I did note that the second-team defensive line was L.T. Walton, Javon Hargrave and Ricardo Matthews.

I also noted on one play that Sammie Coates was lined up in the slot and Ben Roethlisberger checked with him at the line of scrimmage, adjusting a play. Coates, who was lined up against a linebacker, ran five yards downfield, cut in and then broke hard to the corner and Roethlisberger made an easy throw to the big wideout, who caught the ball well all day today.

Coates’ hands were considered suspect when he came to the Steelers. But he’s worked hard on that aspect. He’s also obviously been spending some time with Roethlisberger.

• Tyler Matakevich got kudos all around for blowing up a would-be screen play. He’s just got a natural instict for the game.

• Le’Veon Bell was a full participant today and many scoffed Thursday when he said if there was a game today, he’d be playing in it.

Forget that. He looked outstanding running the ball.

Now, there was no live tackling, but he cut with ease.

• Funniest play of the day was 350-pound nose tackle Daniel McCullers covering DeAngelo Williams in the flat on one passing play.

Bruce Gradkowski lofted the ball right over the 6-7 McCullers, dropping the ball right past his turned head.

A laughing Williams made a nice catch of the ball – there’s no way he could have seen it coming.

• Roethlisberger wore the No. 83 today for a while and mentioned he didn’t think anyone should have been given that number. Rookie Canaan Severin, who like Heath Miller is a Virginia product, has the number.

Long snapper Greg Warren did the same with the No. 6 of Shaun Suisham, though that number hasn’t been given out again yet.