Steelers have great expectations for Sammie Coates
During the weeks leading up to the 2015 season opener, Ben Roethlisberger was posed a rather innocuous question with Martavis Bryant about to serve what was then a four-game suspension: "Did he see a greater role for Sammie Coates in the Steelers offense?"
"No, I think you're going to see a bigger role Heyward-Bey," the quarterback answered flatly last Sept. 1. Ouch.
What's changed for Coates since then? Plenty, actually.
For starters, Bryant is suspended again, this time for the entire 2016 season. Darrius Heyward-Bey? He's back and should be a key contributor, but it's Coates who the Steelers are counting on most to help offset the loss of Bryant, unquestionably Pittsburgh's best vertical threat.
"We'll all need to step up," Roethlisberger was saying last week during the start of OTAs. "I?d like to see some of the young guys really take the next step, especially the young receiving guys."
Coates most certainly fits into that category and no one's downplaying his potential impact in 2016.
Last season, Coates appeared in just seven games -- with one reception for 11 yards -- and was inactive for the final six regular-season games and the wild-card victory at Cincinnati. But with Antonio Brown sidelined for the AFC Divisional Round playoff at Denver with a concussion, Coates was pressed into action, responding with two receptions for 61 yards. While those numbers might be Bryant-like, the Steelers and Coates will need to see more of it.
"You just have to keep building," Coates said. "It's one of my games where I finally got to go out there and catch the ball and get some run after. I've got to keep showing that I can keep catching the ball consistently and running after the catch. That's about being in condition, great shape and that's my goal."
Much like Bryant, Coates came to the Steelers in the third round with the tag of being big, fast and raw. At 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, Coates looked like he was pulled straight from central casting -- Auburn, actually -- but coach Mike Tomlin was not immediately impressed with his conditioning. Bryant, who ran a 4.37 at his pro day, couldn't sustain it. He had to learn to do what it takes to compete and to excel at the highest level.
"You come in (to the NFL) after the draft process, sitting around, flying around, doing all these things, you come in and your body is not prepared to where it needs to be," Coates said. "I came in a little sloppy. I had to learn from my mistakes and that's what I had to do."
Despite the loss of Bryant, the Steelers figure to have to one of -- if not -- the best receiving corps in the league between Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Heyward-Bey and, yes, Coates.
"I think he can be as good as he wants to be," Brown, the two-time All-Pro, said of Coates. "There's going to be a lot of opportunity for him to come in and make plays and I'm sure he's going to take advantage of it."
Judging from the small sample size of one week of OTAs, Coates appears determined to make the most of his chance. He's whipped himself into even better shape by following the lead of Brown, who he called a "work horse, he's always out here working."
While Coates says he doesn't have any individual goals in mind for next season, he's well aware that the Steelers are expecting bigger and better things from him.
"I just want to play," Coates said. "I want to showcase that I can play and whatever comes, comes."
During the weeks leading up to the 2015 season opener, Ben Roethlisberger was posed a rather innocuous question with Martavis Bryant about to serve what was then a four-game suspension: "Did he see a greater role for Sammie Coates in the Steelers offense?"
"No, I think you're going to see a bigger role Heyward-Bey," the quarterback answered flatly last Sept. 1. Ouch.
What's changed for Coates since then? Plenty, actually.
For starters, Bryant is suspended again, this time for the entire 2016 season. Darrius Heyward-Bey? He's back and should be a key contributor, but it's Coates who the Steelers are counting on most to help offset the loss of Bryant, unquestionably Pittsburgh's best vertical threat.
"We'll all need to step up," Roethlisberger was saying last week during the start of OTAs. "I?d like to see some of the young guys really take the next step, especially the young receiving guys."
Coates most certainly fits into that category and no one's downplaying his potential impact in 2016.
Last season, Coates appeared in just seven games -- with one reception for 11 yards -- and was inactive for the final six regular-season games and the wild-card victory at Cincinnati. But with Antonio Brown sidelined for the AFC Divisional Round playoff at Denver with a concussion, Coates was pressed into action, responding with two receptions for 61 yards. While those numbers might be Bryant-like, the Steelers and Coates will need to see more of it.
"You just have to keep building," Coates said. "It's one of my games where I finally got to go out there and catch the ball and get some run after. I've got to keep showing that I can keep catching the ball consistently and running after the catch. That's about being in condition, great shape and that's my goal."
Much like Bryant, Coates came to the Steelers in the third round with the tag of being big, fast and raw. At 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, Coates looked like he was pulled straight from central casting -- Auburn, actually -- but coach Mike Tomlin was not immediately impressed with his conditioning. Bryant, who ran a 4.37 at his pro day, couldn't sustain it. He had to learn to do what it takes to compete and to excel at the highest level.
"You come in (to the NFL) after the draft process, sitting around, flying around, doing all these things, you come in and your body is not prepared to where it needs to be," Coates said. "I came in a little sloppy. I had to learn from my mistakes and that's what I had to do."
Despite the loss of Bryant, the Steelers figure to have to one of -- if not -- the best receiving corps in the league between Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Heyward-Bey and, yes, Coates.
"I think he can be as good as he wants to be," Brown, the two-time All-Pro, said of Coates. "There's going to be a lot of opportunity for him to come in and make plays and I'm sure he's going to take advantage of it."
Judging from the small sample size of one week of OTAs, Coates appears determined to make the most of his chance. He's whipped himself into even better shape by following the lead of Brown, who he called a "work horse, he's always out here working."
While Coates says he doesn't have any individual goals in mind for next season, he's well aware that the Steelers are expecting bigger and better things from him.
"I just want to play," Coates said. "I want to showcase that I can play and whatever comes, comes."
