Mike Tomlin has a favorite axiom that has helped shape the culture of the team during his tenure as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The standard is the standard.
Steelers fans have heard those words many times over the years and with the team set to begin training camp next Thursday, you can rest assured that standard will be as high as ever.
It’s easy to see why.
Few teams boast a roster with as much talent as the Steelers, and it has many believing this could be the year the team wins their seventh Super Bowl title in franchise history.
A roster as deep as the Steelers boast means making the 53-man roster won’t be easy. There are a number of players that will need to come up big to secure a roster spot. Here are three players will need to have an impressive showing at camp if they want to make the team.
Demarcus Ayers – The Steelers spent a seventh-round pick on Ayers with the expectation that he can give the team an instant spark as a return specialist and will likely battle Eli Rogers and Shakim Phillips for the fifth WR spot. The University of Houston product will look to replace All-Pro Antonio Brown returning punts, something Dri Archer was unable to do before being released last season.
Ayers had a tremendous junior campaign with the Cougars, catching 98 passes for 1,222 yards and six scores while adding a punt return TD. Although it will be Ayers ability to impress as a returner that will likely seal his fate, the 5-foot 10-inch, 180-pound receiver shined as a do-it-all slot receiver who even rushed the ball 25 times last season.
Outlook: Ayers will have his hands full beating out both Rogers and Phillips. Rogers drew rave reviews this off-season after spending last season on the Steelers injured reserve, while Phillips was very impressive in training camp last year and spent the 2015 campaign on the practice squad. If Ayers proves he can be the guy in 2016 as a return man, he gets the nod. Otherwise, he ends up fighting for a spot on the practice squad.
Caushaud Lyons – Lyons is a defensive end who spent the majority of last season on the Steelers practice squad after being claimed off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What makes Lyons so intriguing is his athleticism and raw potential. Right off the bat, it’s noteworthy that the Steelers made a point to not only claim Lyons last year, they kept him on the active roster early in the season to protect him from being claimed off their practice squad.
That may or may not mean much in 2016, but it’s fair to say that the Steelers hope with a full year under his belt with the team, the 6-foot 5-inch, 285-pound defensive end will be ready to claim a backup role at the position.
Outlook: It won’t be easy for Lyons, who will likely have to beat out Leterrius Walton and Ricardo Mathews to make the 53-man roster. Lyons will have to impress early and often in order to do it, because the Steelers really like Walton and Mathews can also play nose tackle. It could be the practice squad again for Lyons.
Tyler Matakevich – Looking at the on-field resume of Matakevich, you’d think he would be a sure fire first-round pick. A four-starter at Temple, Matakevich broke the 100-tackle threshold each year and had his best season as a senior, where he earned the prestigious Nagurski and Bednarik awards, along with first-team All-American honors.
What made him slip until the seventh round then? Simple — measurables.
Matakevich is the perfect example of someone just makes plays in game settings, but whose physical limitations are exposed when it’s time to be tested at the combine. However, when it comes to playing football, Matakevich is hard not to notice when you watch his game film.
It’s hard not to love this kid, and you can bet he will be a favorite at camp among fans. The real question will be whether or not Matakevich can provide enough evidence that he can be a special teams contributor right away. If he does, he’s got a real shot of beating out Steven Johnson as a reserve at inside linebacker.
Outlook: Matakevich is my sleeper of training camp. It won’t take long to see whether or not he’s up to the task of playing in the NFL, and I believe he’s not going to disappoint. There is no question Matakevich will push hard for one of the final roster spots in camp.
Photo credit: USAToday Sports
