Steelers OTAs: Darius Rush impressing at CB? What's it mean for Cory Trice Jr., Ryan Watts?

back here on the Northshore Drive podcast I'm your host Chris Carter here with Brian batco uh we're gonna talk a little bit more about OTAs let's stick on the defensive side of the ball for a little bit here Brian we got a chance to talk to guys like Darius rush and Corey Corey tce also got a chance to talk to Dante Jackson for for a little bit and it's kind of just I I think it's interesting to see how the Steelers are going to figure out the cornerback position you know we talked a lot about the slot corner and how that's completely undecided right now you know they didn't bring back Shannon Sullivan you know beanie Bishop might be that guy who knows but even at the outside corner there's still a lot of questions to be answered I know Dante Jackson is the addition they brought in from the Panthers and the Deontay Johnson trade but you know he if he's the number two okay fine he's a solid veteran with good speed but they think you we all know how injuries work they're going to need somebody at some point and uh right now they have a lot of guys who just have a lot to prove like Trice who's coming off injury and uh and uh and Rush who played like 30 snaps in his first game and then didn't play much after that last year yeah I mean Dante Jackson you know it would it would be good for the Steelers to to kind of recruit some of the value from that Deontay Johnson trade if if he turns out to still have a lot of gas left in the tank but it'd be good for them in the long term if one of those younger guys is is able to step up and I you know I think just from week one of of OTAs again grain of salt disclaimer but I thought Darius Rush looked pretty solid out there I mean he looked Prett fluid looked smooth when when he had opportunities with the first team defense and you know the unfortunate reality of this for trce is that Rush is is getting a head start right now in this period of spring I mean two two pretty similar guys in terms of size speed College pedigree you know Rush was what A fifth rounder I think TR a seventh and you know it's a little odd that Rush has already bounced around a little bit this early in his NFL career but I mean there's still the traits and and the project the B aspects of it that the Steelers must like they had him in for a pre-draft visit so we can infer that that they've had interest in him as a prospect going back to um you know even before last year's draft so I mean he's he's getting a chance right now to try to separate a bit and you know it stinks for Trice that he's not fully cleared for contact yet he said he's he's sure he will be by training camp and maybe he can make a late push and you know there's going to be it's generally a Level Playing Field until you get to those live periods at Vincent College but at least for right now you know Rush has every opportunity to to kind of start making a good impression in a way that Trice just simply can't so um you know so that's a a point in the Box for Rush if he can continue to build off of that and you know the other uh sort of side note that I'll mention to this is you might be sitting there in your living room or whatever in your car wondering why aren't you mentioning Ryan Watts sixth round pick this year from Texas their their last draft pick uh last month he's been playing more safety than anything so far for the Steelers so that that was also something that we talked about and a lot of the draft experts who uh you know chopped up his film going into it said H this guy might have to transition uh to a safety spot in the NFL just not sure if he has kind of that you know fluid fluidity that you need as as a corner and so far at least it seems like the Steelers may be buying that idea too or they just feel like they're a little less uh you know deep at safety than they are at corner even with tr out for right now right and you know all of this is just looking at skill sets and seeing how guys fit again a lot of this is experimentation especially with lower round rookies seeing where they where they could be uh and you know they you know they got deshun Elliot they got they got Damonte KY with movitz Patrick but maybe they could use another guy there that's not you know miles KBW even though miles kbbr is their special teams Ace um so I I get I get that too but you know I just I look back at the at the the Prototype they seem to be trying to build at cornerback with these late round picks or these in these lower these different additions you know Darius rush you know a guy who's almost 62 uh but ran a 43 six you know so great length you know great speed you know can can they mold That Into You know a high-end player or a starter someday you know Cory tce 63 ran a 447 you know but really explosive testing you know at his combine last year you know just with the injury questions that you know resurfaced last year as well but I think it's going to be interesting to see when Trice does get approved for full contact what he looks like when the pads go on because you know I got to talk to him and when I asked him I was like hey you know Corey you you were you were like one of the big talks of training camp when you went down last year you know what kind of work do you put in to try to get back to that or get back or or get to surpassing that and he was like hey man that's all he's been focusing on every day in his recovery is you know while trying to get his body right trying to also stay up on everything he needs to know as an NFL player and watching and studying how he needs to keep improving himself and I think at least in the early stages of things you the Steelers have a lot of young hungry guys like this who are you know ready and willing to prove themselves and not resigned to playing a specific spot just trying to find their where they can fit in yeah and you know it's interesting too that rush and Trice have been you know with good reason uh a big talking point for for Steelers fans but Dante Jackson is kind of a little bit of a forgotten man here I mean he's he's driven as well I think he understands that people sort of wrote him off after a couple disappointing seasons in in Carolina the last two years won with injury and last year just maybe not as effective at least to the point that they were probably going to cut him uh because of his big cap hit I mean I asked him the other day hey what's the plan for you I mean are the Steelers kind of going to move you around like they've done with their previous veteran Corners Patrick Peterson cam Sutton he said no I mean I've only I've only ever played outside corner in the NFL and so far it seems like that's where they want me but willing to do whatever so just keep kind of keep that in the back of your mind that uh Jackson didn't bristle at the idea of of maybe moving inside to the slot um you know there's no indication that they're going to do that they they might trust that hey he's our uh Insurance playing on at the other outside Corner Spot opposite Joey because he's been there done that in the league but he's not one of these Avatar Corners at at six foot and above he's a little smaller guy and uh you know he's he's out to prove that he hasn't lost a step and it was just 's he he definitely brings a good energy to that group as as the you know eldest Statesman he's yeah he's the old head yeah yeah yeah he is and and but he's new here and he was talking about uh how much he's always admired the Steelers defense from afar that this it's it's great to come into a place where the standard is set I'm sure that's a at least a little bit of a short of sort of a stray for Carolina but what are you going to do that franchise has been down bad the last few years with a lot of turnover in the front office and and coaching staff and just team Personnel um but yeah he said he's he's excited to get here play with guys like TJ watt cam Hayward makea Fitzpatrick said you've got to swim with the sharks and and he feels like he is a shark so which is good because sometimes people say you're Swimming with Sharks uh but you know pilot fish Chris actually they swim with sharks because it protects them from other predators and you know that's not really a a bold or no thing in terms of a sporting comparison that that was a very interesting way to compare that but I it was just it was just in my book that I was reading with my son so it was kind of fresh in my mind I was like you always hear that oh I'm swimming with the sharks now it's like well that could be a good thing if you are another shark right but if you're a pilot fish just kind of drafting off of them for protection and you know eating some of the uh the leftover stray food like that doesn't really paint you in in the light that you're going for there the North short dry podcast now also brought to you by Zoo books uh they're actually called who would win books but uh yeah actually they're good that that that's that's a that's I could get into that kind of book hammerhead versus bull shark is where I learned this uh this interesting shark fact who won though do you want the spoiler or do you want to go check it out at your local library give give give me this give me the spoiler well the hammerhead's bigger but the bull shark is just way more aggressive and I mean I mean yeah he just bites his tail he's just he has him in the blender man it's it's it is not it is not good for the hammerhead shark at the end of that book there you have it we get it's like Jaylen Warren picking up a blitz against like an oncoming Edge rusher or something just detonates him I think that's a great comparison because Jaylen Warren ain't big but he will put you on your butt uh I think he did that to miles Garrett once or twice that's he doesn't he does Jaylen Warren he doesn't have a nickname or anything yet does he maybe we should call him the B bull shark bull shark there we go we just did it right here on the Northshore Drive podcast we have now named Jaylen Warren the bull shark these things need to happen organically but maybe I'll uh maybe I'll bring the book in next week take it to his locker like here Jaylen here's some reading material let me know what you think of your of comparing your game to a bull shark okay we gotta get back here we're gonna talk about receivers next because we talked to George Pickins and Calvin Austin this week I want to get their thoughts we won't do any more zoology talk here we think we'll see who knows but stick with us here on the Northshore Drive podcast thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Northshore Drive podcast of the Pittsburgh Post cazette if you're watching this video on YouTube please like the video and subscribe to our YouTube channel for 6 months of digital access to post hypen gazette.com for just $6 click the link Down Below in the description