PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers view new cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. as an outside cornerback only, and he is not slated to take any snaps in the slot, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Samuel has only take 40 career slot cornerback snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, but played there while at Florida State. He has versatility, but the Steelers want him outside, not inside, given his recovery from neck surgery.
Austin says that Samuel is in ‘great shape’ and looks fantastic for someone who has not practiced in nearly a full calendar year after major surgery. However, that does not mean Samuel will play this week.
“Well, you can tell he stayed in great shape,” Austin said. “You see him running around. Where that leads at the end of the week, I won’t know until we get to the end of the week... he has all the natural movements for a cornerback and fits what we do with so much single-high.”
Samuel admitted on Wednesday after his first practice with the team that he had dealt with recurrent stingers throughout his entire NFL career. He had the surgery to correct the massive issue, though he would not make it an excuse for tackling struggles that have persisted over his career.
“I feel great,” Samuel said. “It’s the healthiest I’ve ever been, been dealing with it and I got it fixed, so now I feel good.”
As for why he joined the organization, there is a legacy of excellence that drew Samuel to the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin. On top of that, he feels like he can fit into their defense well given how similar it is to what he did in his last season with the Chargers.
“I’m glad I ended up here,” Samuel said “I’m glad everything worked out to be here, and I’m blessed to be here with great coaches and great teammates.”
The Steelers will work to get Samuel up to speed quickly, which could see him involved more in the rotation at cornerback than ever before. While it might not be this week, it will be sooner rather than later.
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