The Steelers' most significant investment this offseason finally practiced.
Tight end Ladarius Green, who was placed on the physically unable to perform list back at the end of August with an ankle issue, worked out with the team Tuesday. NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala also reported during the preseason that Green was suffering from recurring headaches.
"Everything is getting better," Green said, via the team's official site. "Everything is progressing."
He added: "It's a big difference. You can learn as much as you want to but until you go on the field and actually go through it, it's a big difference. I had a good while to learn the playbook. I learned it pretty much and am pretty good at it. Until you go on the field and run it, it's a totally different animal."
When Ben Roethlisberger was healthy, this was supposed to be a game-changing signing for Pittsburgh's star-heavy offense. With Green and running back Le'Veon Bell terrorizing the middle of the field, there would not be much of a safety net remaining for the league's best receiver, Antonio Brown, or a premiere deep threat like Sammie Coates.
Backup quarterback Landry Jones' presence changed the parameters for now.
We might not see Green's full effectiveness on the offense this year. Tight end Jesse James is already third on the team in receptions with 22 (7.2 yards per catch and a catch rate above 70 percent) and could be far enough entrenched to relegate Green's impact to special packages.
However, with the rest of the AFC North stalling alongside Pittsburgh, the Steelers might have the opportunity to bring Green and Roethlisberger along together. Pairing Big Ben with someone who has gained nearly 15 yards per catch throughout his career is a warning sign the rest of the division does not want to see coming.
