I have a feeling the Steelers already have a hand shake deal that keeps Rodgers from having to attend mini camps
Backup Center Makes sense. Not sexy at all as he's expected to not play lol. He could see some guard backup duty.
Interesting that they took safeties with consecutive picks, when they have Bates starting, signed Jordan Fuller in free agency and have DeMarcco Hellams returning from IR plus CB/S Kevin King returning for depth. Meanwhile, no additions at CB. But... yet another new DC, yet another tweak to the scheme. My guess is Bowman cross trains heavily at corner and plays as the backup nickel corner this year. Watts will be the successor to Bates, and he and Hellams will both get playing time along with Fuller, with their reps largely depending on single high vs cover two vs cover three packages - and Ulbrich is likely to mix in a bit of all three, though I'm expecting single high safety to be the base.
I kept reading that he wasn't so hot at guard, which is part of why I specifically named him as my choice for scout team center in our first mock. On the plus side, now that teams have an extra active lineman, it wouldn't be a bad move to have him active purely as a backup center. It makes it easier to go with a better guard backup as one of the other active reserves.
I think it's just for C. He can be coached at G with an elite coach and see if there is anything but I think it's just G. They probably sign a vet to backup / compete with Steen.
Bowman is going to play nickle for us Ulbrich said doesn't vision him as a safety mostly. It's what I figured too. Bowman always seemed more like a cover LB to me that could drop further back.
Jerry Gray said they'll look at him at nickel first, but they'll basically figure things out as they get into camp. The catch is that Raheem Morris had also said last month that the team was planning to play Clark Phillips at nickel this year. I guess they feel comfortable with Mike Hughes or Dee Alford playing the outside opposite A.J. Terrell and need Bowman backing up Phillips since Antonio Hamilton hasn't been re-signed.
I do see him as a likely starter at center within a year or two, and no doubt Underdog got good value taking him (one pick ahead of me) at the top of round seven in the first mock. I think the newer active player rules (an extra active allowed as long as there are 8+ active OL) works in his favor as far as his draft value. Ditto for the pure guards who aren't so hot at snapping the ball.
Likely not in Philly. Eagles just signed Jurgens to an extension starting the following season. He's the 2nd highest paid C after Humphrey.