Steelers Secondary Getting Damonte Kazee, William Jackson Integrated
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their secondary in two ways this week. First, they added corner William Jackson III via trade with the Washington Commanders. Then they got Damontae Kazee, who had been working his way back from a broken forearm and dislocated wrist, into practice for the first time during the regular season.
Prior to his injury, Kazee figured to be a major player in this Steelers secondary and upon his return, they'll expect the same from him upon his return. Corner James Pierre said Kazee's presence was noticeable right away and added that on gamedays, his ability to force turnovers will be valuable.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said having Kazee back makes life easier for him and strong safety Terrell Edmunds because of his versatility and knowledge. Kazee coming back will have a ripple effect on the rest of the defense in a similar way and open up more of teammates to make more plays.
"It allows us to be versatile in the secondary," Fitzpatrick said. "With me and [Edmunds] out there, I feel offenses get a good beat on where we are, where we're lined up, what we're doing. With Kazee out there, who can also move around and be anything in that secondary, it does give them a more difficult read."
Strengthening the defensive backfield was the addition of Jackson. All it took was a late-round pick swap to take him on after his stint with the Washington Commanders came to an unceremonious end.
James Pierre, one of the players the aging Jackson will have to compete with for playing time, said that he isn't focused on battling for playing time, but on getting his new teammate up to speed with the rest of the defense.
"We've just got to get him on board and get him working with us and get him helping out the team in the best way we can," Pierre said.
Fitzpatrick has high expectations for what Jackson can do once he is a full-time member of the team. He said the Steelers won't hide Jackson once he's ready to play, even if his recent performances in Washington indicate that his best days are behind him.
"I think he adds an extra guy who can cover, an extra guy with speed," Fitzpatrick said. "He's a man-to-man guy. He can keep the deep ball off of us. We're going to expect him to win 50-50 balls. We're going to expect him to cover good receivers and that allows us to go back there and play ball."
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