After a decade of Heath Miller's all-around excellence, the Pittsburgh Steelers are counting on recent acquisitionLadarius Green to stretch the field with his dynamic speed at tight end.
The presence of future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates might have prevented Green from reaching his ceiling in San Diego, but Chargers coach Mike McCoy is confident that a breakout season is on the horizon.
"He's got a bright future in Pittsburgh," McCoy said this week, via ESPN.com. "Can't say enough good things about him. That was not an easy decision."
Green was highly impressive on game film last season, hauling in a career-high 37 passes for 429 yards despite playing just 27 percent of the Bolts' offensive snaps.
Why is McCoy so bullish on Green's potential?
"His knowledge of the game, and the big thing is his playmaking ability," McCoy continued. "A very talented player in the passing game."
The Steelers are going to flood the field with playmakers such as Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Green and perhaps even second-year wideoutSammie Coates.
It will be interesting to see how defenses cover Green down the seam with a handful of other weapons drawing attention away.
"Heath was a great receiver, a great blocker. He wasn't really a stretch-the-field guy," general manager Kevin Colbert explained. "Ladarius gives you that added dimension of speed ... the speed and vertical threat at tight end is really something we haven't had."
Even without suspended wide receiverMartavis Bryant, Pittsburgh's offense should give New England's a run for its money as the AFC's most dangerous.
