The Facts: HC Mike Tomlin sounded pleased with the Year 3 projections for Coates, who was essentially drafted as a fallback plan for Martavis Bryant. "I expect him to take another leap," Tomlin said of Coates. "I think he took a significant leap from Year No. 1 to Year No. 2, one that we expect. I expect him to continue to grow, evolve and come with the level of preparedness that he had last year. And hopefully, with the level of improvement he had last year."
Diehards Line:
Bryant is encouraged by his reinstatement case but has not heard any new developments as of this week. The NFL has no official update on the matter. That leaves the Steelers, for now, operating as if Bryant’s presence in 2017 will be a bonus, not a guarantee. At least four young receivers have hopped aboard, including slot receiver Eli Rogers, the closest No. 2 receiving option the Steelers have on the roster. But Coates, new acquisition Justin Hunter and others must complement Antonio Brown by preparing to get vertical this season. Coates finished last season with 435 yards and two touchdowns, which isn’t a bad stat line for a second-year player, but not when nearly 100 percent of those yards came in the first five games. Coates played through two broken fingers and a groin injury that required offseason surgery. He never could find a rhythm on the field.