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Colony: Fluent Thursday Camp For Battered Steelers

LATROBE (93-7 The FAN) - It was the most comfortable day of Steelers Training Camp so far, by far, with temperatures around 70 and an overcast sky with a slight drizzle.

Mike Tomlin even cut the afternoon short, eliminating one competition period because he's been satisfied with the work and perhaps because so many players are banged up and are either limited or being held out altogether.

"As we get closer to game time, I want to make sure I put them in position to be at their best physically in the stadium," Tomlin said.

There's encouraging news for safety Robert Golden, whose ligaments are still intact after what had appeared to be a serious injury Wednesday.

"Fortunately, it was not as significant as we first thought," said Tomlin.

Linebacker Vince Williams was carted off with a hamstring pull, but was walking around on the field by the end of the day and Tomlin says it seems minor.

After the defense had the advantage Wednesday, the offense was fairly dominating in drills today. The offense scored on all seven two-point PATs, three with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and four with Landry Jones. Tight end Jesse James made the best catch, an acrobatic grab of a Jones pass while well covered. Wide receiver Devin Gardner, the former Michigan quarterback, earned bragging rights by beating former Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant on a well-thrown fade by Jones, who appears much-improved in his third camp.

Roethlisberger was on-target again, hitting Antonio Brown on two long plays, deep over the middle and down the right sideline. Ben also hit Darrius Heyward-Bey on two similar plays.

With back-ups slated to play much, if not all, of Sunday night's preseason contest against the Vikings in the Hall of Fame Game, the starters sat out the two-minute drill. Jones drove the ball downfield, hitting tight end Cameron Clear for a touchdown. Tyler Murphy hit Gardner in stride over the middle for another touchdown, capping off a big day for the offense.

Cornerback Will Gay was given the day off, and safety Shamarko Thomas was in pads but didn't participate in any 11-on-11 drills.

Friday's practice, again, starts at 2:55 p.m..

Steelers Sign New TE

Steelers claimed 6-foot-5 tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys and released Rob Blanchflower. Hamilton played at Iowa where he caught three career touchdown passes and is a native of Strongsville, Oh. Blanchflower was the Steelers seventh round pick in 2014 and spent most of his Steelers career injured.

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