Yes, there is a good reason Rick James of Glassport named his son Jesse, but it’s not because he had any fascination with the infamous 19th century outlaw.
“My dad wanted people to remember my name,’’ Jesse James said.
Mission accomplished.
Now it is time to separate himself from the 4,514 other people named Jesse James that Spokeo.com lists as living in the United States. He has the opportunity to do just that as a tight end with the Steelers, where jobs are wide open.
For the first time since Ben Roethlisberger was a rookie, Heath Miller is not in training camp. Neither is Matt Spaeth, who played backup to Miller at tight end seven of the past nine seasons with the Steelers. Miller retired; Spaeth failed his physical and was cut.
That leaves a big hole at tight end that James, along with newcomer Ladarius Green, oldcomer David Johnson and sleeper Xavier Grimble hope to fill.
Each has his own strengths. James is similar to Miller’s type, someone adept at blocking and catching the ball, taller at 6-7, and around the same weight at 253. Green, signed as a free agent from San Diego, is 6-6, 240 with speed to go deep. Johnson is an H-back; he can play fullback or tight end and has returned to the Steelers after two years in San Diego. And Xavier Grimble (6-6, 261) is an intriguing prospect with his fourth team in two years, having spent most of 2015 on the Steelers’ practice squad.
No less an observer than Roethlisberger brought up Grimble this week.
“I think X is going to be good, Xavier Grimble,’’ the quarterback said of the former Southern California tight end. “I think he’s someone to watch, I really do. I think he gives us a chance to maybe have a guy with some speed who can stretch a field and a big, strong guy who can block, too.”
Roethlisberger, in fact, sees the mostly young group as a potentially good one, although no one is about to compare any of them to Heath Miller, whose 592 receptions rank second in Steelers history behind only Hines Ward’s 1,000.
Green has not yet practiced in the spring or at Saint Vincent College, although he seems close to doing so after ankle surgery early in the year. James was limited in his rookie season of 2015, catching eight passes after the Steelers drafted him in the fifth round from Penn State.
“I think you’ve seen Jesse grow a lot,’’ Roethlisberger said. “Jesse does a good job of kind of doing the Heath and Spaeth role. Spaeth was always the big blocker.”
Blocking is almost all Johnson does. He spent his first five seasons with the Steelers, including 2012 on injured reserve, then signed as a free agent with the Chargers in 2014. He has 24 career receptions, two carries and one touchdown scored in 82 games.
Yet he reported back to the Steelers a new man, having lost weight and reshaped his body.
“I think DJ looks great,” Roethlisberger said, “just like a completely different person body-wise, running. I’m really excited to see him because he was always a strong blocker and things like that, but I think he worked on his speed and catching, and I think he’s going to be really good in that aspect.”
There may be no Heath Miller in the bunch, but of them all, James has the potential to supply both the receiving and blocking style that so endeared him to Steelers fans, not to mention his teammates.
James called it a “huge opportunity,” and he hopes to use some of the lessons he learned at Miller’s knee in his rookie season.
“How to deal with small details, how to take care of your body, how to eat all the way through, how to run certain run plays and what to look for on the film,’’ James said, citing the tips his mentor taught him. “He was a great help.”
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley used Miller all over the place, as did his predecessors. James can move around as well, which is particularly important in the no-huddle when there are no substitutions.
“I feel comfortable wherever they put me,” James said. “I’ve been in offenses in my college career [at Penn State] where I played all over the place and carrying it on here where coach Haley moves us around. It’s good for me to be versatile.”
And while “Heeeeeath” Miller became the most famous tight end in Steelers history, Jesse James would like to make a name for himself, too.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First Published: July 31, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
