Steelers’ Sweed eyes improved play

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — One day after second-round draft pick Limas Sweed was carted off the practice field, the Pittsburgh Steelers found out their newest wide receiver does have a physical defect — but not an injury.

An eye test resulted in Sweed returning to camp Thursday with contact lenses. As for being carted off the field a day earlier, Sweed had cramps.

“I just went in and had them checked out, and they told me, ’You know, you have a little astigmatism,”’ said Sweed, who said he has always been prone to cramps and dehydration and neglected to take his salt tablet Wednesday. “I’m happy because I never knew. Now I can be 20/20 and be back in action.”

Coaches saw Sweed squinting during video sessions and noticed he would catch the ball on only certain sides.

“The old wide receiver in me [notices] that when you see guys struggle to pick up the blur of the ball, that’s often one of the fist things that you look at,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “It was a minor issue, it’s been corrected, and hopefully it’s a winning edge for him.”

Sweed was given new contacts and a pair of glasses, and he pledged to wear them on and off the field.

He joked that he should be even better than he was at Texas, where he ranked second all-time in receiving touchdowns and fifth in yardage.

As he adjusts to the pro game, Sweed said that the NFL playbook is much thicker than in college, forcing him to learn more formations than at Texas.

“I think I’m slowly finding my place as I learn more of the offense and am getting more comfortable,” Sweed said.

Pittsburgh has a crowded receiving corps. Starters Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and reigning No. 3 wideout Nate Washington are ahead of Sweed on the depth chart and seven others after the Steelers signed Eddie Drummond on Thursday.

Also on the roster at the position are former third-round pick Willie Reid, last year’s seventh round selection Dallas Baker from Florida, Jeremy Bloom, Marvin Allen, Gerran Walker and Micah Rucker.

“[Sweed] still has to put a lot of hard work into it,” Ward said. “But he’s a great student. He wants to learn, he wants to get better.”

The approval of Ward means a lot to Sweed, who has established an early rapport with Ward and the rest of the receiving corps, already joking that he has the least drops of the group through the first four days of camp.

The rookie impressed Ward, who is entering his 11th season, by initiating contact while running over a safety after a catch in practice Wednesday.