Minkah Fitzpatrick turned the corner walking into his new locker room and was greeted by a throng of reporters and jeers from his new Steelers teammates.
Welcome to the club, new guy.
That was the message Fitzpatrick, traded for on Monday night by the Steelers, received Wednesday, along with a crash course on the terminology involved in learning his new defense.
"Football is football. Once you know the terminology and learn the verbiage of the game, you're good," Fitzpatrick said Wednesday after completing his initial practice with the Steelers. "Today, I didn't feel out of place at all. Football is football. I was here (Tuesday) for four or five hours with the coaches just watching film and breaking stuff down. I'm in a good spot. I'll definitely be ready for Sunday."
The Steelers traded three picks, including their 2020 first-round selection to the Dolphins in exchange for Fitzpatrick and two other late-round picks Monday night after learning starting free safety Sean Davis would be out for an extended period of time with a torn labrum.
Fitzpatrick will make salaries of just $1.08 million this season, $1.975 million in 2020 and $2.72 million in 2021, with the Steelers holding an option year on him for 2022.
Mike Tomlin said Tuesday Fitzpatrick will line up at free safety for now, until he gets a better handle on the defense.
The addition of Fitzpatrick gives the Steelers 10 former first-round draft picks on their defense, including backups Artie Burns and Tyson Alualu. Fitzpatrick, the 11th pick in the 2018 draft, is expected to start Sunday when the Steelers (0-2) play the 49ers (2-0) at Levi's Stadium.
His new teammates were only too happy to welcome him into the fold, former first-round pick or not.
"I could care less about that," defensive end Cam Heyward said in regards to all of the first-round picks on defense. "I hope you start one of these games and we win a Super Bowl with you."
That won't be the case with Fitzpatrick, who was widely viewed as the top defensive back prospect in last year's draft. He played outside corner, nickel corner and safety with the Dolphins, but balked at staying with Miami this season because the organization is purposely losing and was asking him to play strong safety and dime linebacker.
Nobody seems to care that Fitzpatrick forced his way out of what he thought was a bad situation in Miami.
"I don't care. I really don't care," Heyward said. "You could have been a clown somewhere else, as long as you are playing football here, I'm good."
And Fitzpatrick said his issues with playing close to the line of scrimmage were overblown.
"If I've got to do it time to time, I'm good with that," Fitzpatrick said about playing in the box. "But every snap? I don't think that's what I'm built for right now. If they ask me to do it, I don't mind playing in the box, covering tight ends and playing the run, stuff like that."
The Steelers will pair Fitzpatrick, 22, with fellow 2018 first-round draft pick Terrell Edmunds, also 22, at the safety position. That gives the Steelers a pair of talented young safeties for at least the next four seasons.
Edmunds, the 28th pick in last year's draft, got to know Fitzpatrick during the draft process. They trained together in Pensacola, Fla., prior to the NFL Scouting Combine and have stayed in touch since.
Edmunds will be counted on to make sure Fitzpatrick gets up to speed quickly.
"I'll try to talk to him as much as I can and get together outside the football facility and talk about things," Edmunds said. "The game is coming quick. This is his first week here and we're trying to get him as comfortable as he can be out there.
"I'm definitely going to talk with him as much as I can."
That will be welcome for Fitzpatrick.
In 18 games in Miami, Fitzpatrick recorded 91 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He hopes to be a playmaker for the Steelers, as well.
"I think it is important to anchor me down (in one spot) for now," Fitzpatrick said. "Once I learn the system more, I will be able to move around more. A valuable part of my game is being able to move around, whether it be at free safety, nickel corner, playing in the box and covering guys. That's a big part of my game and a reason why they wanted me here."
And the former Alabama star wants to win, something he feels the Steelers can still do despite their slow start. Miami had been outscored 102-10 in its first two games.
"Just because you're 0-2 right now doesn't mean you can't turn it around," he said of the Steelers. "Watching the early game film, Week 1, they played a great team. Last week, it was two or three plays that could have turned the whole game around."
He wants to be part of that process.
"I knew this was a great team, great coaches surrounding the program," Fitzpatrick said. I was excited. I talked to Coach Tomlin before the draft. I got a sense of who he was as a coach. When I found out the news, I was excited."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
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Steelers practice, Rooney Sports Complex, Sept. 18, 2019 -- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS[/caption]
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