If the Steelers hand Payton Wilson a bigger role this offseason, he, and his body, will be prepared for it. The second-year inside linebacker told reporters yesterday he increased his weight since his rookie year. Presumably, the purpose is to play the run better, but he believes he has also retained his speed.
According to Ray Fittipaldo, Payton Wilson weighed around 235 as a rookie but is now up to 243. That’s about as high as he wants to go, however, for multiple reasons. For one thing, he said it’s not easy for him to add weight. And he simply doesn’t believe he needs that much bulk to do what he needs to do.