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Mason Rudolph started wearing the No. 2 while playing high school football in South Carolina. He kept it during his record-breaking career at Oklahoma State Youth Luke Falk Jersey , where he left as the program’s all-time winningest quarterback.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers let him know No. 2 was available when he reported for rookie minicamp, he jumped at the chance.

The two-time defending AFC North champions raised eyebrows when they traded up to grab Rudolph in the third round of the draft – with general manager Kevin Colbert stressing the team had given Rudolph a first-round grade. Rudolph is well aware that he’s second on the depth chart – and more likely third – behind Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones.

”I’m looking forward to embracing my role now on this team and learning,” Rudolph said Friday after finishing his first practice as a pro along with the other rookies and first-year players.

And just in case Rudolph needed a reminder about his status, Roethlisberger provided a few in recent weeks when he expressed surprise the team used such a high pick on a quarterback when the 36-year-old two-time Super Bowl winner plans to play until he’s nearing his 40s.

Rudolph didn’t take it personally and pointed out Roethlisberger sent him a text on Thursday wishing him luck.

”I think the media got kind of twisted around a little bit,” Rudolph said of Roethlisberger’s comments to both the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and 93.7 The Fan radio in Pittsburgh. ”I think he’s a competitor. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback and he’s a competitive guy and that’s what I would expect.”

Then again, so is Rudolph. Save for the first 10 games of his prolific career at Oklahoma State, Rudolph has been the starting quarterback for whatever team he was on since his sophomore year of high school. Waiting until the third round while five of his peers went ahead of him- including college rival Baker Mayfield – is something Rudolph admits he’ll carry with him for a long time.

He may need something to keep the fire burning as he spends this fall (and perhaps several others) on the sideline with a clipboard or a headset during games.

”I’m here to prove myself,” Rudolph said. ”That’s the way I approach every facet of my life. But I don’t feel like I’ve got to prove anything to anyone other than these coaches and my teammates.”

Rudolph received new offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner’s playbook about a week ago, one he’s tried to split up into parts so he’s not overwhelmed by its volume.

There will be adjustments along the way. He worked almost exclusively out of the shotgun at Oklahoma State while running coach Mike Gundy’s ”Air Raid” offense. Though he’s spent the last several months doing a crash course on working under center, there were a couple of missed exchanges on Friday.

At one point, when a play didn’t go as crisply as Rudolph liked, he asked Fichtner if he could run it again. It wasn’t a surprise to rookie wide receiver James Washington http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-preston-brown-jersey , a teammate of Rudolph at Oklahoma State and a second-round pick by the Steelers, taken 16 selections ahead of his good friend.

”He’s a perfectionist,” Washington said. ”He doesn’t like things sloppy. I mean if it’s sloppy he’s going to redo it. That’s something that will help him.”

Washington also isn’t concerned about Rudolph taking a backseat for now. They both knew what they were getting when coach Mike Tomlin called him two weeks ago to say they’re coming to the Steelers. This isn’t a rebuilding project. Pittsburgh is built to win now.

Barring injuries, Washington will be asked to make more of an immediate impact than Rudolph. That doesn’t mean Rudolph is going to lose his patience.

”He’s a strong-minded guy,” Washington said. ”He doesn’t care about the hype. He’s just another guy looking for a job.”

And Rudolph understands his job is to soak up what he can from whomever he can and not let egos or agendas or anything else get in the way.

”I’m sure when we get in this building, in this (quarterback) room … we’re going to be friends and I’m going to let (Roethlisberger) do his thing,” Rudolph said. ”I’m going to try and pick up what I can from him but not bother him.”

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The questions about tackle Ereck Flowers' future with the New York Giants are increasing as the 2015 first-round draft pick was a no-show for the team's first voluntary minicamp under new coach Pat Shurmur.

Players do not have to attend either the organized team activities or any minicamps.

Shurmur, however, let it be known in the offseason that he would appreciate it if they attended, with new systems on offensive and defense being installed and the team coming off a 3-13 season that cost former coach Ben McAdoo his job.

Flowers has skipped everything. There are now reports the Giants are shopping him in the days leading to the NFL draft, which starts Thursday.

The former Miami product has not lived up to expectations in his first two seasons at left tackle. That forced new general manager Dave Gettleman to go out and sign New England Patriots left tackle Nate Solder as a free agent, a move that would have forced Flowers to move to right tackle.

Flowers has not given any indication why he has stayed away.

"He's not here Youth Derrick Nnadi Jersey , so there's not really much to say," Shurmur said.

The coach refused to say whether he was disappointed.

"We understand that this is a program that is voluntary," he said. "I tend to believe it is very necessary, but he's not here. So, when he is here, we will start to talk about him."

The Giants don't have a lot of depth at tackle. Free agent Chad Wheeler played in 11 games with five starts as a rookie. Adam Bisnowaty started in his only game last season after being drafted in the sixth round.

If Flowers is traded, the Giants are going to have to draft a tackle or sign one as a free agent.

Odell Beckham Jr., who missed most of last season with a broken ankle, and defensive end Olivier Vernon were both at the minicamp. They skipped the minicamp a year ago.

"I think the big thing for us is our game is very simple 鈥?it's about the ball, it's about negotiating the ground and it's really about man whipping man," Shurmur said.

The minicamp, which does not entail any hitting Walter Payton Bears Jersey , is more about making sure players get to know the new systems, with some throwing and receiving mixed in. The defenses can work on stripping the ball.

There was speculation that Shurmur wanted to use the minicamp to see what quarterback Davis Webb could do. The third-round pick did nothing last season, so the Giants really don't know what they have with their backup to Eli Manning.

"I don't think there needs to be any anxiety on his part 鈥?get trained up, come on out here, let it rip and mistakes happen in practice and you learn from them," Shurmur said. "I think that's why you practice, so I think you have to be careful about making a final evaluation on a guy in a three-day period here. He just needs to come out here and get as good as he can be."

Most players said they felt they were entering this season with a clean slate.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who was suspended for a game last season after missing a practice, intends to be on his best behavior this season.

"I promise y'all that Jackrabbit says it won't happen this year what happened last year," he said. "There won't be any animosity between players, no disrespecting the coach. There will be none of that. New York Giant football is back."

Jenkins also believes fellow cornerback and 2016 first-round draft pick Eli Apple, who also was suspended for a game Bengals Mark Walton Jersey , will be a different player this season.

"You have to understand that he was young," Jenkins said. "It's a clean slate, new coaching staff and for him it's guys like me that have to push him and help him out because I've been in the league so long and just help him understand that adversity is going to hit you and when it hits, you've just got to keep it going."

Beckham did not take part in the afternoon practice, but fellow receiver Sterling Shepard said that was a precaution.

"I've been with him and have been training with him a bit and, to be honest, I forget that he got hurt sometimes," Shepard said.

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