heels, sox & steelers
And Verron Haynes signed with Atlanta...
Why is Ziggy wearing white gloves while running his 40 yards?
Can someone photoshop Mickey Mouse ears on him?
Did anybody else notice these training camp extra-body signings? ...
http://news.steelers.com/article/105162/
Possession-WR (i.e., white guy) Shaun McDonald, journeyman P Dirk Johnson (not to be confused with the porn star), and extra leg K Piotr Czech (otherwise would-be Penguin), who must be camp insurance in case Jeff Reed goes way, way off the deep end -- always a distinct possibility.
Took me a minute to type this because every time I see "Joey Porter's Pit Bulls" I laugh...
But...
Jared Retkofsky was cut today.....
My initial reaction to the draft was sort of lukewarm because we didn’t pick guys for some of the more important 2010 holes (OT, NT, S) or use higher picks or trade up with some of our 9 picks to bolster the OL. Looking at the drafts from 1998-2007, though, I’m starting to come around to this year’s approach. The draft over that time that produced the fewest contributors was 2003, when only Troy, Ike and St. Pierre made the team (I’m not counting Alonzo Jackson). We had only 5 picks after we gave up our 3rd and 6th to trade up for Troy. It is certainly worth doing that on the rare occasion if you can get a HOF player and rare talent. But team depth would suffer if we did it too often.
Instead we did what we did in the other 9 years, when we used more picks to try to fill a broader range of needs. And I know that this is a honeymoon period for our picks, with the profiles tending to be positive and optimistic at this point. But I'm liking what I'm reading about a number of guys, such as Eddie B’s profiles of Burnett today and Summers yesterday, and the comments about Hood and Shipley, who all seem like high-character guys. If our hit rate is similar to past years (1 Pro Bowler, 2-3 starters, 1-2 backups per year, with fewer than 9 picks on average), this draft should produce around 4-5 key and complimentary roles over the next several years. Given how much depth we already have, the roster should be very deep at many positions for a while.
Now if we could only find guys for OT, NT and S…
What's interesting about the draft is the fact that the Steelers don't seem to think that they needed an OT. This may mean good things about the development of Tony Hills, getting Starks signed to a longer deal and such. Or it may mean nothing at all.
I would keep your eyes on the waiver wire too....
Teams are starting to cut men that are in the same position as what they drafted - for example, the Jags cut an OT today - I'm not saying he's a good fit in Pittsburgh, but something to consider.
Plus, like in life, you have to weigh each decision - do we trade up and get an OT and not have depth at other positions....
We all know this, but this is a team game - you need 11 men on the field....
One really good guy with a bunch of stiffs doesn't work....
Which also leads me to the point that we have a lot of talent on this roster, we won the Super Bowl last year without our rookies even seeing the field....
One other note men....
The Super Bowl will be played in Miami - not Radio City Music Hall.
I'd be interested in reading the scouting reports for Aaron Smith when he came out of college in order to compare them with recent late round Steelers DE picks.
I often cite comments by Pat Kirwan on his afternoon radio show on NFL Radio - well here is is review of the draft (for selfish reasons, please note his comment about adding a Vet OT):
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?i...ts&
confirm=true
"I was hoping for a young '5 technique' tackle to get in a rotation at DE and they landed Ziggy Hood, who plays all out, all the time. He needs work against the run, especially in a two-gap system, but they can turn him loose on pass downs. Offensive tackle Kraig Urbik will push the inside players on the offensive line while the rest of the picks head to Steeler school for a year of development. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up a veteran offensive tackle if one becomes available."
For those of you that jumped up and down about teams adding OL before we did - read this article - these guy's were selected 'before' Urbik:
http://www.nationalfootballpost....ound-breakdown/
looks like the front office has found our veteran FA wide. Per Dale Lolley (via the Observer-Reporter):
"The Steelers signed [...] wide receiver Shaun McDonald. McDonald, a fourth-round pick of St. Louis is 2003, caught 35 passes for 332 yards and one touchdown in 2008 for Detroit. The six-year veteran has 220 career receptions for 2,490 yards and 11 scores. His best season came in 2007 for Detroit when he caught 79 passes for 943 yards and six scores. "
Anyone have an opinion on McDonald?
Hmm...apparently we signed a punter too...Dirk Johnson
This link was posted by Mr. Wexell - AQ would like to wear #52:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/
arc...lay_for_ho.aspx
We love former Lions.
I hope he works out for us, but Football Outsiders rated McDonald 78th out of the 79 WR's who had at least 50 receptions in 2008.
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr
He was middle of the pack in 2007, but replacement level or worse in the years prior to that.
Information on Ramon Foster, OT from Tennessee. One of our 13 rookie FA's:
http://www.draftcountdown.com/sc...amon-
Foster.php
How's Tony Hills coming along. This is what Bruce Arians had to say about him during a recent radio interview...
"Q: What can you tell us about Tony Hills? Or do we have to wait until preseason to learn how he’s developed?
"A: I think we all have to wait till we put the pads back on. He’s bigger, stronger. He had a nice minicamp last week. He looks like he’s improved his footwork and his tenacity. Now it’s just putting the pads on and hitting people and seeing if that strength equates into power – not only at the point of attack blocking, but holding off those bullrushers. He’s very athletic, so he can handle all the dancer types. But the big guys who are just going to come down the middle on him, let’s see if he can hold them.
"Q: Could Hills be your swing tackle now? Or does the drafting of Urbik allow you to use Trai Essex as the swing tackle?
"A: That kind of was behind it. If Kraig is what we think he is, then Trai can go back and not have to play five positions. You know, we had him snapping the ball for the Super Bowl if we needed him as an emergency center. That’s his value: He can play every position. But he can get back in the mix at both tackles, then we have a guy in the middle that we’ll eventually try to teach how to snap the ball, too..."
RS
That sounds about as promising as we could have hoped for.
I wondered last year, as I have before, what 1 year of Steeler strength program could do for a tackle like Hills (or any other Baby Huey type player). There's a big difference in getting in shape around the clock as opposed to a college student. If Hills was good in college, *hopefully* working with the some of the best team training around will make him more powerful, and therefore a quality lineman.
I didn't realize Urbik was supposed to be a possible tackle. The limited film I saw of him was interior. And need will probably dictate he play guard.
Our defense is "supposed" to be 3-4, but am I in left field thinking Hood could *possibly* mean a trend of more 4-3 "type" defenses to come? I don't care what is run, so long as it attacks and makes Offensive players cringe...granted, Lebeau and others have stated that the Steelers play many different defenses during the course of a game.
I guess what I'm saying is Hood could probably be a DT in a 4-3 in the pros, and the talk of him being a 3-4 DE could be off the mark. maybe.
> For those of you that jumped up and down about teams adding OL before we did - read this article - these guy's were selected 'before' Urbik:
SteelerBill, the two OLs featured in this article (Vasquez and Brewster) were no more highly rated than Urbik (actually lower by scout.com-- especially Brewster, who was a real reach by the Cowboys). I said at the time that I wasn't concerned by the fact that these players (plus Caldwell) were selected right before Urbik; the order of selection was simply a product of the individual teams' draft boards which undoubtedly varied. The real issue (if there is one) was with the selections of Unger, Levitre (two players we reportedly wanted, even ahead of Urbik), Loadholt, Beatty et al in the *second* round.
I don't see any point in beating this up further-- it's likely going to be years before we know what kind of player Urbik (or the others) is. If he wins a starting job, our scouts were on the money, if he busts, we screwed up in not addressing the O-line in a more significant way. With the current state of our O-line and the result of not addressing that need until the mid-3rd round, the equation really is that simple.
Glenn - again, the odds against Urbik being our most highly rated of the four OL taken in that period are PHENOMENAL. I'm not saying he was our lowest rated, I'm not saying he wasn't rated #2, I'm not saying that there was a huge difference between where we had him rated and where we had whoever else in that bunch rated - I'm simply saying that the odds against Urbik being our top rated guy in that bunch are very high.
Also - Urbik could become a starter for us and it doesn't necessarily mean we shouldn't have addressed O-line earlier. If Urbik becomes an average serviceable starter, and either Oher or Unger becomes all-pro, then we should've addressed it earlier. Our O-line is more than one starter away, and a top-flight o-lineman would do a lot to help us out.
> Glenn - again, the odds against Urbik being our most highly rated of the four OL taken in that period are PHENOMENAL.
I still disagree with this, when you look at *all* the individual O-linemen in play. Your probability calculation only holds if you limit the sample to just these four players. The reality is that the pool of similarly rated OLs at that point in the draft was more like 8-10 players (toss in Canfield, Herman Johnson, T.J. Lang, Luigs, Kropog, etc.). I don't think you can use straight probabilities to analyze the situation in any case, but if you must do so run the numbers against that larger sample and it's entirely likely that the Steelers got their #1 remaining OL in the 3rd round.
Seriously, Vasquez and especially Brewster were big stretches for us-- I could see Brewster not even being on the Steelers' draft board. Caldwell?-- maybe we would have taken him, maybe not. But the 3rd and 4th rounds are just far too scattershot to assume that all these teams had the same players ranked as the best remaining 4-5 O-lineman. I'm certain those boards would have held more like 10 different players in those 5 spots, depending on varying assessment, team need, and system.
From an interview with Dale Lolley on Shipley:
BTSC: Will A.Q Shipley ever be able to block Hlati Ngata adequately to become the Steelers center of the future? (He lasted a long time on the board, but seems to have locals excited.)
Lolley: Watch the game film of Penn State's bowl game against USC for all you need to know about Shipley. The Trojans basically had their entire defensive front drafted, but Shipley dominated them. He's undersized for sure, but the center position is a help position, not a one-on-one blocking position - even when the other team's playing a 3-4.
I believe the reason for my posting that information on the OL in the 3rd Round was to demonstrate,
1) As stated earlier, that everyone's draft board is different....
2) We draft based on the right man for the scheme
Concluding that just because someone is drafted prior to our guy doesn't make him better....
> Concluding that just because someone is drafted prior to our guy doesn't make him better...
Absolutely, especially in the 3rd round or later. For me, issues 1a, 1b, and 1c remain the decision(s) not to trade up in the 2nd or even 1st rounds (and DJAR is in violent agreement on that point). And we'll look at this draft that way moving forward...
Glenn - One can exclude the other similarly rated OL because we didn't draft them, therefore we know that we had Urbik rated higher. The question is did we have him rated higher than the 3 guys we never got a shot at.
Also - considering that there were no more OL drafted in round 3, I think you may be overestimating how many OL equivalent to that bunch there were.
I'm thinking I may go buy an Urbik jersey...
To show what a complete nut job I am - I equated our shopping trip yesterday evening to the Draft....
Work with me here...
We went to a store with a list of items that we 'needed'. There was one item in particular that we were seeking. When we arrived at the store we saw the item, tested it - thought about it and then concluded that it didn't provide good enough value for us....
We did walk out with something else on our 'list' which was of great value - and are pretty happy with it...because it did fit a need.
The problem was when I tried to explain this to SteelerDawn....
> The question is did we have him rated higher than the 3 guys we never got a shot at.
Sure, but I think you understand that from our end this does not leave the probability that we got our #1 guy at precisely 1 left out of 4 and only 4 (in the initial calculation you made). Like I suggested, I wouldn't be surprised if Brewster weren't in our top 10 remaining OL (on a related note, I wouldn't put such self-validating stock in *anything* the Raiders or Cowboys did in this draft-- and there's plenty of draft-ranking variance sitting below such obvious idiocy). I'm reasonably confident that our #1 guy in the 3rd round was Urbik or maybe Antoine Caldwell, at most (so if you want to call that 50-50, fine, I can still live with it).
> Also - considering that there were no more OL drafted in round 3, I think you may be overestimating how many OL equivalent to that bunch there were.
I don't know about this either, for a similar reason as to why you (correctly) felt there would only be 4 OTs selected in the first round-- there are only so many teams that have that need (relative to round), and they have varying systems/assessments. Plus, it was already the middle of the 3rd round, and the drafting of O-linemen resumed at 4.9 with 5 more OL selected in the 4th round. There's just not that big of a difference in (consensus) quality at that point in the draft (first round or top of second, sure).
> I'm thinking I may go buy an Urbik jersey...
SteelerBill, go for it!
> We did walk out with something else on our 'list' which was of great value - and are pretty happy with it...because it did fit a need.
SB, I don't know about "great" value. I don't even know about good value, to tell you the truth. Let's face it, we really don't know what we got in this draft, except some names in positions of relative need. About the most I can say is that I'm reasonably confident in our FO, but beyond that, none of these guys were anyone we were talking much about before the draft (I know there are exceptions, but those were mostly the sleepers at the bottom of the draft-- Summers and Shipley). Nor were any of them players who slipped significantly from consensus rankings for whatever reason, where I could say, wow, how did that guy ever fall to us?
If I had to slap one of these silly premature grades on the draft, I'd go with a "C+" just based on a feel that it was neither anything terribly creative nor crazy. Basically conservative, per the Steeler Way.
Somewhere along the line I stated that I'd be happy with the draft if we got an OL and DL with our 1st 2 picks. Which we did, so I'm OK with it. Do I wish we had Oher? Yes. But I think the FO is OK with what he have at OT and wanted to improve the OG/C position. Which is why they really wanted Wood, but ended up with Urbick.
Very interesting discussion here on the draft and the OL..Unlike many such discussions on the net, its throwing way more light on the subject than heat.
I have let the draft go..Like others have said, we won't know a darn thing until these guys hit the field and play and we know that most of them will have the sideline view of the field for the most part this year.
I remember being excited about Scott Shields back in the day..and many other players as well who never made the grade. So I try not to get excited about too many draft picks or too down on them either. I remember reading that Polamalu was a concussion prone kid who played with too much "wild abandon" and would never be disciplined enough to fit a scheme in the NFL.
It's not a crapshoot..its an educated guess for the most part. You never know how they'll react to the speed of the game.
I have far more interest in the Mendenhalls and Sweeds of the world this year. They are going to determine what kind of team we have this year more than any of this year's rookies.
However, when you said that Cols, did you envision us trading down? Suppose we traded all our picks from rounds 2-6 for future draft picks (not technically possible, I know, but bear with me) and then, our 2nd pick, in the 7th round, was Shipley. Would that meet your "OL and DL with 1st 2 picks" criterion?
The FO also wanted Unger. We could've gotten him. We did not.
Jim Wexell mini-camp note that may be of interest to you guy's:
* Rookie fifth-round pick Joe Burnett was the only rookie to spend time with the first team. He played several snaps at right cornerback. He covered Santonio Holmes over the middle on a high pass that was intercepted spectacularly by opposite corner William Gay.
> However, when you said that Cols, did you envision us trading down?
Yeah, you can't just judge the draft based on the positions selected independent of identity and draft slot, which I think all of us are doing to some degree (we filled all our main needs, yay!). If that were the main criterion, I could have executed this draft, and I'm sure none of us would be happy with the eventual results. (By the 3rd round the names I was tracking were OT Fenuki Tupou and OG Herman Johnson, and they both fell to the 5th.)
Reason #101 why we should be glad the Steelers focused their draft on high character guys:
http://blogs.startribune.com/vik...ngsblog/?
p=2798
Just, well because it's funny, if you listen to the show:
http://www.thepittsburghchannel....332/
detail.html
I'm happy to report that I have found one thing you did not consider during your evaluation of the Steelers or for that matter, everyone's draft:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/30519886
Maybe some unexpected good news for the Steelers O-line? Wierder things have happened. FYI from SCI...
"Mike Reilly, the QB from Central Washington that Ron Jaworski spent half a draft day praising on TV, is considered one of the team's top undrafted rookie free agents. The other is offensive tackle Ramon Foster from Tennessee. He played right tackle today. Two scouts each said they were most excited about Foster as a free agent."
Randy,,good news on both fronts. WE are WAYYYYYY overdue to find a hidden gem along our O-line in the URFA sweepstakes. We've done it with FWP and the reigning DPOY.
As smart as Tomlin and Co. are ..I have to believe they are turning over every rock to find competition along our O-line. I have never forgot how he made ST's a priority and it quickly went from a running joke to a unit we can take pride in. ON that note, I think we'll finally find a KR who can take it to the house this year as well.
Yes, I took my optimistic side out of the wrappers this morning and he's been enjoyin the sun...wink..
Is there a link to Jaworski talking about REilly? I missed that...
Some good stuff from ESPN
Steelers Day 1 minicamp notes
May 1, 2009 5:53 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their first full-squad, mandatory minicamp Friday to kick off the 2009 season.
Here are some notes and observations:
* Inside linebacker Larry Foote was the only no-show Friday. Foote stated publicly that he wants to be released. The team has the option of fining Foote approximately $9,000 for missing this weekend's practices. But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that will not be the case, because Foote has remained in constant contact with the team.
"We will not fine Larry," Tomlin said. "He and I agreed mutually that it was best for all parties involved for him not to be here this weekend."
* Second-year players Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall looked pretty good on the first day of minicamp. Sweed, a second-year receiver, made several nice catches Friday while Mendenhall's quickness and vision are still apparent. Mendenhall said he's now able to lift weights again to regain some of the muscle mass he lost while sidelined with a shoulder injury.
* Another player in the final year of his contract, starting tailback Willie Parker, said he's not going to cause a scene this offseason. Parker plans to show up for all the camps, and said he's disappointed with his performance and various injuries last year.
"I got to make the best decision, and I think the best decision is to be around the team and help the best way as possible," Parker said.
* To help prevent injuries Parker said he spent this offseason doing Pilates, which he deemed "kind of girly" but helpful at the same time.
* A funny play happened in team drills Friday when undrafted rookie receiver Steven Black of Memphis went across the middle against the first-team defense. Backup quarterback Charlie Batch hit Black right in the numbers when a hard-charging James Harrison scared Black so much that he dropped the ball. Even in non-contact drills, the Pro Bowl linebacker can intimidate.
* Pittsburgh made an interesting signing Friday in veteran receiver Shaun McDonald. The seven-year veteran could push Sweed for the No. 3 receiver spot. McDonald was most productive in 2007, when he caught 79 passes for 943 yards and six touchdowns.
"We desire to create competition," Tomlin said. "The only way that we're going to be a really good football team is if we have really good competition and guys competing."
* Finally, for those interested in rookie jersey numbers, notables include first-round pick Evander "Ziggy" Hood (No. 96), third-round pick and cornerback Keenan Lewis (No. 20) and Penn State rookie center A.Q. Shipley (No. 61).
One thing about the draft I keep coming back to is if the Steelers may have seen a greater drop off in D-line than O-line talent making the sum of the two picks greater in their valuation than if they used pick 1 on O-line and pick 2 on D-line.
Agree with Cols & SB on our OT situation.
I think the FO must be happy with some of the options they already had at OT because they don't seem to have considered taking an OT.
I thought LAST year we'd have a shot a signing an OT that got cut by a team that loaded up last year, perhaps this is the year where a couple of decent players become cap casualties or find themselves in a Foote-like position and on the market.
I remain very happy with all the needs that were met with this draft (d-line, o-line, cb depth, special teams and goal line running). But I was also excited when we drafted Willie Reid.
I keep reminding myself that we have Robo back this year, Mendenhall, Sweed, Hills, Davis & Mundy competing to play.
I like Shaun McDonald because he served as a sweet FA pick up on my fantasy football team two years ago. Might make for a nice addition because he's got some experience, but I don't think he's a stretch the field kind of guy. A better fit personality wise I think for the Steelers than Lelie.
Look, I said I'd be happy if we we OL and DL with the 1st two picks of the draft. It's a pretty large stretch to act like I meant a 1st and 7th rounder. Get real.
I mean, I'm with you, I wish the Steelers had traded up for Oher. But upon looking back, they got a top DL prospect and what seems to be a top guard prospect. It's hard for me to argue with that based on the Steelers past drafting performance.
BTW
I saw X-Men Origins today. will.i.am plays a mutant that looks an awful lot like Mike Tomlin.
Looks like we all need to go buy a pool table
(From Eddie B's column today):
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/0...2/967203-
66.stm
An addition greeted the players in the middle of their locker room yesterday, a pool table. It's a good luck symbol of sorts because they had a pool table in their locker room at the University of South Florida the week of the Super Bowl. Tomlin arranged for the regulation-sized table to be delivered . "It's great," said Willie Parker. "It takes the card-playing out of the question."
Personally, I think that if the Steelers knew then what they know now, they'd trade their 1st and 4th to the Broncos for the Broncos 2nd and the #84 (Chicago 3rd round, which we used on Mike Wallace). Denver would take Alphonso Smith (who they ended up taking 5 picks later), we'd take Max Unger at 48, and Jarron Gilbert at the end of the 2nd round.
That is to say, I think the Steelers misplayed the draft - they thought the inside OL would go much slower, and the DL would go faster. They continued to think this way even after Wood and Mack went in the 1st round. Even without my 20-20 hindsight scenario above, that was poor decisionmaking on their part.
I imaging that the Steelers would rather have Hood than Gilbert and Unger than Urbick.
I was wondering if anyone thinks the run defense will suffer without Foote. By suffer, I don't mean suck, just maybe not quite as good as it was in years past.
Cols, I don't see how it won't suffer. Foote is/was a stalwart against the run and its the reason that Timmons isn't entering his 2nd year as the full time starter, IMO.
I confess to being nervous about losing Foote..if Timmons is slow to pick up his run responsiblities, does Farrior suddenly have even more pressure on him to take up the slack or be the coach on the field?
I remember, as I am sure most of you do as well, just what the loss of a key player like Aaron Smith did to this D. Foote isn't as important as AS, but I hope we don't find out he may be hard to replace in terms of stopping the run.
Cols, I also saw the new X-men last night, and made the same comment to my wife about the character that looked like Mike Tomlin. He didn't have the quippy one-liners to go with the look though.
Not quite the Kentucky Derby - but what is the over/under on being able to convince SteelerDawn to see X-Men tonight...?
My wife loved it also if it helps any.
Verdict on Wolverine? The consensus of reviewers seems negative.
My wife also loved it. I thought it was pretty good. Some of the CGI stuff during the final fight scene I didn't care for, but other than that I liked it.
I thought it was very enjoyable. I'm not going to read any reviews, but I did think that some of the close-up fight scenes were great.
Well...we wound up just grabbing dinner - but that gave me the chance to find this regarding the Steelers Draft:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?i...ts&
confirm=true
ESPN's James Walker interviews Ziggy Hood:
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcno...ander-
Hood.html
Day Two Mini-Camp Notes - also from James Walker:
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcno...camp-
notes.html
A couple mini-camp comments from SCI's Dave Lolley...
Keiwan Ratliff is very comfortable in the zone coverages the Steelers play. He’s already picking off passes in practice and showing good ball skills.
Also, Deshea Townsend has gotten several snaps at safety, which might be the only way he makes this team with so much good new talent available at CB.
Randy, thanks for the info. Interesting stuff on Deshea. By my count, we have 8 CBs who were on the SB roster, signed (Ratliff) or were draft picks in 08/09. By comparison, the number at safety is 4. So having him be able to play both would certainly increase his value and longevity.
And SteelerBill, thanks for all the links, as always. You are a machine.
Deshea would make a good safety..he's one of the smartest guys on the team..I wonder if he can bring the wood like Clark?
Shea has the smarts for safety, but neither the youth nor the heft IMO. He's a guy I want on my roster, for a while yet, at least, but maybe he's a utility DB backup, not so much a S starter.
Glad Ratliffe looked good in OTAs, cuz IMO he's got a long haul to make this squad.
I don't know if any safety in the league hits as hard as Clark. Deshea would probably be a good 3rd safety, but I doubt you'd want him to start there.
Mr.Wake
What did you like or dislike about the draft??
You really have to love the that Tomlin answered a question during Mini-Camp by saying "...this isn't football...it's teaching..."
Thus, not putting too much emphasis on who looks good - since, as Coach said, "...this isn't football"
>>That is to say, I think the Steelers misplayed the draft - they thought the inside OL would go much slower, and the DL would go faster. They continued to think this way even after Wood and Mack went in the 1st round. Even without my 20-20 hindsight scenario above, that was poor decisionmaking on their part.
DJ Any Reason>>
Seems like every year there are amateurs that want to prove that they are smarter than the professionals! For proof of this, just check out the CPW award winners!
Mr.Wake
What did you like or dislike about the draft??
Cols714 | 05.03.09 - 8:41 pm | #
I liked almost all of what we did. At the time we selected Hood, I was a bit surprised and felt there were better players still on the board. Much of that has to do with my idea of what a 3-4 DE in the LeBeau defense should be in terms of run D and size (height). But I just don't see Tomlin and Colbert becoming enamored of a guy in R1 without good reason. I see Hood as moldable clay, so I'm warming to that.
Like the idea of going DL early, as that waned quickly. Like all our R3 guys, think they were good value there. See Keenan Lewis as an interesting type, could be a CB or FS. Urbik is a solid choice as a G and possible backup RT. Mike Wallace may have the toughest track of the three in learning WR, but he's got killer speed for kick returns. I like the commitment to the return game with him and Burnett. Wallace needs to work on routes and consistency -- he's mostly a one trick pony right now -- but the more I think of it, the more I think he could fit at SE or slot. Get him the ball and off to the races.
Burnett is going to surprise some folks. He's going to contribute right away as a PR/KR, but I fail to understand why he was ranked so much lower than other short, playmaking CBs like Alphonso Smith and DJ Moore. His 40 time wasn't great, but he's every bit as athletic, and his time in the cone drills shows me he may be more adept at working the middle in the dime than either of those guys.
If Frank Summers can be our short yardage guy and our full-time FB, he can replace Gary Russell and Carey Davis, who's JAG. Getting some more mass for those short yardage situations is key, but I really hope BA gets the ball to him on passing downs, too. He could really be a presence near the goal line.
So, I liked the idea of going DL-OL-WR-DB, that was about right. With some misgivings over Hood aside, I think all our first five rounds could see those guys make the roster, with the one guy who may have the biggest boom-bust being Wallace. I think it's probably one of the best R1-5 drafts we've had in years, with 5 or 6 guys making the cut. I know there's a logjam at CB, but Tomlin knows how to develop DBs, and I would look for the vets to get thinned a bit.
Sonny Harris was another head-scratcher for me, because he was also not the right frame for 3-4 DE to my way of thinking, and he's not as smooth as Hood, but we'll see. I think he's a practice squad guy this year. Don't see much upside there, but they seem to have the same criteria clicking with him as with Hood. There were a lot of late round guys I liked, and Sonny wasn't one of them, but they had him in for a visit so not a total shocker.
I think we really missed the boat on some OTs who fell (Joel Bell, Gerald Cadogan) and who would have been a very good late value. We really have a situation there, depending on what happens with Max's deal. Could have had a similar situation but got lucky with Shipley falling. In terms of Shipley vs. an OT, CV says go OT. I just think Shipley is a guy who may be one of the most underrated players of the entire draft. The kid is a player. I don't care if he's the size of Billy Barty with flippers for arms, he dominated at the college level. If he can anchor against a Ngata type, we found us a gem. If he can't hold the point, we frittered away a R7 pick. Yawn.
It's hard to get too worked up about the 7.241 pick, but it looks to me like we got Sean McHugh again. If we had added one of the OTs and gotten David Johnson as a UDFA, brilliant!
All in all, a great draft, and a lot of these guys will make the roster. I'd give the draft an A overall, not to be a homer, with the caveats that we missed at OT and I'm not understanding the new 3-4 end prototype.
>>Seems like every year there are amateurs that want to prove that they are smarter than the professionals!
Greg3t>>
Um, don't we all sit around making observations about whether we think the Steelers (and other teams) make good decisions or not on game day? We do so even though, as far as I know, none of the people here are professional offensive or defensive coordinators. Isn't it part of the fun? Why is it off-limits to do the same for their draft decisions?
Is it book club time yet?
re: book club
I'm a librarian now, so I have a lot of suggestions.
Is it book club time yet?
Cols714 | 05.04.09 - 3:54 pm | #
The first rule of book club is you do not talk about book club. The second rule of book club is you DO NOT talk about book club. The third rule of book club is if you yell "stop!" or go limp while reading a book, the book is over. Fourth rule: only read one book at a time. Sixth rule: real books, no audiobooks or Kindle. Seventh rule: you will read the book as long as you have to. Eight and final rule: if this is your first time at book club, you have to read a book.
If you really like Chuck Pahlanuik you should read Haunted and Lullaby. The guy is twisted for sure but, like Fight Club, they are full of pop culture goodness. Choke and Survivor are also great as well.
I'd pass on Diary, Snuff, and The Oral Autobiography of Buster Casey. These just seemed to be about grossing the reader out for the sake of it.
Diary made no sense at all and had serious problems with the narration. It was like a narcoleptic William Faulkner--long drawn out descriptions that just ended, interposed with odd dialogue, and then back to a new unrelated long drawn out descriptions. By the time I got the end I didn't care about the story anymore. I just wanted it to be done.
My suggestion for those who into non fiction-- American Lion. Andrew Jackson was a bad ass. Seriously, in his prome, he could take Tyrone Carter.
I, of course, meant "prime." I'm now going into hiding because of my previous statement.
Foote has officially been released. This makes me think that the decision wasn't entirely his (such as if they were planning to cut him and / or asked him to renegotiate and he said no).
"Larry has been a big part of our success, but unfortunately the realities of the salary cap made this decision inevitable," Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations, said in a statement.
I'm thinking the Steelers did try to keep him....
And Fan - are you now Fanned?
No, strange typo on my part. I didn't even notice it. Yikes. Rough Monday.
Money quote from the Draft Strategy article SB posted:
"I like to describe being drafted by the Steelers as getting accepted in a graduate school program. They are going to teach you how to play the "Steeler way" before they ever ask you to perform."
Read Diary, which put me off Palahniuk entirely. Reading the second book in John Crowley's AEgypt tetralogy, Love and Sleep. His Little, Big was just intriguing enough for me to commit to reading four books. Crapper reading is Oliver Sacks's Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain... Sacks is always interesting, but this book seems less tightly written, a little too repetitive and less insightful than some of his others, but still worth a read. Recently finished Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo, which took all of a day. Very brisk read, good literate murder mystery. My wife and I are participating in a church class once a week, which requires some reading too, so my "for fun" reading has dropped off some.
I think the FO would have found a way to keep Foote if he wanted to stay. He didn't want to be a backup, fine. But really, your dream is to play for the Lions? Good luck with that.
Hopefully we can extend Heath and maybe a couple other guys now.
I must admit that I feel a little guilty participating in Book Club before Ryan fires the starting gun.
Be that as it may, I stumbled across a a curiously good series of historical whodunnits by C.J. Sansom.
Set in Tudor England, his Matthew Shardlake mysteries re-create this era with hard, convincing details. Shardlake himself is the oddest tragic hero about whom you'll have ever read—a hunchbacked lawyer no less, which proves fascinating on many levels.
So far, there are only four books in the series of which "Dissolution" is the first. (By the way, how do you render italics in HaloScan?) It takes place during the time of the reformation and England's break with the Church of Rome. Murder and mayhem in a fascinating time and place with great characters, large and small.
I don't want to bore you with a book review so I'll shut up now. There are only four books in the series so far, but more are certainly on the way. These are among the most entertaining books of this genre I've read in a long long time.
Oops. I'm "anonymous." Don't know why HaloScan does that sometimes.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcno...or-Flacco-
.html
Article (or blog post) starts with the understanding that Big Ben is the #1 QB in the AFC North then argues for who is #2. Refreshing perspective from a non-Steeler homer.
Sometimes I'm too obsessed with following the Browns. Mostly because their fans are so blinded by optimism that I think it is funny. Take this for example from swerbs blurbs, a prominent Cleveland blog. This is from a blog post, not some random commenter.
"The need for a superstar was overstated as they have Quinn, Edwards, Rogers, Jackson and I think one of Wright or Elam become a Pro Bowler this year."
Honestly, no wonder they will always suck. Besides Rogers (who would probably be a DE in Pittsburgh), none of those guys would even start in Pittsburgh. Yet Cleveland fans label them as superstars.
It's just too funny.
Cols, I'm glad you are obsessed with the Browns so that someone here is keeping tabs on them. I frequently forget that they even field a pro team, especially when we are playing them.
Randy, I think the Anon thing happens when you get rid of your cookies (such as by using an anti-spyware program or clearing your cookie cache).
RE: Oliver Sacks
Anthropologist on Mars is a very neat read. Each story is like a really great brain-based article in Discover Magazine (which are usually my favorite). Brain science is just fascinating, and the study of the things that can go wrong is even more interesting.
If only someone could study a Browns fan's brain to discover what the break down is. Defintely some higher order reasoning problems there. Perhaps a swelling of the area that regulates optimism?
I know three Browns fans well, and none of them could be described as "optimistic" about their team. For the most part, they seem to accept their team's place in the pecking order of the NFL, just above the Lions and Raiders.
I'm pretty sure that's actually worse than the optimisim you describe, Cols.
DK
The Browns fans that I know think that Braylon Edwards is a dominant top 5 WR and last year was an aberration. They think that Quinn will be a great QB once he gets the chance, that Kamerion Wimbley is getting double teamed all of the time, and that Rogers is an all-time great and so on.
I give the Browns a few good players. Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach. They are both great pass blocking OL who struggle at run blocking. They also have Rogers who is pretty good. But that's about it. The rest of the team sucks.
From Eddie B's chat, this could be interesting...
irishreb: Ed, do you think Dixon will be the number 2 quarterback this season?
Ed Bouchette: I think he'll have a chance to becoming No. 2 on gamedays because they can use him in many ways and if Ben gets hurt, they could still turn to Batch.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/0...5/967835-
66.stm
Dean is right - optimistic fans of other teams are much easier to tolerate. I lived in Philadelphia long enough to say that with absolute confidence.
> Dean is right - optimistic fans of other teams are much easier to tolerate. I lived in Philadelphia long enough to say that with absolute confidence.
depends, I think, on the type of optimism. I lived in NYC for 10 yrs and the eternal optimism of the New York baseball fan is not a huge amount of fun to be around, particularly if you happen to be a Pirates fan.
Actually, "optimism" is probably not the right word. "Entitlement" is better.
CE,
I've lived or worked in Manhattan since 1977, and I agree with you that the proper word to describe the mind frame of the average New York sports fan is "entitlement."
And yes, if you ever so foolish as to mention that you're a Pirate fan to anyone here, you're met with confusion or laughter.
Question of the Day:
How many games into the season will it be before someone says, "I wish we'd kept Larry Foote."?
1 ...even if the Steelers win. Some guys just can't let go.
Yep. Some Steelers fans are hard wired to criticize almost every move the team makes. The poll over at Stillers.com for 2 months after the season was something along the lines of "Who shit the bed worse in the Super Bowl, Lebeau or Arians"
This was after they had just won it all.
Well, looks like Foote signed a 1 yr. deal with DET, while KC, IND, and yes, you guessed it, ARI were interested.
Nice little story here about Jack Butler, the great Steeler DB in the 1950s, with an anecdote about Johnny Unitas...
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain...-it-steelers-
of
I'm surprised Foote only got a 1 year deal. He's already proven he can play, but maybe it's because he's transitioning to the 4-3 and they aren't certain he can do that? I guess it makes sense, though, because he probably wants more long term than they are willing to offer him now and he's hoping that will go up if he perfroms well in Detroit this year.
I'm gonna miss his "Detroit Pershing Doughboys", though.
David | 04.29.09 - 12:20 pm | #
Me too, and thanks for explaining the 'Pershing' part, which I never was able to fully understand.
> And yes, if you ever so foolish as to mention that you're a Pirate fan to anyone here, you're met with confusion or laughter.
Nine-teen six-ty! (Clap clap clap-clap-clap.)
It sounds as if Larry Foote really, truly, sincerely wanted to be back home as a Detroit Lion, at their best offer. If so, good for him.
I've actually heard criticism of both sides in the deal: the Steelers, for holding all the cards yet damaging their depth at linebacker, and Foote, for not sticking it out one more year despite an expected decrease in playing time. But this is the NFL in 2009, and this is the Steelers we're talking about, which means this is business as usual.
If a player is unhappy, a backup (mostly) and making $3m/year, I think the right decision is to part ways...
GlennW
Yep, it seems like it is good for both sides. Foote gets to go to Detroit and maybe get a larger contract if he plays well this season. The Steelers save money and don't have an unhappy player backing up a position where he used to start.
For those of you still looking for an OT - Levi Jones was released by the Bengals....
Cue the people saying we should "take a flyer" on Levi Jones in case he works out.
I'm not necessarily against this, I just think that the Steelers FO thinks their tackle situation isn't that dire.
Cols...
It appears as if Wex thinks it may be wort it to provide some depth...
you don't sign Levi Jones to provide depth though, do you? He'd have to start if they signed him I would assume.
Dean...could you imagine those negotiations...
Levi: "I'm a starter...I want to start..."
Steelers: "ummm yeah...you started for the Bengals..."
Levi: "But I should start...."
Steelers: "Let me try this again...we just won our 6th Lombardi Trophy....you have 6 guys who stole from a guy named Lombardi..."
Give Levi a chance to win a job in training camp. The FO may think our tackle situation isn't bad, but no harm no foul to let him try and do better.
Can't we just assume that some other team will offer him more money than the Steelers? We never grab people who are fresh on the free agent market. Always let other teams overpay first then scoop up the good value players.
Except Hartwig
I'm betting Jones will not sign with the Steelers.
Cols,
I'd say that's probably a safe bet. If Jones wants to sign for about 2 mil a season over two-three years, then maybe. But every new deal that extends past this season is another veteran or two lost from the superbowl team next year. There is only so much to go around. Unless it's uncapped. Then who knows.
Any thoughts on the Roy Williams signing? I'm not aware of any felonies he has committed in the past, so I was shocked the Bengals signed him. However, he is washed up, so that might be the reason.
I actually think that was a smart signing by the Bengals. He was on the market for awhile, so they didn't pay too much for him, and he has experience with another dysfunctional organization that has been marginally more successful. Specifically, he has experience working for a solid coach, and could help out the Bengals in that regard. He may or may not be washed up, it might just be a scheme difference that exposed his weaknesses in the past year-plus in Dallas. In sum, it seems like he's a risk worth taking for a team in desperate need.
The Bengals getting Roy Williams was a fantastic signing by them, I think. He's solid in run support and doesn't seem to be a felon.
Good move.
I hate to say this, but the Bengals could be the sleeper AFC North team next year.
It's not just scheme-- Roy Williams is (and always has been) slow and sucks in pass coverage. So, maybe he's still a solid running-situation safety (and maybe not), but since the offense dictates the run or pass decision, he's just another guy Ben can go up top on...
GlennW: Beat me to it. Roy Williams is decent run stopping linebacker. Unfortunatly, he plays safety. He actually is a lot like Anthony Smith sans the big mouth. If was a Steeler, you be cursing his name on weekly basis.
So if by "sleeper" you mean 6-10, then yes, I agree the Bengals will be a "sleeper" this season.
OK
So I'm wrong about Williams. But I think the Bengals, with a healthy Carson Palmer, will be a decent team this year.
I liked the Bengals' draft. We'd kill for Andre Smith, and Rey Maualuga was the value pick of the entire draft (yes, I know there are off-field issues). But I figure those players are a couple years away as producers, and in the shortterm, the swap of Steelers-killer T. J. Housh for Lavernues Coles was not a net-plus.
The traditional Chad Johnson meltdown is always a fun thing to watch as well.
I agree about Maualuga, too. But I think he struggles against power backs if I recall correctly. Hopefully, Frank the Tank will have some goalline success against him over the next few years.
I put the over-under for the Bengals at 6.5 wins and would probably take the under. Their D is bad, their running game is weak and they lost their best receiver. Plus all of the cancerous behavior hasn't been excised.
The USC kicker was faster and can lift more than Rey Maualuga. I'm no draft expert, but that seems like a bad sign.
Also, I know that this isn't really a Sox site, but I wonder how Boston fans feel now that Manny's been suspended for 50 games for violating the drug policy.
> Also, I know that this isn't really a Sox site, but I wonder how Boston fans feel now that Manny's been suspended for 50 games for violating the drug policy.
Ambivalent. Don't mind that Manny is taking a big fall after screwing us last season, but on the other hand he may very well have been cheating all along for us too (although this latest test is apparently unrelated to anabolic steroids, at minimum).
So I guess pretty much everbody is juicing, right? I mean, seriously, the Albert Pujols positive test seems like a matter of time. Combine this with the terrible Pirates teams of the last 15 years and that explains why I'm done with baseball.
I used to love it more than any sport. Now I'm disgusted by the sight of it.
Doing what Wex does best. Here are some of his notes that he recently posted on one of SCI's threads:
"From the notebook of a sportswriter who’s just now wrapping his mind around the fact that this team could become a dynasty: that is, if three rings in five years constitutes a dynasty. The fourth ring could be dicey, but the stars are aligning for a third, that’s for sure... The combination of incoming talent and veteran urgency is what I mean when I say the stars are aligning again for the Steelers.
"At minimum, this draft class turns up the heat on everyone but the safeties, linebackers, offensive tackles and quarterbacks... I am excited about the draft. The Steelers ended up with several of the players they had monitored throughout the draft season, and that means something in and of itself.
"The best free agents are tackle Ramon Foster and quarterback Mike Reilly.
"It’ll be interesting to see who moves over to replace Larry Foote inside. At minicamp, I saw Donovan Woods. My first thought was Patrick Bailey.
"The outside backers didn’t need any heat. Bruce Davis isn’t mentioned in those “lost draft picks” stories, so I’m assuming he’s already turned it up.
"The safety position makes me nervous. Perhaps it was the most underrated part of last year’s team, but Ryan Clark makes me nervous, considering the way he throws his body around the field. Ryan Mundy looks the part, (but I) don’t know if he can play... Tyrone Carter doesn’t look the part. But he can play.
"I suppose Lawrence Timmons leaves the coverage teams with his new duties. That’s a blow. Or does he follow in the footsteps of his workout partner James Harrison and play all three downs on defense and cover kicks? Has a $50 million man ever covered kicks before? Rotating Timmons and Harrison on the coverage units seems like a logical compromise... I wondered if Ziggy Hood could bust wedges for a while.
"After seeing Frank The Tank this spring, my guess is he can’t cover kicks like Carey Davis. Tank needs to lose some of that baby fat.
"I (saw only) one minicamp practice, the first workout, and can only remember Limas Sweed’s confidence, Sonny Harris’s quickness, and David Johnson’s big arms. I also remember that Wallace looked lost and unsteady as a first-day rookie will. I remember that Joe Burnett looked smaller than I had expected, even though I knew he was 5-9, 184.
Kraig Urbik might be steady and solid and play right guard for 10 years, but he won’t help the mobility of the offensive line. Bruce Arians points to the losses of Jeff Hartings and Alan Faneca for the decline in the effectiveness of the screen pass over the years. He called them the best lead/peel-back combo he’s ever seen. The team has also lost a pretty mobile tackle in Marvel Smith and a screen specialist in Kendall Simmons.
"But A.Q. Shipley can get out and run. It’ll give him a roster shot this year, if not a starting job the next."
> I used to love it more than any sport. Now I'm disgusted by the sight of it.
Can't go that far. At this point in time I think it's delusional to believe that football is any different now that both sports have similar testing programs in place (with plenty of NFL drug test failures to date, including some big names). And of course football went through its own nuclear winter, with arguably even more prevalent steroid abuse taking place at the time.
But, there's definitely a well-documented double standard between the sports. Fans just generally don't care if their jacked linebacker is getting a little extra help or not.
I long ago decided that I didn't care about the steroids in baseball issue. It's not the first drug used to enhance performance and it won't be the last. So this doesn't affect me one bit. I still love baseball as much as football and I still Manny is a great player who is also a huge head case. As GlennW said, there is a large double standard in how steroids are covered in football and baseball.
It sucks the most for Dodgers fans, they have to put up with this for the entire season.
Randy -- that's good stuff from Wexell. thanks for posting it.
BA's insights always seem much more interesting/thoughtful/insightful than his play calling (scripted early stuff excepted). why is that?
From ESPN, this doesn't sound all that encouraging:
"We are hearing that it will be extremely tough for the Pittsburgh Steelers to make any more moves with their heralded free-agent class of 2010 without first striking a deal with left tackle Max Starks. The franchise tag used on Starks is eating up a whopping $8.451 million of this year's salary cap. Players such as tight end Heath Miller, safety Ryan Clark, nose tackle Casey Hampton, defensive end Brett Keisel and tailback Willie Parker are all playing in the final year of their deals. Even with linebacker Larry Foote's recent release, we're told things probably will remain status quo unless Starks and the team can agree to a long-term extension."
following up on that last thought -- I wonder if BA's one of those people who are quite smart but not in fact quick. someone who needs time to process info, really mull it, before making a good decision. I work with someone like that: incredibly good if you give him time, but (self-admittedly) not the first one to get to the conclusion.
I'm officially giving Arians the benefit of the doubt for the first half of next season. The guy was OC for a Super Bowl team. This doesn't mean I think he's infallible or that he shouldn't be criticized when does something dumb like a QB end around on 3rd and 6, but I think he deserves some respect.
Cols -- I don't really disagree with that. I'm just interested in understanding why a guy who can develop very effective opening scripts AND has thoughtful observations also makes some incredibly boneheaded decisions.
CE
Good point. I think it is the nature of the OC position. It's probably the most criticized coaching job in the NFL. When a play doesn't work, the play call is almost always questioned. Everywhere you go you'll find fans complaining about their OC.
sure. you're in the spotlight. and adding to the unfairness (if that's a word), it's the kind of position where the perceived quality of the decision is impacted by how *you* are perceived. i.e., a gamble taken by a "genius" that fails is viewed as a smart bet, whereas the same series of events results in harsh criticism of the average OC.
with all that said, BA does make some astoundingly bad calls. I thought my head might explode after that 3rd and 6.
Randy - I'm glad you posted the comments from Wex. I read them yesterday, but didn't want to post them for fear that he would put a Wex on me.
Re: The OC - we all had our issues with BA last year, but he did win the Super Bowl AND he is paid to coach a football not a fantasy team....
Bill,
I cut out at least a third to one-half of Wexell's comments and edited several others. But there's enough here to get a good idea of what he's thinking, which is certainly worth knowing.
As always, I highly recommend the site. I know it costs about $9 a month, but the information and analysis is well worth it. Wex is a real reporter, and there aren't many of those guys left.
Randy, I'm in complete 'agreeance' with you (who said that anyway?)...
Great site...and it offers more than just Steeler info for those you that are wondering...
In Re: BA
Here's the pattern from every game over the past two years: Steelers offense moves well on their first couple of drives. After that, the team can't move at all until they go no huddle, or unless a play breaks down and Ben makes something happen.
Conclusion: BA is actually good at scripting out his first 15-or-so plays in advance, but he's absolutely incompetent when he needs to call plays on the spot and react to what's happening on the field.
"agreeance" sounds like Emmitt??
Dean...I just read on the internets (there's another one for you) that Fred Durst said it during the Grammy Awards...but I'm pretty sure it was an athlete
With Re: to BA..Its true that if you take a run around the NFL boards, you'll find the OC is the most discussed and usually most criticized coach.
I would love to see BA with an average or slightly better O-line next year (a possibility) and judge him on that. FWP being hurt was a severe blow and losing Mendy when we did really got us scrambling as he looked ready to shoulder a load for us. I think our offense looked pretty good in the SB and in the SD game during the playoffs. That last drive kinda sticks in your mind.
One things for sure, if BA ISN"T up to the job, Tomlin will have a lot to say in how long he remains coordinator. I am sure he knows the coaching ranks around the league as well as he seemingly does the players. OC don't stay in place very long anyway..the hot young OC ends up moving on pretty fast.
Anyway, I have my criticisms and we all remember some pretty scary calls over the past few years. I don't think Bruce is going anywhere anytime soon and I will place my trust in Tomlin and the Rooney's to ultimately judge his abilities.
Wexell's notes got my a little pumped up! LOL...I think I'd better relax and take a look at the calendar. Miles to go before we ....
In Re: BA
Here's the pattern from every game over the past two years: Steelers offense moves well on their first couple of drives. After that, the team can't move at all until they go no huddle, or unless a play breaks down and Ben makes something happen.
Conclusion: BA is actually good at scripting out his first 15-or-so plays in advance, but he's absolutely incompetent when he needs to call plays on the spot and react to what's happening on the field.
DJ Any Reason | 05.07.09 - 6:38 pm | #
Heartily agree. I would add that sometimes the playcalling could be vanilla and succeed, if we had a dominant OL, so again it's all very much chicken-and-egg. If you can't get those third and shorts with power running, you can't sustain drives. If you're giving up 3rd and long sacks with porous OL play, ditto. BA makes plenty of bad calls. Insanely bad. But an improved OL would mask a world of deficiencies.
It would also have a synchronistic ripple with the skill players: Ben has a few more ticks to find the open receiver, and the WRs have a few more ticks to get open, we stretch the field more, we tire defenses more, etc. It really does start with the lines, always.
BTW, "agreeance" is actually a word. Archaic & obsolete version of "agreement."
I had low expectations for Eddie B's piece today based on the topic. But he actually got a number of really good quotes from Heath, Max and Farrior. Also, I didn't know Tunch Ilkin was drafted as a C abd was cut before coming back as a Pro Bowl OT. Not bad for a 6th round pick. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/0...8/968639-
66.stm
FW - I think we should delete your comment and still make fun of whoever SteelerBill was quoting in use of "agreeance." I think use of that word is slightly more Emmitt-like than use of "domination," which is also technically a word but when I hear it I think the user (usually on SportsCenter or at the gameday desk on Sundays) really has no idea that "dominance" is a word. I know, nit-picky, but it was passed onto me so I came by that little flaw honestly.
Oh yeah, Dean? Well, I think we should delete your comment, cuz... cuz... cuz you're a POO head.
"Agreeance" may have been used as a happy accident, but I have no problem with "domination" in place of "dominance." What irritates the bejesus out of me is when people misuse "dominate" (verb) in place of "dominant" (adj.). One in a long list of irritants, BTW.
Don't have access to the OED from work, but the Online Etymology Dictionary lists the first usage of "domination" as c.1386; "dominance" as 1819. Both from L. domus "home," hence "master of the house." Which leads to the football sense of "not in my house," as well as the Seinfeldian "master of one's domain."
A misprision of Emmitt being emmet, or ant, has as its synonym pismire, a word I have locked in my brain mnemonically by envisioning clearing a marching stream of ants from a sidewalk using a stream of piss, which word I hope our host finds utterly inoffensive.
Anyway, domination over the NFL pismires is what Steeler football is all about. Or dominance over them, if you prefer.
Easy there, professor! I was just saying that it's more fun to make fun of Emmitt or whoever said it than recognize that it's an actual word. Now you're making me look up words in the dictionary (misprision)...
"Domination" still bugs me, I guess it's the unnecessary syllable when there's a shorter word that means the same thing.
Ants? Is that something like Manny being manna, which equates to free food in the desert in biblical times, which equates to... um, I lost my train of thought.
Yeah, sometimes I am a poo head. Hopefully not today though.
Which is worse, a poo head or a waterhead?
Man, it's a long offseason...
Oh, and thumbs up to Star Trek. Saw it on IMAX with my brother last night.
The funny thing is that while doing my research on 'agreeance' yesterday I did see that it is a word...then believe it or not heard it used last night on Total Access...
I stand corrected and befuddled...
From this page:http://tinyurl.com/pjsnt4
On Mike Wallace from Ole Miss fans:
Team guy
Leaves a VAPOR TRAIL
Great hands
Ok route runner
LOL.. I guess he's a little bit fast..
Rob....Mike Mayock said that he ran a 4.3 at the Combine but Mayock timed him at 4.28......
Since we seem to be in the market for a Linebacker:
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/05/...eading-tackler/
Just saw a post on the Forum at SCI.com that trading up for Unger would have cost us:
Our 2nd, 3rd and 5th
Or Urbik Wallace and Lewis..
Joe Burnett:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y...h?
v=ysyfLs_gDs0
I knew I could count on you guys to make this a Favre free zone!
Looking at Burnett and Wallace..I don't know what I will do if we start actually taking kicks back to the house. Might have a heart attack!
Typical scene at my place during the time the ball is in the air and about to settle into the return man's hands.
"just catch it..please! ..just catch it...clean..hold on to it..."
"OK , ok...he's caught it! Now put it away..get both hands on that thing, idiot!! You stupid...OK..he's down. Steeler ball"
A grown man shouldn't be on such a display. It's unseemly. but Coclough made me into that pathetic cringer. I suspect he did the same to Steelers management because they decided nothing but Sherman tanks and Holmes may return . Hopefully that changes this year
I agree, Rob. Whenever a Steeler KR/PR avoided putting the ball on the ground, I thought it was a good return.
Tomlin was in a Pens throwback jersey at the game last night. Has there ever been a cooler coach in any sport?
ELSM, thanks. That's one of the two summer movies I plan to see. FYI, the other is Terminator: Salvation.
SteelerBill, our 2, 3, and 5th? Holy crap, that's price gouging. Kind of like Ace hardware selling $2 snowshovels in the wintertime for $20.
And finally, LET'S GO PENS!
Malkin is a beast. That is all.
Anyone know what how much Foote signed for in DET?
David..the price was...
HIS IMMORTAL SOUL!!!
muuuhaaaaa haaaaaa!!
Actually, doesn't seem to be any details released and all that is known is it was a one year deal. I'm guessing, given Detroit's dire situaion, that he would make close to 3 Mill a year given his two Super Bowl rings. But that's just a guess.
> SteelerBill, our 2, 3, and 5th? Holy crap, that's price gouging.
I don't believe it, because Seattle traded its 3rd and 4th for the very same pick (drafting Unger). We'd have had to trade better picks in the 2nd and 3rd *and* throw a 5th? Don't think so.
Heath Miller and his agent might want to have a conversation or two. According to Eddie B...
If there is an uncapped year in 2010, players need to be in the league six years and not four to become a UFA. Many of the players are not aware of that, including Miller.
"Oh, really?" Miller said. "No, I didn't know that."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/0...0/969080-
66.stm
I normally don't listen or believe this MJD character. This "f-bomb" article is funny:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog...?
urn=nfl,162607
Moral of the story: PIT has less potty-mouths than DET.
Did anyone notice that Gary Russell is now a Raider?
I noticed it, Bill, but I couldn't think of a reason to care.
So, I have the horrific image in my head and I can't get it out. I don't mind Foote leaving. After all is said and done, it's not a devastating loss to the team.
But the image of one of Leron Maclin bowling over Timmons to score on Monday Night Football haunts me... Over the course of the season, I liked what I saw with Timmons, but I can't help but be nervous that he'll break and not bend.
Anxious to prove myself wrong...
sent it before i proofed.... mcclain - and sorry for the other typos.
I just read yesterday that the Ravens are making McClain a full time fullback, with the departure of Lorenzo Neal. I guess that doesn't preclude him from getting some carries, but my hope is that the number of them will be drastically reduced. That dude was a bowling ball in the first game against us last year, and I also do not want to see that again.
ray
I'm not all that worried. McClain is a pretty big bruising back. He ran over a lot of people last year and I'm not sure Foote would have stopped him either. We don't face too many like him.
Watching the replay of Colts/Steelers ..you know the one!
We got totally jobbed by the refs..up 14-0 and the non-call on Randle El who was blatantly interferred with around the Colts 15 yd. line has me fuming.
That would have put the game away early.
Of such things are great football games made. Bad calls, good calls. fumbles, sacks, momentum swings...that game had it all. Plus it nearly killed me and I have a good heart..wink
Rob
I've watched that game a couple of times too. I have no idea what the ref was thinking by not making that call.
The awesome thing is how "on" Ben was in that 1st quarter.
Hey excellent blog site gents! I just ran across it and will be sure to add it to my favorites on my new blog.
Check it out if you get some time and let me know what you think, it's called:
Tomlin's Crib
http://tomlinscrib.blogspot.com
Wow..Peter King likes the Patriots to win it all and prove they are STILL champions! They have the bestest drafts too! And he like..totally loves his new home..BOSTON! And uh...
Tom Brady is coming back!!
I was chuckling reading this MMQB. He is such a fan boy. I know the feeling since I am basically one as well..I just don't write for the biggest sports mag in America.
I really think the Pats are a team past their due date but that will have to proven on the field. Truth is, I think we have out drafted them for the last five years even though we missed a lot during the Cowher era on Day 2. Suddenly Colbert/Tomlin started turning in the right card to the commisoner most times and we added another championship trophy to the case. I really think the worm has turned and they are on the outside looking in to OUR dynasty..Yes..I said it..So did Ed B. Its possible we are on the cusp of more and multiple SB wins. How's that taste....??
Offseason bravado from yours truly but once in a while you've got to throw away your caution and say what you truly feel. I think this team is winning more than one more SB in the next 3 years or so.
Somebody mark that down...lol
Zone Blitz,
I love the banner on your site!
Here's a quick and dirty study about the longevity of quaterbacks, specifically Roethlisberger:
http://www.pro-football-referenc...om/blog/?
p=2288
> I really think the Pats are a team past their due date but that will have to proven on the field.
Yep. I despise the Patriots but believe that they will be back strong this season. Defensive overhaul plus plenty of firepower on offense.
QOTD
What would Parker have to do to get a contract extension? Or do you even think it is possible that the Steelers will extend or re-sign Parker after this year?
For the record, short of rushing for 2,000 yards, I think Parker is gone. Which I'm totally OK with.
QOTD: If Parker can agree to being the #2 and play for that kind of money, sure, fine. Otherwise, enjoy free agency, Willie, and thanks for everything.
I think we'll see what Parker has left this year and he'll probably move on. He's a very good player who relies on speed to get it done. That speed can leave you quickly as you get up there in age..I really think he's going to have one more very good to great season (given our schedule this year which looks very amenable to wins and running the ball) and he'll pass the torch to Mendenhall.Or Gary Russell! (ok..I'm almost over that era..give me some time)
The one thing about the NFL you learn early..It really is the Not For Long league. I am grateful for all of FWP's contributions and admire greatly his quiet and humble approach to the game and the media and the fans.
But speed backs are not a long lived species.
I wouldn't be surprised if Parker came back actually. There is basically no market for running backs nearing 30, so Parker almost certainly won't get a big offer. Plus Parker made comments recently that made me think he knows his situation. So I would guess the Steelers would offer him a cheap contract and that he might accept.
Yeah, I think you guys may be writing off Parker waaay too quickly. I think the Steelers like him a lot and will try hard to keep him, if he stays healthy, of course.
That said, here's a nice little bit of Q&A about the Steelers during the off-season by Dale Lolley on a site other than SCI, which means you can read it for free...
http://nflfromthesidelines.blogs...our-
noodle.html
Not trying to write off Parker, but:
*Missed 5 games with injury in 2008, and will be 30 next year.
*Current deal worth $13M+: the FO won't be looking to pay more than that for a RB entering his 30s, who's likely to play second fiddle to the 1st round draft pick of 2008.
*Parker can still be very productive, but I see Mendenhall as a guy who will prove very soon he's capable of being the every-down back.
Is he going to land some $40M mega-deal at this stage? Is he going to be a 16 games/year, 1200+ yard rusher with any consistency from here out? I don't see that.
So, again, if he can accept a dimished role and a smallish deal, he could certainly be a valuable role player.
I missed you guy's - just checking in - after a trip to Miami (feel sorry for me I know)...
I'll believe that Brady is back when I see it - and that is not a knock on him, but it seems that the ACL does number on guy's - in particular Carson Palmer and Tiger Woods....
PK's column was fine - much like we are doing now, he's just filling space...but what boggles the mind is how the Pats are #1? Didn't we beat them by 24 at their place last year? With everyone on the roster minus Brady...
Oh well..it's the off-season..
I don't see the Steelers making an offer to FWP that he would want to accept. Beyond just accepting a lot less money, he's going to have to agree to not be the #1 guy anymore and I don't think he wants to do that.
I just think back when we had Foster, then added Morris, and we let Foster go. It worked out initially, with a Morris/Pegram combo, but then Bam became Bum when caught with a kilo of pot in his convertible Benz.
My point? The FO will let FWP go if Mendenhall and Tank are as good as advertised.
agree with david on this one.
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