Monthly Archives: May 2014

Steelers news

Steelers Sign 9 UDFAs, Host Others For Tryouts

The Steelers have agreed to terms with 9 undrafted rookie free agents, and will host many others for workouts during the rookie mini-camp this weekend. There is currently no information available on their contracts or signing bonus money, but many of them will have signing bonuses in the $2K range, with 1 or 2 of them possibly having a signing bonus as high as $5K- $7,5K.

Here is the list of undrafted free agents the team has agreed to terms with.

  • Chris Elkins, C, Youngstown State
  • Eric Waters, TE, Missouri
  • Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford
  • Howard Jones, OLB, Shepard
  • Kaycee Ike, OT, UAB
  • Brendan Kay, QB, Cincinnati
  • Ethan Hemer, DE Wisconsin
  • Will Simmons, OL, East Carolina
  • Roy Philon, DT, Louisville

Here is the list of players the team will reportedly host for workouts. There likely will be some others that the team brings in to rookie mini-camp this weekend, as well.  These names have been acquired from agents, player’s reps, and media sources. They are subject to change and have mostly not been confirmed by the team.

Mike Franklin, DL, Shepard
Devon Carrington, S, Stanford
Jake DeMedal, S, St. Francis
Dillon Baxter, RB, Baker
Corey Brown, WR, Ohio State
Jordan Hall, RB, Ohio State
Steve Greene, OL, UConn

The UDFA names may not seem that important, but if history is any indicator, one of them stands a strong chance of making the final roster. Since Mike Tomlin has been head coach, an undrafted rookie free agent has made the week one roster 6 out of 7 times.

steelers

Saints Sign Mike Golic Jr. To Two Year Deal

The New Orleans Saints have signed offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr. to a two year deal according to reports.
https://twitter.com/caplannfl/status/465318281537409024
https://twitter.com/MGolicJR57/status/465322773758218240

Golic was at Notre Dame’s pro day in March to workout for scouts. ESPN radio personality Mike Golic Sr. was at the event to root for his son. The Steelers signed Golic Jr. as an undrafted free agent last spring, but released him during their final roster cuts in August. The rookie lineman saw little action during preseason, and wasn’t picked up by another team during the season.

steelers draft

TE Rob Blanchflower Is The Steelers 7th Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers select Massachusetts tight end Rob Blanchflower with their last pick of the 2014 draft. Blanchflower is 6’4, 256 lbs. The red shirt senior missed much of last year due to a bilateral sports hernia. The injury also kept him from participating in combine drills. Had he not been injured, he very likely could have been taken in the 5th or 6th round.

Blanchflower was one of my favorite tight end options for the Steelers. For a 7th round pick, he has a really strong chance to make a NFL roster. Blanchflower fits the mold of a traditional Steelers tight end to a tee. In college, he usually had a hand in the dirt at the line of scrimmage, and was a tenacious blocker who stayed with his assignment to the whistle.

steelers draft

Steelers Select NT Daniel McCullers With 6th Round Comp Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Tennessee NT Daniel McCullers with their 6th round comp pick. McCullers is a mountain of a man at just under 6’7″ and 352 lbs. When asked about McCullers, coach Tomlin said, “He’s an obstruction.” Reporters told him about Casey Hampton’s nickname, and asked what his would be and he replied “Bigger Snack”.

https://twitter.com/gmannVOLS/status/465243419808260097

Aside from being so large, McCullers also has the largest wingspan out of any defensive line prospect in the draft at 87 inches. McCullers started his first two years at Georgia Military Academy due to grades, but transferred to Tennessee where he could anchor their 3-4 defense. He is a true gap clogger as you might expect, but is slow off the snap and plays with a lack of motivation at times.

It will be very interesting to see what coach John Mitchell can do with him.

steelers draft

Steelers Select LB Jordan Zumwalt With 1st 6th Round Pick

With the 192nd pick of the 2014 draft, the Steelers have selected UCLA LB Jordan Zumwalt. Zumwalt is a violent hitter who will play inside linebacker in the Steelers scheme. I imagine his main role will be on special teams, though. Zumwalt is 6’4″, 235 lbs and ran a 4.68 40 yard dash. Coach Kevin Bulter said that he was the highest rated player on the Steelers board when they were on the clock.

Zumwalt has a very aggressive style of play and an intense demeanor at times. He’ll need to earn a roster spot through special teams play, but he could be moved around and potentially be used in a less than traditional way. Zumwalt started all 13 games in 2013, finishing with 93 tackles and 2 sacks.

steelers draft

With 5th Round Comp Pick, Steelers Draft OL Wesley Johnson

With their 5th round compensatory pick, the Steelers have selected a versatile lineman from Vanderbilt, Wesley Johnson. Johnson is 6’5″, 297 lbs. In the past 2 years, he only allowed 2 sacks for the Commodores. It wasn’t until halfway through his senior year that he drew his first holding penalty. He played left tackle for much of his career at Vanderbilt, but also played center and guard. Johnson was a two time team captain, and set a school record for starts with 51.

Johnson doesn’t have the prototypical size for a left tackle in the NFL. He’ll probably have to move inside to have a starting job, though versatility is desirable on the offensive line. Coach Mike Munchak said, “He has the kind of versatility we like and the game is not too big for him.” Johnson’s grandfather is a big Steelers fan, and the lineman said that the first gift he received as a baby was a tiny Steelers football.

steelers draft

Steelers Select CB Shaquille Richardson With The 157th Pick

With the first of their two fifth round picks, the Steelers select Arizona cornerback Shaquille Richardson. Richardson is 6’4″ and weighs 194 lbs. He ran a 4.43 40 yard dash at his pro day, which would have been one of the top few at the combine. He also had a vertical jump of 38.5″, which would have been one of the highest at the combine.

In his 13 games last season, Richardson had 16 pass breakups, 58 tackles, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and one interception. In 2012, he had 15 passes defended. Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake recruited Richardson to UCLA while he was coaching there, so he has a very good idea of what he thinks Richardson is capable of.

Richardson did have an off field issue that may have been a concern for teams. In 2010, he was dismissed from UCLA after a felony arrest involving a stolen purse. The charges were dropped, but Richardson moved on to Arizona. Coach Lake said that Richardson has good size and speed, and is good in coverage. He also reiterated what Coach LeBeau said yesterday: cornerback wasn’t as big a need as it was perceived to be.

steelers draft

Steelers Select WR Martavis Bryant With 4th Round Pick

With the 118th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select former Clemson WR Martavis Bryant. Bryant is just shy of 6’4″ and weighs in at 211 lbs. Bryant played opposite Sammy Watkins in the Tigers offense. In 2013, he totaled 828 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has great top end speed for his size, which allows him to separate himself from defenders. Last year, he had 17 receptions for 20 yards or more.

Bryant wasn’t asked to run a full route tree at Clemson, so he has some developing to do in that regard. While he has drawn criticism for having a high amount of drops, I can tell you it’s overblown. While I did see some tough drops and double catches in the games I watched, he has decent hands and will make the “wow” catches look easy. He’ll need to develop, but he could develop into a legitimate number two receiver.

Wide receivers coach Richard Mann said that Bryant will be a great red zone threat. He also said that he believes Bryant would have been a first round pick had he stayed in school another year. The Steelers reportedly had their eye on him yesterday. The team issued a bio sheet to the media today, and it had him listed as their third round pick.

steelers draft

Final Day Of The NFL Draft Begins- Who To Watch For

As we move into the final day of the 2014 NFL Draft, let’s take a look at who’s off the board, and who the Steelers may target with their remaining 6 picks.

I fully expect a run on CB’s early today, and I have to think the Steelers 4th round target is going to be a CB or LB. Here are the corners I see as a good value for the Steelers earlier on today, in no particular order. Here are the prospects who have been selected in the first 3 teams. I’ll update this post throughout the day.

Jaylen Watkins
Terrence Mitchell
Pierre Desir
Bashaud Breeland
Keith McGill
Walt Aiken
Ross Cockrell
Marqueston Huff
Marcus Roberson

Linebackers:

Carl Bradford
Adrian Hubbard

Offensive Linemen:

David Yankey
Antonio Richardson (will need a red shirt year)
Wesley Johnson
Cyril Richardson
Dakota Dozier

Wide Receivers:

Martavis Bryant
Bruce Ellington
Brandon Coleman
Jared Abbrederis

 

Round 1

[table]

Pick, Team, Player, Position, School
1., HOU, Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
2., STL, Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
3., JAC, Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
4., BUF, Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
5., OAK, Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
6., ATL, Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
7., TB, Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
8., CLE, Justin Gilbert , CB, Oklahoma State
9., MIN, Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
10., DET, Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
11., TEN, Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
12., NYG, Odell Beckham Jr, WR, LSU
13., STL, Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
14., CHI, Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
15., PIT, Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
16., DAL, Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame
17., BAL, C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
18., NYJ, Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
19., MIA, Ja’Wuan James, OT, Tennessee
20., NO, Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
21., GB, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
22., CLE, Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
23., KC, Dee Ford, DE/OLB, Auburn
24., CIN, Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
25., SD, Jason Varrett, CB, TCU
26., PHI, Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville
27., ARI, Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State
28., CAR, Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State
29., NE, Dominique Easley, DT, Florida
30., SF, Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois
31., DEN, Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
32., MIN, Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

[/table]

Round 2

[table]

Pick, Team, Player, Position, School
33., HOU, Xavier Sua’Filo, G, UCLA
34., DAL, DeMarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Boise State
35., CLE, Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada
36., OAK, Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
37., ATL, Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
38., TB, Austin Seferian-Jenkins , TE, Washington
39., JAC, Marqise Lee, WR, USC
40., DET, Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
41., STL, Lamarcus Joyner, CB/S, Florida State
42., PHI, Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
43., NYG, Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State
44., BUF, Cyrus Kouanjio, OT, Alabama
45., SEA, Paul Richardson  , WR, Colorado
46., PIT, Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
47., WAS, Trent Murphy, DE/OLB, Stanford
48., BAL, Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
49., NYJ, Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech
50., SD, Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech
51., CHI, Ego Ferguson, DT, LSU
52., ARZ, Troy Niklas  , TE, Notre Dame
53., GB , Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State
54., TEN, Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
55., CIN, Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
56., DEN, Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana
57., SF, Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State
58., NO, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska
59., IND, Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State
60., CAR, Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
61., JAX, Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State
62., NE, Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois
63., MIA, Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU
64., SEA, Justin Britt, OT, Missouri

[/table]

Round 3

[table]

Pick, Team, Player, Position, School
65., HOU, C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa
66., WAS, Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia
67., MIA, Billy Turner, OL, North Dakota St.
68., ATL, Dezmen Southward, S, Wisconsin
69., TB , Charles Sims, RB,West Virgina
70., SF, Marcus Martin, C, USC
71., CLE, Christian Kirksey, LB, Iowa
72., MIN , Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State
73., BUF, Preston Brown, LB, Louisville
74., NYG, Jay Bromley, DT, Syracuse
75., STL, Tre Mason, RB, Auburn
76., DET, Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas
77., SF , Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin
78., WAS, Spencer Long, G, Nebraska
79., BAL , Terrence Brooks , S, Florida State
80., NYJ , Dexter McDougle, CB, Maryland
81., OAK, Gabe Jackson, OL, Mississippi St.
82., CHI, Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State
83., HOU, Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame
84., ARZ , Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina
85., GB , Khyri Thornton, DT, Southern Miss
86., PHI, Josh Huff  , WR, Oregon
87., KC , Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice
88., CIN , Will Clark, DE, West Virginia
89., SD, Chris Watt, G, Notre Dame
90., IND, Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss
91., ARZ, John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State
92., CAR , Trai Turner, G, LSU
93., JAX, Brandon Linder, G, Miami
94., CLE, Terrence West, RB, Towson
95., DEN , Michael Schofield, OL, Michigan
96., MIN, Jerick McKinnon, RB, Georgia Southern
97., PIT , Dri Archer, RB, Kent State
98., GB, Richard Rodgers , TE, California
99., BAL , Crockett Gillmore, TE, CSU
100., SF, Brandon Thomas, G, Clemson

[/table]

steelers draft

Steelers Draft Speedster RB Dri Archer With 3rd Round Comp Pick

With the 97th pick in the 2014 draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Kent State RB Dri Archer. This pick shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. Todd Haley has a penchant for small, quick play makers, and Dri Archer is as quick and small as they come. Archer ran an official 4.26 at the combine, and one scout unofficially clocked him in at 4.18. His 10 yard split was also faster than any other back at the combine.

Aside from his ridiculous speed and ability to line up in a variety of spots on the LOS, he’s also a return threat. Archer has a career average of 26.7 yards per KR and four career scores. He’ll line up in the back field, on the edge or in the slot. With any back of his type, durability in the NFL is a concern. At 5′ 7″ and a half, 173 lbs, he’ll need to make guys miss.

Archer was incredibly productive at Kent State in 2012, amassing 1,429 yards from scrimmage. His 2013 numbers were much lower though, mainly due to a nagging ankle injury early in the season. Some analysts have compared Archer to Dexter McCluster and Darren Sproles. What do you think of the pick? Love it, hate it, or indifferent? Let us know in the comments or the forum.