Jesse James

Yep, Heath 's replacement isn't on the roster. I don't think Jesse was drafted to be his replacement.

We have enough receivers including FB, RB. Jesse's first job job will be pass/run blocking/ST. His receiving skills will improve and he'll be a newer and improved Spaeth in a year or so.

Cajun

 

I think the writer had him for 2 in 11 on 11's

 

You've got to feel for the guy. Reminds me a little of how Decastro suffered from loss of confidence after he accidentally injured Pouncey.

 

Shhh, people forget that these guys are human sometimes....

 

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/08/steelers-2015-training-camp-stock-report-day-12-tuesday/

Not trying to rain on this kid after a tough Sunday, but he’s struggling catching the football all-of-a-sudden. Two drops in team period, one on the goal line. A double-catch that he pinned to his back hip in positional drills. James did destroy Howard Jones in run-blocking drills however, and held his own againstArthur Moats, so he’s progressing in that area.

 

What scares me is Limas Sweed's drops didn't really have anything to do with his hands either I don't think. Those drops were from above the shoulders. Hopefully this doesn't wreck his confidence completely.

 

Well this changes how I feel about his play on Sunday. He's not making excuses but i now totally get why he might have been out of it.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...before-Hall-of-Fame-Game/stories/201508130075

 

You know what? That really does kind of explain it. We'll see how he bounces back.

 

No doubt. I was just pointing out that "the drops" sometimes has nothing to do with having bad hands.

 

That's tough. I feel for the kid...

 

Give him time he will come around. Wait till it costs us in a game that matters, then you can jump all over him.

 

This is going to sound heartless, but that sure sounds like an excuse. Get it fixed now or lose the job. Hope it doesn't become a pattern.

 

Yes, you're right. That does sound heartless.

 

He never used it as an excuse and Tomlin never mentioned it. Some reporter found that information and wrote an article about it. No where in there did James or the team bring it up as a reason.

 

Knox why are you looking at any thing that came out of that game as the team whining or making excuses for bad play? Several players commented on field conditions as they pertained to player safety not making excuses for the game. Now a writer finds out james's best friend died suddenly two days before gametime. He was adamant about it not affecting him but come on if my bf had died last thing on my mind would be my job.

 

Excuse - a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.

Where did I say that James was the one who made an excuse? It was an excuse for poor performance made by the author. I said that James needs to get it together. Hope he does.

But I am seriously LOL'ING at all the excuses for the excuse.

 

Sounds like an excuse for making us believe you were excusing the excuse the author was making for James' performance on Sunday.

It's ok just keep LOL'ing at those excuses made by non-excusing persons for people that really never wanted to put forth an excuse for poor performance.

 

Do you believe in legitimate excuses, or "reasons"? Do they just not exist for you? If he'd broken his leg, would you get on his case for being slow?

1. Up until that game, the reports on James were positive, or at least neutral. He certainly hadn't been dropping TDs and causing interceptions left and right. The terrible performance by James was a surprise to all.

2. Those two plays in particular were so bad, it was clear the problem was mental, not from lack of talent. Any grandma could have caught that touchdown. He wasn't right upstairs. At the time I attributed it to nerves - first time on the big stage.

3. Aside from it being callous and mean to not cut a 5th round 3rd string rookie any slack for some mistakes made in the first of 5 preseason games given the circumstances, it's also stupid. When I heard that news, I not only sympathized with him, but I felt better about him from a football standpoint. It says to me that he doesn't simply stink, but that he crumbled under an unusual personal tragedy. Since that's something that probably won't happen every week, I'm less worried than I would be if he had no particular reason for the poor play, which might indicate he just doesn't have the tools he needs. I have more reason to believe he'll rebound, be it this week or 3 weeks from now or 10 weeks from now. In this particular case, we might as well keep him based on potential even if he continues to struggle in the preseason. No hot commodities breathing down his neck for the roster spot.

And, like everyone else said, he didn't make the excuse. Someone found out. You'd think someone like you, who hates all forms of excuses, would respect the guy for just taking the lashing from everyone and not saying anything.

 

Yes, all good points and I mostly agree. For the record, I am a supporter and fan of Jesse James the player . I like his size and strength. I like where he was drafted. I like his attitude and work ethic. I like that he is a home town guy. I also agree that losing a close friend sucks and would impact anyone with any emotions and heart - myself included. My comment about the excuse wasn't attributed to James - thought I explained that in my last post. I can see how it could be interpreted (and was) differently than intended. Thanks for the feedback from several of you, my bad.

I'm not going to take the bait in your post though Snack. Let me clear the air here, I didn't come back out of the wilderness to start or participate in internet fights with anybody. Perhaps some of my posts over the past few days have rubbed some the wrong way. Sorry about that <extends olive branch>

 

ya never know what effects people. wasn't it farve's dad that had died and he had the best game of his career in a prime time game one night? i'm sure jesse is a good kid and all but he is expected to play himself into a high paying job, and that job involves blocking, tackling and catching the football in the NFL. i feel for the kid about his friend but this is jesse's future here and he has to play much better than he did the other night. thats the bottom line. it was just one game, but in practice he dropped a couple more, so now it's looking like a lingering problem that he needs to address quickly.