Javis Jones to start at OLB?

I dont think this is a dupe.

Dont know why Im shocked, the FO is known for great LBers. Just been wondering for a while who the next nasty Steeler LBer will be.

If he is already competing for the job, that is awesome news for us, not so awesome for Worilds.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/6/30/4479346/jarvis-jones-pittsburgh-steelers-rumors

 

Something like 11 Sunday's till we can get some Steeler football going again...This story makes it even harder to wait. It's like waiting to open all the new presents on Christmas. I would like to think we have some talent in Bell and Jones. Camp is going to be interesting.

 

I don't like being a party pooper, but that article doesn't say anything that we didn't know the minute Jones was drafted. It says Jones will be ahead of most rookie OLBs for us because he was already a 3-4 OLB and will not have to convert from a 4-3 DE position. It says he will compete with Jason Worilds. That's it.

I do believe they will give Jones a chance to beat out Worilds, but make no mistake about it - he will have to surpass Worilds. Worilds has been here, performed well, and knows the defense inside and out, which is what LeBeau and Tomlin care most about. The position is open for competition, but it's not an even race. Worilds is first on the depth chart and the starter until Jarvis Jones proves he can play better without blowing assignments.

The article mentions that Maurkice Pouncey is the only rookie to start for us in the last 8 years. Presumably they mean on opening day, because Santonio Holmes started, and so did Marcus Gilbert. In any case, those are all offensive players and you have to go back to Kendrell Bell to find a rookie Steelers defender who won a starting job. AND, if you look at those rookie starters' competition (Justin Hartwig, Cedrick Wilson, Trai Essex... Heath Miller beat out Jerame Tuman) it's easy to see why those players got the job. And Holmes didn't even beat out Wilson until part-way through the season. Jesus, this team played Tommy Maddox over Ben Roethlisberger, and probably would have for a couple years regardless of record if not for an injury. Jason Worilds will be a far more formidable hurdle than those guys, who were decent backups at best, and downright terrible at worst.

 

As Coach Tomlin likes to say, so far we've only had football in shorts. How do you win a job in shorts?

 

I agree, this stat must just be for the opening game of the season. Throw in from last year Adams, DeCastro, and Beachum (pretty sure he was a rookie). I say start 4 rookies if they have the talent, ability, and the team the need. Either the team does well with them in the line-up (See Ben's rookie year) or they gain valuable experience for the team to make a run next year. With Ben, Troy, and Heath not getting any younger, this team needs to put its best players on the field to put together a run now.

 

I was actually gonna start a thread about how long do we give it until Jones is starting over Worilds because I saw a story on NFL.COM where Lebeau was talking about how Jones has "great instinct" and he won't have to "wean" him off the DE position. I personally don't foresee him starting early in the year unless he's just an absolute beast and Worilds is an absolute bust. I know we've been drafting more 4-3 guys lately but most of THEM have still yet to be unleashed so I think if that pattern stands it will be a while before we REALLY get to see what Jones looks like.

 

That's a good question. I'm sure we've all got our guesses. I think I'll steal that idea and make a poll

 

Can't wait to read the articles when...uh...you know.....he actually has had shoulder pads on once.


HACK

 

See how he does @ camp and this season.

 

Feel free! I don't know how to do all that fancy schmancy stuff anyway.

 

playing in the 3-4 was the reason they drafted gay too. they talked about the learning curve being lessened back then too. it should help jones but still it's a far cry from playing against buffalo,georgia southern,florida atlantic, vandy,ole miss,auburn and kentucky.

his college stats mean absolutely nothing at this stage. james harrison he ain't yet. i just want to see progress from him, that will be a start. heck the way woodley is, we could have worilds/jones starting at some point.

 

I thought about that too Mac because didn't Worilds do better rushing from Woodley's side anyway?

 

Damn party pooper... why dontchya just keep your common sense ideas to yourself?!?
What gives you the right to inject reality, and realistic expectations into our Black-N-Gold colored Kool Aid drinkin` party??!:shots:
Personally, I gotta say, I kinda expect Jarvis to start, at SOME POINT this season.
Probably not day one, but, ya never know...
I wouldn`t be surprised if he is a second stringer all year...
But, that would mean Worillds surprised me, and stepped his game up a bit...
Not a bad thing, either way... IMHO...
Kinda like I wonder If LeVeon, is gonna take over for Redman, or Dwyer...
But that`s another thread, and another good problem to have...
GO STEELERS!

 

yes, but there are some differences to each side. a RT as opposed to a LT also. the level of competition will also go way up every week now.

i still like worilds and finally saw some nice hitting from him last year. he came with alittle more authority last year. who knows though DLB could dial up a 5 LB'er D that we've never seen before. 5 LB, 2 CB's, 3 safeties and mclendon. LOL

 

I'd be for that setup! LOL. But I agree that I really liked Worilds too. He had too limited of a role, in my opinion, but when he was in there he was making some noise in the backfield.

 

Well, I feel good about Worilds, so between Worilds and Jones I think it's a "good problem to have." At RB though, I think we have a more traditional form of a problem. I don't feel good about Redman and Dwyer, at least as starters. Dwyer's got the potential but just hasn't been able to keep it together. He could surprise, but we can't count on him. Unlike the situation at OLB, I will be seriously disappointed if our rookie RB doesn't win the starting job by week 1. I think talent-wise he was overdrafted a bit, and we definitely passed on some good players at other positions to get him, so in order to make up for that he has to be an immediate contributor. The good news is I think he'll pull it off and get at least 15 touches per game to start the season.

 

Get Foote outa there and you got yourself a package

Seriously though, replace Foote with Ziggy/Heyward/Keisel and you could be looking at a realistic heavy nickel sub-package. I'm betting Gay will be the #3 CB (hoping for Brown, but betting on Gay) and he will get most of the reps as the extra DB on passing downs, but mixing Shamarko Thomas in there will be too tempting if he shows he knows what he's doing.

Clark, Troy, Thomas + Ike, Allen + Jones, Worilds, Timmons, Woodley + 2 DL (whoever, they can rotate)

That would be fun, at least.

 

This is funny.

 

Think it was great JJ was there for picking and the Steelers "went after" him, but I like JW too and feel he is a bit under appreciated.

Worilds is lightning quick and Jones appears to be agile enough to "bring it". This is going to get good, me thinks.

I can't wait to watch La'veon over the years.

 

I will say of all the rookie defensemen that have come through he has the best chance of all of them to start. The only reason bell started was because there wasn't an incumbent starting lber in place. If remember correctly Holmes went to Cleveland the off season before.

 

It was Kirkland that left. Bell played alongside Holmes.

 

Ok I was going back forth on Kirkland and Holmes.

 

that's a guy we shouldn't have gotten rid of. earl holmes. not flashy, but got his job done.

 

I would agree except his departure brought in farrior

 

i'd have rather farrier and holmes been teamed up then bell and foote with him. sure bell had some good sack years early but fell apart the rest of his career. holmes had a better career then either of those two guys. teamed with farrier they would have been a great interior tandum. oh,well the rest is history. 2013 and foote is still here starting. I hope not for long and we get our next earl holmes or farrior.