state of the team................ lbers

on to the lbers... the heart and soul of our defense.. some interesting choices here

overview:

in the last 2 yrs. alone, we've gotten rid of 3 of 4 starters among our lber crew.... while some might not see that as a good thing, it was clear that the time had come... james Harrison was getting older and having a hard time staying healthy.. lamaar Woodley got his money and lost his hunger, and larry foote, while serviceable, was less than what we needed given the shortcomings around him..... now Lawrence Timmons finds himself in the position of leader... we also have a slew of young talent (especially on the inside).. problem is that just like the other positions I've written up, it looks like some hard choices will have to be made.. we are far too loaded at ilb, and have some intriguing prospects on the outside.... this appears to be one of the most important camps and pre-seasons in recent history at the position and the competition can only make us better.


individual:
olb:
Jarvis jones ---- tough rookie season with little production in the pass rush.. most of that seems to be due to the amount of thinking he did on the field rather than reacting... what he did show was very good instincts and a nose for the ball.. spent the offseason getting stronger, and now is being coached up by joey porter.... with a yr. under the system, i'm looking forward to the type of production we've become used to seeing from our olb's

Jason worilds --- break out starter last yr., due to Woodley's continued injuries... an oft injured player in his own rite though, so despite last season, he'll need to have a monster season to get that extension he's looking for.. still not convinced of his reliability in coverage, but his ability to rush the passer is not in doubt... as crazy as this might sound, I think this is a make or break yr. for him.

chris carter --- great character, and one of the hardest workers on the team.. unfortunately, that hard work has not translated on the field other than special teams... that will not be enough to stick this yr.. if someone else steps up in camp or pre-season, then this might be carter's swan song.

howard jones --- the type of small school stud that has traditionally become a star in our defense. here is a kid that seemingly appears to have the all the tools to succeed in our system, and a major contender to make the team and contribute in a yr. or 2.... i'll be keeping an eye on this one..

Arthur moats --- underachieved behind a stud d-line.... that's not a good sign in my eyes.. i'm not sure if his inconsistencies are due to the defense he was playing in or not... is he better cast in a 3-4 as opposed to the 4-3 that he came from.... such answers will not be known until the pads come on.

victor so'oto --- long shot in my eyes..... very athletic, but with his injury history I can't see us holding a place on the roster for him.... being available is just as important as being talented.

Jordan zumalt --- ilb by trade, although he did play both in college... being tried on the outside, due to his athletic ability (not to mention the uncertainty of our depth at the position)........ his best chance to make the team will be on the outside and special teams, as we just have too much on the inside.... non stop motor, but might be a liability in coverage... also may need to get a little stronger.. he did go undrafted, so we may be able to stash him on the practice squad in order to get a better and longer look at him.

ilb:
Lawrence Timmons --- all of a sudden finds himself in the position of leader... among our most athletic lbers, and widely considered one of the best at his position.... will finally be placed in the position of making the defensive calls.. I fully expect him to see his first pro bowl nod this coming season (although, not his first pro bowl caliber season).. can play the run, rush the passer and cover... should make the transition to elite status this yr.

ryan shazier --- here comes the rookie..... the kid with near impossible speed for his position.. there are few db's in the league that can run with him.. has the strength and intincts to match his speed, which places him in the rare category of possibly being transcendent..... coverage will not be an issue... if there are rushing lanes, than consider the qb sacked...... paired with Timmons, this may just become the best inside tandem in the league...

vince willliams --- pressed into starting duties due to injury to foote and inconsistency from the others... grasped the defense early in camp, and has the intangibles to be a leader... problem is that he does not have the ability to stay on the field for 3 downs... a liability in coverage, and not much of a pass rusher... too much upside to push aside though, and should stick due to his knowledge and run stopping ability.....

Terence garvin --- had his chance early on last yr., but was too inconsistent, and was pushed aside by Williams.. a better pass rusher than run stuffer, and does not show the recognition ability to be a factor in coverage... not sure if he sticks around this yr.

dan molls --- on the outside looking in, and will probably be among the first cuts in pre-season.

kion Wilson --- a very good athlete, but another inconsistent player... above average athlete and very much like garvin.... ultimately, i'm just not sure if he can stick.

sean spence --- the man everyone is rooting for (myself included).. just getting back to this point has to be considered a victory.... if not for his devastating injury, we wouldn't even have drafted shazier... before the injury, spence looked like the next great steeler ilb... the instincts don't just go away.... now it's just a matter of determining whether his knee is strong enough... if it is, then we have an incredible rotation, and this young man will have an even more incredible story...


next up: db's

 

Garvin didn't get his chance until week 15 against the packers and he started that game over Williams. I think youeant Wilson got his chance early on.

 

Nice writeup B&G

 

Great write up as usual.

I suppose I would disagree that Spence looked like the next great Steelers ILB - he looked like a very intriguing prospect, as did the idea of developing this kind of ILB/S hybrid. But if he makes it back on the field, combined with the other players we've got around, there's great potential to mix things up on D and get back to style of play that bewildered QBs and beat the hell out of o-lines.

Otherwise, I'm not sure what to make of the current crop of LBers. On the one hand, I'm very excited, see a ton of talent, and can't wait to watch the battles play out. On the other hand, I'm aware (from last preseason) that we're not the hands-down standard of LB class anymore, and we're not necessarily looking at a page full of players who would start on any other team - unlike in past times. But then, maybe we are? Maybe we're back up to speed in the LB game, and we're looking at the next great instalment of the Steeler's defensive history?

 

Another great write up, B&G. Thanks

 

good stuff b&g. who wants it more and whos willing to put in the time to get there? this is gonna be good.

 

Just a note on Harrison, I read that one decision maker in the Steelers front office not identified doesn't want Harrison back after the way he left and went to the Bengals, per Ed Bouchette.

 

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2014/06/report-steelers-interested-re-signing-veteran-de-brett-keisel/

you might be right on the keisel thing. if da beard wants too. I think all parties will respect his decision.

 

Phew! You had me worried for a minute.

Even if that's true, that's pretty stupid. Getting all butthurt about money and, "How could you play for them? I thought we were your team!" is something for ignorant fans to be crying about, not decision makers in the FO. I find it hard to believe anyone in the Steelers office would turn him away for any reason that isn't practical.

 

I want to see Howard Jones, I want
to see if a small school guy can compete
against players that have played against
better competition. Here is your chance son.
GO Spence, my fingers are crossed for you.

 

I agree snack.

 

The Steelers don't re-sign their former star players after they have released them, they only bring back their former role players.

 

Is that a rule, or something you've noticed? And how many instances were like this one?