keith butler

I know he was in place last draft but does anyone feel like I do when I think he will have more input this year? he seems to think outside the box alittle more. I mean, I think he tends to want the best 11 out there and not worry so much about what position they fit.
that being said. I think this year they will continue to look at athletes that can run and have great instincts instead of the traditional positional player.

I think they will look at players who have played multiple positions and can just play the game. the reason I ask this is a kid out of Oklahoma. erik striker. I watched them a lot and this guy just makes plays and at times is unblockable. he lacks size and maybe even speed but can play.

I don't know where he is projected or even what position he is gonna play. I am assuming that he is a tweener guy. he just seems kinda like a guy butler would love

 

Being that he's now the DC he will obviously have more input.

 

so do I. I think butler does as well. I think we could find a spot for him.

 

Put Striker at safety?

 

I bet he'd be a great special teams player at the very least, although I wouldn't expect too much more.

 

I am not sure he could do that. he reminds me of bruce Irvin when he come out. not really big enough everyone thought. he just finds a way to get to the qb. I will admit I wasn't crazy about his attitude after games but then again he didn't play for a team I pulled for

 

Kinda funny not sure what I was watching but they talked about Striker and they said wow he has Steeler written all over him. I know he is undersized but that could be fixed, this kid can play. I have a few LB's that I have seen that I like or have to see more of to make a better decision This kid is one. I also and very high on Wright and Matakevich, with Matakevich becoming more and more of a favorite of mine.

As far as Butler goes I think it is more about Tomlin s input and scheme he wants to run then it is on what Butler thinks. JMO, I feel that was why LeBeau left.

 

LeBeau left because the Steelers didn't want to renew his contract, Butler contract was up and they didn't want to lose him.

 

Not true Butlers contract has been up many times before, he almost left for Miami one year and of course the Cards wanted to interview him and he didn't want to go. Ownership didn't want to let LeBeau go and Tomlin never wanted him. After not making the playoffs I feel Tomlin talked ownership into it. LeBeau was/is a legend here he could have wrote his own ticket, to think the Steelers didn't want him is wrong. Tomlin didn't want him cause he wanted to run more of the hybrid D that we are running, jmo.

 

You're putting your own feelings into this...

It's pretty obvious that Butler was being promised the job when Dick retired/left and he was receiving attention elsewhere. They really couldn't keep putting him off and keep him on a rope with waiting on Dick every year to decide if he was done.

Where have you seen it that Tomlin didn't want Dick? They ran almost the same defense last year, but Troy wasn't the same and guys were banged up.....

 

The JMO is where I read it but for years the Steelers have paid Butler to stay with the promise of the DC job. Here is what I found with a quick search:

Wiki: During his twelve year tenure as the Steelers' linebackers coach, Butler was considered the heir-apparent for the defensive coordinator position held by the respected Dick LeBeau.[3] Following LeBeau's resignation, Butler was promoted to defensive coordinator on January 13, 2015.

http://www.steelers.com/team/coaches/keith-butler/086430f2-c1eb-446d-b74b-64edfc5bf796

Keith Butler is in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator, after being promoted to the position on January 13, 2015.

Butler had served as the team’s linebackers coach for 12 seasons (2003-2014). He was originally hired by the Steelers on January 28, 2003, after serving the previous four seasons (1999-2002) as the linebackers’ coach of the Cleveland Browns. Butler remained on the Steelers’ staff following Mike Tomlin’s hiring in January of 2007.

Butler and Tomlin previously worked together at Memphis in 1996, when Butler coached the linebackers, defensive ends and special teams units, and Tomlin served as the Tigers’ defensive backs coach.

Why would DL leave there was more to it, all just my opinion.

 

I know all that, but you put in that Tomlin didn't want him and the Rooney's made him keep him up until last year when Tomlin got his way.

All that is speculation based on personal feelings not the situation.

What you described above is the reason he was let go/retired/unretired. Nothing in there says Tomlin didn't want him, respect him, or was instrumental in his departure in any significant way besides the fact that Butler was tapped as a replacement, By management (Rooneys/GM/HC), and was growing tired of passing on jobs while sitting behind a "Legend".

That is the "more to it" as to why he left/retired.

Dick caused the situation by waiting until each season was over before he made a decision to come back or retire. The organization just couldn't continue to operate like that and they decided to make a move.

 

Well like I pointed out now for the second time that was why I put in there JMO! You and I don't know the whole story. I can tell you this IMO I feel Tomlin wanted to put his spin on the D and DL didn't want to change. DL was a legend here and it took awhile for MT to earn the Rooney's support. I really think we are splitting hairs over a few words, JMO.

 

Why would Butler stick around in 2015 if he wasn't going to be DC? Butler is almost 60 years old, he wasn't going to wait forever for LeBeau to retire that's why the Steelers made the decision.

 

I am not dumping on MT but he wanted his system in here and DL wanted to keep his. Butler was the DC in waiting he was paid very good to stay as a LB coach and he passed up jobs to stay here. Maybe it came down to age but imo I feel also the fact that MT wanted to run his style also lead to DL leaving. If you think there wasn't an issue between the two thats fine I get you but your a pretty smart Steeler fan you know how much of a legend DL was here and he pretty much wrote his own check. imo there was MORE to it then just the contract being up...

 

The same reason he passed on jobs before, he has been waiting a long time what was another year?

 

Another year is another chance gone by. It's not only that he was waiting for another year, it's that he had to wait and see if Dick was going to retire or not and still keep working for him. That's a tremendously awkward situation to be in year after year, while getting paid a "retainer" for future services rendered. The situation made sense for a short term solution, but once it got to where it was, it became ridiculous!

 

I agree as each year went by Butler had to be getting more ready to jump ship for sure.

 

That's why the Steelers pushed LeBeau out.

 

I love what Butler did considering how piss poor our secondary was. I'm intrigue to think we we could do with an infusion of talent in that secondary. I would like to add depth to the D-line to keep them fresh too.

If we did just those two things, I think we are easily in the AFC championship game with a real chance to go to the Super Bowl.

 

Butler did a fine job, Keep attacking and watch the W's build.

 

Now if we cold put a playmaker or two in that attacking secondary? We'd have something going.