DD having a tough go of it.

And as Jim92 pointed out... He IS going against the best in the league.
He might not find it so difficult against a different defense...

 

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/235 ... s-practice

David DeCastro hasn’t thrown a block in an NFL game, even one that doesn’t count. He hasn’t been tested by a pass-rushing lineman, hasn’t been asked to recognize a blitz. Everything he’s done has been in practice, and he’s had only two weeks of that.

Yet if he paid attention to the bloggers, tweeters and others who are passing judgment without ever seeing him in person, the Steelers’ rookie right guard and first-round draft pick would be hearing that he’s a disappointment.

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who has a much different view of DeCastro’s progression than anyone else since he plays alongside him, couldn’t disagree more.

“He’s doing awesome. We love DeCastro,” Pouncey said Tuesday. “He’s a physical player and I’m sure he’ll turn it on in a game. And we can’t wait to see it.”

 

Pouncey also said that DD is ahead of where he was at this point in his first training camp.

 

i've not seen anyone putting him down and saying he's a bust at this point. decastro himself was the one that said he's having a hard time physically, not tweeters or twitters or bloggers or anyone else. it was from the words coming out of his own mouth. i haven't seen where anyone is hating on DD at all.

 

mac, it was in the very article you gave us. He didn't say he was having a hard time physically, he said the physical part was harder than the mental part. And he said that after he was given a choice to pick between the two. He said these guys are good and it's tough. I would wager that EVERY ROOKIE IN NFL HISTORY has thought that. And the fact that the mental part he's "already got" is a huge testament to his ability to learn. I'm sure he is having the most difficult practices of his life (again, what rookie isn't?), but he's so smart that could be kicking ass all day every day and the physical part would still be tougher than the mental part. Then the article irresponsibly says that he's "struggling physically," which means something entirely different from what he said. That makes him sound like Jon Scott or Chris Scott or Kemo. It can be imferred from "struggling physically" that he isn't just going through an adjustment period, but that he isn't living up to expectations, that he's not ready, that he's not as in-shape as the other players, that he's not strong or quick enough, that he's disappointing, etc. He says one thing, Ben repeated it verbatim, an article tweaks it to make it seem like he's underperforming. Then people pick up on that and before you know it his name as gone from David DeCastro to DeCastro Struggling.

 

And according to ESPN, not only is he struggling physically, but he's also the biggest disappointment in our training camp.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/51983/steelers-decastro-struggling-physically

 

i read that but didn't take it to mean that at all. i took it to mean just what you discribed as a rookie struggling a bit just like the rest of them. the speed is better here. these guys are strong. i didn't pick up anywhere in that article that made me think they were talking bust. ben wouldn't embrace this kid like he is from the moment he called him on draft day unless he's got what we need. DD has it all and will play here. it's a big jump that's what i get from it.

 

i read that but didn't take it to mean that at all. i took it to mean just what you discribed as a rookie struggling a bit just like the rest of them. the speed is better here. these guys are strong. i didn't pick up anywhere in that article that made me think they were talking bust. ben wouldn't embrace this kid like he is from the moment he called him on draft day unless he's got what we need. DD has it all and will play here. it's a big jump that's what i get from it. [/quote:36vb2ovg]
Well then you missed the point.

 

Well then you missed the point. [/quote:16z9rrm7]


??? when he says he's having a tougher time with the physical part, wouldn't you think thats the struggling part? he had a little trouble at stanford from time to time getting walked back to the qb. not always but from time to time, so if i were a bettin man, i'd say this may be the spot he's working on. these guys he's going against are even more physical stregnth and speed wise as any he struggled against in college. so yes , i don't think there is any question that he is struggling a bit. he's gonna be fine and he's still a great talent.

 

Speculation on this is crazy. They are taking the statement Ben made and twisting it to fit their agenda. What agenda is that? That the Steelers MIGHT be in trouble. You see the Pats/Jets/Giants, you know the NE corridor of America, thinks they are better than everyone else. That is just the way they are wired.

The reality is this. DeCastro has not played up to his own expectations. DeCastro has had some technique issues to get resolved, but if you listen to Kugler it isn't about muscle, it is about technique. If you grab the guy wrong, guess what....around you he goes.

The reality is, DeCastro is only 2 weeks into his first camp. DeCastro is FURTHER ALONG the path than Pouncey, an All-Pro at his position, was at this point in his first camp. Pouncey didn't earn the right to start game 1 of preseason either. In fact he didn't start until week 3. Don't stress about this fellows. Faneca didn't start his rookie season until Game 6 of the regular season. Chill out...he will be fine.

 

Well then you missed the point. [/quote:402e1ot4]


??? when he says he's having a tougher time with the physical part, wouldn't you think thats the struggling part? he had a little trouble at stanford from time to time getting walked back to the qb. not always but from time to time, so if i were a bettin man, i'd say this may be the spot he's working on. these guys he's going against are even more physical stregnth and speed wise as any he struggled against in college. so yes , i don't think there is any question that he is struggling a bit. he's gonna be fine and he's still a great talent. [/quote:402e1ot4]
I'm saying that your expectations might be dead on, and you might be getting truth out of it, but that's not what it's designed for. Read the ESPN article. They are going out of their way to make him sound like a big disappointment so far, and they are doing so with nothing more than the same quote you provided. You and I are not accepting what they're saying, and that's good. My point is they should not be saying this crap. They only are doing so because it's fun to stir the pot.

Pouncey didn't pass Hartwig (who was not as good as Foster, mind you) until the 3rd preseason game. And he was basically as successful as a rookie offensive lineman can possibly be. If David looks good Thursday, I expect him to get the start by the 3rd, or maybe even the 2nd preseason game. I won't put him behind Pouncey until he doesn't start week 1 of the regular season. And once again, he has much stiffer competition in Foster than Pouncey did in Hartwig.

 

Whatever you do, keep that logic to yourself and don't tell that to ESPN. They don't want to hear it.

 

they are always pro big market east coast or whoever is winning at the time. patriots. bermans daughter works for them. i wouldn't put a whole lot of account to what they write sometimes.

 

Did anyone notice the author of that ESPN piece (of crap) is from baltimore and used to cover the ravens? Is it any wonder it has an anti-Steelers twist to it with DeCastro being labeled a big disappointment?

 

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/08/ku ... past-week/

Article with quotes from OL Coach Kugs about DeCastro and such.

 

no worries. i think all 3 are great pickups for this team and are exactly what was needed. i'm excited to see beachum being tried at LG and LT. alot of brains were added this year.

 

we will start 6 years of expierience thurs.night.

 

I do get concerned a bit when stories like these come out but then I remind myself that Polamalu didn't start immediately and I take a quick look at Bradshaw's rookie stats.

 

I have a feeling Decastro is one of those guys who is going to shine more when he is blocking on a line executing a play with other guys around him rather than going one on one with some random player in a drill.

My guess is he is going to shine in these preseason games more than he is going to shine in camp.

 

Girl called me a bust one time. I'm like No get your hand outta my pants, she's like give it up big boy
I'm like what kind of guy do you think I am?
Ok it's late I needed to rattle away

 

Would you look at DD's mug in that article. No way is this kid going to be anything less than all-pro. Kid has a Steelers mug through and through. I know people will think I'm crazy but there is something to the Steeler "look". Jack Lambert kind of initiated that look but there have been many Steeler greats through the years that have had that "look"! The kind of mug only a "purist" could love!

 

He will be fine, lets let him get his sea legs under him. I can't remember
but I think Big Red , the greatest steeler guard of all time didn't tear it
up in training camp either.

 

still excited mac ?

 

still excited mac ? [/quote:te2f82oh]

yea i am. he did some good things too for his first game, and no i don't think he will be a bust if he plays that spot down the road. if you watch close a couple of those were not his fault, but the announcers put it on him. none of the line looked good in pass protection last night, including our best. that will come. very new still.

 

I wish more people had this attitude. Stay humble and keep pushing DD!