Food for Thought

and never is the time to expect that these DB'S are going to really be good at their job...I used to hate Gay and thought he had no place in the league he has changed my tune and earned his spot he is the best we got...With that said he is probably somewhere between the 60th. and 80th. best CB in the Nfl....He looks pretty good , but don't let that fool you , he is simply the best out of a pile of average at best players....Not where I expect Steelers DB'S to be...

 

Gay is exactly what I have always said....A slightly above average Corner....that is not a knock on him...the league is full of guys...and he is in the top half of those...that is a compliment. I just want a few guys even better than that. I want my 3rd corner to be slightly above average...while my second corner is top 30...and my number 1 corner top 15.

HACK

 

Yinz can laff at me all you want, since I am just a casual fan/armchair qb, and I don`t coach players on the specifics of their position...

But I have never understood why players get labeled so "position specific"...

Speaking in general, and not to any specific players...

You see former basketball players come in, and make great tight ends/recievers...

Former Soccer/Rugby players can become kickers...

We constantly turn defensive ends from college, into linebackers...

Why does it have to be so "position specific"?

I understand that what strong safety does is different from a free safety, or an ILB, from an OLb, or a cornerback, from a safety, but, with a few exceptions, a lot of those positions, can use the same skill sets...

I`m not saying you should take a lineman, on either side of the ball, and put him in the secondary, and not so much Linebackers, for corners, or safeties, but still...

Randell El, and Hines Ward were QB`s in college, and turned into damn good recievers(Heath, too, for that matter, but that`s a rare case to become a tight end)...

Just sayin... I think a reciever`s skill set translates well to a db...

Esp, if they were good as a reciever, ...

They would understand the routes being run against them, etc...

What`s the old saying? A DB is a reciever that can`t catch?(I`m thinkin Ike Taylor)...

But, to me it goes deeper than that...

I really don`t understand why we focus so much on inside, or outside LB... If you can cover the middle of the field, and get to the ball, and stop the run, you are a linebacker, I don`t care if you are "inside", or "outside"...

You should still be able to rush the passer, if you are sent on a blitz, from inside, or outside...

I guess I don`t know the "nuances" of the "techniques", but it just seems overcomplicated to me...

Ya play the middle of the field. Find the ball. Get the ball...

I know that doesn`t translate as well to the linemen, because they have more specific roles, but still..

D-lineman... You are a big guy... knock the other dude down, or get around him, and get to the balll...


Either the qb has it, or gave it to someone else.. your job is to go get it...


O-lineman... You are a big dude... If we are running the ball, knock the D-lineman on his ass, so we can move the ball...

If we are throwing it, don`t let your guy get to your qb(other than screens, etc)...

I`m thinking athletes that have the talent to get to the NFL, can probably do more, than the roles they are "pigeon-holed" into...

I know Tomlin likes "position-flexibiliy", on his lines...

I see no reason to confine that to the linemen, even tho I still wouldn`t risk my #1 reciever as a kick returner.
(Philosophical difference, there, but, he`s the Coach... LOL)...

I know I over-simplified, but I would take advantage of my players` ability, outside of their "given" roles, in general, if I was in charge...

GO STEELERS!!!

 

I think the Steelers do a good job of converting player who they are worthy of it.
Like the college DE's you mentioned. Guys like Ward and Randell El were college QB's. They converted Moats from ILB to OLB. AV switched from DE to left tackle ( although he played LT in College)
I'm sure it's based not only on the players capability to switch, but also team needs.

 

i still say gay and deshea townsend had similar careers. both were very solid 3rd db's and seemed to get better at their trade as the years went by. when they had to start we didn't suffer much, but they were never top flight corners compared to most highly ranked corners in the league. you could win with them though.

i still have hopes for cockrell and grant and in the one game so far i have seen a pretty nice improvement from year one. thats a good thing. burns will need time but i think he will get there. if we can get him to #1 form we have 3 solid guys in grant, gay and cockrell for the #2-3 and 4 spots. i'm pretty happy at where our guys are at this point. i think we are solid at DB right now and will improve as we go forward. we may not set the world on fire back there but we should in time become very solid.

 

Agree. Besides, anyone we bring in will likely be more of the same.

A shame about Burns playing catch up, but that's football...

 

A nice Q and A from Tomlin he addresses position change in a couple of questions ...My take is it is more the mental make up of a player and if they are willing then they probably can switch..He also goes on to say if they have the skills needed to make the switch you can see that early if not you just move on ....He also talks about need as far as trying to get guys to switch...

This leads me to believe even more that we missed on CJ and we may be missing on possible converts because we actually think our depth is o.k. at DB positions .....Here is the link...http://www.steelers.com/news/articl...ositions/3f0bf2d6-ae56-44ce-a8ff-46af0f71a6d7