Melvin Ingram thinks he's better than Alex Highsmith

True, but some fans were too dismissive of what Dupree added as a pass rusher, and run defender.

 

I tried saying this before many times. Up until His last game He didn't play He had more snaps than Highsmith, and 1,or 2 less than TJ.
It had 2 be something more then snaps.

 

Do we have any confirmed reports of Ingram doing anything to be disruptive in the locker room? No, we do not. So please spare me the doubt of the report on Washington. If you are going to base your argument on unconfirmed reports, you have no business questioning when others do it.

Actually, no, there is not only one response to what Blount did. You sit his ass down, but you don't hand him to another AFC contender. As I think I already posted, apparently you are just fine with former players making fools of the Steelers' front office. You don't want to talk about where the player goes after being cut loose because it works against your argument. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

I gave you the evidence of Washington. More importantly, I showed you how the Steelers' current approach hurts the team. If you want to stick your head in the sand and ignore all of that, that's your problem.

 

They also helped a team they are about to play.

 

Dupree was slow to arrive but a very good pass rusher in his 5th and 6th... but he was never a good run defender especially for his size.

...

Related to this post Highsmith has been solid generally but not nearly as good as I hoped and not as good against the run as I hoped.

 

He thought he was better than highsmith so regardless of snap count if he doesn’t start he feels insulted. It’s not complicated. In my opinion they should have been starting Ingram and Watt. Highsmith should have come off the bench. It sucks when players get offended but we aren’t there to see it unfold. Highsmith isn’t exactly lighting it up so I can see his point of view

 

Ingram isn't exactly lighting it up either, just because he thinks he's better than Highsmith doesn't mean he should start, who cares if he feels insulted he doesn't get to dictate his playing time.

 

Tomlin said he was worried about it becoming an issue with Ingram not wanting to be here, so they decided to get rid of him.

 

That really isn't true of Dupree. He got caught inside far too often early in his career, but he had become a good run defender by his final two seasons in Pittsburgh, certainly a better one than Highsmith right now.

 

That's a failure on Tomlin's part. He has handled disgruntled players before. He can't handle them any longer?

 

Dupree was a good run defender, probably better than TJ at defending the run.

 

You showed Washington as your evidence that your claim that they make a player sit and stay on the team is better than any other option when they ask to be traded. Washington did not claim he asked for a trade. The front office and Head Coach didn't claim he asked for a trade. Even if we grant the premise that he did request a trade and and the team declined we have no idea what was discussed and the reasons for doing it. So you jumping from a story he requested a trade to they said we aren't trading you, sit down and shut up makes a lot of assumptions so that you can prove your theory is correct. I have no proof that it doesn't and you have no proof that it does and still doesn't change the fact that James Washington has handled himself in such a way as to be a credit to himself .

Blount walked out on his team in the middle of a game the reports which you tell me I should believe because I can't pick and choose which unconfirmed reports to listen to said he was told by coaches to stay in uniform and return to the game. He did not. Sorry but the only response to that terminate the contract and remove that player before the attitude is picked up by others. If every team in the league kept guys based on the potential to have them come back and bite them in the butt the system would collapse sooner rather than later. The only response to this sort of thing is to get rid of it not to appear tough and make them stay in a locker room constantly challenging authority. Again holding up a negative result as proof of a theory's merit doesn't prove the premise true.

So again give actual fact based examples of this team forcing a player to stay on the team that didn't want to be on the team anymore being the right move.

 

I'll agree that Dupree in his 5th and 6th season was better than Highsmith in his 2nd season but that's it. Dupree got handled by way too many TEs.

2016 and 2017 Fournette highlights. Check the tape. Dupree was stiff armed like he was a CB, pancaked 1 v 1 vs TE etc.





I'd argue Highsmith is better against the run now than Dupree was in his second year. Highsmith is still getting swallowed by blocks too often. Watt and Woodley are the only OLB who have been outstanding vs. run since Harrison IMO.

I'm disappointed in Highsmith's season too especially as a pass rusher. He still has 58 tackles and Dupree only had more than 42 in 1 of 6 seasons. I see Highsmith as a Haggans now which is still decent. I'm sure the Steelers will look to upgrade in draft if possible. Having 2 elite pass rushers really helps the defense.

 

Tomlin on the Ingram trade.

"We didn’t weigh their circumstances, no. We weighed our circumstances,” Tomlin said. “Not only the tangible element of our circumstances, but the intangible quality that makes up team. Like I mentioned when we moved him, we had an opportunity to get value for him. And so that was entertaining and interesting to us. But also, to be quite honest with you and blunt, Melvin no longer wanted to be here. And for us, we prefer volunteers as opposed to hostages.

“And we believe that is a formula that really allows us to come together in ways that you can’t measure — to do the things that we were able to do last week, to smile collectively in the face of adversity and do what’s required to get out of stadiums with necessary wins. And so that is more of a function of us and the things that we value and less about Kansas City, the things that they needed or the prospects of playing them later in the season"

 

I'm not sure what else they were supposed to do. If they play hardball and sit him then they get nothing for him (production or draft pick)and the possibility of a major distraction. I get that sometimes you have to put your foot down, but at what cost? Like it or not this is the way the Steelers do business.

 

It's like the releasing of Decastro and Nelson. Decastro was going to need surgery and an extended rehab. The cap limitations this year were killing them and they had to make that tough choice. Could he have the surgery and be back to help any of the Steelers rivals? Sure but you can't make a personnel decision based on a maybe. Nelson outplayed his contract and wanted new money or released. They didn't have the room and after granting the seek a trade request they let him go. Could it come back to bite them? Yep it could but there weren't a lot of options. Tough choices were going to be made.

 

What you are not saying is Dupree just came back from an injury in one of those.

 

I've always been biased against Dupree. I think he is soft for his size. I didn't like the way he counted Leveon Bell's money or celebrated Bell's leaving even if Bell is a HOF level idiot... taking Bell's cleats and putting it on social media.

Harrison played mostly ROLB same as Dupree and averaged 68 solo tackles per 16 games vs. 37 solo tackles for Dupree. Obviously Harrison was elite but the difference against the run and in space is glaring. I just will not accept that Dupree is a good run defender that's just my opinion.

Dupree should have made the Pro Bowl in 2019. He is a high level pass rusher. The defense was better with him than Highsmith. But I just disagree that he is good against the run. It is a passing league now so he has high value for that reason.

Hopefully Highsmith continues to improve his pass rush and gets some sacks. I actually think Highsmith was a good value for a 3rd round pick who is the 30th highest paid Steeler. I think the Steelers knew who he was and are OK with his production vs. salary or they would have found a way to keep Dupree.

 

Concern over players following Blount's lead is exactly why the Steelers shouldn't have granted him his release. He demonstrated that if you really wanted out, you could just force the Steelers' hand by acting like an *******. If you are good enough, like Antonio Brown, they might try to talk you out of it first, but eventually they will cave. Thank you so much for helping me with my argument. That was so thoughtful.

 

There are many, many outside linebackers who are good against the run, but are unable to match Harrison.

 

Do you keep troublemakers in your classroom and force paying students who want to learn to deal with it just to prove a point? Because your logic here is a bit questionable. Force a guy who quit on the team was insubordinate to the coaches and wanted out to stay so that the rest of your employees know that you don't tolerate that behavior? Not sure that is how it works so again let me know how it turns out

 

I don't want to compare non-Steelers to Steelers because the OLB are used so differently to other teams.

Highsmith and Watt play the run better and so did Porter, Haggans, Greene, Gildon, Brown, Lloyd and Woodley.