My end of season grades and next yrs. outlook.......... Defense

We've graded the offense.. it's time to look at the defense... This unit started very slowly, with barely an nterception, sack or pressure through the first half, and an ugly 4 game losing streak seemed to fall directly on the unit's shoulders.. Then came the emergence of 3 rookies, and what appeared to be a change in defensive strategy.. Turnovers were generated, and the defense led the league in sacks over the 2nd half, and spearheaded a 9 game run, coming a game shy of the superbowl.. Yes, the defense reverted back to the losing streak form in the afc championship, but their overall performance can't be ignored... One of our defensive leaders will return, along with an ageless passrusher who appears to have unfinished business, and our 3 rookie wonders return seasoned and aware.... I look for some serious fireworks next season... now let's look at the individual...

D-line:
Cam Heyward: Before being lost to injury, Heyward was the only player on the defense that was consistantly getting into the opposing backfield... The leader of the defense..... To add him back to this newly dangerous defense may be one of the few things that puts this defense over the hump........ Heyward is relentless, playing from the snap to the whistle... I believe that barring injury, Heyward turns in a pro bowl season........... Grade: inc

Stephon Tuitt: Started slowly, but stepped up big after Heyward went down.... Sets the edge well and pushes the pocket.. Appears to be ready to take the next step.... Next season, look for tuitt to break out in a big way................... Grade: B

Ricardo Matthews: Proved to be a valuable pick up (unlike the last charger lineman we had, who shall remain nameless).. As I initially thought, he was better against the run than he was the pass... Became a starter when Heyward went down, and contributed well during the 9 game run...Holds his ground well enough, but is being made expendable by 2 young bucks that are developing quicker than most expected..... His position is in serious jeopardy through no fault of his own.... I believe he will be gone next season, either by trade or cut............ Grade: B-

LT Walton: As he grew into his position, Walton began to see more and more of the field..... Walton has become the top back up in the d-line rotation..... Walton could easily be a starter on most 3-4 defenses, and hasn't come close to seeing his ceiling.... I believe Walton will continue to improve, and will break out as a back up...... unfortunately, due to Walton's development, I don't believe that we can hold him long term.... He's still into his rookie contract, and may see a short extension, but after that, he will get a fairly large contract to start elsewhere..... Let's enjoy his development while we still have him........... Grade: B

Johnny Maxey: A well developing pass rusher, that will only get better..... Maxey gets good pressure and reminds me of a young bret keisel (yes, I said it)...... Maxey's continued development will make our front line that much more dangerous.. Still needs to get a little stronger against the run, but i'm sure that his off season will be productive.... I look forward to seeing how he comes into camp................................................................................. Grade: B-

DT:
Javon Hargrave: Rookie starter that, from the start of camp, took the team by storm..... executed a hostile takeover of the starting nose tackle position and never looked back... a very good pass rusher and surprising good against the run... Hargrave is the catalyst for the d-line and appears to be the next great nt in black and gold..... Grade: B+

Dan McCullers: The gentle giant and that is not a good thing.... Big Dan was handed the starting NT position, and when Hargave basically took it from him, McCullers shrunk into the background and conceded defeat without so much as a grunt, and that's his biggest (no pun intended) problem.... McCullers should be unblockable, but plays with no real fire..... He's serviceable as a back up, but is also replaceable........ If he develops anything close to a meanstreak, then we will have a major weapon coming off the bench..... Until then, allwe have is an average back up that won't hurt us, but won't elevate us in any way....................................................................... Grade: C

OLB:
James Harrison: Ageless wonder that doesn't seem to want to get old... Harrison employs one of the most insane workout regimens i've ever seen to fight off father time....... No longer a factor in coverage, but is quite possibly still our best pass rusher, and still excellent against the run..... He will be back next season, and i'm sure it will be his last active one..
He will be on a mission next yr., which will make him that much more dangerous..... Get ready for some serious fireworks as the teams career sack leader prepares for a final ride................................ Grade: B

Bud Dupree: Lost to injury for the first 10 games, but when he returned, he clearly showed that he was ready to take the next step in the line of great pass rushing olb's..... Dupree will be looking at a monster season next yr., because despite what he's shown so far, he's still unlikely to see many double teams due to coming in behind tuitt..... Dupree's outlook is the main reason that next season can't start soon enough for me....................................................................... Grade: A-

Jarvis Jones: Has now cemented his status as a 1st round bust, and I believe that he has played his last down in black and gold....... Jones' benching coincided with the defensive turnaround.... It wasn't the only catalyst, but his absence in the starting lineup was noticeable due to the improved play in what used to be his area of the field...... Jones still has good instincts, but this defense is not conducive to his strengths....... He will continue to play in this league, but it will be somewhere else...... I look forward to the comp pick................................................. Grade: D+

Arthur Moats: Still has a non stop motor, but no longer appears to be a major part of the rotation..... good for 10-15 snaps per game, but does not appear to be a part of the long term process.... A good locker room presence, and a high character individual, but he won't be more than a special teams demon for the forseeable future..... Grade: C

Anthony Chickillo: Developed as a pass rusher a lot quicker than I expected, and provided a good spark off the bench, during the time that he's been available......The problem is that he hasn't been available much due to injury... With a full season of development, Chickillo could become a major player and more than just a special teams ace............ Grade: inc

ILB:
Ryan Shazier: Shazier provided what everyone thought he would as a dynamic playmaker..... and just as everyone thought,,,,,, it wasn't for a full season,,,,, Shazier has special talents, but must fight off the injury bug...... One of the fastest defenders in the league when the play is in front of him..... but despite having the speed of a db, when the play is behind him, Shazier does not have the make up speed to catch up, and other than injuries, this would be his only weakness... Once Shazier plays with more discipline, he will be truly special.................... Grade: B

Lawrence Timmons: Timmons turned back the clock and regained much of his old pro bowl form.....Once again, Timmons was all over the field and displayed the instincts that many though was greatly diminished.....Timmons still clearly has plenty left in the tank...... the real question is how much is he going to cost us ..... While still a leader on this defense, he clearly isn't worth what we've been paying him... a new contract is richly deserved, but it still needs to be team friendly...
I look forward to seeing Timmons back and leading the way ................................ Grade: B

Vince Williams: Vince williams is clearly the heir apparant to timmons..... A tackling machine that showed up big time when pressed into starting duty...... can play either inside position on the inside, play it at a high level..... Greatly improved in coverage, but it is still a weakness..... Williams doesn't appear to have reached his ceiling yet, and is a great asset in the rotation,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Grade: B

LJ Fort: Good, young ilb with great instincts and is above ave. in coverage.... his continued development will be instrumental for the future of this crew post timmons... Definitely a keeper that deserves more of a look..... Didn't see the field much due to the big 3 in front of him, but will get his turn in due time.................................. Grade: inc

Tyler Matakevich: Very opportunistic player with a flair for the dramatic..... Like fort, he didn't see much time on the field, and also battled injuries throughout the season, but showed enough to convince me that the future of the position is safe..
I look forward to his continued development......................................... Grade: inc

CB:
Ross Cockrell: Young corner that is developing quickly into a very good back....... to my eyes, Cockrell compared favorably to Ike Taylor, including the hands department, where he appears to be allergic to catching int's.. Cockrell, very often, was across from the other teams best receiver, and held his own quite well.... still developing and i believe we haven't seen his best yet............. Grade: B+

Artie Burns: The rookie grew and took over the starting spot opposite Cockrell, and the 2 of them could be a dynamic duo for quite some time...... Burns had his growing pains early, but became a dynamic defender in short order...... Burns appears to have the makings of a superstar, and it's only a matter of time before he shuts down one side of the field....
Grade: A-

Willie Gay: Gay was back in his more natural place as a slot cb, and was very comfortable.... I also believe that he will probably end up as the dime back next season, if senquez golson returns healthy....... Gay still provides quality veteran leadership, and still has plenty left in the tank.. look for Gay to come back and remain a leader........ Grade: B-

Al-Haj Shabazz: Big CB that showed more than I thought he would during his short time on the field....... I need to see more in order to make a more educated evaluation..... I will be watching this one closely next camp... Grade: inc

Justin Gilbert: Comes to us after cleveland, of all teams gave up on him.... Still has the physical gifts that made him a 1st rounder, but is his head together..... Can he be coached up and realize his potential... If he can, then grouped with burns, cockrell and golson, this could be an unstoppable unit.... of course that's a big if, and he clearly didn't earn enough of the coaches trust to get on the field, even in the finale against his former team...... but they kept him around for a reason... next camp and pre-season should be make or break time.................................................. Grade: inc.

S:
Mike Mitchell: Hard hitting safety that's very good in run support.... I still doubt his anticipation in pass defense, but he does have his moments..... Moments are not enough though, and he needs to play with more discipline, and be more of a leader...... He has the ability, and now is the time to put it all together............................. Grade: C+

Jordan Dangerfield: Another hard hitter that can play both safety positions..... Played very well when pressed into duty, and has earned a long term place on the team....... Grade: B

Sean Davis: The 3rd rookie starter on the defense, and seems to be a natural at ss..... His development is key to the strength of the secondary...... ... Able to play both safety spots and emergency cb.... A strong blitzer, and instinctive player.. Davis will be a mainstay in the secondary for yrs. to come...................... Grade: B+

Robert Golden: Another that is capable of playing both safety spots, and is a special teams ace..... Golden has earned his place with the team, and will remain a valuable contributor............................ Grade: B-

Shamarko Thomas: High character player.... big hitter, and an athletic freak.. Unfortunately, that ablility has only translated on special teams... I don't know if his special teams play willl be enough to keep him around, but I definitely want to see him succeed..... it will be an uphill battle though..................... Grade: C

LS:
Greg Warren: may have another yr. or 2 in him, but the time is coming to start looking for a new LS..... for now, he's here and does his job well....... Grade: A

P:
Jordan Berry: Very strong leg, and appears to be our unquestioned starter..... developing consistency, and has had a few games where his leg turned around the field position battle........... We have our punter Grade: A-

 

Like it

 

Jarvis Jones D+????? And no he Wont play in this league next year, sorry.

 

A lot of potential for next season

 

Great looking grades, with the following exceptions are my thoughts:

1. Ross Cockrell - he is not Ike Taylor yet and still avoids contact some against the run, and not a good tackler, but improving. - B-

2. Gay - he is showing his age lately, hope they dont resign him, we can do better at that position, (maybe Gilbert) Old and slow. - C

3. Robert Golden - okay the first couple of games, however he appeared to get worse every game after and got exposed in the championship game. Dangerfield is better at this point. - C

 

You are way too easy on these guys...

D-line:
Cam Heyward: B&GP Grade: inc
RPO Adjusted Grade: A

Stephon Tuitt: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Concurs

Ricardo Matthews: B&GP Grade: B-
RPO Adjusted Grade: C-

LT Walton: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Adjusted Grade: C

Johnny Maxey: B&GP Grade: B-
RPO Adjusted Grade: D+

DT:
Javon Hargrave: B&GP Grade: B+
RPO Concurs

Dan McCullers: B&GP Grade: C
RPO Concurs

OLB:
James Harrison: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Concurs

Bud Dupree: B&GP Grade: A-
RPO Adjusted Grade: B-

Jarvis Jones: B&GP Grade: D+
RPO Concurs

Arthur Moats: B&GP Grade: C
RPO Adjusted Grade: C-

Anthony Chickillo: B&GP Grade: inc
RPO Adjusted Grade: C+

ILB:
Ryan Shazier: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Adjusted Grade: A

Lawrence Timmons: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Concurs

Vince Williams: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Concurs

Tyler Matakevich:
B&GP Grade: inc
RPO Adjusted Grade: C+

CB:
Ross Cockrell: B&GP Grade: B+
RPO Concurs

Artie Burns: B&GP Grade: A-
RPO Adjusted Grade: C+

Willie Gay: B&GP Grade: B-
RPO Adjusted Grade: C


S:
Mike Mitchell: B&GP Grade: C+
RPO Concurs

Jordan Dangerfield: B&GP Grade: B
RPO Adjusted Grade: C-

Sean Davis: B&GP Grade: B+
RPO Adjusted Grade: C-

Robert Golden: B&GP Grade: B-
RPO Concurs

Shamarko Thomas: B&GP Grade: C
RPO Adjusted Grade: D

 

A very detailed report,I agree on most except for the DB'S..Our best DB is Burns he was probably a B the rest of them are c average at best..

 

cockrell B-
mitchell C+
burns B-
golden C-
gay C
thomas D-
davis B-
dangerfield C
shabazz C
r.matthews C+
mccullers C-
maxey C
walton C+
heyward B+
tuitt B+
hargraves B
j.jones C-
moats C-
williams B-
shazier B+
harrison B-
chickillo C+
dupree B
matakevich C+
timmons B
fort C+

 

Based on the grades for both the offense and defense, this team should be good enough to get us to the AFC Championship game against New England.

 

This is so backwards. Cockrell thoroughly outplayed Burns. It's not even close. Is Burns going to be the better corner? Yea, I'd bet on it. But Cockrell was significantly better this year.

 

We Will see about that my friend!!! Haha he is out

 

1 guy clearly knew what to do and the other guy didn't but the ability to close on balls, the ability to get in and out of breaks, the ability to open and close theirs hips, Artie was much better..

Ross is a good guy he does put in a lot of time learning his craft, I like that about him he just doesn't have enough skill to be a key cog in a great Defense ..If the goal is to be average then so be it, if not then he needs to be bumped down the roster...

 

We have a ways to go, but were getting there. How does Cam Heyward
grade an A from some? Didn't play half the season and the team STILL made it to
Championship game. Incomplete grade here, he is a better leader than football player.

 

On this team? What is it that you see that would justify him coming back? He is to weak to be a pass rusher, gets eaten up with ease. He might be a nice 4-3 linebacker somewhere else. Hopefully they put someone in the #95 deserving of wearing it...

 

I expected Burns to be playing at a much higher level at the 12 game mark of the season, he should have been lighting up receivers in the post season playing in the 19th game of the year, lets face it his rookie status ended after the 16 game regular season ended, he was still struggling, on the other hand Davis our other rookie was showing improvement after the regular season, I would rate burns no better than a C and Davis a B, Hargrave is a natural who probably could pro bowl next year, easily a B+ rookie......

 

Our defense still needs a lot of work to neutralize top offenses

 

I think he may get interest from DL in Tennessee or possibly Arizona due to familiarity, although a guy with a good eye for talent evaluation like Zimmer in MN could make an offer but ultimately I think he wants to prove something in Pittsburgh and will take an offer if they make it.

 

Yea, the guy who knew what he was doing was better this year.