My training camp/pre-season primer and roster predictions..... lber

A once proud unit that was considered the heart and soul of the defense... this unit has taken some backward steps and is now being overshadowed by the d-line.. The once, totally stacked inside is now thin due to the departures of sean spence and terrence garvin, as both moved on to well deserved starting positions elsewhere, and the outside has one up and coming young stud, and one that is quickly approaching bust status, to go along with an ageless wonder that could easily retire and become our strength and conditioning coach... Yes there are question marks...There are some though, that are putting in the work to bring back the glory days of our lber corps, and the league is starting to take notice.... There is some real competition coming, and there will be fireworks... sit back and enjoy... now to the individual

OLB:
Jarvis Jones: Is he a bust... does he have what it takes to be a steelers lber??.. What I see in him is a young lber that has very good instincts.. He's good in run support, better than I expected in coverage... But the defining trait that sets our olb's apart is the one thing that isn't there, and that's getting to the qb.. Jones has shown flashes that get our hopeful eyes up, but the consistency is just not there...Jones appears to have a very hard time disengaging from blockers.... Jones was put on notice when the f.o. declined his option.. Will that motivate him to finally reach his potential, or is there a young hopeful behind him waiting to pounce on an opportunity, or are we looking at his position once again in the next draft.. It's put up or shut up time.

Bud Dupree: All indications show that this 2nd yr. man is ready for a break out yr... Dupree has all the tools, and desire to match.. He started out quickly last yr., and then hit that rookie wall hard... Dupree's development will be one of the big keys to our defense, and I believe that he will be an unstoppable monster, especially coming in behind tuitt

James Harrison: The immortal one... Harrison refuses to get old and has a work out routine that's the envy of most. Of course the speed is no longer there for coverage responsibilities, but he always has to be accounted for in the pass rush... Offensive linemen appear to love Harrison deeply, as they continue to hug him tightly whenever he's on the field, and the ref's appreciate that love because they never say anything about it.. Yes, Harrison will see his fair share of pass rush opportunities, but his primary function is to mentor the young guns, and show them the way.. JH's time with us is quickly coming to a close.. let's hope the young guys pick up where he left off.

Arthur Moats: Non stop motor, but is clearly not the answer as a starter.. His presence in the rotation is important since he keeps pressure on the o-line and wears them down... for the time being, he will remain a valuable member of the defense, unless one of these young studs totally blows away the coaches

Anthony chickillo: 2nd yr. man with deep nfl bloodlines... converted from de and has slimmed down to more appropriate olb size.... His head is not in question, and I see him as a future defensive coach when his playing days are done.. The question is whether he will have the athletic ability and speed to do what needs to be done at the olb position.. At the very least, he should be a special teams demon.

Travis Feeney: A physical freak of nature.. will need to bulk up some, but this is one that I see as a major wild card, especially if Jarvis jones doesn't work out... His speed and athletic ability also make him a candidate to convert to ilb and possibly replace Timmons when the time comes... this is one that i'll be keeping a close eye on.

Mike Reilly: De convert.... pure speed rusher that doesn't have many counter moves.... Would probably make a very good special teamer, but unfortunately for him, the numbers game is gonna catch up to him

ILB:
Lawrence Timmons: It seems like only yesterday, when Timmons was the young stud making his mark... Now he's the sage old veteran. The yrs. have taken a step away from Timmons, but he still has plenty of speed and athleticism for the position. A leader in the middle, and well respected as a player throughout the league.. Always in shape and ready to play... I expect him to remain a big contributor to the defense.

Ryan Shazier: The lber with elite cb speed, is now adding elite playmaking ability to that speed... Shazier had some big games last season.. none bigger than the playoff game against the bengals.. Now if only he could stay out there for an entire season, we may be witness to something truly special... His injury history is the only thing that's holding him back, and if that's behind him, then there's no limit to what he can accomplish... let's keep our fingers crossed.

Vince Williams: the man that brings the attitude to the ilb position.. Williams hits with bad intentions, and is truly an intimidator.. On top of that, he has the head for the game, and knows where to be at all times... Definitely an extremely important part of the rotation, with athletic ability that's a shade below Timmons..

Jordan Zumwalt: Stashed on IR last yr., but still faces an uphill battle.. great head for the game, but his athletic ability will be put to the test.... Ultimately, he will be among the final cuts.

Tyler Matakevich: Zumwalt clone, with a bit more tough guy in him... I see him displaying just enough attitude to hit the ps when the time comes.

Steven Johnson: Johnson comes to us from the broncos stout defense, and has good experience... switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 though, isn't easy, and I don't see him as a great fit to this defense.... probably one of the final cuts

LJ Fort: Here is my dark horse... this kid is for real.. great read and react skills. excellent pursuit skills with speed to burn and can shed blockers.... where he will really separate himself from the crowd is his coverage ability... Fort follows the qb's eyes and recognizes routes with the skill of a safety.. Fort also has good hands and is a ball hawk.... This is one that will open more than a few eyes..

Next up and to conclude:
DB's and P's

 

Good write up. I'm excited for Bud, chick, feeney looks special. If Shaz stays healthy for the whole year it will help our D tremendously. I expect a HUGE year for Jarvis, 3 sacks.

 

The lb competition should be fierce, may the best man win. I hope everybody gets a fair shot? Timmons
is the most important piece in this puzzle. If he can find the fountain of youth, (Damn Turf Toe) we should be tough at ILB.
Shazier can do it all, unfortunatley it's usually for 8-9 games a year. J Jones, time to step up son. I like Chick
and his ability to get after the QB, other parts of his game need work. Fort I like as well as Feeney . Feeney is not prepared
to be playing LB in the NFL. Bulk up. Will his shoulder/s hold up to the NFL game? We will need QB sacks from the LB positions
to get where we want to go.