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slyvester says hes ready

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by TheSteelHurtin2188, Apr 15, 2012.

  1. TheSteelHurtin2188

    TheSteelHurtin2188 Well-Known Member

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    He has shed 15 pounds to get quicker and fasterbut still weighs in at 240. He also said he has been watching a lot of film and is ready to play the buck. He also went on to say ge welcomes competition. Good read in the tribe im on my phone or i would post the link in the trib. Worst case scenario we have a good and driven back up gor awhile.
     
  2. jrc

    jrc Member

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  3. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Good stuff from Slyvester - I think that quite a few our the younger players are seeing the gaps on the roster and stepping up for them.

    He's still bound to be quite raw, though, however prepared he is. I don't think we should lump unreasonable expectations on him in that respect.
     
  4. Jack LHambert

    Jack LHambert

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    Glad to hear this! He was a stud in college, with a nose for the ball. He'll take that spot in camp.
     
  5. 322 Steeler Fan

    322 Steeler Fan Well-Known Member

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    I think that there is a good chance that he is starting material.

    If he got the playing time that Worilds did last year; he may have got to starter level. But the Steelers played Foote...

    This is his third year, go or no go.

    But, does this defense need a bigger guy to attack the line of scrimmage in the 2-4 nickel, which only has 2 d-lineman to eat up blockers? Does this defense need a big Kirkland type mlb to pair with Timmons to make the Steeler's 2-4 nickel as dominate as their 3-4?

    Maybe Sylvester is just another Timmons on the team?... Draft Hightower, start Sylvester, trade Timmons, draft backup mlb?... Draft Hightower; he and Sylvester split time?...
     
  6. HugeSnack

    HugeSnack Well-Known Member

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    Sylvester over Timmons. I admit I hadn't thought of that.

    Interesting that he shed so much weight. Quickness didn't seem to be his problem to me. Experience and instincts are what he needs. I can't wait until preseason to see what he can do.
     
  7. JackAttack 5958

    JackAttack 5958 Well-Known Member

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    Timmons has largely been a major disappointment thus far in his career. We keep hearing every year about how much of a stud he is and thus far he's looked more like a gelding. Time for him to step up or step aside.
     
  8. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Some interesting points there. But the drafting/trading scenario at the bottom seems more Madden than Steelers FO.

    I'm wondering if we see an ILB taken early in the draft at all. From an FO standpoint, we have two guys in place (Timmons and Foote), a promising BU (Sylvester, should realistically overtake Foote), and a handful of young reserves already.
     
  9. 322 Steeler Fan

    322 Steeler Fan Well-Known Member

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    I am just trying to think of a better personel package in nickel for this year. I doubt Sly takes over for Timmons.

    base 3-4:
    Harrison Sly Timmons Woodley

    Nickel lb Ideas:

    Harrison Hightower Timmons Woodley

    Worilds Harrison Timmons Woodley

    3-3nickel:
    Harrison Timmons Woodley

    I think that the nickel front six is lacking, and either needs a big physical mlb to attack the line of scrimmage in nickel or switch to a 3-3 nickel and have two types of NT. One that is a prototypical big plug in the 3-4 base and one that is athletic enough to play against a hurry-up offense in nickel.

    Sylvester is basically another Timmons type mlb, which is good but solves nothing in the nickel D. Maybe use him in the base 3-4, then either take him or Timmons out in nickel, and replace with Harrison or maybe Hightower, or rotate the athletic NT in.

    Something different to attack the los in nickel. The ideal personnel may already be on the team; draft for the future and/or other positions. Keeping the 2-4 nickel and playing Sly at 3-4 base, then moving Harrison to mlb in nickel for Sly or maybe Timmons and playing Worilds at olb in nickel. Harrison is athletic enough to roam at mlb in nickel and also physical enough to attack the los in nickel at mlb. This lets Sly and Worilds get in the game. Those two are at the point that either they play or leave.

    The coaches will take what they have after the draft and free agency and make the best team out of it. I strongly believe that I am right about the defense is lacking at attacking the line of scrimmage in nickel, both pass rush and stopping the run. Nickel transition is the weakness of the 3-4; fix that, provide offensive balance, win the Super Bowl.
     
  10. steelers5859

    steelers5859 Well-Known Member

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    I would still take Hightower if he falls to us in the draft regardless if sly is ready.
     
  11. Aerosteel

    Aerosteel Well-Known Member

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    Over an O-lineman? Can you really say that our LB corps needs a 1st rounder more than our O-line? I keep seeing Hightower mentioned - isn't there anyone out there that cares we have the worst O-line of any playoff caliber team?
     
  12. SteelMojo

    SteelMojo Well-Known Member

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    ^^ this X 100 smh people act like we have to take a LB in the first! the Steelers are a LB factory!! most of the great LBs we ever had came in later rounds! point is our Oline is garbage get a half way ok line we are 100 X better! where as like i said can finf LBs :frustrated:
     
  13. JackAttack 5958

    JackAttack 5958 Well-Known Member

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    Good points and I can't say I disagree. However, the steelers draft philosophy for the last several years has been take the BPA at an identified position of need. If ILB is one of those positions of need and OG is another, the Steelers will take the second rated ILB over the fourth rated OG. This methodology has worked pretty well for them, don't you think?
     
  14. HugeSnack

    HugeSnack Well-Known Member

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    Timmons has largely been a major disappointment thus far in his career. We keep hearing every year about how much of a stud he is and thus far he's looked more like a gelding. Time for him to step up or step aside.[/quote:7jlnveed]
    Lots of guys don't live up to their potential, including Ben Roethlisberger. That should have no bearing on how they are rated as players. Unfortunately, it does to a lot of people. Most people judging Timmons objectively agree he's a good player in the league, and even his "haters" agree he should have made the Pro Bowl in 2010. In 2011 he slid back a little bit, but there were problems all over the defense, including the players in front of and next to him, and he was out of position for like half the season. Just because some people made him out to be more than he's been doesn't change how good he is. It only changes how they feel about how good he is. It's the difference between reality and the perception of reality.
     
  15. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    we have a ton of money wrapped up in LB'ers. even with JF gone. what about carter? ivy? to me it looks like they want another OLB rush guy. upshaw. bruce almighty irvin. harris. of course then they are looking at guys with speed too , good tackling skills that can cover and make lots of tackles for loss and sacks, like spence and kendricks. maybe the move of harrison to the middle? i'd love to see it. i heard somewhere that they may consider carter on the inside. :cool:
     
  16. steelers5859

    steelers5859 Well-Known Member

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    I don't think any of the olinemen are worst the 24th pick in the draft. We do need help there. But if Castro fell to us, I would pick him over Hightower.

    I would rather take the top inside linebacker then the 3rd best guard or tackle in the draft at 24.
     
  17. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Its all about who the best player available is though, maybe Hightower is the best MLB in a group of really weak linebackers and in other years he would be be a round 2 or 3 guy. Maybe this is a deep draft at guard and the 3rd best guard has a round 1 talent grade. I don't know the answer to this, its all what the scouts think. Maybe the best Saftey in the draft has a higher 1st grade than all of them?

    I like certain things Hightower brings to the table, he is a leader/general on the field he is strong against the run, and he blitzes well from the ILB position. I would like to see Sylvester get an opportunity to compete though, there are a few LB's on this squad we don't know about yet that seem to have some promise....Carter and Sylvester.
     
  18. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    Sly is thinking too much and not playing, Once he get more instinctive
    he will shine. Just go out there and play Sly you have
    the natural ability to be a good LB.
     
  19. defva

    defva Well-Known Member

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    I really thought that he had a great rookie camp butdidnt see the same play on the field.With him being in shape,focused determination,and experience may prove to be great for us We need our dominating lber crew back.
     
  20. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    he will be fine. year 3 is always the one that these guys seem to quit thinking and start reacting. timmons was only a partime player until year 3. heck ivy ought to know the defense alot better this year. i'm kind of anxious to see what hicks from fla. can do too. we also brought in mcfadden. then theres carter, he looks fast. his only knock was stregnth. i'm sure they had him working on that last year and this whole offseason. we have foote to fill in and this isn't the first time we have had to replace a starter. the next in line has almost always had a chance to show what they can do if the guy in front of him has been cut or gone down. i think alot was thrown at sly last year, so more reps will allow him to react better this year. he didn't just forget how to play in a year. with the league trending to the pass more, there are alot of assignments to learn. add troy to the mix and it's even harder. i'm sure they teach them to do different things when troy comes up and gets around the line or when he backs off for coverage. it changes what they have to do each play and if they have to drop in coverage. it's complicated. :cool:
     
  21. CANTON STEEL

    CANTON STEEL Well-Known Member

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    Meh, he's barely gotten any playtime to make judgement yet. He'll see the field a lot more this season and we can then determine his value a lot better. One things for sure, we need him to be ready this season 8-)
     
  22. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Quite. And lets be serious - even if we drafted Hightower, he would likely sit on the bench for the first year. I'm more interested in what the likes of Ivy and Carter bring to camp.
     
  23. PWP

    PWP Well-Known Member

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    Smart play by him getting faster.....He can see that the way the NFL is going his coverage skills will make or break him......The days of a big strong run stuffer are almost over......

    If he can play at a lighter weight and still get off or around blocks on running plays and he becomes a great coverage guy he can write his own check......

    Mark my words if the trend continues the most valuable guy in the draft in 4 or 5 years will be the Strong Safety type a guy who can cover and understands blitzes and route trees who can step in the box a play LB......I thought Taylor Mays would be the 1st. such converted guy,but look for this to start happening very often IMO....

    As a result I predict 5 Strong Safeties in the 1st. round by the year 2017......

    Teams in HS are already training these type of guys against Teams who throw to RB'S and TE'S a lot or who like to work the middle off of PA....Not just moving them in the box ,but teaching they to play both spots and actually pulling the normal LB and inserting another SS....As I stated the more teams throw the more success this type of D will have....Basicallly given up some strength in run support ,but gaining a lot in the passing game defense....
     
  24. winggin

    winggin Well-Blitzed Member

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    6'3" 240. I thought he was shorter. I remember reading up on him during the draft and the two points I remember is 1. he's fast and 2. had a nose for the ball. Let's hope he pans out.
     
  25. COSteeler

    COSteeler Member

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    I have seen a few mocks that don't even include Hightower in the first. I really don't think he's a lock for our pick and may not even be that high on the front office's list.
     

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