The Mike Adams Question?

From all that I'm hearing from the media and from people on the board is that Mike Adams will not start in 2012. Some people are saying Colon will be the Steelers starting RT and Gilbert will be the starting LT making Adams a back-up, on the bench. Some fool writer even stated that the Steelers might bring Max Starks back to play the LT spot!

How crazy most of it sounds. This is what I say, why would the Steelers draft a guy who was given a first round grade who didn't get drafted in the first round and they get him at # 56 in the second round? Then they start a injury prone Max Starks or even worst switch Gilbert to the left and start Colon at his RT spot. Here are the measureables: Adams 6'7 328, Gilbert 6'6 330, Colon 6'3 315, guard measureables.

Also, it makes no sense to move Gilbert who did a great job in 2011 on the right size when you drafted a young guy who played LT his whole college career.

Now, both Adams and Gilbert both have legitimate tackle size, Colon doesn't. Colon have legit guard size. Maybe the Steelers played Colon at the tackle spot because they had no one else to play tackle. The tackle spot has been in bad shape forever seems like, since Marvel Smith and Starks were holding it down. Now both Adams and Gilbert are two young, legit tackles. Time for Colon to move on down inside or be a back-up if he can't beat out Legs or Foster. He has to prove that he can stay healthy for an entire season.

So, my vote is that Adams starts first game 2012.

My O-line: RT Tackle Gilbert, RT Guard Decastro, Center Pouncey, LG Colon, LT Adams

 

How can anyone even make a judgement on who will start or not before the first training camp even begins?

 

One other thing, can you see Mike Adams starting on the LT side and Colon starting on the RT side, and Gilbert on the bench as a back-up? That would be stuid! I don't think Colon is that good.

 

what's nice is adams is a true LT and gilberts best years were protecting his lefthanded qb on the rightside. it's like hitting the jackpot. i'm not counting foster out of this yet either. all he's done is come in as an udfa and stepped in for 3 years when asked. he has done a good job when called upon.

 

Very few tackles come into the league and start at left tackle right away. If Adams proves to the coaches that he can start right away then he will start.

 

I would go with Starks at LT until Adams is ready.....I would not move Gilbert now that the Steelers have a more natural LT in the fold.....no reason to flip Gilbert right left right......Gilbert and Colon both start out playing both G and RT....with Decastro and Pouncey in the middle.

HACK

 

On the Jack L quote -

 

THe story about Starks coming back was pre-draft, now, after the draft we had, I don't think that happens.

If Adams and GIlbert struggle due to their inexperience not sure what they do though, they don't have veterans to man the position.

 

Mike Adams was drafted to be the long-term solution at LT. When he is ready, he will start there. That will push either Gilbert or Colon to guard, but make no mistake, both those guys will play. They are too good and have too much invested in them to sit on the bench. Mike can sit on the bench for a year, and that's no loss, it's typical. If he's not ready, Gilbert starts on the left side as planned, Colon stays at RT, and Foster stays at guard. Then the shift goes on when Adams is deemed as good or better than Gilbert on the left side.

 

My guess is sooner rather than later the OLine will look like this.

Adams - Gilbert - Pouncey - Decastro - Colon

I know some feel Colon is better suited as a guard but I just don't see

Adams - Colon - Pouncey - Decastro - Gilbert

I wouldn't mind Adams and Gilbert being the bookends though. But that would make Colon one high priced back up.

 

This. I seem to remember Pouncey wasn't down to start after he was drafted when training camp began.

 

Can you imagine the Steelers with a good offensive line where Ben can stand there in the pocket and have all day to find a receiver, like brady and manning has/had? Awesome.

 

All the talk about Max seems speculative. Does anyone have any updates on his injury? Did Max have surgery? If so, it wouldn't be a given that he would be recovered and in game shape at the beginning of the season.

 

the steelers paniced last year and over paid colon and now he is holding them hostage as a RT only guy. colbert screwed up again on the line with subpar players that should have been gone years ago. i wouldn't bring max starks back for all the tea in china. he and colon should be down the road. all they are doing is keeping another more talented guy from making the team. colberts neglect on the o-line in the past is coming back to bite him in the butt again this year. we should be done with the legursky's,starks,colon's, and scotts on this line. there is no excuse to not putting the best 5 on the field this year because of one RT.

 

I agree. This draft assures us that Colon is gone when his contract is up, unless he wants Guard pay (a significant cut from tackle pay)

 

And i think they will. Kugler has already publicly stated that in the past they've had to switch guys around because of lack of depth and injury and that this season they'll get it right. I have faith that we will now that we appear to have the players to do this. We soon shall see

 

You got it right, yes the Steelers over paid Colon last year. $29 mil for I think 5 years. I think he will be getting about $3.9 million for the next for years and he already got more then a $9 Million dollar signing bonus. Now at the time he was coming off of his accillies injury and got hurt again in the 1st game of the season against the Ravens, out for the 2nd straight year. A total waste of money. They still owe him about 16 million on his last four years of his contract which he propaply won't collect, however he has already gotten 13 million and only played in that Baltimore game. If he manages to stay healhly, maybe he can help the team win by moving on down to guard.

The Steelers made a mistake by signing him to a $29 million dollar contract and then giving him a $9 million dollar signing bonus with no return on their money! Legursky is a lock on the team. He is the back-up center and guard, even start at guard if needed.

 

essex can play center, guard and left and right tackle. beachum can play LT,guard and they say he has all the smarts to be a good center. more positions then legursky and they are both healthy. the steelers did the same move with kemoeatu when they signed him to long for too much and they will still have to pay for him too. colon and kemo were two bad moves.

 

essex can play center, guard and left and right tackle. beachum can play LT,guard and they say he has all the smarts to be a good center. more positions then legursky and they are both healthy. the steelers did the same move with kemoeatu when they signed him to long for too much and they will still have to pay for him too. colon and kemo were two bad moves. [/quote:31vm9aor]

Yes, but not one of them well. I'd much rather have a stud who can only play one position but excels at it than a scrub that has experience at several positions but can't play any of them well.

 

did colon not start out at right guard? I thought that is where he played and was pretty good. no way is colon a better tackle than gilbert. last year you did not see many flags thrown on gilbert. colon is good for at least on holding penalty and a couple of false starts a game. game one I really think it will look like this adams-decastro-pouncey-colon-gilbert. that is an oline to be proud of. if we can keep them healthy and together it will be a strong unit for many years. now if we can fix the secondary this team could be set

 

Yes, but not one of them well. I'd much rather have a stud who can only play one position but excels at it than a scrub that has experience at several positions but can't play any of them well.[/quote:21ohebo4]
as a backup essex is a very valuable on gameday. we sure aren't going to dress 5 backups. nobody said he was starting. if he comes in camp in shape and down on weight , he's not the same player as he's been in the past, so what you saw before may not be what we get now. we will have to wait and see how mobile he's become. not to many teams have a guy that can play every position sitting on the bench if needed. so no i don't think legursky is a lock. that's what i was refering to. not to mention legs is coming off yet another injury. i don't think essex has ever been hurt. that's a big plus. remember all these parts such as people talking about bringing max back, will not be the same, because they will be learning a new offense.