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Young talent

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by mac daddyo, Aug 13, 2020.

  1. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    The Steelers have added an amazing amount of young talent to this team. Many the average fan may not see this year. WR, RB, OL, ILB, and a few other positions. IR and on the PS will be names to watch this year. With contracts coming due and money tight next year, as well as age creeping up, keeping this young talent hidden and around will tell some tales for the future. Covid has hurt this year but also could allow some restocking of the shelves. Not all stars but many were very good and long time starters at their schools. Many have been or will be around the pro coaching and programs for 1-2-3 years by next season and that time for them and the Steelers will be valuable. I like what they have quietly done. As I said I will be watching who is kept around for down the road. :cool:
     
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  2. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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    I’d agree that the Steelers have some of the best young players in the league collectively speaking, and lots of guys like Layne, Dotson, Okarafor and McFarland that have starter potential.

    Its quite a young team but if there is a concern it’s that they are getting old in some critical positions, namely QB and right across the Offensive Line but particularly at Tackle. They need those guys with potential to step up soon. Quarterback after Ben is the biggest question of all of course.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    Only time will tell, will have to see how they are utilized.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  4. steel machine

    steel machine Well-Known Member

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    Let's just hope they don't grow old before NFL plays again.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  5. STEELWINDS

    STEELWINDS

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    Hey mac daddyo.

    Yes, much young and exciting talent has been added to the Steelers. For me. it is the Offense that I am most excited about. The WR crew is going to be awesome IMO. JuJu, Washington, Johnson and Claypool are going to be dynamic any way you mix and match them. However, the first three (obviously Claypool was not here in Pittsburgh yet) had their growth stunted big-time last year with Ben's early season exodus due to injury. In addition, each of the three had to deal with their own injuries as well throughout the season.

    Now we have Claypool, Ebron and Vance to add to the three. Plus I like Samuels coming out of the backfield. That is a total of seven really good receivers that can be mixed and matched in so many ways. The possibilities really are plentiful. Fichtner really should have a lot of fun with these guys if:
    • Ben stays healthy.
    • All seven can develop chemistry with the Offense, primarily Ben.
    • The O-line returns to a better time, which I think they will.
    • Fichtner figures out what to do with all of these great and diverse weapons.
    We are very rarely being talked about in the media. KC deserves their "Props". The usual Brady love-fest. I admit, Brady has earned it as well. Of course, now that he has divorced from Belicheat that is also a daily headline. As usual, what would a season be without Dallas as a central conversation piece. Then there is the usual "rat-fest" of love. Minus KC, Brady and Belicheat, who all have earned it, the usual "slob-jobs" and "jock-scratching" are in full effect for the "rats" and the "cowturds".

    I am not one to use that "Chip on the Shoulder" or "Under the Radar" stuff as reasons to be motivated. Teams know who we are but more importantly the Steelers know who they are. Keep it focused, stay healthy and the rest should fall in place. Forget all of the external BS. When I played and coached sports, sure I did my homework on my opponents. However, in the end it all came down to me having myself, and my teams, prepared and focused both physically and mentally. That more than anything is what lead to success.

    STEELWINDS
    AKA The East Side Kid
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2020
  6. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    Well I'm not only talking about guys that will be on the field this year but guys that may hang around until next year and eventually move up the ladder. They had to dump a few to get to this strange years number and hopefully can be brought back if all goes well with this virus vaccinations by next year. Like I said guys on the expanded PS and whomever is saved on IR. They had accumulated some solid role playing players that have time to grow right now before they are really needed. Like they did with AV and Feiler.:cool:
     
  7. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    @STEELWINDS

    Rat fest...I like it. Rat festation is getting as bad as the SB Champ Browns in the yearly off-season. Peeking in 2019, they have nowhere to go but down. Maybe that helps them stay humble for their next playoff matchup.
     
  8. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Hey STEELWINDS

    Glad you got that off your chest. I don't watch NFL channel at all until the season starts. ESPN still has a few good programs thankfully.

    Personally I'm impressed with most of the women in sports anymore. The ones in the studio know their football mostly, the sideline reporters not so much.

    New QBs will step up & fill the void that the legends create when moving on. Some will be better than the allpros that left their legacy. For example Mahommes is on track to unseat Joe Montana as the best ever. Lamar might be a special player that we had the privilege to watch grow & leave his mark. (I hope not);)

    Everyone has their favorites, passionate about why they are better than some other snowflake's favorites. For example I think that J. Allen, D. Watson, that little guy in Jacksonville, Wentz, M. Stafford, maybe even Dak are QBs that can carry a team to greatness.

    For me Wilson, Lamar, Cousins, Mayturnitoverfield, Tannehill, Carr, P. Freakin Rivers (poor Colts :facepalm:), the guy playing for the Giants, Mariota, Trubisky (bet the Browns are relieved they didn't draft him :roflmao:), the guy in Arizona, Garapollo are nothing special.

    I think M. Ryan is a better QB than Wilson (backlash coming :icon e confused:). Cam can still be great imo.

    Sorry for the long post but paybacks-n-at. Wear your facemask & wash your hands STEELWINDS, dark days on the horizon.

    Roonatic
     
  9. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Hard to keep the talent anymore mac daddyo. The league teams has trouble stockpiling the better players with all the $$$ on the other side of the fence. Good organizations like the Steelers tend to consistently develop their college choices into NFL keepers. Who is better at getting players a second contract in the NFL?
     
  10. Chainmover1

    Chainmover1 Well-Known Member

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    ---Why the mystery Mac? You mentioned no players. I know you have been interested in the development/ [or actually the absence of it in recent years] of new talent for quite some time now. Anyway, who are these future stars we can look forward to seeing [probably somewhere else] in the future.

    These are most of the 3 yr or less players on the 90 roster. I did not add the 3 yr draft picks, rudolph, washington etc and added a few 4 yr players that I wondered why they have hardly been seen. [Banner]

    Olasunkanmi Adeniyi
    92 LB 6-1 248 22 3 Toledo

    Marcus Allen
    27 S 6-2 215 24 2 Penn State

    Zach Banner
    72 OT 6-8 360 26 4 USC


    John Battle
    21 S 6-0 201 25 1 LSU


    Saeed Blacknall
    80 WR 6-2 208 24 1 Penn State

    Isaiah Buggs
    96 DE 6-3 295 23 2 Alabama

    Deon Cain
    17 WR 6-2 202 24 3 Clemson

    Anthony Coyle
    68 OT 6-4 298 23 1 Fordham

    Amara Darboh
    82 WR 6-2 215 26 3 Michigan

    Christian DiLauro
    74 OT 6-6 300 25 1 Illinois

    Terrell Edmunds
    34 S 6-1 217 23 3 Virginia Tech

    Trey Edmunds
    33 RB 6-2 223 25 3 Maryland

    Zach Gentry
    81 TE 6-8 265 23 2 Michigan


    Ulysees Gilbert III
    54 LB 6-0 230 23 2 Akron

    Derwin Gray
    77 OT 6-4 320 25 1 Maryland

    J.C. Hassenauer
    60 C 6-2 295 25 1 Alabama


    Devlin Hodges
    6 QB 6-1 210 24 2 Samford

    Anthony Johnson
    83 WR 6-2 220 25 1 Buffalo

    Jarron Jones
    79 OL 6-6 320 26 1 Notre Dame


    John Keenoy
    64 C 6-3 300 23 1 Western Michigan

    Justin Layne
    31 CB 6-2 192 22 2 Michigan State

    Henry Mondeaux
    99 DE 6-4 280 24 1 Oregon

    Alexander Myres
    35 CB 5-11 192 24 1 Houston

    Chukwuma Okorafor
    76 OL 6-6 320 23 3 Western Michigan

    Kevin Rader
    87 TE 6-4 250 25 1 Youngstown State

    Dax Raymond
    49 TE 6-5 255 25 1 Utah State


    Jaylen Samuels
    38 RB 6-0 225 24 3 North Carolina State

    Tuzar Skipper
    51 LB 6-3 246 25 2 Toledo

    Benny Snell Jr.
    24 RB 5-10 224 22 2 Kentucky

    Robert Spillane
    41 LB 6-1 229 24 2 Western Michigan

    Corliss Waitman
    8 P 6-2 210 25 R South Alabama

    Cavon Walker
    79 DT 6-2 278 26 1 Maryland

    Kerrith Whyte
    40 RB 5-10 204 23 2 Florida Atlantic
     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  11. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    they had to rid themselves of some players since covid. only 80 in camp now. Keenoy for one. Montano was released to get to 80. He may be back if dotsons injury limits him very long. Cain, darboh,blacknall. Spillane. There are several others they could keep around for a couple of years to move into roles. AV took two to three years. Feiler as well. Banner falls into that catagory. He's been worked with for a couple of years and now may move into a bigger role. Whyte. Finney was one of those guys. Kam Kelly was one of those guys. We shall see this year with the expanded rosters and PS. :cool:
     
  12. Steel Hog

    Steel Hog Well-Known Member

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    IMO, the garbage that goes in the NFL, on the NFL channel and ESCNN/ ESPN will encourage many to not tune into the NFL this year. Me being one of them. I'll watch the Steelers (except game 1, and our other games after they have started) and that is all. I was really hoping the Pens wouldn't screw the pooch early and I'd watch hockey over NFL but that ship has sailed sadly.
     
  13. Disco1981

    Disco1981 Well-Known Member

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    Great post... it's almost as if I wrote it myself... I'm more pumped for this year than I've been in a long, long time...

    TALENT! Bottom line
    BEN! Looks the best he's been in a long time! Healed!
    Lots of talent on Offense!
    A DOMINANT looking D!
    Marsha gone!
    **** the Rats!

    I BELIEVE, IF we stay healthy, We're the Super Bowl Favorites! Yep, Favorites!

    ONLY thing that worries me, and as you know on here I don't sugar coat it, Just wish this wasn't Tomlins team!

    HE SHOULD be highly motivated! So many sub par seasons in a row!If we underperform AGAIN, He should be gone ( But we know he won't, No matter the record... Again, IF we stay healthy there should be NO excuses, NONE!

    Hope this Covid thing, or Popcorn doesn't screw us!
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2020
  14. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    Always a big “if”.

    :thumbs_up:
     
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  15. Brice

    Brice Well-Known Member

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    Has anyone heard anything about Justin Layne this year?

    I have listened to multiple discussions about our Backfield on SNR, but the name they never mention is Layne. Is he there and what position is he playing?

    Last year after his 1 preseason start they quickly realized that he was not ready for the NFL, and moved him to the Special teams for the remained of the year.

    He came out a year early and will only be 22 this season. At 6'2" his size should definitely give him an advantage over some of the other smaller CBs, and may allow him to move to safety
     
  16. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    last thing I heard he was on the covid19 list.:cool:
     
  17. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Hopefully he won't have to play much, other than special teams.
     
  18. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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    Doing quite well in practice by all accounts. He is off the Covid list

    Hopefully everyone stays healthy and he plays ST again this year. His time will come as a corner when Haden is gone, that could be sooner than we think looking at the way the cap is going.
     
  19. Brice

    Brice Well-Known Member

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    Another year of being relegated to the Special Teams would mean another early CB bust for Colbert and the Steelers.

    I was hoping he would be ready to take over for Hilton and Sutton in the Nicked and Dime this year.
    Although, it sounds like Sutton may be heading for Safety this year. "Versatility" AKA Edwards may be splitting reps.
     
  20. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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    I think with Layne it may be just a case of too many guys in the way. Haden, Nelson, Hilton and Sutton are all understandably ahead of him in the depth chart and they all stayed healthy last year so Layne wasn’t needed. An injury or a departure will give him an opportunity eventually. Hilton will almost certainly be gone after this year and they may decide to waive Haden for cap reasons if he shows some decline this year and if they feel Layne is ready.

    I don’t think he was ever getting the nickel role this season. Hilton is really good in that role and I think they see Layne as an outside corner. If he can take over the role from Haden then it’s a great pick considering the heartache they have endured at that position over the years. Too early to call him a bust in any case, even if he doesn’t play much in 2020.

    Sutton will probably play snaps right across the secondary including safety. Great to have a guy with that versatility, hope they can hold on to him after the season.
     
  21. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    No it wouldn't make Layne a bust, their top 4 CBs stay healthy there is no need to put Layne out there, he will get his chance in 2021.
     
  22. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    I'm totally excited for our young talent..... the immense potential of our stable of wr's should be the envy of every team in the nfl outside of KC...… our rb's, while not having an AP type of talent, are very steady and have all the checkmarks covered collectively....
    The defense is set up to be dominant for the next decade....
    If we can elevate the qb play after Ben, then we will definitely see a few more Lombardi's in the trophy case
     
    • Agree Agree x 1

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