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[Video] Ryan Clark Says Emotional Goodbye To Steeler Nation

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Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark gave a heartfelt farewell to Steelers fans last night on Pittsburgh’s KDKA, calling Pittsburgh “one of the best organizations in sports.”

Clark was with the Steelers for the last eight years before signing with the Washington Redskins in March. During the interview with Bob Pompeani, Clark fought back tears while talking about the friends he misses in Pittsburgh. “I think the most important things are just my friends. Ike, Troy, and Will Gay, they’re my brothers man, and I think that’s the hard part about this game, because I don’t want people here to think that I’m not excited about it, because I really am,” Clark said about his new opportunity in Washington. He continued, “But, when I was sick, they came to the hospital, Troy cried with me. But, that’s the things I’ll miss, that’s the things I’ll remember. I’m just grateful to God that he let me be there”

Clark, who was always known as a fierce hitter, said that the hit he remembers most took place in New England in 2008. “My favorite [hit will] be Wes Welker until I’m gone from this Earth. The Patriots had this mystique about them, they still do, honestly. Wes Welker had this mystique about him, about being a scrappy, tough and whatever adjectives people always like to add to him. We just didn’t like those guys, we just didn’t, and it just felt so good, to hit him and it set a tone for us,” Clark said.

Here’s the obligatory youtube clip of that in case you forgot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E5c0uQEafs

Clark had nothing but nice things to say about the Steelers fanbase.

“Was the greatest years of my life as far as sports go, to be around such good people. People that embraced me and treated me the way they did. Man, it was just beautiful. I just thank them, I thank them all. The Rooney family, I’m just so appreciative they took a guy that nobody really wanted and they gave me a shot. To the fans, just amazing to go to places and like, take over stadiums. To be in San Diego where Terrible Towels overwhelmed anything they had. The Steelers are spoiled by the fans they have, it’s just awesome.

“I leave with knowing you guys are amazing fans in an amazing city and one of the best organizations in sports and I’m just grateful. A little kid from Louisiana, that no one wanted to draft, got to come in and be a part of something so great.”

You can watch the majority of the interview below.

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Number Changes: Danny Coale And Dri Archer

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Steelers RB/WR Dri Archer and WR Danny Coale have changed numbers according to Mark Kaboly of the Tribune. Archer, the Steelers 3rd round compensatory pick, will be switching from #34 to #13. You’ll probably notice that 34 is a running back’s number, and 13 is not. Make of that what you will.

Archer confirmed the change via his instagram account.

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Coale, who was signed to a future’s contract back in January, is switching from 13 to 88.

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The Joey Porter Effect (Or Is It Affect)

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The word rebuild has been associated with the Steelers for a couple years. The Steelers have been “re-tooling” the offensive line for years and they may have found a solution in new Offensive Line Coach Mike Munchak. With the apparent upswing of the offensive line, the biggest subject matter for the word rebuild has been connected to the defense. The word reboot may be better to describe the current trend of the defense, especially with the line-backing core.

Former Steeler linebacker Joey Porter signed on as a defensive assistant after a coaching stint (Coach Peezy?) at Colorado State University, his alma mater, to help coach the young group of linebackers. The linebackers, that includes two first round picks and a second, look very similar to the offensive line. Mike Munchak brings with him experience, knowledge, and technique and Joey Porter brings something else.

With football being the ultimate team sport, how each player is affected can have an enormous effect. With the addition of Coach Porter (how awkward is that to say?) a needed intensity to the defense will be identified and received. Being a third round pick by the Steelers in ’99, his mid round selection may have assisted Joey’s fire to be better, but it’s his demeanor that will affect the team.

Over his career with the Steelers, the team had a higher sack average per year. The higher average sack numbers demonstrate how Joey can affect everyone around him. The largest part of his game, on and off the field, was his words. While some guys will lead by example and stay silent, Peezy never stopped talking. The vocal effect of Porter could rally a defense and even the entire team. The many sound bites through the Superbowl run helped create a wave of emotion for the team to ride.

Coach Porter (still doesn’t sound right) played for the Steelers, then went to Miami and eventually “Steelers West.” After his playing days were over, he quickly began coaching at Colorado State University. Head coach at CSU Jim McElwain spoke on the effect of Joey, “I can’t say enough about the job he did with our team last season, and the way he poured his knowledge, experience and passion into our players.” He returned to his alma mater to finish a degree and helped coach. What a feel good story. What you may not remember though, is that he was also returning to the area where he was shot. To return to the scene takes two of something that could affect the youth on defense.

With the assistance of Coach Porter (I think I’m ok with this now) the CSU Rams had a sack increase by 12 in one year. How coaches affect their players is different for each individual. The difficulty of coaching is being able to connect and respond with the correct form to motivate someone you, as a coach, wish to succeed. While Porter was coaching, senior Shaquil Barrett’s sack total doubled in one year, and was named Mountain West defensive player of the year. Now one can see the Porter effect.

Whether it is how Joey Porter affects, or the effects of Joey Porter, I think it’s the affection for the game he will bring.

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Impactful Draft: True Need, Defensive Line

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Heading into the draft there was high speculation, from the draft-nicks to the fanfare, the Steelers would be going in two directions; Wide Receivers or Cornerback. While both were addressed through the NFL Draft, the rounds in which the “need” positions were drafted ending up being considerably off. The apparent need for the 2014 edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers was defensive line. With all the speculation of how the picks are made, did the Steelers really go best player available (BPA) or did they address the most glaring need. In the 2014 draft certain things fell correctly, as they must, for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2014 NFL Draft brought the Steelers two defensive linemen for the first time since Casey Hampton and Rodney Bailey in 2001. The linemen selections of Stephon Tuitt and Daniel McCullersare huge, and I am not speaking of McCullers’ stature, for a team in need of defensive line help. Both of these draft picks can be contributors, albeit possibly minimal, because of their experience using the technique employed by their previous schemes.

At Tennessee in 2012, McCullers played nose tackle in their 3-4 scheme. Coaches shifted, philosophies changed and in 2013, under Jon Jancek, the Vols played a 4-3. The change in base defense was not to McCullers benefit. While a 4-3 scheme allows defensive Tackles to shoot gaps more often; McCullers numbers took a hit. Starting two seasons and playing in two schemes, he registered more tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss in the 3-4 scheme as a junior then in the 4-3 scheme as a senior. The scheme was Jon Jancek’s little coat and this fat guy didn’t fit. There is a reason why a YouTube search shows 2012 highlights at a higher volume.

Tuitt’s accomplishments have been well documented. Looking at the good, you see a defensive end that can pursue, tackle, rush, and work at his craft. The knock on Stephon is his final year at Notre Dame. When comparing the last two seasons one can see increases in assisted tackles and total tackles. The slip to the second round may have been contributed to the drop in sack production from 12 to 7.5. The most glaring difference for the Fighting Irish between 2012 and 2013 is the final record of 12-1 and 9-4, respectively. Not the singular reason but looking to compare, 6 out the 10 top sack leaders in the NFL where on teams with 10 or more wins. When your team is winning, the opposition looks to get yards in chunks via the air. The sack drop off for Tuitt, maybe loosely, can be compared to his NFL counterparts.

Tuitt has the possibility of being the largest addition to the defensive line as of late. It is not common for the Steelers to draft a player that has already been playing the defensive end position in a 3-4 scheme for his entire college career. Tuitt’s learning curve will be far less than any other defensive end drafted by the Steelers in recent history. In grandpa Lebeau’s complex scheme, Tuitt’s confusion should be as minimal as a muddled jury at the Aaron Hernandez trail and allow stiff competition at camp.

Thomas, Tuitt, McCullers, have all played in a system similar to the one currently used in Pittsburgh. Williams, Arnfelt, and Fangupo have seen the defense. With only two returning starters on the roster, there will be many new names Steelers fans will watch. With nine current defensive lineman on the roster there will surely be the odd men out but who is the new guy in?new-steelers-jersey

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Steelers Sign NT Daniel McCullers And TE Rob Blanchflower

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The Steelers have signed two of their draft picks to contracts today. These are the first rookie class signings the team has made this year. Many other teams wasted no time signing most of their rookies, moreso than in previous years, but the Steelers are never in a hurry to do so- salary cap limitations or not.

The signing of Rob Blanchflower and Daniel McCullers will not move the salary cap needle due to the rule of 51. You can see the estimates for the rookie pool here: http://thesteelersfans.com/2599/breaking-rookie-salaries-cap-implications/

The team is sitting with just over $300,000 in salary cap space at the time of this writing. If they wanted to, they could stay in cap compliance while signing more of their rookies, due to displacement of the top 51. Expect the team to move quickly to sign the remainder of the rookies shortly after June 1st, when LaMarr Woodley’s $8,000,000 comes off the books.

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Bears To Release Former Steelers Punter Drew Butler

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The Chicago Bears are set to cut punter Drew Butler, according to the Chicago Tribune. The cut could come as soon as today according to a team source. Butler was signed to a futures contract in December, but the Bears drafted former Miami punter Pat O’Donnell in the 6th round of this year’s draft. The team was carrying 3 punters on their roster, so someone had to go.

Butler was All-American, an All-Southeastern Conference selection and a Ray Guy Award winner at the University of Georgia. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Steelers after the 2012 draft. He kicked a total of 77 punts for the Steelers that year, 6 of which were touchbacks, and 26 were inside the 20.

Butler, the son of former Bears kicker Kevin Butler, was waived by the Steelers last September. He won the position battle in camp last year, beating out veteran Brian Moorman, but the team signed former Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko in the end.

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Jordan Zumwalt- On The Outside Looking In

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Former UCLA inside linebacker, and Steelers 6th round draft pick, Jordan Zumwalt is facing a long road to make the Steelers 53 man roster this September. That’s not really what this article is about, though. Zumwalt, a pick many fans didn’t like because of the seemingly abundant depth at inside linebacker, has been lining up at outside linebacker this weekend in minicamp.

https://twitter.com/PGSportsNow/status/468075515207630849

A local reporter affirmatively stated that Zumwalt will play outside linebacker, and a lot of folks ran with that, but the rookie linebacker doesn’t even know where he’ll end up.

When asked where he’ll play, the UCLA standout told media he wasn’t sure. “I have no idea yet,” Zumwalt said. “I’m literally doing what they’re telling me to do.” He acknowledged that inside was still likely in his cards.”I will go wherever they want me to,” Zumwalt said yesterday. “They told me to make sure I am paying attention to the inside stuff, too, because I am definitely going to be playing there. So I assume I’m going to be swinging all over the place.”

The 22 year old played mostly inside linebacker in UCLA’s 3-4 defense, but showed lots of versatility. Over the course of his 30 career starts, Zumwalt proved he was comfortable dropping into coverage or blitzing.

While he’ll need to cut his teeth on special teams if he hopes to make the squad, position flexibility is obviously a plus. “I feel like I’m a versatile guy and I actually really appreciate that opportunity. I’m really grateful for it. Learning all the different spots is difficult, but I’m working for it 100 percent,” Zumwalt said. 

“I really plan on being a big special-teams guy here if coach gives me the opportunity,” Zumwalt added. “I’d love to be on every special team if I get the chance.”

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Martavis Bryant Held Out Of AM Practice

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Steelers rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant was held out of practice this morning according to Coach Tomlin. The break from practice was described as a precaution, and Tomlin indicated that he could participate when practice resumes this afternoon.

The exact nature of the injury wasn’t disclosed by the team. Coach Tomlin said that Bryant fell while making a sideline catch during practice yesterday. Obviously it doesn’t sound too serious, but we’ll have to wait and see if he resumes activities today. While he wasn’t involved physically this morning, he did participate by taking “mental reps”.

Bryant is considered a very durable wide receiver. The only game time he missed in college due to injury that I’m aware of, was in 2012 when he missed 2 weeks due to a groin injury he suffered in the weight room. Stay tuned for updates.

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Steelers Rookie Minicamp- Day 1 In Review

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The Steelers kicked off their 2014 rookie minicamp today, and many of the participants had their first taste of a NFL practice.

“The information is flying at you,” Ryan Shazier told the Steelers team website. “You just learned a little bit of it not too long ago and now you are going out there trying to digest it and play. It’s kind of fast, but it’s going to help us.

“It’s good to have this time. The veterans know what they are doing. We are out here trying to learn and get a little grasp of everything before we are out there with the older guys.”

It’s the first step of many for the dynamic linebacker, who will almost certainly see significant playing time this season. For some strange reason a reporter asked Shazier about his play calling duties today, and as you’d expect on the first day of rookie minicamp, he didn’t really have any.  “They didn’t give me that much responsibility. All of us as a whole, we all did the same amount. I don’t feel they put too much on my plate,” Shazier said according to Scout.com writer Jim Wexell.

Joey Porter was on hand today to take part in instructing the young linebackers and by one account, he appeared to be enjoying himself. The value of what Porter has to offer these guys is immeasurable.

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/467330334615302144

NT Daniel McCullers, who the team selected with their 6th round comp pick, said that the first day went well overall.  “It was a good first day out here on the field working with the guys,” said the mountain of a man. “We try to work through the plays, get through the plays and get into the rhythm of the game. It was a pretty good first practice, but we’ve got a lot of room for improvement.” One of  McCuller’s biggest challenges is showing coaches that he has the mobility to compliment his massive size. “Run to the ball. That’s what they’ve wanted me to do from the moment they brought me here,” said the 6’7″ defensive lineman.

I thought rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant looked a little rough around the edges in the brief moments he was on film during practice. Apparently it wasn’t just me, as a couple reporters made comments about it.

https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly_Trib/status/467356183658254337
https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly_Trib/status/467356700660736000

According to Wexell, he dropped a short pass over the middle today, and displayed a lack of body control while sinking into his cuts.

“I was just trying to work, get used to it,” said Bryant. “It was a first-time experience for me. It went pretty well. I just need to go and watch film and work on getting better.” Obviously Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t there today, but Byrant said the QB was  there on Tuesday. “We were working on routes, and he came out here Tuesday and threw to us,” Bryant told the Tribune.

The 173 lb RB/WR Dri Archer gave his feedback on the day as well. “It’s a whole new playbook. You have to learn different terminology, different rules. I feel like I am picking up a lot.

“We all have been waiting for this day for a long time through the draft process. We all have to show what we can do today.” According to Archer, an ankle injury kept him from being used in the punt return game last year. We’ll all have to wait and see if he’ll be able to contribute in that regard this year. The Steelers resume rookie activities on Saturday, and conclude on Sunday.

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Complete List Of Players Attending Rookie Minicamp

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Here is the list of players who are reportedly attending the Steelers rookie minicamp this weekend. The list of players includes the team’s 2014 draft picks, 2014 UDFAs, first year players, and tryout invitees.

[table file=”http://thesteelersfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rookie-mini-camp.csv”][/table]

*Indicates player is attending for a tryout.

Minicamp begins Friday, and continues through Sunday.