steelers draft

Report: Steelers Hosted Safety Brock Vereen Last Week

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The Steelers had former Minnesota Gopher safety Brock Vereen in for a visit last week according to ESPN radio. The 5’11”, 199 lb SS put on a good display at the combine, running a 4.42 40 yard dash (4.47 official). Vereen had 59 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception last year.

The defensive back was named to the All Big-Ten First team by coaches in 2013, and is the younger brother of New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen. Brock is considered a high character prospect, and has a high football IQ. He’s played both safety positions, and played cornerback until 2012. Here is his combine video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVMH7iBPy0

Here are a couple of his games. Take note of where he lines up most of the time. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, be sure to share with your friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opk8yJZ2MnU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp2uU_KWZ6g

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DVR Alert: Steelers 1974 Draft Special On NFL Network Tonight

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The NFL Network will be airing a special on the Steelers 1974 draft class tonight titled “Caught in the Draft – 1974: The Future is Now”. The program airs from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm est, and replays at 1:00 am. The show is described as a behind the scenes story of how Pittsburgh drafted four future Hall of Famers in one draft.

The 1974 Steelers draft was not only the best draft class the Steelers ever saw, it was the best by any team ever. With the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th picks the team landed future hall of fame inductees Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster.

In between Stallworth and Webster, UCLA DB Jimmy Allen was selected with the 100th pick and went on to have a very productive career with the Steelers, and later the Lions through 1981. He had 31 career interceptions.

Also noteworthy- Donnie Shell was signed as an UDFA after the draft, and went on to be a finalist for the hall of fame nomination. Playing for the Steelers through 1987, he totaled 51 career interceptions. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, be sure to share with your friends.

 

 

practice squad rules

[Rumor] NFL Expected To Announce Steelers Schedule On April 22nd

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According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, sources tell him that the NFL is planning on announcing the 2014 schedule on April 22nd. His sources seem somewhat less confident in the article than in the headline, as he adds that the dates may shift to “Wednesday, April 23 or Thursday, April 24”.

We already know that the Steelers will face the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Saints, and Buccaneers at home, and the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Falcons, and Panthers on the road. Hopefully we’ll know the dates by the end of next week.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, be sure to share with your friends.

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Steelers Sign Punter Adam Podlesh To One Year Deal

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The Steelers have signed veteran punter Adam Podlesh to a one year deal.

Podlesh was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 4th round of the 2007 draft. He signed a $10 Mil deal with the Bears in 2011, but was a cap casualty 10 days ago. His performance in Chicago last year left much to be desired. The former Maryland standout finished 29th in the league with his 37.9 net average in 2013.

Look, I know most people aren’t going to do cartwheels over this signing, but it’s risk free, and Podlesh will add a leg in camp competing with Brad Wing this summer. His base salary will be for the minimum of $855,000, but will count only $570,000 towards the cap due to the veteran minimum benefit.

After displacing a low $495,000 salary from the top 51, his signing could potentially move the salary cap needle by as little as $75,000. That number could go up as much as $65,000 depending on the signing bonus. The signing will leave the Steelers with roughly $305,000-$240,000 in cap space.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, be sure to share with your friends.

practice squad rules

Report: Steelers Schedule Will Not Be Announced This Week

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It was widely believed that the NFL would be releasing the 2014 schedule at the end of this week. This assumption was based mainly on the fact that the league announced the 2013 schedule on Thursday, April 18th of last year. Well, NFL PR man Brian McCarthy announced via Twitter today that the schedule would not be released this week.


Last year’s announcement came a week before the draft. With the draft being pushed back two weeks this year, it seems reasonable to assume that the announcement of the 2014 schedule may follow a similar timeline.

steelers draft

Steelers Hosting CB Verrett, CB Richardson, And LB Crichton For Pre-Draft Visits

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The Steelers are hosting 3 more prospects for visits today. The three prospects are TCU CB Jason Verrett, Arizona CB Shaquille Richardson, and Oregon LB Scott Crichton.

Jason Verrett is a corner who I’ve long thought would be high on the Steelers radar. He’s got excellent coverage skills, he’s really fast, and he’s undersized. I know “undersized” isn’t a valued trait in a cornerback, but the Steelers have a penchant for small, fast corners. I don’t believe Verrett’s name gets mentioned in the top 5 corner discussion much, but it should be. If he were 2 inches taller, I’m sure most would say that he’d be gone before the Steelers pick in round one.

The almost 5’10”, 189 lb corner ran a 4.39 at the combine. He was limited at times during the 2013 season, as he played through a torn labrum. At the combine, Dr.’s said that he would not require surgery, but he elected to have it anyway. Before the surgery, he still managed 19 bench press reps at his pro day. He is expected to be ready by the time training camp rolls around. Here are a couple of his games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShK_qWUGQjU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPcwP2oFOl8

Shaquille Richardson is a mid round prospect out of Arizona. He impressed scouts during East-West Shrine Game practices, but was a surprise Combine snub. He’s 6’0, 194 lbs and runs 4.4x 40 yard dash. Richardson brings a possible character concern, as he was kicked out of UCLA in 2010 after being arrested for theft. He was also one of several players suspended after an on field brawl in 2011. Here are a couple of his games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0NGLGD50Bs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqLEYa0iRZ4

Former Oregon DE Scott Crichton is an interesting prospect. He doesn’t really fit into any specific position in a 3-4 in my opinion. In the games I watched, he was predominately lined up with his hands in the dirt at 5, 6 and 7 technique. He measured in at almost 6’3″, 273 lbs at the combine. The defensive lineman registered 7.5 sacks last year, and 9 in 2012. He also recorded 3 forced fumbles in 2013. It would be interesting to see how he is used in the Steelers scheme, though I imagine they will transition him to OLB. LaMarr Woodley was 6’2″, 266 coming out of college.

I enjoy watching Crichton play, as he has a great burst and can bull rush tackles back fairly easily at times. He will probably be drafted sometime on day 2. Here are a couple of his games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlc7xZetlzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjnrvhhgl-s

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, share with your friends.

steelers draft

Steelers Hosted CB Roby, LB Pierre-Louis, and LB Bradford For Pre-Draft Visits

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The Steelers had CB Bradley Roby, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, and LB Carl Bradford in for pre-draft visits today.

Roby is quite likely in the mix for the Steelers first round pick. Aside from a relatively low vertical jump, the former Ohio State cornerback had an excellent showing at the combine. The 5’11, 194 lb defensive back has all the traits the Steelers would covet in a corner- prototypical height, lightning fast speed, good ball awareness, and lots of experience playing zone coverage.

Having said that, if you watch enough of Roby, you’ll likely begin to have some concerns about how he’ll transition to the NFL. While watching him last year, there was one word that would ring in my head from time to time- discipline. Roby can be frustrating at times because he has a tendency to not wrap his man up when making the tackle, and will get overtly grabby when he’s being beat.

Here are two of his games, one good, one not so good.

Bradley Roby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMjNxhpHFeM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whr1Cr9TW-M

Carl Bradford had 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss last year at Arizona State. The 6’1″, 250lb linebacker was a defensive swiss army knife for the Sun Devils. Here’s a couple of his games from last year.

Carl Bradford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4T7KCuhI0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Y5TuNKh08

Kevin Pierre-Louis is a 6’0, 228 lb late round prospect out of Boston College. He amassed 108 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss and 6 sacks last year for the Eagles. Pierre-Louis had the fastest 40 time of the linebacker group at the combine. In an interview after the combine, he told reporters that some teams asked if he would switch to safety- a position he’s never played.

Kevin Pierre-Louis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HshbfGjDRLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR0xsexwq-U

steelers draft

Shazier, Zumwalt, And Bucannon Have Pre-Draft Visits With Steelers Today

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The Steelers are hosting LB Ryan Shazier (Ohio State), LB Jordan Zumwalt (UCLA), and S Deone Bucannon for pre-draft visits today.

The Steelers met with Zumwalt at the Combine. Oddly enough, Shazier said that he already had a visit with the Steelers. I know a lot of energy goes towards the Steelers taking a tall WR or the top CB available in round one, but don’t be surprised if Shazier is the Steelers first pick.

Zumwalt is a bit over aggressive at times, and will need to add weight to his 6’4″ frame when he gets to the NFL. He’s likely a mid round prospect. Here’s a gif of him cleaning Logan Thomas’ clock.

Here’s Shazier and Zumwalt sharing a table at Primanti Bros.

Deone Bucannon might be one of the hardest hitting safeties in this draft class. I could probably fill this post with youtube “hit clips” featuring him drilling someone. While being known as a violent hitter, he also has a nose for the ball. The former Washington State defensive back had 15 interceptions during his career there. Here’s a couple games of him in action. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, share with your friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4x6J0cicds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftssF4HfMg8

steelers draft

[Audio] LSU WR Odell Beckham Jr Had Dinner With The Steelers Last Night

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Former LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was on SiriusXM’s Moving The Chains with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller this afternoon. During the interview, he told the hosts that he had dinner with “the Steelers” last night. Presumably, he had dinner with Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert, and Todd Haley who were all in attendance for today’s Pro Day at LSU.

Here is the audio from that portion of the interview:

[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmsports/lsu-wr-odell-beckham-talks[/soundcloud]

Beckham Jr. is 5’11, 198 lbs, and ran a 4.43 official at the combine. His 2nd attempt was a 4.31. His overall combine performance was pretty spectacular, which only helped his stock after 3 very good seasons at LSU. Last year, OBJ had 59 receptions, 1,152 yards for a total of 8 TDs.

Many have the wideout projected to go in the first round, but the Steelers are not likely going to want to use the #15 pick on him. Here are a couple videos of him in action. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to share with your friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_M52KgXSJ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOXnTM2OsWk

steelers training camp

Pittsburgh Steelers 2014 Preseason Schedule Announced

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The NFL has released the Pittsburgh Steelers 2014 preseason schedule today. Here it is:

Week 1 at Giants (AUGUST 7-10)
Week 2 Bills (AUGUST 14-18)
Week 3 at Eagles (AUGUST 21-24)
Week 4 Panthers (Aug. 28)

The Steelers will be hosting the Bills this summer for 3 joint practices at Latrobe. This is the 12th consecutive season that the Steelers play the Panthers. None of the Steelers preseason games will be nationally televised live this year. FWIW, I got 3 of the 4 opponents right earlier. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to share with your friends.