Rod Woodson Serves As Coaching Intern At Mini-Camp And Camp

yes, he and lake several times. lake more then woodsen though. stories i won't begin to touch about rod.

 

One thing I've noticed is that the "legend understudy" rarely has the same kind of success as the legend. I think Lake will start getting interest from other teams after this upcoming season. Rooney Rule notwithstanding, he'll be an attractive candidate as a DC based on his ability, intelligence and results. The fact he is a minority will get him in front of multiple GMs next off-season.

 

do you think he's to that point yet?

wasen't he at ucla for a year or two and this is his 3rd here. at least thats what i understood. i could be wrong, but thats not a long time to jump to DC. assistant DC, now that's what i'm talkin about. olsavsky to LB coach fulltime.

when that day comes. for now DLB is the guy.

 

I really think so. I believe the Rooney Rule may accelerate opportunities for an attractive minority candidate. Not saying he'll be hired as DC somewhere next season, but I believe he'll start getting some attention and possibly some interviews. Especially if our young DBs continue to develop the way they have since Lake has been here.

 

How many of Belichick's "understudies" (McDaniel, Crennel, Weis) went on to have success? George Siefert went to a Super Bowl with Bill Wash's team and then floundered in Carolina afterward. I guess you could say Belichick had success after being Parcell's understudy, but I think he's the exception and not the rule. I'm not trying to suggest that Butler can't have success, but just because he's been LeBeau's understudy for the last several years doesn't guarantee it.

 

I can absolutely see Lake landing a DC job in '14 or '15. He's had outstanding results here, everyone loves him, he had great success as a player. Now he's learning behind LeBeau. I can see him rising quickly and taking the league by storm.

 

Hmmm.... So are you saying he's not even a nice guy period or just that he's not AS nice as Lake?

 

no i mean i knew lake more then woodson. no i don't think woodson is as nice of guy as carnell. with carnell, what you see is what you get.

 

In the business world a very effective way to "climb the corp Ladder" is to develop talent to replace you so you Can move up. After all, you can't move up and leave your position if there is no-one there to fill your position and it's always better for you to have developed/trained you replacement than to have the "higher ups" bring some-one in off the streets.

The coaching world is much similar. There's a reason why people talk about the " coaching tree" of great coaches. They became great and successful coaches not because they drafted well but because they built and developed a great coaching staff. And now we're getting to my point, Tomlin!

Tomlin came in and kept the entire defensive staff. He kept the offensive staff as well but had to rebuild ir refurbish it after the departure of OC and OL coach. He promoted Arians from WR coach to OC, it failed and the "higher ups" brought in" a new OC WTH HC experience. Tomlin's choice of new OL coach also failed and he's trying to fix that. He hired ST coaches. failed, added a ST Asst, it failed and His ST coach was fired. He added a DB asst coach, it didn't help, fired the DB coach and promoted the DB asst to Coach, it failed and then Lake was brought in. SUCCESS!!!! I wonder "who" was responsible for brining Lake back? Tomlin or "the higher ups?

Now we read woodson is here in a learning role, under Lake. I believe Coach Tomlin to be a very effective and good position coach and/or co-ordinator, working very well with players and that is why he made it to HC so fast. I believe him to be very organized and comfortable ( not threatened by sub-ordinates ) and has the potential to be a really top notch HC in this league but he has really struggled in managing his staff so far. I don't think the job is "too big" for him and I also think the FO believes in him though they haven't yet given him free and complete total control on his staff as of yet.

Woodson is here to learn and to get experience/exposure to continue his rise ( after being knocked down so early ) in the coaching world but it's also an opportunity to see if Lake can help develop coaching assts ( he's proven he can do it with players ). It also gives Coach Tomlin an inside view for future reference sake, someday coach LeBeau will retire or be lead out to pasture. Butler has the inside track but Lake is coming around the outside fast. If we go with Butler as DC, how long will Lake be stick around ( he'll be getting offers for DC in a couple years) and who replaces either/both. Same with Lake, Butler beens waiting and if we go with Lake, Butler will most likely take his next offer which very well may be that very same year.

Cajun-

 

Yep, Lake is Tomlin, Act 1 Scene 2.

Other owners/CEO's and even HCs are looking for that fast rising star to help them get to the promise land ( superbowl) and Lake seems to be that next star rising.

What do we do? Do we keep LeBeau around for the next 5yrs and let 2 ( butler & Lake) promising and talented coaches leave? If and when LeBeaus coaching career ends and both are still here who do we go with because in reality we'll promote one and loose the other. Then there will be two defensive asst coaching positions that will also need to be filled. Hard decisions will need to be made following the 13' season!!

Cajun-

 

Nah, he probably doesn't like the weather in Arizona.

 

I am all for C. lake succeding DL, maybe we can get back to a more exciting brand of football?

 

How many years has he been our db coach like 3 years?? Hasn't been an assistant either. I think that might be jumping the gun just a little.

Not saying I won't happen but this soon?

 

maybe omar takes CL where he goes? why not john mitchell as DC? why is butler the sure thing here? JM is the assistant head coach. he's been the D-line coach forever. he fits the rooney rule criteria. just asking. any thoughts on him?

 

I think people are assuming it will be Butler because he has been promised the position, however unofficially and informally. He could have easily been a DC somewhere else by now, but keeps staying because they keep promising him the gig. It's just a matter of when LeBeau retires.

The only way Keith Butler is NOT our next DC is if he gives up and leaves because he figures LeBeau is never going to retire. And he might be right. The Steelers aren't going to make LeBeau retire. They'll let him go as long as he performs well and wants to do it, and the way he looks and is talking, he could be here for years. I'm surprised Keith has stayed this long. If he does leave before LeBeau, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lake overtake Mitchell.

 

i do see alot more of olsavsky guiding players in the OTA's and mini-camp pictures. working him in more for a reason at that spot?

 

i'm actually surprised he hasn't had an offer yet.... I don't know if he's ready to take over an entire defense yet, but I do know that there's a lot of defense poor teams out there, and teams like that tend to get desperate when it comes to hiring, picking up successful position coaches in hopes of creating a spark with some new blood.

 

they would most likely want to hire butler first and they would have to be running the 3-4 or switching to it for either guy.

for now i like what the steelers have done with the staff. this may be the best mix since MT got hired.

 

absolutely!!!!! I love the current coaching configuration....... I just hope we can keep them together for a few more seasons... I was thinking lake would be the first to leave due to the very public promise to butler to replace lebeau....... I don't think many teams would even waste their time with butler, unless they're willing to throw out an obscene amount of money to make butler forget the f.o.'s promise.

 

i hope they can stay together.

 

Yep. I think coaching staff is definitely something that MT has improved on since his appointment.

 

Here's my question about that. Tomlin is admittedly a 4-3 guy and he has even drafted 4-3 guys. So this makes me wonder if when DL finally does go if Tomlin is gonna impose one rule upon the next dc which would be that they have to switch to a 4-3. What do you think?