SMU's Margus Hunt at ILB for the Steelers

Margus Hunt, the Estonian (the tattoo is a wolf).

If you watched the BVBA Compass Bowl in Birmingham two years ago, when Pitt played SMU, you probably couldn't help but notice a defensive end for SMU. His name is Margus Hunt, who is 6'8", and he abused Pitt's Tino Sunseri all day.  At the time, two years ago, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are thinking, "Who is this guy, and can the Steelers get him?"

Well, he was just a junior then. This year, Hunt has been projected as high as a late-second or mid-third-round pick -- but more so as a "project" who might be worth a mid-round (fourth/fifth) draft pick.

Because Margus Hunt performed so well in drills Monday night at the Combine, however, his stock just went up. Dramatically.

We're still not talking first-round material here, not at No. 17, but midway through the second? Yeah, if he's still available, why not take a close look?

On Monday, Hunt ran a very good time in the 40 (4.60), which surprised everyone and was  step-for-step comparable to best performers among all defensive linemen, including the extremely impressive but lighter-weight Dion Jordan, Barkevious Mingo, Ezekiel Ansah, etc.  At 277 pounds, Hunt's 40-yard dash time at the Combine was faster than all but two tight ends.

Hunt also pushed 38 reps on the bench at 225 lbs. per rep, and that's a lot of reps for anybody -- tied for most reps among all Combine prospects this year. For his height, he's light (277), lean and put together. He has an 82-inch wingspan. 

Seventeen blocked kicks for SMU

While at SMU, he blocked nine field goals (an NCAA record) and eight extra points. The Steelers couldn't use somebody like that?

Here's what Joe Porter's Pit Bulls are thinking: Because he runs so well and since the Steelers love to switch up defensive ends to OLBs, how about another switch -- can you imagine this guy at Inside Linebacker?  Paired with Lawrence Timmons?  Stuffing the runs, altering passing lanes with his height, running loops and stunts on the pass rush?  Being a presence in the middle and using his speed sideline to sideline. 

You can't teach that kind of height.

You can't teach that kind of height. And that frame and wingspan would come in handy vs. the tall, rangy tight ends like Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, Jason Witten, Dennis Pitta, Ed Hickson, Jermichael Finley, Jermaine Grisham, Martellus Bennett, Antonio Gates, et al.

Nobody's talking about Hunt at ILB, but that's what we're thinking. When we see this guy, we see either a relatively light defensive end in a 4-3, or a cross between Karl Mecklenberg and Levon Kirkland at ILB -- which is where we believe he could really shine.

To some extent, Hunt calls to mind Jevon Kearse ("The Freak"), a DE/LB who entered the NFL in 1999. Kearse was about 6'4", 245-255, and had an 86-inch wingspan. He had a sometimes brilliant career spanning 11 years for the Titans and Eagles.

The Steelers tried to address the ILB position in last year's draft with third-round choice Sean Spence, the inside linebacker from Miami who showed some promise but unfortunately suffered a massively complex and severe knee injury (with peroneal nerve damage) in the 2012 preseason. The Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette reports the Steelers are not counting on Spence to contribute this year.

The Wolf.  Alert, watchful; ready; righteous

At 5'll, 231 lbs., Spence made people wonder if he was too small to play ILB in the NFL.  At 6'8", 277 lbs., Hunt imparts no such concerns.  You want a thumper at Inside Linebacker? Here's your thumper.

The Baltimore Ravens met with Hunt already and are interested in having him bulk up 20 pounds to be a 3-4 defensive end (come to think of it, Aaron Smith was about Hunt's weight when Smith came out of Northern Colorado). 

The Ravens are interested? Of course they are, but we have this idea that he could be awesome at ILB for the Steelers  ... 

Oh, and about that tattoo of a wolf on his shoulder:  Hunt says his name in Estonian means "wolf," and the tattoo implicitly suggests he is channeling that animus. Here's an excerpt from the article link at Dallas's Central Track, below: 

"On his left bicep Hunt has a tattoo of a wolf. He says that's what his last name means in Estonian. Maybe it's also an external representation of the beast within. Watching him play, it's clear that he has an instinctive nature, not unlike a wolf's, although Hunt plays down any such connection. 

"I'm still trying to find kind of that animal sense," he says. "I think I have it, but, in my mind, it's defined a little bit differently. I like to play hard, but I don't like to be a dirty player and talk trash -- even though that's part of the game. To me, let's just line up and let's play."

Sounds like a Steeler to us; yeah, this guy could play for the Steelers.

Here are links ....

The Baltimore Sun: Ravens to Meet With SMU Defensive End Margus Hunt

The Dallas Morning News: Margus Hunt Wows Scouts at the NFL Combine

Central Track:  There's a Reason Why NFL Scouts Are Drooling Over SMU's Margus Hunt

CBS Sports: Margus Hunt Player Profile

Dallas Morning News: How Video Games Helped SMU's Margus Hunt Go From Estonian Track Star to Top-Flight NFL Prospect 

 Bleacher Report: Teams Should be Wary of SMU DE Despite Breakout Performance at Combine

The Combine!

We all do it.  We watch college football for the enjoyment of it, but when a standout player jumps off the screen, we think, "Let's keep an eye on that player at the NFL Combine" or, "That player would look good in Black 'n Gold."

Ray Mansfield, circa 1966

It's NFL Combine Weekend, and that means it's time to learn a whole lot more about draft prospects. Draft "stock" will rise and fall based on interviews, Wunderlic tests and, most crucially, workouts and drills in gym clothes -- all of which can be misleading.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have identified several players we find intriguing as possible candidates for the Steelers. Many of them simply won't be available when the Steelers draft, but it's fun to debate and speculate, and to second-guess afterward.

Last year, nose tackle Dontari Poe (Memphis) was a textbook example of a Workout Warrior who emerged from obscurity to blow away scouts at the Combine. At 346 pounds, Poe shot up the charts with a 4.87  straight-line 40-yard dash and a freakish 44 reps on the 225-lb. bench press.

Following the Combine and before the draft, enthusiasts raved about his Combine performance. More than a few skeptics remained unconvinced, however, and speculated Poe would be over-drafted. Debate intensified over whether his relatively lackluster college career should be over-shadowed by his athletic showcase at the Combine. The workout showed nothing, of course, about Poe's ability to shed blocks, pressure quarterbacks or tackle running backs.

As Draft Day approached, some Steeler fans clamored for Poe at No. 24 in the first round, and there was a case to be made for him at that spot (nobody anticipated that Stanford guard David DeCastro would still be on the board at No. 24). Then, on Draft Day, Kansas City's "genius" GM Scott Pioli outsmarted everyone and invested the No. 11 overall pick to make Poe the first defensive lineman selected in last year's draft. Pioli projected Poe's Combine performance to the NFL playing field, but ... 

After a "disappointing" training camp, Poe had little impact his rookie season: He started all 16 games but tallied just 28 tackles, zero sacks and no forced fumbles. It's premature to project how he will do in the future, but it is fair to say he had not much impact his rookie year. His spotty performance with the Chiefs mirrored his college career; not what he flashed at last year's Combine.

Kansas City's record last year? Two wins, 14 losses. The Chiefs have the first overall pick in this year's draft.

From our perspective, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls tend to gravitate to productive players with demonstrable success from big-time programs; football players, not workout wonders.

About any draft prospect, we don't want to hear too much about so-called "character issues" (Chris Rainey last year out of Florida); or so-so motivation; or positional-transfer projections; or drug/alcohol history (this year's Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia, DUI last weekend); or medical red flags (like this year's Jarivs Jones, LB, Georgia, spinal stenosis).

The Steelers, with the 17th pick in the first round, simply cannot afford to take chances.  They cannot afford to whiff. Coming off an 8-8 record with holes galore to fill, they need a sure-fire, can't miss impact player. Let's hope they get it right.

In Defense of Antonio Brown: He's Right

"If I could live my life over, I'd be a football player, and you damn well better believe I'd be a Pittsburgh Steeler!"

-- Jack Lambert, Hall of Famer

Steeler wide receiver Antonio Brown is right. 

Brown has taken a lot of criticism this week both for what he said and how he went about saying it (in public, on ESPN's First Take), but he is absolutely correct, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls agree it needed to be said -- in public.

Let's get it out there and talk about it. Here's what Brown said:

“We have a lot of young guys. A lot of guys haven’t been around here for the history of this team. I want to make sure guys understand the importance of being here, the tradition and what is required from our peers, coaches and everybody inside this building. You have to know the history of something if you are a part of it. You have to know where it started, where it came from and what it’s about. You know where you are with it now and where you want to go. I can help teach guys about that and take that type of approach. Every man here has to understand the importance of what the Steelers logo stands for, the men that came before us and wore the jersey and we have to understand the importance of it, be humbled by it and work with that mentality.”

Brown is right: The Steelers' need to pull together as a team, and some of the players -- a lot of the players, apparently -- need to better understand what being a Steeler is all about.  It's clear that all too many Steelers last year, especially some of the younger players, do not fully appreciate or even at all comprehend what an honor and a privilege it is to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.

We saw it early in the season, and we're outsiders. We saw it in the games at Denver, Oakland and  Tennessee. It was about then that Joey Porter's Pit Bulls started having this conversation with friends, although we held off writing it until our Steelers' 2013 season post-mortem:

"Too many of the younger players displayed a sense of entitlement. They 'displayed' instead of played. Too many of them -- some of whom have enjoyed occasional flashes of success -- played as if they'd arrived -- when in actuality, they haven't accomplished anything of substance or duration. The perception here is that too many of the 2012 Steelers failed to understand what it takes to succeed consistently in the NFL, let alone what it means to be a Steeler. They seem to have no clue." 

"The play of some of these guys suggested that their expectation was that just because they had some modicum of success at major NCAA programs like Georgia Tech (Jonathan Dwyer), Missouri (Ziggy Hood), Florida (Chris Rainey), Texas (Curtis Brown), etcetera, that they would be given a free pass in the NFL. It doesn't work like that, and certainly not in Pittsburgh.

"Just ask retirees Aaron Smith, Hines Ward, James Farrior, Chris Hoke, DeShea Townsend, Jerome Bettis, Alan Faneca, etcetera, and the list goes on and on. This is not to say there was no leadership on the 2012 Steelers: Some of the veteran players like Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, Heath Miller, Brett Keisel, Max Starks and others, no doubt, did what they could. Others probably could have done more. 

"Most certainly, however, too many of the young guys just didn't step up their game, and they didn't seem to appreciate what it means to be a Steeler.  Mike Wallace and Rashard Mendenhall come to mind.  Mendenhall quit on the team.  Wallace too often appeared sullen and disinterested. Those two are gone.

"Jonathan Dwyer was given a golden opportunity -- he was handed the starting job at running back -- and fumbled it away, figuratively and literally. Chris Rainey found there is a big difference between the SEC and the NFL."

Antonio Brown himself was hampered by injuries, came back probably too soon, and at times his play was sloppy (with fumbles and bonehead plays), so he is not totally blameless for some of the Steelers' losses in 2012.

But let's give him credit for saying what needed to be said. That's a first step. Nobody questions Brown's work ethic, or his heart.  His judgment?  Fair enough; sometimes, yeah, occasionally, it's fair to question Brown's judgment and maturity.

Brown seems to appreciate what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, however, and he's sticking his neck out there in a fledgling attempt to be a leader.  Let's not chop it off.

In this case, nobody should doubt Antonio Brown's passion and his pride in being a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Steelers' Draft: Why not Chance Warmack?

Albrecht Durer's self-portrait

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls just can't let it go.

We've written previously why the Steelers' won't draft an offensive lineman in the first round this year, but ...

We keep coming back to the offensive line, and two players possibly being available at Pick No. 17. They are Chance Warmack, G, Alabama (the very first name we gravitated to in January as a possible first-rounder for the Steelers), and Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma, who might be able to step right in at left tackle in the new offensive line scheme being installed by Jack Bicknell, Jr.

The good writers over at the excellent Steeler Depot blog make a case for Chance Warmack, the Alabama guard who demolished Mante Te'o (and others) in the BCS Championship game.

We still don't believe it's going to happen, and neither does the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, yet we still keep coming back to one question: Why not?

The answer is that the Steelers invested first- or second-round draft picks in four players during the past three years, and those picks count disproportionately against the salary cap for a single positional area, in this case, the offensive line.

If Chance Warmack is the best player available, however, Why Not?

Another Bad Idea From the Pirates: New Logo

Has a single good idea ever emerged from focus groups?

The existing logo, in place since 1997.

Bob Cohn of the Tribune-Review reports, "Four focus groups — season ticket holders, corporate partners, suite holders and random fans — are meeting at PNC Park this week to help pick a new buccaneer symbol. The present model features a snarling pirate in a black and red bandana. It has been around since 1997."

How much do you want to bet the new logo being developed with input from focus groups comprised of "season ticket holders, corporate partners, suite holders and random fans" will look something like this? ...

Happy Valentine's Day to All

On this, the Feast of St. Valentine, people the world over exchange bon mots, bon-bons, cardboard hearts, sugary sweets and sweet nothings.

Our advice: Open your heart to the universe, send up a prayer to St. Valentine to visit you with love, and who knows? Something good might come your way.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours, or yinz 'n yinzers.

For your listening pleasure ... A Valentine's Day Musical Set-list.

The First Time I Met Charlie Sheen, Part III -- How the Steelers' 2013 Draft Might Just Shake Out

Gorilla at Erie Zoo

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls would be inclined to jump on the opportunity to grab a good offensive lineman with the Steelers’ first-round pick (No. 17 overall) in the first round, and especially a fierce left tackle like Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson.

Many prognosticators point to linebacker as a possibility, but we'd be a bit surprised if the Steelers draft a linebacker in the first round this year. They certainly need one or two new impact linebackers, and it's entirely possible they will really need somebody to step in for James Harrison, who may be released as a salary cap casualty, although the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette claims the coaching staff wants him back.  

Although Jason Worilds made some progress last season, we’re not convinced he's the real deal.  As a second-round draft pick entering his fourth season, this will be his make-or-break year.  Chris Carter hasn't shown much, and Stephenson Sylvester remains a question mark. We have slightly higher hopes for him than Carter, who looks like he's never adjusted to playing linebacker in the 3-4 defense (instead of the passing-rushing defensive end role he played in college).

Keep in mind, though, the Steelers gave Harrison and predecessors like Jason Gildon a few years, more or less, on the sidelines and special teams before they stepped in. The Steelers apparently intend to have Worilds move in as the starter to succeed Harrrison.

Can We Count on Lamarr Woodley to Play 10 Games?

Many people say it might make sense for the Steelers to flip-flop Lamarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons, and it might make sense, but knowing the Steelers, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls don't think that's going to happen.

Frankly, it’s a fair question to wonder whether we can count on Woodley to play 8-10 games a year, ever. He seems to have chronic hamstring problems. Still, Woodley just looks like an inside linebacker, and Timmons looks like he should be covering the big, fast tight ends coming off the line these days. Maybe that's the role the Steelers see for Sylvester. Still, they need somebody to rush the passer, and that's an enormous need, so Woodley stays on the outside.

Also of concern: Larry Foote isn't getting any younger. He's always been a bedrock in the linebacker corps, steady, but never great. He’s never been a devastating thumper; never particularly disruptive; and his play slipped noticeably in the second half of last season. The Steelers apparently envision Sean Spence taking over for Foote after 2013, but Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls can’t help but wonder if Spence is too small -– and nobody has seen him in a regular-season game.

Free Agency or a Later Draft Pick?

It would be interesting if the Steelers were to sign Baltimore's Dannell Ellerbe out of free agency, but that's going to happen. Joe Flacco's contract situation really complicates things for the Ravens, but we expect Baltimore will let pass-rushing linebacker Paul Kruger walk and try to keep Ellerbe to maintain continuity at inside linebacker in the wake of Ray Lewis's departure. At this point, Baltimore can't afford to sign Kruger (13.5 sacks), and neither can Pittsburgh.  

In the draft, we believe the Steelers will add to the linebacking corps after the first round by drafting, say, Jon Major of Colorado. For some reason this guy hasn't been mentioned as anything but a mid-round selection, but his productivity was off the charts for a bad Buffaloes team, and his instincts appear to be superb. Jon Major to the Steelers in the second round? Too high? Maybe; maybe not. We haven't seen him much, but he reminds us a bit of Sean Lee.

By our calculations, the Steelers will not pick a linebacker a LB in the first round. We’ve already discussed in previous editions of this series why we don't see the Steelers drafting an offensive lineman (too much money tied up in the four high draft choices on the line already) and running back (not enough value for a first-rounder).  

Where does that leave us? Wide receiver? Not gonna happen. The Steelers believe they can get one in later rounds, like they did with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. If, however, Oregon State receiver Markus Wheaton lasts until the Steelers' pick in the second round, grab him.  

Wheaton sounds every bit as good, if not better, than the more highly touted wide receivers like Keenan Allen (Cal) and the handful of others mentioned in the top tier of receivers. He looks like he is slotted to go in the second round, but probably before the Steelers' pick at No. 17 in Round 2.

Big Daddy Lipscomb, 1961

Defensive Line or Secondary?

By our calculations, then, that leaves two broad positional areas where the Steelers are most likely to invest their first-round selection: DL and the secondary. On the DL, they already have two first rounders in defensive ends Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward.  

To digress for a second, the Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette makes an interesting suggestion, which is to switch defensive end Ziggy Hood and nose tackle Steve McClendon, and that sounds like a good idea. We also don't think it's going to happen.  

With two of the last four No. 1 draft picks having gone to the defensive line, it‘s a long shot for the Steelers to draft for the DL in the first round this year. Again, too much payroll tied up in one positional category, and it’s too soon to let go of either Hood or Heyward.

Hall of Famer Jack Butler

Safety or Corner?

That brings us to the secondary: Safety or cornerback? The Steelers will be counting on Troy Polamalu to return to form, and Ryan Clark was probably their defensive MVP last year.  Safety is a near-future need. Texas's Sonny Vaccaro is a guy who some people project to the Steelers at No. 17. Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls don't buy it.  

That brings us back to cornerback, where the Steelers have a gaping hole with the departure of Keenan Lewis. Ike Taylor (just like Brett Keisel and Larry Foote) isn't getting any younger, and Curtis Brown has been a big disappointment, although he probably will get one more season to prove he belongs (much like Lewis got last year).

We believe the Steelers would rather keep Cortez Allen at the slot-corner, but it's entirely possible they intend for him to start in place of Lewis. That still leaves them extremely thin at corner. If either Taylor or Allen go down with an injury, then we're left with the likes of Josh Victorian and Curtis Brown starting, and everybody saw how that worked out for the Steelers vs. San Diego and Dallas.

Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau

So, all of that brings us squarely back to one of the first three players who caught our attention when we first started looking closely at possible draft picks after the season: CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State. 

There might be one other corner worthy of No. 17 on the board at that point, but that's the guy we’d think the Steelers might give a very, very close look at the Combine.

You can never have too many corners, and good ones are always at a premium. With passing games the way they are these days, the best corners will go off the board early on April 24.

It’s early, but it’s later than you think.

The First Time I Met Charlie Sheen, Part II -- Mel Kiper's Projection for the Steelers Feels Off-Target

It's early -- we haven't even gotten to the Combine yet --- but the NFL Draft is approaching fast. Mel Kiper has two interesting names on either side of the Steelers No. 1 pick at No. 17 overall. 

We’ll get to Kiper’s current projection for the Steelers, but he has two players, OT Lane Johnson (Okla) going at No. 16 to St. Louis, and G Chance Warmack (Alabama) going No. 18 to Dallas, bracketed around the Steelers' pick at No. 17.

We suspect both players will be gone before the Steelers’ choice, but it's encouraging to think that Kiper, at least, projects those two guys may be right in the neighborhood of the Steelers' choice. Either Johnson or Warmack would look good in Black 'n Gold.

As for the Steelers, Kiper has Pittsburgh taking the unbelievably athletic but raw pass-rushing DE/OLB Ezekial Ansah (BYU), who has been compared to Jason Pierre-Paul of the Giants.

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls don't see the Steelers taking Ansah, so Kiper's projection here feels off-target. The excellent blog Steeler Depot has an interesting take on Ansah going to the Steelers, which you can read here.

Kiper also has Notre Dame linebacker Mante Te'o going in the tip 10, but we don't see that happening either. What if Te'o drops to No. 17? We’d would pass on him thank you.  Too much drama. It would be interesting, however, if he drops to No. 32. Baltimore's going to need somebody to step in for Ray Lewis, and wouldn't that be an interesting scenario? Talk pressure on a kid who's already proven to be, uh, shall we say, a bit of a "head case"?

It’s Time to Draft a QB, and Here's the Guy

Mel Kiper was asked which QB might be flying under the radar -- this year's Russell Wilson. It's an interesting question.

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls immediately thought of Geno Smith (WVU), but Smith isn't exactly flying under the radar, as he is projected to go in the first round.  Wilson, of course, is far more accomplished and polished, but Smith’s game superficially resembles Wilson’s.  

Kiper answered the question, however, by naming Duke QB Sean Renfree (6'3', 225). The way Kiper talked about him, he sounds like a solid backup at the very least (kind of like Kirk Cousins) with starter potential and lots of upside. In Renfree's case, lots of upside. 

No expertise here, but Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls remember seeing Renfree play a little this past season, and he caught our attention. We made a mental note then, along the lines of, why haven't we heard about this guy?  

Well, for one thing, he played at Duke, where football has long been an inglorious afterthought. Still, Renfree looks like a quarterback. Honestly, it was the same kind of gut feeling we had 14-15 years ago when we saw Tom Brady playing at Michigan. Same damn thing, seriously, not that we’re comparing Renfree to Brady, no way.  

One thing, though, Renfree can actually run, maybe not quite like Colin Kaepernick, but he can run (a 4.5 40, same as Kaepernick). The main thing, to our untrained eyes: Renfree has the poise you want in a quarterback. Oh, and he completed 67 percent of his passes last year. 

Athletic? Look at Renfree's Rivals profile when he came out of high school.  Even then, Renfree was athletic (36-inch vertical leap, 4.5 40, 400-lb vertical squat as a senior in high school). Smart? He's seems intelligent (3.9 GPA in high school and whatever exposure to education he may have gotten at Duke).  

Football-smart is what we're more interested in, and Renfree had four years under one coach at Duke, and that coach was David Cutcliffe, the New York Giants' former QB coach who made a name for himself working with Eli Manning.

What's the Catch?
The BIG hang-up about Renfree at this point is that he suffered a torn right pectoral muscle while attempting the last pass of his final game, the Belk Bowl vs. Cincinnati, where he completed 37 of 49 passes for 358 yards. Renfee is expected to make a full recovery, but he will be unable to participate in the Combine and might not even be ready to work out until May.  

In a weak quarterback class, Kiper projects Renfree going in the fourth-fifth-sixth round. If that's the case, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls would love for the Steelers to take him in the third round (same round as Joe Montana). 

Seriously. Take Renfree higher than he's projected to go. Look how the 49ers traded up to get Kaepernick near the top of the second round in 2011. Most projections had him going in the late third round, where Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls vainly hoped he might be available for the Steelers in the third round.

This year, leave nothing to chance. Take Renfree in the third round and be done with it.

Maybe Not Such a Long Shot
It's about time the Steeler draft a quarterback they can legitimately develop as a viable backup to Ben Roethlisberger.  Quit fooling around.  Renfree’s not going to play for the Steelers this year anyway, unless both Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch (?) go down with injuries. If that’s the case, how much more useless could Renfree (or anybody else) be than Byron Leftwich has been the past couple years?  And who knows?  … you just might catch lightning in a bottle.

According to the Charlotte Observer, here is what Renfree's college coach, David Cutcliffe, had to say about him:

When Cutcliffe met with the media, he said Renfree’s work ethic matched that of his most famous protégés, Peyton and Eli Manning. 

“Everyone is aware of Peyton and Eli’s work ethic and how hard and well they prepare. Same guy,” Cutcliffe said of Renfree. “He has the same skills, knowledge, mental aspects of the game, same preparation. Every player on our team saw how hard he worked in the weight room, how hard he worked in the meeting rooms. He may be one of the most unsung football players in the ACC. He’s not a lot of flash. Just look at the yards he threw for, look at what he’s done in his career as a quarterback at Duke, moving this program forward. 

“Anybody in the National Football League or collegiately that does not want Sean Renfree in their locker room would be out of their mind.”

YinzBurgh BBQ for Everyone!

Congrats to our favorite take-out barbeque joint, YinzBurgh BBQ, on its one-year anniversary!  Read more here about the best joint in town.

The First Time I Met Charlie Sheen: Steelers' OL Candidates Chace Warmack & Lane Johnson

American Gothic, by Grant Wood

Despite what we wrote in our prior post, the Steelers still need to fortify the offensive line, always, seemingly, a question mark in flux.  After finishing each of the past three seasons on injured reserve, veteran guard Willie Colon’s time in Pittsburgh in almost certainly done, and it’s about time.  Max Starks is a free agent (again), but the Steelers may bring him back (again).

The Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette projects the Steelers opening the 2013 season with the following starters on the offensive line: Marcus Gilbert (LT), Kelvin Beachum (LG), Maurkice Pouncey (center), David DeCastro (RG), Mike Adams (RT).

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls may be wrong here, but we have little faith in tackle Marcus Gilbert. He has a lot to prove (durability, toughness, technique). He may or may not have earned a starting job, but it would be prudent, one would think, for the Steelers to have another legitimate option for the crucial left tackle position, and we would have no problem having Max Starks back.

OL Candidates for the First Round

In the first round of April’s NFL Draft, the following players may be available and would be worth strong consideration:

Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson will almost certainly go in the first round, touted at this point in the 15-20 range, right where the Steelers pick at No. 17. He'd be ideal at LT for new OL coach Jack Bicknell Jr's. zone-blocking scheme. Johnson would step right in at left tackle and start from Day 1 -- he's known for good feet, mobility, and ability to stonewall speed both power- and speed-pass rushers.

Alabama's Chance Warmack (6’2”, 322) will probably be the first guard taken, but he may still be around at No. 17.  In draft-speak, Warmack is a classic road-grader, and he absolutely demolished Notre Dame linebacker Mante Te’o in January’s collegiate BCC championship game.

YinzBurgh BBQ for Everyone!
Congrats to our favorite take-out barbeque joint, YinzBurgh BBQ, on its one-year anniversary!  Read more here about the best joint in town.

Why the Steelers Won’t Draft an Offensive Lineman in the First Round This Year

The Steelers have invested heavily in the offensive line over the past few years. Having so much money tied up in one positional area presents salary-cap implications for what can be done with the rest of the roster.

With two Number One draft picks (Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro) and two Number Two draft picks (Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams), the Steelers will probably pass on an offensive lineman in the first round this year.

Revisiting the 2012 Draft: David DeCastro vs. Kevin Zeitler and Mike Adams vs. Kelechi Osemele

Looking back, the eminently reasonable consensus at the time of the 2012 NFL Draft was the Steelers had no choice but to select guard David DeCastro (Stanford) when he fell to them at pick No. 24 of the first round. He was an ideal choice at a position of dire need. DeCastro was widely considered the best guard in the draft, a no-brainer at No. 24, and possibly the next Alan Faneca. 

A perfect choice.

Or was he?  Because of his pre-season knee injury, we never got to see the real David DeCastro last year. We never got to see the player everybody expected would be the next Alan Faneca.

The Cincinnati Bengals -- the Bungles, for crying out loud -- were criticized loudly for trading down in the first round and thereby passing on their chance to select DeCastro.  Typical Bengals, people said. 

Instead of jumping on DeCastro, the Bengals selected Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, whom they claimed at the time was the player they'd targeted all along and was the guard they preferred over DeCastro.

Along with everybody else, we still have high hopes for DeCastro. He showed enough at Stanford -- plenty enough -- to merit being picked at No. 24.

People would have howled if the Steelers had selected Zeitler over DeCastro.

Still, however, it’s fair to point out that two nagging, related, little, niggling question marks hovered at the time of the draft (at least for Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls).  Those questions were: (1) the level of in-the-trenches-play in the Big 12 (DeCastro) vs. the Big 10 (Zeitler); and (2) the historical pedigree of offensive linemen coming out of Stanford (so-so) vs. those coming out of Wisconsin (strong).   

It remains to be seen how the respective careers of DeCastro and Zeitler will play out.  DeCastro almost certainly returned to the field too soon last year. He looked pretty good at times. He also looked very shaky at times. No doubt he got pushed around in late season games vs. San Diego and Cincinnati, among others.

One thing is sure. Zeitler had the better rookie season.  Not only did he start all 16 games for the Bengals, he showed polish, power and technique early in the season and got better as the season progressed. 

Here's a Pro Football Reference write-up from early November 2012:

While many criticized the Bengals for passing on a chance to draft David DeCastro in the first round, instead trading back, gaining an extra pick and taking Zeitler, whom they had coveted the whole time. Zeitler is a mauler in the typical Wisconsin mold, but his pass blocking prowess has been a pleasant surprise.

Against the Steelers (Week 7, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2012), Casey Hampton sometimes shaded to Zeitler’s inside eye. Zeitler was able to blow Hampton off the ball with little or no help from Faine, including a block that was almost singlehandedly responsible for a 4th-and-2 conversion.

It would not be unreasonable to expect Zeitler to become a perennial Pro Bowler with his weekly development as a blocker. He is extremely polished for his experience level and packs a monster punch upon engagement. His footwork is outstanding. Many young linemen rely on their brute strength, being used to playing inferior college competition. But Zeitler anchors well and keeps his weight centered.

Outside of A.J. Green, Zeitler is becoming one of Cincinnati’s best draft picks in recent memory.

source:http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/news.cgi?id=ZeitKe00

Revisiting the 2012 Second Round Choice

Let's be clear: Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls really don't have a problem with the Steelers selecting DeCastro over Zeitler.  

Unlike almost everybody else, however, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls weren't crazy about the Steelers selecting tackle Mike Adams (Ohio State) over tackle Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State, 2nd round to Baltimore).

Mike Adams

Adams may turn out to be a great player -– we’re not writing him off –- but Osemele had caught our attention before the 2012 draft, and we wanted the Steelers to nab, somewhere.  Osemele went maybe a little higher than he was projected by most observers.  That didn't deter Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome from selecting Osemele at No. 60 overall, four picks after Mike Adams.

Adams shows promise, and he was named the Steelers' rookie of the year. He started six  games, appeared in 10, and his run blocking was particularly strong.  His pass-blocking remains a question mark, though, and he clearly struggled with speed-rushers in pass protection for the team’s $102 million quarterback.

There is no question, however, who had the better rookie season, and that was Osemele.

  

Kelechi Osemele

Osemele started all 16 regular-season games at tackle for the Ravens.  Because of a late-season injury to starting guard Jah Reid, the Ravens moved Osemele to guard and inserted Bryant McKinney at left tackle for the wild-card playoff  game vs. Indianapolis. This move, with the corresponding move of Michael Oher to right tackle, solidified the offensive line for Baltimore during their playoff run and, of course, the Super Bowl.  At the very least, Osemele proved he has positional flexibility and is a solid NFL starter with plenty of upside.

Arguably, the difference between the relative productivity DeCastro/Adams vs. Zeitler/Osemele is that the latter two stayed healthy all year.  DeCastro/Adams combined for nine starts, and Zeitler/Osemele combined for 32 starts in the regular season, plus four playoff starts and, for Osemele, a start in the Super Bowl.  Both played at a high level and improved as the season progressed.

We can hope for similar results from DeCastro and Adams in 2013.  

At the very least, however, it appears the Steelers picked the wrong Samoan (Alameda Ta'amu instead of Kelechi Osemele).

Why Not a Tight End in the First Round?

Stanford TE Zach Ertz, going high.

Watching the success of the Baltimore Ravens' tandem of Dennis Pitta and Ed Hickson at tight end makes Joey Porters Pit Bulls wonder if it wouldn't make sense for the Steelers -- even with all their other needs -- to consider drafting Stanford tight end Zach Ertz (6'6", 252) with the team's No. 1 choice at No. 17 overall, especially considering the multiple serious knee injuries veteran tight end Heath Miller suffered at the end of the season.

Miller is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and teammates him as the Steelers' team MVP in 2012.

Like NFL tight ends Jimmy Graham of New Orleans and Antonio Gates of San Diego, both of whom are top-notch,Ertz played basketball in college. Unlike those two, however, Ertz actually played NCAA Division I football, and at such a high level of performance that he is considered one of the top two tight ends in this year's draft Not just a pass-catching receiver, Ertz is also reputed to be a strong blocker, a complete tight end, much like Pittsburgh's Heath Miller.

Nobody knows what Miller's recovery time will be, or if he will be the same player (a great one) when he returns. We'll learn more about Ertz and other draft prospects at the NFL Combine later this month.

This is not to write off Miler.  It's just to suggest that the it would nice, prudent and sensible for the Steelers to have a legitimate duo-threat at tight, like the Ravens (Pitta and Hickson), the 49ers (Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker) and the Patriots (Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez).

A Running Back or Two for the Steelers?

The Steelers need to find a running back -- a good running back -- this off-season.

Former Steeler running back Dick Hoak

Most observers believe the Steelers are unlikely to invest their first-round draft pick in a running back this year. There have been too many examples of first-round running backs out-performed by later-round picks or undrafted free agents like Arian Foster and Willie Parker.

Take last year's draft, for example, when the Redskins drafted.Alfred Morris in the sixth round; former Bronco Terrell Davis (2,000 yards) was a sixth-rounder; and, in the 1990 draft, the Steelers drafted Barry Foster, was also a sixth-rounder.

That 1990 draft will be remembered for other reasons (cue ominous music in background here). That year, the Steelers owned the 17th overall pick, which is what they have this year. 

Steeler fans might remember the 1990 draft because of how the Steelers handled that 17th overall pick.

Pittsburgh traded down in that first round -- the 17th overall pick, same as this year -- the Steelers traded that 17th overall pick in 1990 to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for rights to two later draft choices.  Pittsburgh turned those draft choices into tight end Eric Green (1st round, 21st overall) and defensive tackle Craig Veasey (3rd round, 81st overall).  

What did Dallas do with the pick they received from the Steelers?  The Cowboys turned that pick -- No 17 overall, same as this year for the Steelers -- Dallas turned that pick into running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time rushing leader, a Hall of Famer, and the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season (1993).

Is Eddie Lacy the next Emmitt Smith?

Maybe; maybe not. Well, almost certainly not.

Instead of drafting a running back in the first round, maybe the Steelers would do better to spend a later-round draft choice on a running back like Le'Veon Bell (6'2", 244, Michigan State), Jawan Jamison (5'8", 200, Rutgers), Ray Graham (5'9", 192, Pitt) or D.J. Harper (5'9", 205, Boise State).

Who knows? They might discover the next Barry Foster or, for that matter, the next Arian Foster. On the other hand, by passing on a running back at No. 17, they may miss out on the next Emmitt Smith.  It's a crap shoot, but in today's NFL, some people would contend that running backs are fungible commodities.

Whomever they bring in, the Steelers need to find somebody who will be able to fit the new zone-blocking scheme being implemented by new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, Jr. That scheme usually suits one-cut, between-the-tackles runners with good vision and the ability to make quick decisions, bust through tackles and get into the secondary fast -- which, come to think of it, sounds a lot like Eddie Lacy.