Wednesday, May 28, 2014

In defense of the Dri Archer Draft Pick

Nobody should be surprised that the first three draft picks will start for the Steelers. To start the season.

Ryan Shazier starts. Stephon Tuitt starts. Dri Archer starts. 

Yes, even Dri Archer. He starts. General Manager Kevin Colbert said so

Selected with the 33rd pick in the third round, Archer will start as a kick returner (kickoffs and punts). He will also get a significant number of snaps at both running back and as a receiver, presumably in the slot, mostly, but also some on the outside. As a kick returner, he should certainly help improve field position, which was a trouble-spot for the Steelers last year because of their mostly lackluster kick-return game.

If Shazier, Tuitt and Archer don't start immediately for a team coming off consecutive 8-8 seasons, something will have gone drastically wrong between now and the start of the regular season.

People have questioned the Archer draft pick in particular. Archer's selection immediately raised howls of protest from some Steeler fans, bloggers and media types. Many called him a "luxury pick" and said the Steelers could have gotten him with their fourth-round choice ... that they should have taken a "tall" wide receiver instead in the third round -- say, for example, Martavis Bryant, whom the Steelers took with their next pick anyway, in the fourth round at No. 118 overall.

How the next 20 picks shook out ...
Well, we're always interested to see who else was available in situations like this, so let's take a look.  

Immediately after the Steelers drafted Archer, the next two picks, also compensatory selections that closed out the third round, were tight ends:  Richard Rodgers, 6'4", 257, from Cal, to the Packers; and Crockett Gillmore, 6'6", 260, Coloroado State, to the Ravens. With the final, 36th pick of the third round, No. 100 overall, the 49ers selected Brandon Thomas, OT, 6'6", 317, Clemson. Those weren't necessarily the kind of guys the Steelers were looking for at the point they took Archer. They wanted an immediate playmaker, so they went with Archer.

Twenty players went off the board between Archer and pick No. 118, when the Steelers selected their 6'4" receiver, Martavis Bryant, Clemson.

Two small running backs ... 
In the run-up to Bryant, the first 17 selections selections in the fourth round included five cornerbacks, one strong safety, three running backs: Devonta Freeman5'8", 206, Florida St., to the Falcons; Andre Williams, 5'11", 230, Boston College, to the Giants; and Carey Ka'Deem, 5'9", 207, Arizona, to the Bears with pick No. 117, immediately before the Steelers took Martavis Bryant at No. 118.

Two of the three running backs, Freeman and Ka'Deem, are notable because they are diminutive and fast, like Archer, and project to fit more or less the same type of role, although not exactly, If Archer had still been on the board, it's reasonable to think the Falcons and Bears would have considered him instead of Freeman or Ka'Deem. Archer may well not have been available for the Steelers at No. 118.

And two small receivers ...
The other interesting part of what happened in those first 17 picks of the fourth round was the type of wide receivers taken. Not one of the three was a "tall" receiver (6'3" or taller). In fact, the first two of them are listed at 5'9", which makes them closer in body type to Archer than to Bryant and also makes us wonder whether those teams (the Jets and 49ers) might have selected Archer had he been available in those slots. In all cases, the three teams selecting receivers clearly valued them over Bryant.

The receivers taken after Archer, and ahead of Bryant, were:

4(104)Jets (From Buccaneers)Saunders, JalenWR5'9"165Oklahoma

6(106)49ers (From Browns)Ellington, BruceWR5'9"197South Carolina

15(115)JetsEvans, ShaqWR6'1"213UCLA

Clearly, the Steelers like Archer better than Saunders or Ellington (both 5'9"), and they even had Ellington in for a pre-draft visit. 

The point here is, for all the pundits who objected to the Steelers drafting Archer at the end of the third round and claimed they could have gotten him later, the answer is, "No. They wouldn't have been able to draft Archer in the fourth round, at No. 118 overall. He would have been gone." 

That's because one of the teams that selected small, quick-fast RBs/WRs/KRs would have selected Archer instead of the guys they took: The Falcons (Freeman), Bears (Ka'Deem), Jets (Saunders) and 49ers (Ellington) all took speedy players who were 5'9" or shorter and fit the role, to some extent, that Archer projects to play for the Steelers -- only probably with more limitations, not nearly so multi-dimensionally, and likely with less immediate dynamic impact. The Steelers might have ended up with one of those guys, if they'd taken Bryant in the third round instead of Archer; but they clearly liked Archer better than any of them, including Bryant. The Steelers are counting on Archer to make more of an immediate impact. 

What's up for debate, perhaps, is the players selected after Bryant, with the question still to be answered: Could the Steelers have done better than the roll of the dice they took on Bryant? That's another story for another day.

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Chaos Defense & Joey Porter's Pit Bulls

No. 8, by Jackson Pollock
In recent years, we've heard occasional but too frequent comments from opposing players summarily dismissing the Steelers' defense by saying things like, "It's really no problem. They've played the same defensive scheme for years." ...or, "We run the same defense, so we're used to seeing it in practice."

Approximately half the teams in the NFL now play some variation of the 3-4 defense, so offensive coordinators and quarterbacks across the NFL are used to seeing it. Steelers' defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has usually been able to apply his own special sauce to the scheme, but there's only so much you can do, to a point.

That point has come long past due. The game has changed. It's become faster, more up-tempo, and it involves more involvement of tall, fast tight ends like Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, and Tyler Eiffert. The emphasis is on speed and movement. Mobile quarterbacks and multiple receivers open up the game laterally, while vertical seam and go routes are more lethal than ever with the big tight ends and tall, fast receivers such as Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Alshon Jefferey, Torrey Smith, Denaryius Thomas, et al.

That's why, last year, the Steelers increasingly had Troy Polamalu playing in the spot formerly occupied by heavier inside linebackers like Vince Williams, Larry Foote and James Farrior. Polamalu's role was to run down lateral plays close to the line of scrimmage and also drop into full-speed deep coverage with the big tight ends and receivers running vertical routes. Let's be honest, though: Polamalu was a mis-fit at linebacker.

Enter Ryan Shazier.

The Chaos Defense
We haven't even had mini-camp yet, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are confident asserting that Shazier will start, and so will rookie defensive end Stephon Tuitt. If they don't, something drastically wrong will have happened. Add new safety Mike Mitchell to the equation, along with additional playing time from newer players such as Shamarko Thomas, and the Steelers will have more speed and (hopefully) more disruptive impact at all three levels of the defense.

It's become less about whether a team is playing a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, and more about disruption. It's all about covering the over/under (back end and front seven) areas of the field. That's why the Steelers, along with so many other NFL teams, run so many "sub-package" schemes, with six defensive backs, one of whom is always in a traditional second-level (linebacker) role.

The trouble with the Steelers' ability to run sub-package schemes was they didn't have the personnel to do it. They wanted Sean Spence to begin filling that role, but he got hurt in pres-season two years ago. We saw a bit of that late last year with Terrance Garvin, the undrafted rookie from West Virginia. Garvin played fairly well, but all too often we found ourselves screaming at the TV, "Where are the linebackers?"

Orange, by Zivi Aviraz
Cross-pattern, vertical/lateral coverage
Now, we will see a lot more of it with Shazier. If he is what they hope he will be, Shazier will be able to drop into deep zone coverage, and his presence should enable Troy to return to his usual freelance role on the back end.

Mitchell, who is much faster than Ryan Clark was last year,  should be able to help the corners on deep routes, move vertically with the big tight ends and tall wide receivers, and also move up to the line of scrimmage for run support and occasional blitzes.

Hopefully, the addition of Tuitt, Cam Thomas and Daniel McCullers to the defensive line rotation will enable more of a push from the front three on running and passing plays alike. A fourth, fifth or sixth pass rusher could come from any spot in the defense. The ability of players to run vertically and laterally is going to be key to this defense -- as long as they can cover and actually, you know, tackle.

As much as we liked Ryan Clark, he just couldn't run anymore, and that really hurt the defense last year.

Bucky Brooks of the NFL Network offers a nice article explaining how the revamped defense might work this year with the new personnel, and his analysis is sound, reasoned and explained clearly. You can read it here in a piece titled, "Steelers' revamped defense equipped to wreak havoc."

Brooks's article contains a subhead, "The linebackers' collective speed and athleticism will create chaos," and that contains the nugget of what this new defense should be all about.

If it works, we'll call it The Chaos Defense.

And if the newly revitalized linebacking corps plays to the standard of new defensive assistant Joey Porter, well, there will be only one nickname for the linebackers:

"Joey Porter's Pit Bulls." 

All too often last year, we found ourselves screaming, "Where are the linebackers?"  Hopefully, with this newly rebuilt linebacking corps, we won't have to do that anymore.




In Memoriam

With gratitude and never forgetting: Every one with a name; from a family.
Let's not overlook what this holiday is all about. 

It's a day to take a moment to remember, honor and "memorialize" the fallen dead who perished in service, in uniform, mostly in war, for the United States of America.

Originally known as Decoration Day, this holiday is a day for reflection, even if only for a few moments. The men and women buried in those graves across the nation and around the world -- let's not forget them during our picnics, parades, cook-outs, fireworks, discount sales and afternoon ballgames in the sun.  
  
Enjoy all the holiday has to offer, but take a moment to offer thanks, too, and maybe a quiet prayer on behalf of those who sacrificed their lives. May they rest in peace.

Memorial Day Links 

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Green Machine: Roger Goodell's NFL Carousel Year-round, Around-the-clock Money Machine

Headed by Roger Goodell and pushed by back-room drivers like Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder, Zygi Wolf, et al, today's National Football League (NFL) -- the business -- does nothing that is not calculated.
"What's up with that, Dude?"
So, the announcement that the balmy, tropical resort known as Minneapolis has been selected to host the 2018 Super Bowl ... how much do you want to bet that event is held in March or even April 2018? ... ostensibly pushed back by the soon-to-be-expanded  playoffs that will churn, churn, churn cha-ching bling -- never mind diluting the ever-diminshing quality of the "product" being pushed to eager consumers of increasingly pricey cable television, which is likely to morph into pay-per-view -- and how much you want to bet that's not too far down the road? Pay-per-view, that is.

With an 18-game regular season and the soon-to-be expanded playoffs pushing the Super Bowl into March, the NFL will have a ready-made excuse to finish what it started this year, which was to push the three-day NFL Draft into May.

Expanded playoffs and a later Super Bowl almost guarantee a permanent later date for the NFL Draft, pushed back again, even further into May, and held over the course of four or even five days in multiple cities ... well, it just shows to go you that this year's charade of what was supposedly the NFL supposedly being forced to reschedule the draft because of a "schedule conflict" at Radio City Music Hall ... it really was a charade.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has been "rewarded" for building an extravagant, $1 billion taxpayer-funded stadium. Next up on the stadium roulette wheel: Buffalo, Oakland, Jacksonville, Atlanta.

Toronto, London and even far-off, exotic Los Angeles beckon.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Watching with Interest

Just because a college wide receiver is tall and runs fast doesn't guarantee success in the NFL. Just ask Fred Gibson.

The Steelers invested a fourth-round draft pick in Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson, just as they did in 2005 with Gibson, another 6'4" wide receiver. We hope Bryant makes the Pro Bowl and helps the Steelers win multiple Super Bowls.

Some skeptics, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls included, would have rather seen the Steelers use that fourth-round pick on a cornerback, Phillip Desir, who went to Cleveland a few picks later. They cast their lot with Bryant, though, so we thought we'd take a closer look.

First, here's an interesting quote (recorded in April 2013) from Dabo Swinney, Clemson's head coach, about Martavis Bryant, and let's keep in mind this quote can pretty much apply to any athlete (or person):
"Accountability, responsibility, dependability, trust-ability - those are the 'abilities' that matter," said Swinney. "He's got plenty of ability, it's all them other ones that have kept him from being a complete player. He's had some great moments, but he's been inconsistent. When you're not fully committed, you're going to be inconsistent."
But then here's another "red-flag" quote (from earlier in the article) that makes us wonder which Martavis Bryant the Steelers are getting (again, keeping in mind this was published in April 2013, before his senior season):
"Martavis isn't a bad guy, not at all. He's just been an immature, uncommitted guy - off the field, academically, in the meeting rooms, on the practice field, in the way he's prepared, not being dependable."
The link to the entire article is here.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Dri Archer is a "starter" return guy -- Kevin Colbert

Dri Archer
"Return guys change games. In my mind, return guys are starters."

That's what Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said about late third-round draft choice Dri Archer at about the 5:43 mark of this video of his during his post-draft news conference with Mike Tomlin.

That remark -- "return guys are starters" -- caught our attention because kick returners touch the ball only a few times a game, maybe, and they've traditionally been almost an afterthought (or at least not very effective) in the Steelers' overall scheme for years. Latest examples: Felix Jones and Jonathan Dwyer.

But Colbert made a point to say that Archer projects to be an elite kick returner in the mold of NFL greats Mel Gray and Devin Hester:
"They change games," Colbert said. "When you get a guy like that who can change a game, his kick-return game is unique. It's really special. Whatever value he can add to us offensively, we see some value there."
As if to emphasize that last point, Mike Tomlin added:
"This guy was a highly productive offensive player. In 2012, he had 1,400 yards rushing. A legitimate route-runner. A skill set that shows he's a real receiver, yes, he's a splash play-maker. Regardless of position, he's a playmaker. He's a guy that can get yards in chunks and raise up the scoreboard."
Okay, so it sounds as if the Steelers plan to use Archer in spot situations on offense, but according to Colbert, he was really drafted primarily as a kick returner, which is a position Colbert said he considers a "starter."

If that's the case, we all wondered, what about Archer's ability to return punts? Why didn't he do it much at Kent State? Punt returns are a lot different than kickoff returns. They take a bit of a different skill set: steady nerves, field vision, and a slightly different way of fielding the ball. Antonio Brown is excellent at all of that and seems very comfortable fielding punts. He looks like a natural, and we've always felt confident he would at least catch the ball cleanly and that he has the ability to break a long return on every punt.

We were worried about Archer possibly not being able to do that until we heard a radio interview David Todd (970-AM) conducted Tuesday with Bob Rock, offensive coordinator, Kent State. Rock said Archer sustained a high ankle sprain early in the 2013 season -- otherwise he would have been Kent State's punt returner in 2013. Rock emphasized that Archer is "a natural" at it and said we should have no worries about his ability to field and return punts as well as kickoffs.

Dave Bryan over at Steelers Depot wrote up a nice report on the interview, and you read his post here, along with a link to the interview itself.

We're hoping Archer takes the punt/kickoff return job and runs with it. If he become the next Devin Hester, Mel Gray or Tim Dwight, all the better. And, like Tomlin said, if he can "get yards in chunks and raise up the scoreboard," better yet.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Dri Archer: "Ice Ball" with a sub-4.2 40-yard dash?

According to James Saxon, running backs coach of the Steelers, third-round draft choice Dri Archer, RB/WR/KR, Kent State, was clocked running a "sub-4.2" 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine by "some scouts."

If you go to about the 4:15 mark of this video on Steelers.com, you'll find Saxon's remarks about Archer's 40 time at the Combine,
"We had him sub-4.2. Some scouts had him sub-4.2. It doesn't really matter. That's part of it. The kid can run. That's obvious ... but the kid is a special football player with the ball in space."
Wide receivers coach Richard Mann also had some interesting comments about Archer.

At 6:35 of this video on Steelers.com, Mann said about Archer:
"When I saw him, not to bring back memories, but I was in Cleveland, we had a little guy in Cleveland, Gerald McNeill, we called him 'Ice Cube,' he was a very good receiver for me. So I would think, talking to Coach T and Sax, that he would move from running back to receiver to return guy, but I could visualize us gerry-rigging, is the term I use, stuff for him, things he can do well, and not just putting him in every down, but gerry-rigging stuff he is he going to get it, everybody knows he is going to get it, and there's nothing they can do about it."
"Ice Ball"?
Gerald McNeill was nicknamed Ice Cube because he was so slippery. Despite McNeill's diminutive size (5'7", 140 pounds or so), Mann said there is a place in the NFL for players like him and Archer:
"Football is a big man's game.  There's a place for the small guy, but you got to utilize him correctly and he'll be a very valuable too for you, and a weapon. And that's what we did with the Ice Cube. This guy right here (Archer), reminds me of him so much of the Ice Cube, when he gets the ball in his hands, he's going to be fun to look at."
Maybe Archer will be just as slippery and even more dynamic than the Ice Cube. Maybe we can call Archer "Ice Ball" once he gets rolling. 

Footnote: If you're interested in reading more about Gerald "Ice Cube" McNeill, check out this article and this profile.


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

"Shade Tree"

Sixth-round nose tackle Daniel McCullers, 6'7", 356, may have the best nickname on the team: "Shade Tree.

Mike Tomlin called him "an obstruction," so that's a good one, too, for a space-filling nose tackle: "The Obstruction."

Monday, May 12, 2014

Fred Gibson?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls sincerely hope all the Steelers' draftees and undrafted fee agents enjoy great success and help the Steelers win multiple Super Bowls.

Not all of them will. Many people are excited about the potential of wide receiver Martavis Bryant, the fourth-rounder out of Clemson. We hope he proves them right.

Fred Gibson, 6'4"
WR, Georgia, 4th round, 2005.
Cut at end of training camp
We hope he turns into A.J. Green. Bryant would do well, however, to read up on Steeler history and review the cautionary tale of Fred Gibson, another fourth-round wide receiver who was drafted by the Steelers in 2005, out of Georgia.

Like Bryant, Gibson was tall (6'4") and reputedly had the speed to be a deep threat. He was unpolished and, in training camp, struggled even getting off the line of scrimmage. What had come easily to him against SEC corners didn't work against NFL players and prospects. The game was played at a different speed, against corners who jammed, clung and battled. Formations, terminology and pass routes were much more complex. He dropped passes in practice and in preseason games.

Gibson never made it out of training camp. He was cut before the first regular season game.

We hope Bryant becomes an All-Pro, but he has a lot to learn. Good luck, Martavis. It's time to get serious about your game.

Rebuilding the Linebacking Corps

"No, I didn't do my job there. I miss-fit it. I just miss-fit it. A miss-fit is not fit. No, I just didn't get over to my gap. I was supposed to be on his other shoulder. (The big plays) are very frustrating, but I don't know if surprised is a proper word for it."

That quote was from Troy Polamalu describing why he was late and out of position on Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas's 55-yard run in the fourth quarter of Miami's Dec. 8 win over the Steelers at Heinz Field.  

In his own words, Troy just "mis-fit it."
That's because Troy was a misfit at the linebacker position and would never have been playing there if the Steelers had anybody else to do it in 2013.

Enter Ryan Shazier, the 2014 first-round draft choice.  

Linebackers coach Keith Butler said something interesting about the selection of Shazier:
"We couldn't pass him up when he was there. There were a lot of guys that we liked at that spot, but they were all drafted. So, when he came, a guy with that type of speed, you can't pass him up. He's going to make us immediately faster on defense."
We can speculate on which players Butler was referring to who were already drafted, but we can guess they were cornerbacks Justin Gilbert and Kyle Fuller, pass-rushing linebacker Anthony Barr, and wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.

Not to discount the need for a top-notch corner or wide receiver, but if the drafting of Ryan Shazier in the first round of the NFL draft caught most of Steeler Nation by surprise because linebacker didn't seem to be "a position of need," it's only evidence that most people have short memories. 

Where were the linebackers?
As painful as it is, however, let's not forget how how invisible the linebackers were throughout most of the season, most glaringly in the losses to Miami and at Oakland (Oct. 27).

The linebackers are supposed to be the backbone of this defense. Too often last season,however, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls screamed in dismay, "Where are the linebackers?"

Glaringly Obvious
Throughout 2013, the Steelers surrendered five running plays of 48 yards or more, 12 pass plays of 40 yards or more, and 10 running plays that went for 15 yards or more. The linebackers were a big part of those breakdowns.

It took Jason Worilds until the final half of last season, the final year of his first contract, to play well enough to win a one-year mega-contract that salvaged his Steelers' career for one more season, at least.  

The rest of the linebacking corps was spotty at best. Lawrence Timmons played like a monster in some games (17 tackles vs. Baltimore; 12 vs. Oakland, with a broken hand), but not so well in others. 

Jarvis Jones showed flashes and improved late in the season, but for the most past he looked small, played small and was a step or so late to the play on most occasions. Jones needs to improve dramatically this year.

Most glaringly, perhaps, the loss of veteran Larry Foote to injury in the first game necessitated the play of rookie sixth-rounder Vince Williams, who played like a rookie sixth-rounder. Williams has the makings of a thumper, but by November he had lost his short-lived opportunity to seize a full-time job because he was too slow and was out of position too often.

Just as crucially, Williams showed an inability to cover receivers -- a real problem in a passing league. There's a place in the league for Williams; he can be a solid player. But Williams lost playing time in some situations to the much faster Terence Garvin, who actually looked good in flashes, but more so to Troy Polamalu. And that took Polamalu away from what he does best.

And all of that led to the drafting of Ryan Shazier. Besides which, Justin Gilbert, Kyle Fuller, Anthony Barr and Odell Beckham were gone. Inside linebacker really was a crucial "need position" for this draft. It was, in fact, a position of glaring need. 

As if to underscore that point, the Steelers added ILB Jordan Zumwalt in this sixth round (same as Vince Williams). Presumably, Zumwalt will work on special teams and compete with Williams and Sean Spence for a backup linebacker spot. He has a shot.

Not to hand Shazier a job or anything, but he should start immediately. If he doesn't, we're right back to where we were at the end of last season.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day!



 Wishing all mothers
everywhere
love, thanks and happiness
on Mother's Day.

A young Brett Keisel?

UFA signee Josh Mauro, DE, Stanford, has a prospect profile on NFL.com that says, "draws comparisons to a young Brett Keisel." That sounds a bit lofty, but we shall see.

Mauro is one of two undrafted free agents the Steelers signed out of Stanford. The other is Devon Carrington, who was a reserve S/CB, and will get a chance to show what he can do on special teams in training camp, as will Mauro. That's were Keisel initially made his mark: special teams, specifically running down on kickoff coverage.

Other UFAs that may be worth keeping an eye on during the pre-season include: Chris Elkins, OL, Youngstown State; Brandon Kay, QB, Cincinnatti; and Kaycee Ike, OT, UAB, and Ethen Hemer, DE (6'6," 285), who put up 32 reps on the bench press at Wisconsin's pro day.

The Jury is Out

At least we now have a better idea how the Steelers' brain trust envisions the team, and their strategy for addressing its weaknesses.

The team's current depth chart listed currently on Steelers.com is likely to change. As of Sunday, it lists Brian Arnfeldt as the starter at right defensive end, Chris Carter as the starter at left outside linebacker, and Vince Williams as the starter at left inside linebacker. On offense, David Snow is listed as the starting center.

Arriving via the draft, linebacker Ryan Shazier is the big addition on defense, and he brings speed. The way for an offense to challenge a speed linebacker like that is to run right at him, so the Steelers also fortified the defensive line with Stephon Tuitt and space-filling nose tackle Daniel McCullers. They will help protect Shazier from smash-mouth formations that try to power through him, Jarvis Jones, Lawrence Timmons and Jason Worilds.

The secondary stays pretty much the same as last year, except for the addition of Mike Mitchell to succeed Ryan Clark at safety, and a bit more depth at corner with fifth-rounder Shaquille Richardson.

On offense, the combination of Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount makes for a power tandem that will get a change of pace with tiny scat-back Dri Archer. The Steelers will rely on Markus Wheaton to emerge as the No. 2 receiver opposite Antonio Brown. Depth is added along the offensive line with Wesley Johnson and at tight end with Rob Blanchflower.

Special teams will have a new punter (either Adam Podlesh or Brad Wing). Darius Heyward-Bey becomes one of the gunners on punt coverage. Dre Archer will compete for kick return duties.

Maybe somebody emerges as a surprise contributor from the crop of undrafted free agents.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Thumbs up on Rounds, Five, Six, Seven

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are bullish on Shaquille Richardson, Wesley Johnson, Jordan Zumwalt, Daniel McCullers and Rob Blanchflower.

It will be interesting to see if Johnson, McCullers and Richardson challenge early for serious playing time. Opportunities are there for the taking for all three.

Would you rather have Louis Nix or Shamarko Thomas?

To select speedy scatback Dri Archer in the third round, the Steelers used the 97th overall selection, which was a pick that was essentially at the top of the fourth round as one of many compensatory picks the NFL tacked onto the end of the third round.

The Steelers didn't have a real third-round pick this year. They dealt this year's third-rounder, which turned out to be No. 83 overall, to Cleveland during last year's draft, for the right to select 5'9" safety Shamarko Thomas.

Louis Nix or Shamarko Thomas? Who would you rather have?

Let's hope last year's trade of this year's third-round pick (83rd overall in 2014) for the right to draft Shamarko Thomas in last year's fourth round (111th overall in 2013) was worth it.

That 83rd selection this year? It turned into Louis Nix, the Notre Dame nose tackle who many people projected early on as being a potential first-round pick this year for the Steelers, early in this draft season.

For Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, Thomas will merit as much scrutiny this season as any player in the 2014 draft. He is in his second year, so more is expected of him, but that trade ... we didn't like it at the time, and we like it even less today. Thomas is listed at 5'9", 217. There's no other way to say it: He's short. And he doesn't appear to be especially rangy, which is something you'd like to see in your safeties.

If you buy Kevin Colbert's assertion that this year's draft is so deep, that second-round picks equate to first-round picks, third-rounders to second round, etc., that particular 2014 third-round pick that Colbert traded last year turned out to be very expensive. By that logic, Thomas is a second-round talent. By that logic, Dri Archer is a late-second/early-third talent.

Thomas has much to prove.

Joey Porter's hope the best for all the Steelers' picks. We hope all turn into Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers.

Knee-jerk reaction to the 4th-round pick ...

Thumbs down.

Martavis Bryant looks like a one-trick pony: Maybe he can highpoint the ball and be a red-zone target, eventually, in time. Maybe.

He's tall. He's got that going for him. However, he doesn't look like he gets off the line of scrimmage very cleanly. And he's been described as having "shaky hands." And there have been questions about focus. So, IF Mr. Throat Slash can get focused, get off the line of scrimmage, get open and actually catch the ball, maybe he'll help ... down the road at some point.

That sounds like a lot of "if."

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would have taken cornerback Pierre Desir instead of Bryant with the 118th overall pick.

Another corner still on the board was Walt Aikens. After the Steelers selected Bryant, Cleveland took Desir; Miami selected Aikens.

If the Steelers were intent on taking a receiver, we would have rather seen them take 6'2" Kevin Norwood over Bryant. Seattle ended up taking Norwood at No. 123 overall.

Pitt's Devin Street was available, too, and we know what he can do. He gets open and catches everything.

Joey Porter's hope the best for all the Steelers' picks. We hope all turn into Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers.

Dri Archer: Snap judgment, flash impression

Dri Archer is tiny. This pick has "Todd Haley" written all over it.

Did Archer get over-drafted? Guys like Archer may have a role in an NFL offense, but it's going to be limited. There's only so much he can do.

He's a scatback. When you bring somebody like that onto the field you're telling the defense pretty much what you plan to do. We presume the Steelers won't be counting on him to do much pass-protect blocking. If they do, he'll get run over.

Joey Porter's hope the best for all the Steelers' picks. We hope all turn into Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers.

Going Vertical

Ryan Shazier's vertical jump: 42 inches. A 42-inch vertical?!! Let's hope he jumps in front of some passes and actually intercepts them, or at least blocks more than a few.

Nothing Tuitt but to do it

We assume at least one person on the Steelers staff watched every single play of Stephon Tuitt's career. He has a "pedigree," to use another of Mike Tomlin's favorite words.

To our untrained eye, however, Tuitt's first step looks slow. What kind of explosion does he have? Does he bring a heavy hammer? Does he play with impact? Is he relentless?

At this point, too, we'd be interested to go back and watch the 2013 Alabama-Notre Dame BCS championship game in which Tuitt played and collected five tackles during Alabama's 42-14 rout.

Everybody knows Alabama's offensive line blew out Notre Dame's front seven. Post-game, linebacker Manti Te'o was in the spotlight because he was already high-profile and because he got run over, repeatedly, in that game.

Now, we'd be interested to learn more about how Tuitt, specifically, played in front of Te'o. At that point, Tuitt wasn't on most people's draft radar because he was an underclassman. But he started and was part of the unit that got overwhelmed by the Crimson Tide. Then he had off-season surgery for a hernia and was slow to round into form for Notre Dame's 2013 season.

We will be watching closely the development of all the Steelers draft this year, as always. Tuitt, being a second-rounder, will be scrutinized closely. Let's hope he is an immediate improvement on Ziggy Hood. If not, why draft him?

Joey Porter's hope the best for all the Steelers' picks. We hope all turn into Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers.

Friday, May 09, 2014

Comparisons to be Made

So much for Sean Spence. And Terrence Garvin.

Steeler Nation, meet your new hybrid safety/inside linebacker: Ryan Shazier.

This is a controversial, debatable choice for the No. 15 overall pick in the NFL draft. It is not a safe choice, although Shazier was productive at Ohio State, and he is athletic. There is concern he may be undersized.

As Mike Tomlin noted, however, Shazier is fast and can make plays "horizontally and vertically."  What that means, hopefully, is that Shazier will be able to cover the NFL's tall, fast tight ends running down the seam in the middle of the field, as well as track down fast running backs sideline-to-sideline, and run with the mobile quarterbacks becoming more prevalent in the league these days.

So, there is a case to be made for Shazier. Presumably, he will assume the role Troy Polamalu played so much last year: Close to the line of scrimmage, at the second level, disrupting lanes and also dropping back into coverage with tight ends, receivers and running backs; with the periodic burst up the middle on a pass rush.

For what it's worth (nothing, probably), in the one 40-yard dash highlight shown on the NFL Network after the pick was announced, Shazier blazed through the sprint -- but pulled up at the end with a hamstring problem. Uh-oh. Let's hope that's not a portent of things to come. If there's one thing we've learned about problematic hamstrings, it is that they can be persistent, recurring and take forever to heal. And they keep coming back. Don't they, Lammarr Woodley?

For the next few years, however, Steeler fans will be keeping an eye on the development not only of Shazier but of three players in particular who could have been drafted instead of him.

Those are:

Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame, who went to the Cowboys with the very next pick, No. 16. As noted in our post early on Draft Day, if Odell Beckham, Jr. and Justin Gilbert were off the board, we'd identified Martin as the next guy we would have taken. In Dallas, by the way, some of the pre-draft media prognostications had projected Shazier going to the Cowboys at No. 16.

C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama, who went to Baltimore with the very next pick after Martin, at No, 17 overall. Mosley was a more heralded player than Shazier, although some concerns have been raised about his durability. The two inside linebackers are about the same size, but Shazier runs a faster 40-yard dash.

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State, who went to Cincinnati, for crying out loud, at No. 25 overall. Mike Greenberg ("Mike and Mike") called Dennard the steal of the first round, and that he can flat out play, never mind the 40 time.

When the Steelers went on the clock, with Kyle Fuller, Justin Gilbert and Odell Beckham already off the board, we figured the Steelers would take nearly the full 10 minutes and probably trade down.  Shazier may have been available later in the first round; or maybe not. Jerry Jones in Dallas may very well have intended to draft him at No. 16.

The Steelers took hardly any time at all to turn in their card. For better or worse, this pick has "Mike Tomlin" written all over it.

Next up: Pick No. 46.

Thursday, May 08, 2014

Draft Day, finally, and it's about time ...

What Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would like to see happen and what we think will happen are two different scenarios.

First, the latter.

What we think will happen is that a team leapfrogs the Steelers in the draft order and selects David Beckham Odell Beckham, Jr., wide receiver, LSU.

In fact, we wouldn't be at all surprised if two or even three teams leapfrog the Steelers, who have Dallas and then Baltimore right behind them in the draft sequence. Somebody's going to want to get in front of those two teams specifically, for whatever reasons they might have.

What we'd like to see happen is for the Steelers to stay put at No. 15 and select Beckham. This is a dynamic playmaker; a polished, pro-ready receiver; and we like him a little better even than the more heralded Mike Evans, WR, of Texas A'nM. We've held that impression ever since the NFL Combine. Last night on the NFL Network, former NFL general manager Charlie Casserly said more than a few scouts and pro personnel guys have been saying the same thing: Beckham's the more impressive, pro-ready receiver, right now, who brings more to the table than Evans.

While we acknowledge the desperate need for a good cornerback, we believe Beckham would make more of an impact than any of the top corners available.

A Trade Down: Very Possible
What we think will happen is the Steelers trade down, possibly with the Jets (who have 12 picks and hold the No. 18 spot overall). In this scenario, the Steelers will hope to get the best corner available, or possibly offensive tackle Zack Martin. They will then use their second-round pick on a receiver or to bulk up the defensive line. The third-round draft choice they get in return for trading down will help them to stock up at other positions of need in a very deep draft.

Besides the Jets, other trade partners might include:
  • San Francisco, which has 11 picks, including No. 30 overall, two second-rounders (56 and 61), three third-rounders (77, 94 and 100, the last of which is a compensatory selection, which cannot be traded); 
  • Denver, which has just seven picks but wants a top corner and/or linebacker Ryan Shazier and is in all-out, win-now mode; 
  • Cleveland, with 12 picks, including No. 26 in the first round and two third-rounders (No. 71 and No. 83, which they got from the Steelers). The Steelers want a third-rounder this year, and No. 71 or thereabouts would be a good one to obtain. 
Other teams with lots of picks include: Atlanta, which has 10 picks, including No. 37 (second round) and No. 68 (third round); and Jacksonville, with 11 picks, including No. 39 and No. 70 overall.

Not so Far-fetched?
It's not impossible to envision a scenario where the Falcons or Jaguars trade down from their high number-one slots to lower in the first round (after No. 15), and then flip that lower first-round pick (plus another lower-round pick) back to the Steelers for the No. 15 slot.

Of the players widely projected to be available at No. 15, Joey Porters Pit Bulls like the following options for the Steelers, in the following order:
  1. Odell Beckham, Jr. (WR, LSU)
  2. Justin Gilbert (CB, Okla. St.)
  3. Zack Martin (OL, Notre Dame)
  4. Kyle Fuller (CB, VT)
  5. Calvin Pryor (S, Louisville)
  6. Anthony Barr (OLB, UCLA)
That's it, Fort Pitt. This year, let's get play-makers and impact players who will be real Steelers.

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Three days out ...

For crying out loud, let's get this over already.  

We're not going to get much news worth talking about between now and Thursday evening, when the NFL Draft starts. Trades will happen on the clock, not beforehand, and teams are doing their final due diligence. They should know everything about every prospect by now.

The Steelers could possibly trade down from the No. 15 spot, mainly to pick up something close to the third-round pick they dealt to the Browns last year for the right to draft safety Shamarko Thomas.

If the Steelers do trade down, though, that almost certainly puts them below pick No. 20. If Kevin Colbert's assertion that the Steelers have identified 19 prospects as potential first-round selections for the team, then they would be settling for somebody who is not part of that group of 19.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls believe there is a big dropoff after the top three wide receivers (Watkins; Benjamin; Beckham).  All three of those guys won't make it past pick No. 19. Ditto for the top three corners (Gilbert; Dennard; Fuller); the top two safeties (Pryor and Clinton-Dix), and the top four offensive tackles.

Before the Steelers make a trade, they might want to remember the first-round draft-day trade a previous regime made in 1990. That's when the Steelers traded pick No. 17 overall to the Cowboys for pick No. 21, which the Steelers used on tight end Eric Green and a third-round pick (DT Craig Veasey). 

The Cowboys used the pick they got from the Steelers to select Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

Monday, May 05, 2014

Who Makes the Draft-day Decisions?

Thanks to Dave Bryan at Steelers Depot for the heads-up noting that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert are scheduled to hold a pre-draft news conference today at noon.

Our first thought upon reading this was they the two will reveal essentially nothing in brief statements, vague talk and empty platitudes. Dave Bryan suggests that some of the points discussed might cover the status of players such as Brett Keisel (still unsigned), Sean Spence and defensive end Nick Williams (comping off injuries).

We'd be interested in learning more about the draft-day decision-making process.  They'll never tell us, of course, but every once in a while a nugget slips out.

Before last December's game at Lambeau Field, we learned that the more Mike Tomlin talks about draft-day decisions, the more he makes it clear that they are his decisions.

"It was an easy decision for me."
-- Mike Tomlin

It was part of the following statement that Tomlin in response to a question about the decision to draft running back Le'Veon Bell with the 48th overall pick instead of Eddie Lacy, who went to to Green Bay with the 61st overall pick.  
“It was an easy decision for me. ... Probably it’s just a matter of preference. Just like I am sure Cincinnati went through the same discussions and thoughts when they took Giovani Bernard in front of both of them.”
Got that? No mention of Kevin Colbert or anybody else, including any of the Rooneys ....

"It was an easy decision for me."

And, since Tomlin mentioned Cincinnati's drafting of Giovanni Bernard, check out this excellent article by Geoff Hobson detailing the Bengals' process leading up to the drafting of Bernard.

By the way, Hobson notes that the Bengals had tight end Tyler Eiffert rated as the sixth-best layer on their draft board. They grabbed Eiffert at No. 21 overall, four spots after the Steelers drafted linebacker Jarvis Jones at 17th overall.

Who Makes the Decisions?
In 2008, was Tomlin's decision "an easy one" to draft Rashard Mendenhall over Matt Forte, Ray Rice or Chris Johnson?  There's not one player left on the Steelers' roster from that infamous, unfortunate draft class, nor are there any players remaining on the roster from the wasted 2009 draft class.

Was Tomlin also the one who made the decision to draft, say ... Alameda Ta'amu, Chris Rainey and, oh, take your pick

We'd like to know, but we never will.

Those draft-day decisions -- those failed drafts, the whiffs and misses -- are a large reason why the Steelers are coming off consecutive 8-8 seasons.

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Not totally sold on the corners

The way the Steelers' defense is set up, the corners must "tackle the catch."

Perhaps more than any other NFL defensive scheme, Dick Lebeau's defense usually has the corners playing off the line of scrimmage, not jamming receivers at the line.

Because the scheme will allow short, quick passes, the corners had damn well better tackle the catch; in other words be right there when the ball arrives and tackle the receiver before he breaks free for significant yards-after-catch (yac) mileage.

Unless it's Denver's Demaryius Thomas catching the ball on a short crossing pattern and going 75 yards on a short pass from Tim Tebow to win a playoff game. Sore spot.

Say what yinz will about Ike Taylor, but generally he's been a solid tackler throughout his 19-year 11-year career.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not totally sold on any of the top corners in this year's draft. The Steelers would either be reaching in a show of faith or settling from somebody they know is solid but limited.

Justin Gilbert: "A Pile Watcher"?
From nearly all reports, Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert, the top-rated corner in this year's NFL draft is not a solid tackler. He has speed and cover skills, but one NFL scout describer him as a "pile-watcher," and he is known to be a bit of a prima donna, somebody who trots up to the pile after the tackle is already made and strikes an aggressive stance like, "yeah, that's how it's done, punk."

Some people would say, "Deion Sanders didn't tackle either." But can anybody say with absolute conviction that Justin Gilbert is a shutdown/takeaway corner? One thing Gilbert has that the other top corners don't have is the ability to return kicks. But you can also get that from Odell Beckham, our top receiver likely to be available at No. 15.

If Gilbert is available and the Steelers draft him, they would do so knowing he doesn't have a history of tackling with the sort of stick-your-nose-in enthusiasm and skill they require.

Darqueze Dennard: A half-step slow?
Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard, by contrast, does all of that.  He tackles. No problem there.  Many draftniks have said he "looks" like a Steeler. He has swagger and confidence, which is what you want in a corner.

Our concern about Dennard is this: Is he a half-step (or a step) too slow? Does he have recover ability? Does his aggressiveness make him vulnerable to double-moves and mis-direction plays? Does he have enough long speed to keep up with NFL fly patterns and deep posts?  Does he have the quick-burst change-of-direction catch-up speed to close on turn-in routes and out patterns? Will he get burnt? Will his tendency to "grab-and-hold" receivers -- either because he can't run with them or because he's simply aggressive -- draw pass-interference penalties in the NFL?

Kyle Fuller:  Solid, but merely ordinary?
By some accounts, the other top-rated corner, Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller, is fundamentally sound and has generally good technique. His speed in the short-shuttle and cone drills is better than Dennard's. He is said to be a willing tackler. His coverage skills, instincts and anticipation appear to be solid. The NFL Network's Mike Mayock rates him as the top corner in the draft.  Fuller appears to be solid. But: Is he special? Or, is he just ordinary?

If you're drafting somebody at No. 15 overall, he'd better be special; extraordinary.

He'd better not be Chad Scott.

Help Wanted
The Steelers need help at the cornerback position, that's for sure. With 46 passing plays of 20 yards or more in 2013, including 12 pass plays of 40 yards or more, there is no question drafting a sure-thing, can't miss corner in the draft would make sense.

If only a sure-thing, can't-miss corner were available. Then again, how often is such a player coming out of college ever available?  At No. 15, however, the Steelers can't afford to miss.

And it can take a while for even the best college corners to fine-tune their craft in the NFL. Fans expecting immediate impact at the cornerback position may be disappointed.

Right now, we feel better about Beckham than any of the corners or other receivers.

Thursday, May 01, 2014

With one week to go ...

Of the players widely projected to be available at No. 15, Joey Porters Pit Bulls like the following options for the Steelers, in about the following order:

  1. Odell Beckham, Jr. (WR, LSU)
  2. Calvin Pryor (S, Louisville)
  3. Zack Martin (OL, Notre Dame)
  4. Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State)
  5. Anthony Barr (OLB, UCLA)
That's it, Fort Pitt.

Bring back the Block Numbers!

We're with Behind the Steel Curtain's Neal Coolong on his opinion that the Steelers should replace the current rounded numerals on the team uniforms (Chicago Bears-style) with the block numbers that were part of the definitive, classic Pittsburgh Steelers uniforms of the 1970s.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have never liked the rounded numbers. They look soft. We're not the Bears. We're the Steelers.

Bring back the block numbers!