Rest in Peace, Elmore Leonard

"Leo narrowed his eyes and stared, trying hard to fake who he was. He raised his preshaped plaid hat and recocked it, see if that would help. No, there was nothing dumber than a dumb guy who thought he was a hotshot. You did have to feel a little sorry for him ..."

-- excerpt from Get Shorty, by Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard at home

Elmore Leonard died on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. He was 87. He's been a favorite of Joey Porter's Pit Bulls for many years.

Why? The ability to draw in the reader and tell a no-frills yet rich story with an uncanny ear for dialogue and an unfailing eye for detail.  The humor. The knack for letting a story unfold from the inner dialogue of his characters, all of whom have defects of character, but whom Elmore coaxes to share their view of the world straight from their mind's eye and the internal voices in their cockeyed heads.

The passage quoted at the top of this post just happens to be from a page in the middle of Get Shorty, which Joey Porter's Pit Bulls just happens to be re-reading, again.  Elmore Leonard apparently had a fondness for the dumb guys, even the ones who thought they were hotshots. In that passage, for all we know, he could have been talking about an earlier, spiritually truncated version of himself -- "Leo" / "Leonard" -- Elmore Leonard was self-deprecating and self-effacing, but his writing displayed a sly, wry humor with a wickedly sharp edge.  By all accounts, he was mostly non-judgmental -- generally amused, but mostly non-judgmental.  He wrote it like he saw it.

We could go on and on -- but, honestly, your time would be better spent reading Elmore Leonard.

Elmore Leonard and Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Or watch Justified, the FX television series based on Leonard's story, Fire in the Hole. As noted by The Los Angeles Times, "Before tackling the adaptation, the show's creator Graham Yost gave each member of his "Justified" writing staff various novels that the prolific Leonard had written so they could understand the rhythm and tone of his work. Yost also gave them each a bracelet inscribed with the letters WWED (What Would Elmore Do), an accessory Yost still wears."

Elmore Leonard had the knack of writing lines that seemed to seek him as a channel for expression because, well, somebody just had to say them, they were too good:  One of his characters, a lawman on a stakeout watching a hapless criminal, said, ""He's over there casing the joint about as subtle as a marching band."

Elmore Leonard was never subtle as a marching band. He was cool. He was subtle as the "b" in subtle, to borrow a line from Dorothy Parker.

Leonard's own advice? “Don’t worry about anything. Don’t worry about anything—unless you absolutely know what the outcome will be. People worry about things that never happen to them. You waste your life like that."

And then there's this line Leonard wrote for U.S. Marshall Art Mullen, a character in his 2012 novel Raylan and on Justified: "You don't think of your manners and let the woman go first," Art Mullen said, "not when she's pointing a gun at you."

Words to live by.

Various links, tributes, quotes, obit, and excerpts will appear when you click the "Read More" jump break, below:

Not Ready for Prime Time, or even pre-prime time

Tick-tock ...

The NFL's third preseason game, next week, is the one where teams usually give their starters extended playing time, try to demonstrate some measure of cohesiveness and generally pull their collective game together for the regular season.

If last night's game vs. the Redskins was any indication, the Steelers aren't nearly ready even for that third pre-season game, let alone the regular season.

The offensive line has to be the major concern. The first unit (Adams, DeCastro, Pouncey, Foster, Gilbert) played most of the first half but clearly has work to do. They look terrible.

Just as he did in the off-season ("Free Hernandez"?), center Maurkice Pouncey last night drew attention to himself for the wrong reasons. With $102-million quarterback Ben Roethlisberger behind him, Pouncey was flailing in space and waving at air most of the first half.

With play like that (and how he played for much of the last two seasons), Pouncey is opening room for discussion over whether he is indeed over-rated (Pro Football Focus, for what it's worth, lists him as the 25th-best center in the NFL).

Also last night, tackle Mike Adams appeared as if were looking for the parking valet at 3 a.m. on the South Side. Marcus Gilbert looked slow, lost and ineffectual.  David DeCastro got pushed around. The line has much room for improvement and little time to do it.

If the line continues to play like this, Roethlisberger won't last six games.

Back to Work -- Training Camp

Enough of the summer hiatus. Time to get back to work.

Before we talk about the Steelers, how about Baltimore tight end Dennis Pitta's season-ending knee injury on the second day of camp? Pitta was probably Joe Flacco's go-to receiver as much as anybody, along with Anquan Boldin, and now both are gone -- along with a whole lot of other players from last year's Super Bowl winning team.

Before Pitta's injury, we were convinced Baltimore would be every bit as formidable as they were during last year's late-season run.  Now, we're not so sure, although they will be helped by the addition of defensive end Elvis Dumervil, safety Michael Huff and cornerback Lardarius Webb, who returns from injured reserve. Still, the loss of Pitta could really hurt them.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have always liked Pitta. He's fast, smooth in his routes and has excellent hands. When he came out of Brigham Young, we thought he'd look good in a Steeler uniform and were disappointed that Baltimore drafted him, and not the Steelers.  Last off-season, we made the argument the Steelers should sign Pitta as a restricted free agent -- as much to hurt Baltimore as to help the Black 'n Gold at tight end, a position with quantity but some question of quality in the wake of Heath Miller's devastating knee injuries (ACL, MCL, PCL).

Now, with Pitta's season-ending hip injury suffered during drills on Saturday, the Ravens will be without their No. 1 tight end. They have another good one in Ed Dickson, but Pitta was better all-around, more reliable and more clutch.

As for the Steelers at tight end, well, questions remain.  Which brings us to the draft.

Heath Miller's knee injuries raise the question of when and whether he will return to full effectiveness. In the first round, the Steelers passed on Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eiffert and instead selected pass-rushing linebacker Jarvis Jones out of Georgia, despite medical questions (spinal stenosis) and a 4.92 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.  That 4.92 40 time, by the way, is the same run by fourth-round QB Landry Jones, a pocket statue who had all of 15 yards rushing last year at Oklahoma.

Having said that, our feeling is that Jones and most of the other Steelers' 2013 draft picks bring a tough edge to the team that was sorely missing toughness and leadership last year.  Jarvis Jones, Le'Veon Bell, Marcus Wheaton, Shamarko Thomas, Vince Williams -- all have reputations for toughness, and at this point, the Steelers need all the toughness they can get.  Maybe some of those guys will turn into team leaders, too.

Zach Ertz

At the very least, let's hope Jarvis Jones can cover Tyler Eiffert, who was snapped up by division rival Cincinnati in the first round.  In our book, Jones and Eiffert will be linked for years to come. Who will be the better player?

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls will also be following with interest the NFL career of Stanford tight end Zach Ertz, whom we suspect may be every bit as good as Eiffert, if not better.  As stated before the draft, we could have seen the Steelers trading down in the first round and selecting Ertz, who went to Philadelphia with the third pick of the second round (No. 35 overall).

Such a move, of course, would have left the Steelers without Jones and with a major lack of depth at the critical outside-linebacker position formerly manned by James Harrison, also now with the Bengals. Another option we thought might make sense for the Steelers in the first round was Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who went to the Vikings with the 25th overall pick. Rhodes has reportedly been a standout so far in Vikings camp.

Naturally, we hope Jarvis Jones succeeds in a major way. We hope he will be every bit as successful as he was at Georgia during his final season, when he led the college nation in sacks, forced fumbles and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. The Steelers need him to succeed in a big way.

We love, absolutely love, running back Le'Veon Bell -- loved him before the draft and hoped the Steelers would take him. When they announced his name in the second round, we did a big Yeah!, and then immediately wondered if they might have been able to get him later -- he'd been projected as a third or fourth rounder. Maybe, just maybe, he was overdrafted?  Possibly. Still, we're glad they landed him.

One of the many very good things about this guy: Le'Veon Bell doesn't fumble.  Bell had zero fumbles in three years at Michigan State. Not one. Nyet. Nada. None. Ze-Ro.

He starts Game One and solidifies a running game that was awful last year. We have no idea why the Steelers retained Jonathan Dwyer in the off-season.  Dwyer recently said he's lost 25-30 pounds in the past month or so -- which would have put him at 260-265 lbs. at about the time of OTAs.  Really.

To draft Bell, however, the Steelers passed on two other players we would have loved to see in Black 'n Gold -- SMU's 6'8" defensive end Margus Hunt (went to the Bengals, Round 2, pick number 53 overall) and Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown (to the Ravens, number 54 overall, at 6'0", 241).

Margus Hunt's the guy we really hated to see get away -- he would have been perfect for the Steelers -- and Brown looks like he'll be a perfect fit in Baltimore. It is a bit worrisome that both Hunt and Brown went to our top two rivals in the division.  Hunt, especially, seems like he could be a special force for years to come, and if he blocks field goals or extra points that keep the Steelers out of the playoffs ... we won't be happy. We're keeping our fingers crossed Hunt and/or Brown won't be Steelers nemeses for years to come.

On the other hand, we have high hopes for the Steelers' sixth-round pick, linebacker Vince Williams (Florida St., No. 206 overall, 6'0", 247). Maybe Williams will have every bit as good a career as Arthur Brown. Or not. We shall see. Our feeling is that Williams is going to be a good one, and possibly very good.

As for the Steelers' third-round pick -- wide receiver Marcus Wheaton -- absolutely loved him before the draft and were elated the Steelers got him. He's a perfect fit here, and they got him in the perfect spot. He'll be terrific.

Speaking of wide receivers, our feeling before the draft was the Steelers made a mistake in April by retaining wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders instead of letting him go to New England in return for a third-round draft choice (91st overall).

We were hoping WVU wide receiver Stedman Bailey would be available and sure enough, he was. Bailey went to St. Louis with the 92nd pick overall (the very next pick after the pick the Steelers would have gotten from New England, which, interestingly passed on Bailey).  Intuition says Bailey would have made a perfect Steeler. We would have had both Wheaton and Bailey, and both would be under contract for four years. As it stands now, Sanders can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

As for the fourth-round picks, we love the toughness safety Shamarko Thomas brings, but we're concerned about his height (5'9"?).  Might he have trouble covering the likes of Eiffert, Dickson, A.J. Green, Torrey Smith, etc.?

The other fourth-round pick, QB Landry Jones out of Oklahoma, eh, we have concerns about him.  The Steelers are long past due drafting a good young quarterback. But we're not sure Jones is the guy. Certainly we hope Jones leads the Steelers to the Super Bowl many times and cements his place in the Hall of Fame. We have doubts, however, and we also have concerns that Big Ben will last a full season -- ever.

Before the draft, we made the case for drafting Duke QB Sean Renfree, who went to Atlanta in Round 7, 249th overall.  Too bad.

Another college player we had our eye on as a potential draft pick was Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor, who went in the fifth round to Bruce Arians's Arizona Cardinals.  Taylor had a lousy Combine but compiled 4,300 yards and 40 touchdowns during his career at Stanford.

Well, you can't get everybody you want, and we'll trust the Steelers know more about what they're doing than we do..  

That's it, Fort Pitt.

Happy Mother's Day!

"I Love You Mom" card and image of pit bull mom with pup courtesy of artist Ginny York, Amherst, Va.

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

Jarvis Jones: Glass half-full? Or half-empty?

Jarvis Jones is a glass half-full, half-empty kind of player.

If you think Jones can translate his eye-popping stats at Georgia in the SEC to the NFL, then you can feel confident the Steelers got a top 10 prospect with the 17th overall pick. In that case, we hope to see more of the playmaking ability that enabled Jones to lead the college nation in sacks, tackles for losses and forced fumbles.  

If, on the other hand, you are leery of Jones's 4.92 40-yard dash and spinal stenosis, then you are probably skeptical that he will carry over much of his collegiate success to the NFL. You probably suspect that Jones may have some spotty success with occasional flash plays, but be mostly overwhelmed, out of position and late to tackles in a relatively brief, disappointing career shortened by injury.

One other question remains to be played out: Can Jarvis Jones cover Tyler Eiffert?

That thought occurred to us immediately after we saw the Bengals pick Notre Dame tight end Eiffert (6'5", 250) at No. 21 overall. Those two, Jones and Eiffert, will face off twice a year and will be compared for years to come if only because the Steelers chose Jones over Eiffert, much the same way they selected David DeCastro last year over Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeittler, who went to the Bengals.  

Over the next three years, who will be the more impactful player? Jones or Eiffert?
 

Next Up
We'd like to see the Steelers draft at least one of the following players in the coming rounds: 

• Stanford TE Zach Ertz
• WVU WR Stedman Bailey 
• Oregon State WR Markus Wheaton
• Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell 
• Duke QB Sean Renfree 
• SMU defensive end Margus Hunt 
• Kansas LB Arthur Brown 
• Tennessee WR Zach Rogers 
• Texas A&M WR Ryan Sproles 
• Alabama OL Barrett Jones 

Most of those guys will go in rounds two or three, so we'll be lucky if we get one, let alone two or three. Still, any of them would look good in Black 'n Gold.

Mocking Bouchette's Mock Draft
Oh, and one other observation: Although the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette got the Steelers' selection of Jones right -- and he should have gotten it right, considering that he's the Steelers' beat writer -- Bouchette's mock draft was pathetic; terrible; embarrassing.  

Bouchette totally missed on what was becoming clear in the days before the draft, which was that the top five offensive linemen would go in the top 10 picks. Then he had Geno Smith going at No. 13 (Smith slipped all the way out of the first round). Bouchette also had guard Jonathan Cooper falling all the way to No. 18 (Cooper went to the Cardinals at No. 7 overall). 

Bouchette projected Manti Te'o at No. 23 to Minnesota -- really?  The Vikings were happy to select Sharrif Floyd, and Te'o slid all the way out of the first round. 

The taciturn, lugubrious Bouchette's dismissive lack of interest and corresponding lack of insight in the draft shows once again, as he went through the motions yet another year. Once again, he mailed it in.

No Clue

How can we possibly predict who the Steelers will draft on Thursday? How can anybody?

This year's draft has no consensus No. 1 pick, no clear-cut top quarterback guaranteed to go in the top 15, and as many as five offensive linemen who may be among the top 10 picks.  Those five would be Luke Joechel, Eric Fisher, Lane Johnson, Jonathan Cooper and Chance Warmack. 

Quarterback Geno Smith may not be the first QB taken, and he may not get picked until late in the first round -- or maybe even later. There may not be a quarterback taken before the Steelers' turn comes at No. 17 -- which we mention only because it means players at other positions of interest will go off the board.

"Risers" and "fallers" mark the cornerback crop, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are getting the feeling that Alabama CB Dee Milliner may fall to the Steelers at No. 17.  If so, should he be the pick?  What about CB Xavier Rhodes?  He'll probably be gone by No. 17. Ditto Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro.  

Milliner, Rhodes and Vaccaro are all prime candidates to possibly go to the Jets or Panthers at No. 13 or 14 overall, or to the Rams at No. 16, and we doubt any of them will be available to the Steelers at No. 17. If so, other players will get pushed down.

How about Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones? Well, if you're sold on his college productivity and can overlook his 4.92 40 and spinal stenosis, he will probably be available at No. 17.

Is he the best choice for the Steelers?  No clue. How about tight end Tyler Eiffert? Maybe. On the other hand, the Steelers currently have four tight ends on the roster, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not convinced Eiffert will even have a better pro career than Stanford's Zach Ertz, who may be available to them in the second round and provide better value than Eiffert in the first round.

Lots of talent this year seems to be earmarked for rounds two through four, and it would be great to acquire at least one or two more picks in those rounds, hopefully to grab a player like Stedman Bailey (WR), Markus  Wheaton (WR), Le'Veon Bell (RB), Arthur Brown (LB), Margus Hunt (DE/ILB) or other intriguing prospects.

Our feeling is that the Steelers should trade down, and that Atlanta is a potential trade partner.  Really, though, lots of teams ahead of the Steelers also want to trade down, and it's possible the Steelers will not find a suitable trade partner.

It will be fun, and interesting.

Another Mystifying Personnel Move

On Saturday, April 27, 36 top college prospects will go off the board between Pittsburgh's 3rd-round pick (No. 79 overall) and 4th-round selection (No. 115 overall) in the NFL draft. 

For Steelers' fans, that will seem like an excruciatingly long wait. And each of the 24 players who gets drafted between the 91st pick overall and the 115th selection will provoke second-guessing for some time to come -- "The Steelers could have had that guy."

It will be interesting, and probably aggravating, to see who the New England Patriots select with its 3rd-round pick (No. 91 overall), which the Steelers could have had if they'd not matched New England's offer sheet to Sanders -- at nearly double the salary the Steelers had originally offered.

Maybe by that point the Steelers will have already selected one of the wide receivers we'd love to see in Black 'n Gold -- DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson), Stedman Bailey (WVU), or Markus Wheaton (Oregon State), Maybe, later in the draft, Zach Rogers (Tenn.), or another intriguing prospect.

What if running back Le'Veon Bell (Michigan State) is still on the board at No. 91? He might not still be there when the Steelers' fourth-round pick comes around at No. 115. What about an intriguing quarterback prospect? A cornerback, safety or linebacker?

The Steelers must have figured that any prospect likely to be available at No. 91 would not match the value Emmanuel Sanders will bring to the team this year (at $2.5 million). The Steelers must have figured that it usually tales a wide receiver two or three years to develop. Ben Roethlisberger clearly had a say in this decision. Whatever.

It's still mystifying, and more than a bit worrisome, that the Steelers kept Sanders. Before Sunday's decision by the Steelers was announced, the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette spelled out very compelling reasons why the Steelers should let Sanders go to New England. A "no brainer" he called it, and we agreed.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't like that the Patriots dictated the price for Sanders. We don't like losing the 91st pick in the draft. And we don't like the likelihood that Sanders will go to free agency at the end of the season. Sanders hasn't been reliably healthy, yet he's shown himself to be, eh, middling productive, a fairly polished receiver with the occasional flash play. He's so so-so. And he's going to be here for only one year, at a price the Patriots forced on the Steelers.

We don't like it. We'd have let him walk.

The Steelers Should Trade Down

This is the year the Steelers should trade down.

We say that, of course, almost every year. But this year, yeah, this year ...

The Steelers should trade down. They have so many holes to fill that they would do well to add as many draft picks as they can.

On the other hand, the last time they had the 17th overall pick in the draft, Emmitt Smith was on the board. It was 1990. They traded down.

You know how that turned out. In exchange for the rights to Smith, a Hall of Famer and the NFL's all-time leading rusher, the Steelers secured the rights to Eric Green TE, Liberty, with the 21st pick overall, and Craig Veasey, DE, Houston, with the 81st overall pick, the last of the third round. Oops.

Fast-forward to April 2013. Should the Steelers stay put at No. 17?  Well, maybe. If, by some miracle, Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma, is still available at No. 17, the Steelers should take him. Same with Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina. Both will probably be off the board.

If those two are gone, trade down.

Trade partner? The San Francisco 49ers have 14 draft picks (fourteen!) and want Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia, who just might make it to No. 17.  Probably not. In any case, the Niners are going to trade some of those 14 picks, which include two seconds, two thirds, two fourths and seven picks from rounds five through seven.

See if they'll bite: Our first-rounder (No. 17 overall) for their own first-round pick (31st overall), the higher of  their two seconds, and a third-rounder in 2014. They may go for it.

A trade with the 49ers would drop the Steelers 14 picks. They'd miss the opportunity to draft 14 players.  Not to say the Steelers will draft a tight end with their first pick, but is there that much difference between tight ends Tyler Eiffert and Zach Ertz?  We'd rather have Ertz anyway, although Eiffert will get drafted before him -- maybe by the Bears at No. 20.

That's just an example. We're just suggesting the Steelers should be able to find good players later in the draft.  They might not get Tavon Austin or Keenan Allen (WR, Cal), but with more picks later in the draft, they might be able to get a receiver like DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson), Stedman Bailey (WVU), Markus Wheaton (Oregon State) and, later, Zach Rogers (Tenn.). Any of them would help, presumably.

We're not going to like seeing Hopkins, Bailey, Wheaton or Rogers go to other teams. Those four are among our favorite players in this draft. Well, you can't get 'em all.

Another favorite, a bit later in the draft, would be running back Le'Veon Bell (Michigan State).  He'd also look good in Black 'n Gold.

As would defensive end Margus Hunt (SMU), yet another favorite, and a guy who some people project to go late-first round, possibly to the 49ers or ... the Ravens. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have been pushing for the Steelers to draft Hunt and convert him to inside linebacker, and wouldn't it be sweet to snatch him with the pick immediately before Baltimore's? He will be off the board when the Steelers's second-round selection comes around.

Speaking of linebackers, none of the highly rated 3-4 linebackers available this year look like a sure thing. We wouldn't take any of them at No. 17.  Not Jarvis Jones (spinal stenosis, a 4.92 40).  Not Barkevious Mingo (great athlete, but maddeningly erratic production at LSU). Not DaMontre Moore (a lousy Combine and a lousy Pro Day). Not Ezekial Ansah (very raw and inexperienced).

Kansas State's Arthur Brown plays inside linebacker. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls like The Crazy World of Arthur Brown much better than any of those aforementioned linebackers, and we also like Brown much better than the higher-rated inside linebackers, Alec Ogletree (off-field issues, including a DUI the week before the Combine); Manti Te'o (small and slow; imaginary girlfriend) and Kevin Minter (a bit stiff, slow).

Other Potential Trade Parters
Besides the 49ers, another team with a lot of picks is the Minnesota Vikings, but they need to stockpile talent, too, just like the Steelers.

Guess who else has a lot of draft picks? The Baltimore Ravens. We can rule them out as a potential trade partner.

The 2008 Draft: With nobody left, "It was an embarrassing waste of resources..."

Oh, you thought the headline referred to the Steelers? ... because the storied Pittsburgh Steelers, our Pittsburgh Steelers, so frequently lauded for historical drafting prowess, have zero players left from the 2008 draft? ... our Pittsburgh Steelers who went 8-8 in 2012 and hold the 17th selection in next month's NFL Draft?

No, actually, Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com wrote that line ("an embarrassing waste of resources") about the 2008 draft of the chronically mediocre, middling and muddling Miami Dolphins, who went 7-9 in 2012 and hold the 12th overall pick in the draft.

"It was an embarrassing waste of resources," Gantt wrote of Miami's 2008 draft. "And part of the reason the Dolphins are now in a desperate game of catch-up."

Guess who else doesn't have any players left from the 2008 draft? The Steelers.

By "a desperate game of catch-up," presumably Gantt is referring to the Dolphins' recent signing of former Steeler wide receiver Mike Wallace to a five-year, $60 million contract, as well as other notable (expensive) free agents: Dannell Ellerbe (LB),  Brandon Gibson (WR), Dustin Keller (TE), Brian Hartline (WR), Matt Moore (QB), and Phillip Wheeler (LB).

By comparison, new signings by the Steelers last week included typically low-profile (cheap) free agents: backup QB Bruce Gradkowski, tight end Matt Spaeth and slot corner William Gay.

Make no mistake: We are glad to have been born and raised as Steeler fans; we are proud to be part of the Black 'n Gold Steeler Nation. There are lots of differences between the two franchises, and there's no way we'd trade places with Dolphins fans. Ever.

Unfortunately, however, there is one thing the two teams currently have in common, and which cannot be denied: Wasted drafts in 2008 and 2009, and that's why, to a large extent, both teams are where they are today.

The proud Steelers not only have zero players left from the 2008 draft, they have only one player left from the 2009 draft, and that is first-rounder defensive end Ziggy Hood, who hasn't exactly lived up to first-round billing.  

The Dolphins have been able to salvage two good starters from the 2009 draft, Brian Hartline (WR) and Chris Clemons (S), both of whom hit free agency this off-season but were then signed by Miami and retained.

Those two drafts, in 2008 and 2009, hurt both the Steelers and the Dolphins, and are the main reason why both teams are trying to rebuild.  

By contrast, a CBS Miami Website article titled, "Long's Departure Accentuates Parcells' Abysmal Failures," pointed out the following: 

"For comparison purposes, the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 drafted: quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Ray Rice, linebacker Tavares Gooden, and defensive back Tom Zbikowski with the teams’ first four picks. In 2009, Baltimore selected offensive tackle Michael Oher, linebacker Paul Kruger, and defensive back Lardarius Webb."

The point?  The Steelers had better get this draft right. They cannot afford to whiff ... they're already (still) paying the price for the 2008 and 2009 drafts. No room for mistakes this year.

We'd hate to think the Steelers are only on par with a mediocre team like the Dolphins. If the two teams squared off today, we'd think the Steelers would beat Miami ... but then, before the 2012 season, we thought the Steelers wouldn't lose to Oakland, Tennessee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dallas and San Diego. They did.

Unlike the Steelers, the "Doll-phins" have been a mess for a long time and, unlike the Steelers, Miami still doesn't have a franchise quarterback, although they're trying to rebuild with last year's first-rounder, QB Ryan Tannehlill, who may or may not develop. Miami also lost three high-profile starters to free agency this off-season: LT Jake Long, RB Reggie Bush and CB Sean Smith.

 

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't care about the Doll-phins. We care about the Steelers. They need to get better. Fast. Enough of this mediocrity crap.

Top o' the Morning to You. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"If You're Lucky Enough to be Irish ...
You're Lucky Enough."

An Irishman walks into a pub in a small town in Ireland and orders three beers. 

The man takes the beers to a table where he sits alone and polishes them off in about an hour. He gets up, orders three more and does the same thing. Another hour later, he gets one more round of three, drinks them and leaves.

This scene repeats itself the next evening and then the next, and pretty soon this pub is abuzz about the man they're now calling Mr. Three Beers. When he comes in again, the bartender's curiosity is overwhelming, and he asks his new favorite customer what the deal is.

He replies that he has two brothers who are no longer in Ireland, they're worlds apart, and they all vowed that each would order an extra two beers whenever one of them went drinking to keep the brotherly bond.

The bartender and the tavern regulars bought the story, admiring the brotherly love, and Mr. Three Beers became a pub favorite.

But one day he came in and ordered only two beers. The bartender poured them and the pub crawlers took immediate notice, thinking the worst -- that one of the brothers had passed away. This went on for several days.

One day, the bartender offered his condolences on behalf of himself and the pub regulars. The man thanked him for the thoughtfulness but said his two brothers were alive and well.

So what's with ordering only two beers? the barkeep asked.

"It's Lent," the man replied. "And I, myself, have decided to give up drinking until Easter."

Tumbling Dice

As tempting as it is to indulge in instant punditry during rapid-fire free agency moves such as we've seen the past week, this week's moves and non-moves by the Steelers produce a collective shrug.

Free agency started on Tuesday. Now that the dust has settled a bit, it's no surprise the Steelers stand squarely in the shadowed, shallow depths: No big splashes this year for the Steelers. No Connor Barwin. No Sebastien Vollmer. No Dannell Ellerbe. No Greg Jennings. No Steven Jackson.  Those kinds of signings were never going to happen.

For the team that went 8-8 last year, it's pretty much status quo except for the not-unexpected subtractions: James Harrison (hurts), Keenan Lewis (ouch), Mike Wallace (no surprise, but leaves a big hole), Rashard Mendenhall (good riddance), Willie Colon (see ya, waste of space), Ryan Mundy (so long, won't be missed).

Emmanuel Sanders remains in limbo, and if he goes to New England, the Steelers will definitely have to add a receiver in the draft or free agency. Unless, that is, you count people like David Gilreath, Derrick Moye, Bart Reed (?), Kashif Moore (?) and other such "futures" players invited to training camp.

Most of the off-season signings, so far, have been lateral, for retention and depth. The "big" signings for the Steelers so far this off-season have been:

• Retained Players -- Larry Foote, Ramon Foster, Plaxico Burress, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Greg Warren, David Johnson.  We might also consider the easy-to-overlook players who were on the practice squad or were late-season additions, but really, how much can we expect from guys like Justin King, DeMarcus Van Dyke and, yes, even Plaxico Burress?

• New Signings -- Slot corner William Gay, backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, tight end Matt Spaeth (ugh).

Are the Steelers really that cash- and cap-strapped? Apparently.  Contract restructurings appear to be finished.

What's next? Additional roster cuts? Additional marginal free-agent signings?

Linebacker Victor Butler?  How about LB Antwan Barnes? The former Baltimore backup is built like Jame Harrison, uses similar leverage in his pass-rush technique, and had 11 sacks during 2011 for the Chargers, for whom he played the past three seasons. Barnes was released after a miserable 2012 season during which he managed just three sacks while battling hamstring problems, finally going on injured reserve in December. He might be worth a close look, but ...the hamstring can be a chronic problem (LaMarr Woodley).

Other free-agent possibilities:  At running back, how about Bernard Scott or RB Peyton Hillis? Probably not. 

How about safety Michael Huff?

Speaking of safeties, maybe the Steelers should take a look at safety Tom Zbikowski? He's available and cheap. Indianapolis released Zbikowski on Friday, but with just $1.2 million due him and only one year with the team, it was a bit of a surprise.

More so because Colts coach Chuck Pagano, formerly Balttimore's defensive coordinator, signed Zbikowski as a free agent from the Ravens just last year, shortly after Pagano moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis. In 11 starts last year, Zbikowski managed just 38 tackles, one sack and one interception. For the Steelers, who desperately need depth at safety, the former Raven may be a decent (cheap) stop-gap option as a backup. Zbikowski is no Bernard Pollard or Adrian Wilson, but he may be a good fit for Black 'n Gold at this point. At least he'd be popular on Polish Hill.

Of the players who have been retained, probably the most significant is offensive tackle Ramon Foster. He and Old Reliable Max Starks were the only offensive linemen to start all 16 games last year, and Foster can play both guard positions and right tackle. It's good that Foster will be back.

Starks, who started all 16 games last year, remains unsigned. We've heard no news of  the Steelers' plans, if any, for him or Casey Hampton.

That's it, Fort Pitt.

Off to the Races

Danario Alexander, a restricted free agent

Mike Wallace is off to Miami. Keenan Lewis is off to Cleveland (?). James Harrison is off to ... San Diego? Cleveland?  Ramon Foster is off to, well, Latrobe, this summer, with the only questions being whether he will play left guard or right tackle, and whether he will start. We have the feeling the Steelers are not convinced Mike Adams can handle the starting right tackle job.

NFL free agent signings start today. Nothing that happens today is likely to change the Steelers' draft plans. Like all Steeler fans, we'd like to see them sign certain free agents, but we expect little.

Dennis Pitta, RFA

• Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would investigate signing LaRod Stephens-Howling to take over the Chris Rainey role.

• We would seriously consider pursuing Baltimore restricted free-agent tight end Dennis Pitta, although it would mean sending a second-round (?) pick to the Ravens -- unless, that is, Baltimore was forced to match our offer; which, if they do, would be a win for us anyway, as we would have just driven up their cost of keeping him, which would further complicate their already complicated cap picture. Pitta's a good player.

• We'd also take a close look at what it might take to sign San Diego restricted free-agent wide receiver Danario Alexander, who would not cost a draft choice. The last we saw him, in December, he was a nightmare-matchup for the Steelers' secondary at Heinz Field. There will be competition for him, one would think.

More expensive signings aren't going to happen, so it's pointless to speculate about the likes of unrestricted free agents like New England tackle Sebastien Vollmer and Houston defensive end Connor Barwin, both of whom would look great in Steeler uniforms.

One thing for sure: More than a few 2012 Steelers won't be 2013 Steelers, and that list probably includes Rashard Mendenhall, Casey Hampton, Willie Colon, Ryan Mundy, Byron Leftwich, Stevenson Sylvester, Leonard Pope and several others.

The free-agency carousel begins today.

Leave a comment, below, if you're so inclined.

Release of the Silverback

James Harrison, the Silverback, one of the fiercest and most fearsome linebackers in Steeler history, is no longer a Steeler. 

The team released him today.

Harrison's game is all about velocity, leverage and violence. Seething with a teeming ferocity, he was truly a player who opponents wanted to know where he was on the field at all times.

Harrison embodied the classic definition of  a linebacker: "Agile, mobile and hostile."

As a Steeler, he was ferocious, intimidating and relentless. He was ba-a-a-a-d. Still is, no doubt.

After taking over for Joey Porter as a starter in 2007, Harrison immediately proved a worthy successor in the long lineage of excellent outside linebackers in Steelers lore, including Porter, Jason Gildon, Greg Lloyd, Mike Merriweather, Jack Ham, Robin Cole and Andy Russell.

Although Harrison missed a lot of playing time the past couple of years because of injuries, the team will miss him. Harrison didn't seem to be the most vocal sort, so it's hard for us outsiders to say he was a leader other than on the field and as a player who worked exceptionally hard and was committed to his craft.

He seemed to be one of those players about whom it is said, "He led on the field."  That he did, indeed.

He will be forever remembered for the play that is arguably the greatest single effort in Super Bowl history: the 100-yard interception return as time ran out in the first half in Super Bowl XVIII vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Remember the time he slammed a wayward Browns fan who had drunkenly run onto the field in Cleveland?

Harrison brought a level of intimidation that nobody else can match.

It will be weird seeing him in another uniform, and it won't seem right. Any number of teams will express interest, but it's entirely possible Harrison will end up in Cleveland, where former Steelers' assistant coach Ray Horton is now defensive coordinator. Ugh. If that were to happen, wouldn't it be ironic if Colt McCoy ends up on the Steelers?

James Harrison is not going to be easily replaced.

About Big Ben's Denial of Leadership Problems

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not going to speculate too much on the perceived lack of leadership on the Steelers, or the reports of a fractured locker room.  We fans, after all, are on the outside.
  We see what we see; we hear what we hear; we read what we read. We draw our own conclusions.

Although we know better, it doesn't sit well that the Post-Gazette's Ron Cook, the bleating little weasel, can hide behind the "anonymous Steeler" cloak covering the supposed story of an "anonymous" player who criticized LaMarr Woodley for being "terrible" and out of shape.

 Yeah, Woodley was terrible and appeared out of shape, and Cook can hide behind his "confidential source" and the recumbent Columbia Journalism Review blather, but Cook's story is weakened by the anonymity of the source.

Granted, this isn't Watergate, but how are we even to know there was such a player making these statements about Woodley? We're supposed to take Cook's word for it. Speculation about any player, then, is fair game, and that reeks.

That's not to say it didn't happen. Usually, where there's smoke there's fire. Sometimes, it's just smoke. We have a feeling there are some smoldering embers here, at the very least, but we don't really know. How could we?  Last year, however, it was clear something was wrong on that team. Actually, by all appearances, a lot of things were wrong.

Conspicuously absent through all this, until just last week, was the $102-million franchise quarterback, the highest profile player on the team, the face and voice of the franchise.  

We ask: 

Is it fair to wonder whether questions about "lack of leadership" are being asked in part because the quarterback has failed to assert leadership? 

Ben Roethlisberger's comments speak for themselves, but there's something lacking, as if proclaimed from a partitioned room separate and above the rest of the building.

Roethlisberger was quoted extensively by Ed Bouchette in the story headlined, "Big Ben: Steelers locker room perfectly fine"

Bouchette's article raises more questions than answers: Is Ben Roethlisberger out of touch? Is he being unintentionally disingenuous? Whistling past the graveyard? Despite all evidence to the contrary, the quarterback proclaims there are "no issues"?  

Seven times -- count 'em -- seven times in the article, Ben says there are "no issues."  He doth protest too much?

Read for yourself (emphasis, i.e., bold-faced and italics, added by JPPBs), below:

"For anybody to say there are locker room issues or leadership issues are completely off base," Roethlisberger said Thursday. "The important thing to know is, there are no issues (1) in our locker room. There are no issues (2) with LaMarr. There are no issues (3) on our team.

"I want to make sure people know there is no issue (4) in our locker room," Roethlisberger stated. "We've got great leadership. We have plenty of older guys -- myself now, Ike Taylor, Larry Foote, Willie Colon (?!), Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton -- we have a ton of guys.

"I want it to be known there is no locker room issue (5), there is no leadership issue (6)."

"I've been around a lot of the guys, I've seen a lot of the guys, there are no issues (7)."

"That's what I'm hoping to just say: Done."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Get it? No issues. According to Ben Roethlisberger, there are no issues in the locker room.

After all that's happened, the proclamation has been made. From the ivory tower. Now that's leadership. You just keep telling yourself that, Ben. Uh-huh.

Seriously, is Roethlisberger that out of touch? Or is that his way of making a show of asserting "leadership"?

The Return of Big Play Willie Gay

Cornerback William Gay has Tweeted he will return to the Steelers in 2013. Welcome back.

Gay's return suggests that free agent corner Keenan Lewis is likely gone, but Lewis is likely gone anyway. Our guess is that Cleveland is calling Lewis's name. Former Steeler secondary coach Ray Horton is now the defensive coordinator there, and Horton has stated explicitly that the Browns will play exactly the same defense as the Steelers. He knows Lewis, the Browns have money, and ... well, it's up to Lewis. Other teams will be calling him, as well, and there will be lots of money offered. Lewis is in line for a nice payday.

William Gay made some timely big  plays for the Steelers

Assuming Lewis is gone, Cortez Allen would probably step in for him as starting corner, and Gay would reprise his former nickel-slot role (although he was a starter here in 2011). Curtis Brown, presumably, would be first in line to play dime coverage, with competition from people like Justin King, Josh Victorian and rookies.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls always believed William Gay was a better player than most fans credited him for being. Following the retirement of DeShea Townsend, Gay filled the role left vacant by Townsend, who was a better player, but Gay was always pretty solid both in the slot, and that is where he belongs.

He was also generally okay as a pure corner after he took over the starting corner role for Bryant McFadden during the 2011 season. By most reports, Gay was, eh, not so solid last year for the Arizona Cardinals. Like all corners, he gets burned now and then. He's not the best corner in the world, but he is mostly solid, especially in the slot and as a blitzer. To our eye, he looks a bit heavier than we remember him being. We don't know, but we wonder if he may have lost some speed over the past year or so; and he was never very fast to begin with.

William Gay, No. 22

Gay's return is not a world-changing development, but it solidifies the secondary a bit (hopefully). Gay can even re-claim his old uniform number (22), last seen on the ill-fated Chris Rainey.

Dave Bryan over at Steelers Depot offers interesting observations on the story of Gay's return and its implications for the draft, and he's probably right. It now seems unlikely the Steelers will invest a high-round pick on a cornerback.

Not that drafting a corner is necessarily a bad idea. Too many other spots to fill, but ...You can never have too many good corners, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wouldn't mind seeing a reasonably tall, rangy, physical corner -- in addition to Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen -- who tackles well, sticks the run and could cover the big receivers like A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Erick Decker, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johsnon, and that cast of characters we saw San Diego bring to town last year.

Florida State's Xavier Rhodes, anyone?  Probably not now; not with so many other spots to fill. Still, we expect the Steelers to try to add another Cortez Allen-type in the draft's middle rounds.