Rest in Peace, Chuck Noll

Surely the scene in heaven tonight: The Chief and the Emperor, reunited.
"Welcome, Chuck. We've been waiting for you."

Read more about the great Chuck Noll here

Steelers Depot: Chuck Noll milestones

Steelers Depot: Chuck Noll Links

Today's Joey Porter Quote

What the Steelers have been missing the past few years.

The following quote is from Joey Porter, Feb. 2, 2006, in a media session a few days before the Steelers took on the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in Detroit, as reported by the Post-Gazette:

"We're going to go out there and play football our style. It's going to be very physical. We're going to try to tap out as many people as we can; put it like that. We're going to try to send as many people to the sideline as we can. That's all you need to know. Every chance we get a chance to tap somebody out, that's what we're going out there to do." 

Asked to explain "tap out," Porter said, "Tap out, make them quit, send them to the sidelines. You never seen the word 'tap out' before? 'Take me out of the game.' You see somebody tap on their helmet, they don't want it anymore. We're going to try to make every one of them tap out if we can."

It's a good thing for Jonathan Dwyer's sake that he is no longer with the Steelers. Joey Porter would not put up with him, or anybody else, tapping out.  You've been warned, rookies. Welcome back, Joey Porter.

It's All About the Quarterback

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have long wondered why the Steelers don't run more no-huddle offense. For that matter, we have long believed the Steelers should let Ben Reothlisberger call his own plays. Ben seems to be at his improvisational best when he can wing it, so turn him loose. Granted, the running backs might get fewer than 10 carries a game, the offensive line may disintegrate, and Todd Haley may go bald and apoplectic, but what's the worst that can happen? Well, besides that?

Surely Todd Haley knows by now that when he calls plays through the headset that he might as well be ordering a pizza, for all the attention Ben pays to his play calls.

Ben seems more settled now that he's a father, and he seems to be more of a leader, too, at least so far as embracing the role of a leadership persona. Who knows? Turn him loose.

What did the Steelers see in Jarvis Jones?

Last year, his first in the NFL, rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones accomplished little and showed less.

It makes you wonder what the Steelers saw in him. They didn't meet with him at the NFL Combine, and when his Pro Day came up at the University of Georgia, he ran an abysmal 4.92 40-yard dash. Still, the Steelers made him their No. 1 draft pick (No. 17 overall).

Jarvis Jones, No. 95

Last year, Jones showed basically one pass-rush move. He couldn't bull-rush many blockers. He didn't hold the edge consistently on run plays, and he had trouble shedding blocks. He struggles with outside contain. He's not especially strong. And he's slow.

Seriously, what did the Steelers see in this guy? Last year, Jarvis Jones showed so little he might as well have been Landry Jones.

Let's hope he's better this year. To be fair, the Steelers' defense is notoriously difficult for rookies to learn. He says the game has slowed for him now that has a full NFL season under his belt, and we hope so. Steeler Nation is counting on him, although today's depth chart lists nondescript veteran backup Chris Carter as the starter at left outside linebacker, with Jones as the backup to Jason Worilds on the right side.

Most people expect Jones will be handed a starting job, much like Mike Adams was handed the starting left tackle job last summer.  A first-rounder should be making an impact by the time his second year starts. Let's hope Jones justifies the investment the Steelers have made in him.

We hope he succeeds, but if he falls flat this year, well, it makes you wonder what the Steelers were thinking when they drafted him instead of a couple of other players still on the board.

Eric Reid, rookie Pro Bowler, drafted No. 18 overall
in 2013, one pick after Jarvis Jones

LSU safety Eric Reid went to San Francisco with the very next pick (No. 17 overall), and Reid made the Pro Bowl his rookie season. Reid had 77 tackles, 11 breakups, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Jones was in on 40 tackles and one sack.

Two picks after Reid, the Bears selected guard Kyle Long, and he went to the Pro Bowl. Tight end Tyler Eiffert was on the board, too, and he went to Cincinnati with pick No. 21.

Considering Reid went to the Pro Bowl, however, and was selected immediately after Jones ... well, if Jarvis Jones doesn't pick up his game early this season, Steeler Nation may be clamoring for Howard Jones at linebacker instead of Jarvis Jones.

NFL teams cannot miss on No. 1 draft choices. It's too soon to put the "bust" label on Jones, but the pressure will be on him this year.

It may be early, but it's later than you might think.

The Bengals take a step back this year?

On the one hand, it's a team that's had a taste of success and should be hungry for more.

On the other hand, the Cincinnati Bengals carry the weight of a crushing history of ignominious failure when it counts.

On the one hand, the Bengals have drafted extremely well, uncharacteristically so, for the past five years.  A.J. Green, Giovanni Bernard, Geno Atkins, etc. and this year, high hopes for Darqueze Dennard and others, no doubt.

On the other hand, all those other number one draft choices in the secondary -- six of 'em (Dennard, Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Terence Newman, Dre Kirkpatrick, Reggie Nelson; not all drafted by the Bengals) -- those guys haven't played up to expectations.

There were enough question marks about Hall, Jones, Newman and Kirkpatrick (all corners) that the Bengals invested yet another No. 1 in Dennard. And, honestly, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls weren't sold on Dennard at No. 15 for the Steelers; it could be that he is a half-step too slow and that his clutch-and-grab tricks won't fly in the NFL.

Shaky Quarterback?

On the one hand, the Bengals have Andy Dalton.

On the other hand, they have Andy Dalton. 

The fourth-year quarterback (entering his contract year without an extension) has performed well in the regular season. Miserably in three playoff appearances. Last year, he took 29 sacks, lost three fumbles and threw 20 interceptions. There is room for improvement, and he knows it. Everybody knows it.

Two New Coordinators

We were initially inclined to look at the two new coordinators as a minus, but Hue Jackson actually may do some good for the Bengals. Dalton threw an unseemly 586 times last year. If Jackson can whittle that number down by about 180 passes, Dalton may reduce his mistakes and the Bengals may increase their time of possession, which would help the defense -- if they actually commit to the run, as Jackson said they will.

Then again, do you really expect the Bengals to be anything but a finesse team? It's in their franchise DNA. 

The departure of Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator is likely to hurt more than the loss of Jay Gruden as offensive coordinator. New d-coordinator Paul Guenther has been with the Bengals for eight years, though, so he should know what he's doing. Still, Zimmer was a proven commodity. His absence will be felt.

A Tougher Schedule

Perhaps most importantly, the Bengals face a tougher schedule this year, by virtue of winning the division last year.  The division will be better. And, yes, the Steelers will be better.

And, as with any team, there will be injuries, which are unpredictable. As with any team, you wonder how the Bengals will fare if their starting quarterback goes down, or a star like A.J. Green. 

But if Andy Dalton misses any significant time with injury, look out below. The backups are Jason Campbell and A.J. McCarron. Ugh.

It says here the Bengals take a step back this year. They can't stand success.

Ol' No. 99

Now that it's June 3rd, and all that Lamarr Woodley cap money is freed up, it's no surprise there is rekindled talk that the Steelers are interested in resigning Brett Keisel.

It seems like a no-brainer, except for a few things: First and foremost, Keisel may not want to return at a team-friendly salary; also, Keisel is 36, and the Steelers are going younger on the defensive line.

Still, to our untrained eyes, Keisel seemed to play reasonably well last year. It would be good to have him back.

Keisel would provide a steadying presence on the defensive line the way Ike Taylor will in the secondary. Like Ike, he would get some playing time, but probably not most of the snaps. Second-round draft choice Stephon Tuitt projects as the starter, although the depth chart today shows Brian Arnfelt as the starter at Keisel's old position, right defensive end.

For what it's worth, the Steelers signed an undrafted free agent described as "a young Brett Keisel." That would be Josh Mauro, (6'6", 271), DE, Stanford, whom some people projected as a fifth-round draft choice. Another undrafted free agent, Ethen Hemer, (6'6", 285, Wisconsin), will compete for a roster spot, as will 2013 seventh-round draft choice Nick Williams (6'6", 309, Samford).

This gets a little deep, but there was one other player in this year's draft, in addition to Josh Mauro, whose style of play brings Keisel to mind for some observers. That player is Taylor Hart (6'6", 281, Oregon), who was drafted in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Eagles.  In fact, the NFL Network's Brian Baldinger described Hart this way: "To me, if I had to make a comparison now, he looks like a young Brett Keisel without the beard. He's got a promising future as a five-technique in any 3-4 defense. He broke his foot at the end of the (2013) season but he was a four-year starter. He's 6-foot-6, 280, can run and he's got violent hands."

In a roundabout way, Hart has a peripheral connection to the Steelers.  That's because, in the 2013 draft, the Steelers dealt this year's third-round choice to Cleveland for the right to draft safety Shamarko Thomas in the fourth round last year. The Browns used that third-round choice as part of a package to move up in the first round this year to draft quarterback Johnny Manziel, via a trade with Philadelphia. The Eagles, in turn, dealt that pick they got from Cleveland to the Houston Texans in a trade that landed Houston what would have been the Steelers' third-round pick this year, which the Texans used to select Louis Nix, (NT, Notre Dame). And, finally, with the fourth- and fifth-round picks the Eagles received from Houston, they selected Jaylen Watkins (CB, Florida, Rd. 4, No. 101 overall) and, yes, Taylor Hart (DE, Oregon, Rd. 5, No. 141 overall).

Got it?  In a post last month, we asked, "Would you rather have Louis Nix or Shamarko Thomas?"...since Louis Nix was taken with the pick that the Steelers traded for the right to draft Shamarko Thomas.

But today, since we're talking about Brett Keisel, we could just as easily ask, "Would you rather have Shamarko Thomas or ... Taylor Hart ("a young Brett Keisel without the beard)? ... and a fourth-round cornerback from Florida named Jaylen Watkins.  It's just hypothetical, because there is no possibility the draft would have worked out that way (for the Steelers to have those picks). If the Steelers were still on the board and Nix was available, they may have taken him. Or maybe not. Maybe they weren't sold on him at all.

For now, they have who they have, and they don't have Brett Keisel.

But that could change any day now. And over time we'll just have to see if Josh Mauro or Taylor Hart develop into the next Brett Keisel. If Mauro does, we'll say "great!" If Hart does, in an Eagles uniform, we'll say, "He should've been a Steeler!"

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 Freeman, 5'8", 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, Jalen

WR

5'9"

165

Oklahoma

6(106)

49ers (From Browns)

Ellington, Bruce

WR

5'9"

197

South Carolina

15(115)

Jets

Evans, Shaq

WR

6'1"

213

UCLA

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.

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 

• John Farmer, The New Jersey Star-Ledger: "Remembering the nation's vets, even as Memorial Day importance seems to fade"

• Memorial Day History

• Wikipedia Entry on Memorial Day 

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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.

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.