SB Nation - Bruce Davis

Steelers Rookies Seeing Significant Playing Time

Blitzburgh — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:39 -0000

I just wanted to throw this discussion starter out there to see what some of you guys thought - are the Steelers making more little mistakes early on in the 2009 season because they are working in a high volume of rookies compared to in years past? It's fairly well documented that rookies don't often see the field much during their first season in Pittsburgh. There have been exceptions, for sure, but for the most part, players are forced to learn the ropes for a year or two behind more seasoned, veteran players before getting their first real crack at making an impact for the Black 'n Gold.

Take last season, for example. The 2008 Rookie of the Year for Pittsburgh was reserve linebacker and special teams contributor, Patrick Bailey, an undrafted free agent rookie out of Duke. Donovan Woods (also undrafted) saw the field sparingly; so did Bruce Davis, the team's 3rd round pick. Other than that though, there was very little playing time for any of Pittsburgh's 1st year players last year.

What about in 2005, the other recent year Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl? The Steelers were introduced the services of Heath Miller that year, and he played quite a bit and fairly well. There was also rookie cornerback Bryant McFadden, who was also forced in to action later in the year due to injuries. Outside of those two, the Steelers other crop of rookies didn't play too much. Trai Essex was used sparingly; same with Chris Kemoeatu and Nate Washington. Undrafted free agent Andre Frazier made a few plays on special teams, and rookie long snapper Greg Warren saw playing time. That's about it though.

This year, the Steelers are incorporating quite a few first year players in to the fold. And they're doing so with mixed results I'd say. 1st round pick Ziggy Hood has played very little, but has appeared in all three games. The team's two 3rd round picks - Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis - have also played early on. Wallace of course has been largely spectacular through three games. He caught 7 passes for 102 yards in Sunday's loss and now has 12 catches on the year, and at least 2 in each of his first three professional games. Despite his outstanding play, he's nevertheless made a few rookie mistakes the past two weeks. The most notable one came last week when he didn't stay in bounds late in the 4th quarter when the Steelers were on the move and trying to set up a potential Jeff Reed game-winning FG. By not staying in bounds, the Steelers left enough time on the clock for Jay Cutler to engineer a game-winning drive of his own following Reed's second costly miss. Wallace looks like he's going to be a player, but he can still help the Steelers chances of winning by eliminating some of the small, mental mistakes that players tend to outgrow as their careers progress.

Then there's Joe Burnett, who muffed his way out of a more prominent role on special teams during the preseason. By doing so, he opened up the door for Stefan Logan to win the return duties. That's all fine and well, and congratulations to Logan for seizing the opportunity and performing fairly well so far, but giving up a roster spot for a return specialist perhaps also has repercussions that aren't necessarily visible or easy to identify just yet.

Then there's Frank Summers, who also was seeing the field frequently before sitting this past Sunday's game out. Summers has shown promise on special teams and he's got every opportunity in the world to learn the nuances of being a professional fullback. But for now, he's missing assignments and not really making his big, bruising frame work for him or the running game.

Again, I'm not really pointing to specific plays or instances where the 2009 Steelers rookie class has cost the team. I'm just making a general point that the team is working in far more young bodies than we are accustomed to. This will pay dividends for the organization down the road, and perhaps even for this team later on in the 2009 season. There will be more growing pains though I'd guess before things really all start to come together for this particular squad. That's part of the process and the reality of life in the National Football League. As fans, we must be both excited about all the fresh talent in the pipeline while also remaining realistic about the growing curve that these young players must face and overcome before consistently contributing to a ballclub with championship aspirations.

Thoughts?

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Preseason Wrap-up: Can We Build a Team That Can Beat the Raiders? Yes We Can!

Sugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:22 -0000

I understand how important this last preseason game was for roughly 20-30 players per team. I do. For some it was the difference between making the 53-man roster or getting cut. For others who were relatively certain of their impending unemployment, it was a chance to get on tape for potential future employers. For coaches, it was one last look at a few players they may try to retain on the practice squad. But for just about everybody else (in the world) these games were simply painful to watch.

As a Redskins' fan, I of course watched the game against the Jaguars intently and hung on most every play. But as I watched the games around the league, I found myself losing interest quickly as penalty flags rained down on my living room as if Pacman Jones himself were throwing them.

To write a recap of each game would be worse than having to read Peter King rate every latte he has ever drank. So instead, this week I thought I would put my preseason watch-a-ton to the test. Every team has made their final cuts. I will attempt to build a 53-man roster from all the players released by the Saturday deadline. This may include some players who ended up on the practice squad, but you'll have to excuse that. After all, even though I did watch pretty much every preseason game played in the last month, my knowledge of certain teams' backups probably doesn't go much further than guys who should rightfully land on the practice squad. This already feels like a poor man's version of Madden fantasy draft. I get to decide who I am going to keep and at what position they will play. My ultimate goal: a 53-man roster capable of beating the Oakland Raiders final 53-man roster. Our team name: Sugartime Ballers. At the end, you'll get to vote on whether you think the Ballers can take down the Raiders. The first picks after the jump...

QB (3): Jeff Garcia, Joey Harrington, Chase Daniel

This team is going to have a questionable offensive line, so I am going to need a veteran quarterback capable of escaping pressure and getting rid of the ball. I watched as much of the Raiders' preseason as I could stomach and to me it seemed like Jeff Garcia was the quarterback that gave them the best chance to win now. My guess is that they sensed that too and decided that going with a guy staring down 40 years old would be the nail in the coffin for the JaMarcus Russell era, at least from a confidence perspective. Joey Harrington (cut by the Saints) is experienced in the art of art of hand signaling, which is what I want in my backup QB. Plus he is a great pianist so he can play getaway music on the piano as Jeff Garcia is running fro his life behind whatever offensive line I can put together. Chase Daniel gave it a good run in D.C., but failed to be named as the 3rd quarterback when the team decided to go with nobody instead (ouch).

RB (5): Dominic Rhodes, Anthony Alridge, Ian Johnson, Fui Vakapuna, Isaac Redman

It struck me as a little odd when the Bills jettisoned Rhodes. With Lynch out for the beginning frames of the season and Fred Jackson a little dinged this preseason, I figured a veteran like Rhodes would have value for that team. Alridge just barely missed being the last running back kept by the Redskins and adds speed out of my backfield. Ian Johnson is a young buck that got bounced by the Vikings. I have a soft spot in my heart for this guy after watching him have such a great career at Boise State, not to mention the now famous Statue of Liberty play against Oklahoma a couple seasons ago. Vakapuna is a guy I picked because I need a blocking fullback and I have been watching HBO's Hard Knocks this season featuring the Bengals. He is a big, athletic dude, and we are going to need a Samoan presence in the backfield on this team. Redman had a great preseason in Pittsburgh but the numbers game beat him. We are lucky to have him and Vakapuna muscling up in our backfield.

TE (4): Leonard Pope, Alex Smith, Bear Pascoe, Garrett Mills

The Cards cut Pope and the Pats cut Smith. Both are capable receivers that understand the position well. Bear Pascoe was on the 49ers squad and I remember hearing his name for the first time late in the game against the Raiders I think. He was described by his college coach at Fresno State as the "most devastating blocker" they had ever seen. He started out there as a quarterback. He blocked 6 kicks on special teams, and keeps his edge by participating in rodeos. He's an old-school kind of player and on my team he will play an old-school role: Iron Man. At 6'5", 250+ lbs, he will never leave the field. Our wildcat offense will be called the "Wild Bear" formation and we will direct snap it to him. He will rush the passer on defense and he will line up all over the field on offense. His importance on this roster almost necessitated adding a 4th tight end to help carry the load at the position, and Mills, fresh off the Vikings roster, will fit in nicely. The Raiders will not have a chance.

OL (9): Damien McIntosh, Tony Pashos, Andrew Crummey, Kynan Forney, Jeremy Bridges, Scott Burley,Justin Geisenger, Mike Butterworth, Mark Wilson

McIntosh (Chiefs), Pashos (Jaguars), Crummey (Bengals), Forney (Chargers), and Bridges (Redskins) are my starting five. Burley (Redskins), Geisinger (Panthers), and Butterworth (Falcons) are my backups. Burely went to University of Maryland and has been hanging around the league the last two years. Geisinger is a journeyman lineman who spent a season with the Redskins but has also been a member of the Bills and Titans. The Raiders gave Mark Wilson his walking papers, but he has had steady employment as a backup since 2004. Mike Butterworth made this team because I simply ran out of guys that I really knew much about...and I love maple syrup on pancakes.

All of my starters would likely be welcome on most squads in the league after a few weeks when teams are all of a sudden hit by injuries and become starved for guys who have played before. Forney was a huge shock getting cut by San Diego. He might be one of the two or three best players on the Ballers.

WR (6): Keary Colbert, Robert Ferguson, David Tyree, David Patten, Trent Shelton, Steve Sanders

Ferguson (Falcons), Colbert (Lions), and Patten (Browns) have all been unfortunate members of previous unfortunate fantasy teams of mine. So they owe me. Hard to argue against Tyree (Giants). He can start on special teams and catch balls with his helmet. With Bear Pascoe behind center, he might have to catch a few wild pitches. Shelton (Redskins) should make their practice squad and Steve Sanders (Cardinals) was great on Beverly Hills, 90210.

DL (8): Shaun Smith, Alex Buzbee, Ryan Boschetti, Darryl Richard, Rob Jackson, Tommie Hill, Matthias Askew, Terrance Taylor

The Patriots drafted Richard last April, and that is pretty much good enough for me. I recall Tommie Hill made a huge play late in the first Monday Night game against the Panthers, scoring a touchdown with no time left on the clock. Not being good enough for the Giants defensive line does not necessarily make you bad. Rob Jackson and Alex Buzbee both got cut from the Redskins so I have seen plenty of them and are comfortable with them as backups. Boschetti got dumped by the Raiders--can't remember anyone listing their personnel decisions as better than...well, anyone's. Shaun Smith was a shock to get sent home by the Lions. He is definitely good enough to anchor the Ballers' defensive line. And Terrance Taylor was a 4th round pick for the Colts. I am little surprised to see him gone from there, but we will not ask too many questions and scoop him up.

LB (8): Tim Crowder, Zach Thomas, Rocky Boiman, Khary Campbell, Bruce Davis, Jeremy Leman, Robert Thomas, Cody Glenn

Crowder should have cracked the Broncos' Final 53. Our squad will benefit from the veteran presence of Zach Thomas, who might not really have ever been realistically in the Chiefs' plans. Rocky Boiman has been around, most recently ending his second stint with the Titans. He has a ring from the Colts' Super Bowl victory and his experience will be put to good use for the Ballers. Khary Campbell is a special teams standout that did not make the last cuts in Houston. Bruce Davis was a huge underachiever for the Steelers. Here's hoping he can turn it around for the Ballers. Leman (Panthers) was a guy who I thought played well enough in the preseason to stick. I guess that is why my phone isn't ringing off the hook to become anybody's GM. Thomas and Glenn were both waived by the Skins. Thomas has plenty of experience in the league and Glenn (while still an odd draft choice by Vinny Cerrato--read: "wasted draft choice") is a raw player from the Nebraska Cornhuskers' program.

DB (8): Deltha O'Neal, Brian Russell, Brian Williams, Bernard Pollard, Corey Lynch , Deangelo Smith, Corey Ivy, Lendy Holmes

O'Neal (Texans), Williams (Jaguars), Russell (Seahawks), and Pollard (Chiefs) are my starting defensive backs (first two are CB's, second two will man the safety positions. Smith (Cowgirls), Lynch (Bengals), Ivy (Browns), and Holmes (Redskins) round out our scrappy secondary.

P: A.J. Trapasso - Any guy who takes aim for a $40 million video board in a preseason game, ESPECIALLY one bought by Jerry Jones, gets a spot on my team.

K: Brandon Coutu (Seahawks) - The 'Hawks kept this guy on their roster all season last year behind Olindo Mare in the hopes they could trade him. He has a hell of a leg and will get a shot from another team very soon.

Give Me the Numbers, Stat!

27-17, Ballers over the Raiders. Bear Pascoe has 78 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 1 blocked field goal and 3 sacks. Jeff Garcia runs in for the other TD and throws the ball straight into the owner's box where Al Davis is sitting. Davis sues the NFL.

Next week at this time, we will be through the first weekend of meaningful football. Imagine...four quarters without any fourth-stringers (God willing). The season of excessive penalty-calling is over. Let the games begin. We'll see you back here on Tuesday--with nary a mention of any battles for the backup long snapper position.

Poll

Can this team I have constructed beat the Raiders today, on a neutral field, with a run-heavy offensive philosophy behind the Iron Man Bear Pascoe?

Yes, handily

164 votes

Maybe 51 times out of 100

142 votes

Maybe once in a 100 tries

51 votes

Not a chance

42 votes

399 votes | Poll has closed

BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- Tony Hills Edition

drinkyourmilkshake — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:36:33 -0000

IX- Tony Hills is ready to compete this year after struggling to make an impact in his rookie season. He says he has added between five and ten pounds of muscle and is eager to learn how to play four positions on the line to become as valuable as Trai Essex. Make sure to check out the quote about Bruce Davis and Tony Hills from Mike Tomlin, it's another great one that could be entered in next years version of the Tomlinism tournament.

X-The Steelers will be going bowling this afternoon instead of participating in some of the last sessions of this O.T.A. This evening they will also be presented with their 2008 Super Bowl Championship rings, you can check out the rings before and get a description of all the elements before anyone else over at the Steelers Official Website. On a somewhat un-related not, did you know that Jerome Bettis is one hell of a bowler? He has an average over 200 and has posted a perfect game in his past, so perhaps with his recent unemployment he can go on tour with the P.B.A.

XIII- Debra Miller and her three grandsons will have a Champions House built by Habitat for Humanity. But on Monday afternoon a group of Steeler players attempted to help out. From some of the quotes from the WTAE report, I'm not sure her house will be standing long enough for her to pay off the 30 year mortgage. Here's a few of my favorites from their report:

"We got Deshea Townsend in there using a nail gun like he's in a western or something,"

"Somebody needs to get Willie P [Parker]. He's just painting too fast. He wants to do everything fast. He's not on the football field -- somebody needs to tell him,"

XIV- Mondessi's House has two good posts, one about Steelers fan and rock-star Brett Michael's near decapitation at the Tony Awards on Sunday, and they other is about the Hines Wards' all star softball event. They event raised over $7000 dollars for the fallen heroes foundation. Besides Rush Limbaugh, and Brett Michael's can anyone else think of famous celebrities that also happen to be Steeler fans?

XL- It's now or never for the Pittsburgh Penguins who are playing elimination game tonight in Pittsburgh. For some motivation to root for them during this make or break game check out D.C. Steeler nation's thoughts. Also check out Pensburgh for the live blog tonight at 8pm.

XLIII- Former Steelers Coach Bill Cowher along with current Raven's head coach John Harbaugh will be visiting troops for several days in the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour. The event which will send the two coaches along with Tom Coughlin, John Gruden, and Jeff Fisher in a tour around the Persian Gulf Region to meet and greet with soldiers to boost moral.

Overtime-: Thanks to the BTSC Twitter Feed for pointing this one out. Quite possibly the best headline in the history of time; " Tom Brady Fell Out of a Boat." Perhaps he was too busy jamming along to the video below to stay in the boat. Sing it T-Pain!

Cowboys Hybrid Rookies In Transition Phase

Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:54:51 -0000

With veteran outside linebacker Greg Ellis now out of the picture, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer will bookend the Cowboy defense. Ellis' departure means that in 2009 the Cowboys will always be one injury away from having to throw a rookie into the fire. Making the switch from college defensive end to NFL linebacker, rookies Brandon Williams and Victor Butler have a difficult transition ahead. However, recent history shows us that amongst converted ends, there have been more hits than misses, and few have been able to contribute right away.

I took a look at the last 5 NFL drafts. I charted every college defensive end selected to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. While I found a few guys who have to this point made virtually zero impact, I found a comparable number of success stories as well. This list is not all-inclusive, but a collection of highlights and lowlights.

2008: Obviously the jury is still out on anyone drafted in 2008, but it is fair to say that none of the converted ends made an impact in their inaugural season. Most famously there was New York Jets 1st round pick Vernon Gholston, who struggled to get on the field and was at times a healthy scratch. The Steelers took UCLA’s Bruce Davis in the 3^rd, and New England took Cincinnati’s Angelo Craig in the 7^th. Neither player logged a stat in 2008.

2007: Cowboys’ 1^st rounder Anthony Spencer fought nagging injuries, but had a decent rookie season. Spencer logged 36 total tackles and 3 sacks in limited action. Spencer probably could have been a full-time starter if needed, but filled in pretty well in a secondary role. Pittsburgh Steeler Lamarr Woodley had a similar rookie campaign. In a secondary role as a rookie, Woodley managed 4 sacks, before blossoming into a star in his second season. Woodley may or may not qualify for this conversation, being that he played both defensive end and linebacker at the University of Michigan.

2006: First round selection Kamerion Wimbley rewarded the Browns with an admirable rookie season. As a first-year player in 2006, Wimbley tallied 62 tackles and 11 sacks, garnering some consideration for defensive rookie of the year honors. The 49ers Manny Lawson however (1^st rounder as well), has been on the opposite end of the spectrum. The ultra-athletic Lawson did give the 49ers 12 starts in 2006, but recorded only 2.5 sacks. Lawson has struggled with injuries, and to this point has just 5.5 career sacks to his credit. Lawson’s teammate Parys Haralson has been slightly better from a production standpoint, despite being a 5^th round selection.

2005: Jackpot!!! With back to back 1^st round selections, the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers selected Troy’s DeMarcus Ware, and Maryland’s Shawne Merriman respectively. Both had stellar rookie seasons, and quickly ascended to ranks of the league’s best at the position. 2005’s class of hybrids was not without it’s misses. Transitioning back into a 3-4 at the time, the Baltimore Ravens invested a second round pick in Oklahoma’s Dan Cody. Cody was ravaged early by the injury bug, and has to this point been a non-factor.

2004: The only real hybrid keeper from this class was San Diego 4^th rounder Shaun Phillips. Phillips was a standout situational player as a rookie, and became a starter late in year two. Phillips has since become a nice bookend to teammate Shawne Merriman.

Brandon Williams and Victor Butler face a daunting yet achievable task. In a perfect, injury-free world the pair would be used only on a situational basis. But if the injury plague strikes again as it did last season, these guys may see some live bullets whether they are ready or not. The Cowboys have to prepare the pair of rookies as if they are starters, as they will likely be one injury away from being just that. There is certainly a learning curve involved with making the transition from college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker. Like any position, some guys handle the adjustment better than others. Let’s hope that at least one of these guys is a fast learner.

What Do James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley Have In Store For An Encore In 2009?

Blitzburgh — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:42:53 -0000

I'll be honest. I haven't been as emotionally invested in this 2009 offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers as I have been in recent years. Why? There's several reasons actually. Firstly and quite honestly, it's really hard and tiresome to write 365 days a year for an intelligent and passionate community while I'm thousands of miles away from the action. it can be done with the help of you all, but it's just hard. Anyway, we had the pedal to the medal on BTSC throughout the season and particularly the playoffs this past year. It was a pretty freakin' amazing year, was it not? Mike Tomlin coming into his own. The Steelers defense reigning terror on the league for the better part of the entire season. Ben Roethlisberger continuing to add to his late-game and big-moment legacy. In a Vitale-ian reference on college basketball's final evening, there were countless Maalox Mashers. Hell, for y'all veterans of the game day threads, go back and read them some rainy day. You'll get a kick out of the full gauntlet our emotions ran.

Part of it is just a feeling that no matter who makes up the final 5 or so roster slots on our 53 man team in the next several years, Coach Tomlin is going to coach them up. Perhaps naively, I feel Coach Tomlin is going to steer our roster clear of the ups and downs that plague so many talented teams. Don't get me wrong, scouting talent and committing to a long term plan is a big, big part of winning games in the NFL. It's like the league's equivalent of the 90% of life is showing up phenomenon. Still, a part of me is disinterested for the time being as I struggle to imagine this current coach doing anything but keeping his players 100% engaged and believing in something bigger than themselves.

The long of the short of it is, I've needed a break, and thanks to the great work of drinkyourmilkshake plus the draft analysis shared by so many of y'all the site's been lively enough in my emotional hiatus. Thank you for that.

For whatever reason though, yesterday evening I began to think about what the 2009 version of the Steelers defense would look like. I was immediately drawn toward fantasies of how James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley would follow up their record setting 2008 season.

For now, I'll mostly just leave it at that and let you fill in the lines in your mind of the kind of havoc they can collectively create. Below is the list of our 2009 opponents, with their 2008 sacks allowed totals and league ranks included. Yes, we play some teams that were good in pass protection last year, and of course, teams can improve from year to year. Nonetheless, there's some opponents and offensive lines that aren't quite going to have turned the corner, and in some instances won't even be close. That should mean one helluva feast for our two most impressive pass rushing outside linebackers.

**Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 Opponents**
Team	2008 Sacks Allowed	League Rank
Cleveland Browns (2)	24	8th
Cincinnati Bengals (2)	51	30th
Baltimore Ravens (2)	33	18th
Detroit Lions	52	31st
Green Bay Packers	34	19th
Chicago Bears	29	13th
Minnesota Vikings	43	26th
Miami Dolphins	26	10th
Kansas City Chiefs	37	21st
San Diego Chargers	25	9th
Tennessee Titans	12	t-1st
Oakland Raiders	39	24th
Denver Broncos	12	t-1st

Poll

LaMarr Woodley (11.5) and James Harrison (16) will eclipse their joint 2008 sack total of 27.5 in 2009.

True

1286 votes

False

311 votes

1597 votes | Poll has closed