SB Nation User Blog: syrsteelerfan

Darnell Stapleton to go on IR

syrsteelerfan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:18:26 -0000

Darnell Stapleton to go on IR

Jim Wexell is reporting via Twitter that Darnell Stapleton just told reporters he will be going on IR.

If so, as Wexell notes, Doug Legursky is all but guaranteed a roster spot.

It's a busy news day for the Steelers, with reports this AM that Brett Keisel is close to signing a 5 year extension (reported in this fanpost by SteelCage).

Sunday night thread: first round of cuts?

syrsteelerfan — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:42:20 -0000

Sunday night thread: first round of cuts?

The first round of cuts are coming up -- who gets the ax?

S Derrick Richardson, LB Andy Shantz, and LB Tom Korte did not play Saturday, so that could be a good place to start.

Who else?

Heath Miller signs 6-year contract

syrsteelerfan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:28:52 -0000

Heath Miller signs 6-year contract

From the Steelers official site:

"Miller, who would have entered the final season of the contract he signed as a No. 1 choice in the 2005 NFL Draft, has a new six-year deal from the Steelers that binds him to the team through the 2014 season."

Terms have not been announced. This is a great move. We lock up a fantastic all-around TE and outstanding person. It is a credit to the Steelers organization that they are able to get deals like this done with fantastic players. And as the article says, it shows how much Miller means as a player and a teammate that they didn't bet on the CBA, but rather signed now.

I've long said Omar Khan is the most under-appreciated member of the Steelers organization - this is why. Fantastic news. What do you think -- and who should be next?

Steelers to meet President Obama at the White House Thursday

syrsteelerfan — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:06:24 -0000

Steelers to meet President Obama at the White House Thursday

...President reportedly interested in James Harrison taking over as head of homeland security.

All seriousness, the Steelers have OTA's scheduled that day but a team spokesman says the trip to the White House will take priority. It will also be a homecoming of sorts for Nate Washington, Larry Foote, and Bryant McFadden.

Pittsburgh Steelers Projected 53-Man Roster #1 - 4/30/09

syrsteelerfan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:54:46 -0000

I'm buried in book work so I am pleased to see the activity kept up at a fast and furious clip by y'all. Many thanks to syrsteelerfan for this entry, a first crack at predicting the Steelers 53-man roster when the '09 season commences in early September. - Blitz-

********

Here is my first projected 53 man roster based on recent signings, upcoming cuts, the draft, and my own opinions.

I'll update this after mini-camps, OTA's, and training camp as we learn more about these players. For now, I've tried to restrain myself from assuming too much about our rookies, they'll have to prove it at camp. I've included all of our round 1-5 picks in the roster, and while i love this draft that may not happen. The safest bets are high picks, guys at thin positions, and those who can play special teams.

Throughout the spring and summer we'll learn which of these guys are players, which are competing to start and which to make the team, what free agents are better than the players we drafted or have on the roster, etc. So this is just the first draft, and we'll learn more when they hit the field.

**UPDATE** Well, looks like I should have waited until tomorrow to put this together, as the Steelers today announced the signings of 4 veterans including WR Shaun McDonald, and the release of LS Jared Retkofsky.

I've edited the below to reflect that.

(I) = inactive on game days

QB (3)
    Big Ben
    Charlie Batch
    Denis Dixon (I)

RB (5)
    Willie Parker - His performance this year could determine whether the Steelers try to keep him in the offseason
    Rashard Mendenhall - expecting big things from Delicious this year...
    Mewelde Moore - great contributor. 3rd down back with great hands and good at blitz pickup
    Frank Summers - will take Gary Russell's spot as short yardage back, and a core special teamer. Not yet a fullback.
    Carey Davis - Will share time with McHugh at fullback

WR (5)
    Hines Ward - a living legend
    Santonio Holmes - needs to continue his strong play from the end of last year
    Limas Sweed - Coaches and commentators are still high on Limas... but he'll need to prove it on the field. Will fight with Wallace - or a vet WR - for Nate's position (which is more than just a #3, but a deep burner who takes the top off the D)
    Mike Wallace - if he shows he can return kicks in the NFL, he'll make the roster and play on Sundays even if he's not a polished WR yet
    Dallas Baker (I) - Doesn't have the speed for Nate's flanker position. Could be active as the #4 WR.
   Shaun McDonald - "Poor man's Wes Welker" will be backup slot receiver and 3rd or 4th receiver

TE (3)
    Heath Miller - a complete football player
    Matt Spaeth - needs to improve his leverage and blocking. Get low, big man!
    Sean McHugh - adds great versatility as an H-back

OL (8)
    Max Starks - Your starting LT
    Chris K - Hopefully grows more consistent in his 2nd year starting
    Justin Hartwig - Inaccurate sack statistics be damned, the line's best player last year
    Kraig Urbik - Beats out Stapleton for the RG position. Willie Colon will never play G.
    Willie Colon - Right tackle unless Hills takes it away.
    Trai Essex - Swing tackle, backup at LT and RT spots. Can play 5 positions.
    Darnell Stapleton - Backup for all 3 interior o-line positions

    Tony Hills (I) - Won't start unless he beats out Colon at RT. Could be your 2010 LT.

DL (7)
    Aaron Smith - The anchor of our line.
    Brett Keisel - A solid starter and high-character guy.
    Casey Hampton - Plays only half the snaps, but when he's in no one can run on us
    Chris Hoke - Not the two-gapper Hampton is, but we switch up our plays when he's in. A high-motor guy.
    Nick Eason - Mitchell can work wonders with castaways just as well as late-round picks. Had a great season last year.
    Travis Kirshke - Old, and could be cut. But he's a solid contributor who knows the scheme and doesn't make mistakes. Will depend on Hood's progress
    Ziggy Hood (I) - Could get after the passer on 3rd downs. But don't be surprised to see him inactive on game days since he won't be ready to play in the base defense until mid-season at best, which makes him a wasted game-day spot. - UPDATE: now listing him as inactive due to McDonald signing and this interview with John Mitchell (Scout.com, $$), where it's emphasized that D-linemen sit for awhile on this team, 1st pick or no

LB (8)
    James Harrison - Can he improve on 08?
    Lawrence Timmons - Will this be his breakout season?
    James Farrior - Still a top coverage linebacker, leader on the field
    Lamarr Woodley - Will only improve
    Keyaron Fox - Underrated contributor, will improve with more time in our system
    Patrick Bailey - The Steelers 08 rookie of the year is a ST ace
    Arnold Harrison - Great special teams player
    Bruce Davis (I) - Needs to step up in his 2nd year, but won't be active if he can't play special teams. If OLB goes down, Timmons can slide over and Fox can step in at MLB.

CB (7)
    Ike Taylor - If you put crazy glue on his hands he'd be top 5 CB in the league
    William Gay - A younger, faster, just as smart Deshea Townshend.
    Deshea Townshend - Slowing down, but still a savvy nickel corner
    Keiwan Ratcliffe - Veteran CB beats out the rookies based on NFL experience. Dime corner.
    Joe Burnett - Makes the game-day roster because he can return punts and play on the coverage units
    Keenan Lewis (I) - Has too much athleticism to make it through waivers to the practice squad, but too raw and not physical enough to play immediately
    Anthony Madison - Led the Steelers in ST tackles last year

S (4)
    Troy Polamalu - The one, the only
    Ryan Clark - Performance of Mundy and Lewis in camp will determine whether we re-sign him
    Tyrone Carter - This staff loves vets. I could definitely see Mundy taking his spot, but Ryan hasn't proven a thing yet. Let's see after minicamps.
     Ryan Mundy (I) - Makes the roster but inactive on game days. Smart, disciplined, heady, hard-hitter.

ST (3)
    Jeff Reed - He'll re-sign if we throw in unlimited Sheetz to destroy
    Daniel Sepulveda - Back from injury - will he improve on 07, or regress?
    Paul Estermeyer - A "student of long-snapping" beats out older and injured Greg Warren ~~and JAG Jared Retkofsky~~

Practice Squad (8)
   C AQ Shipley - not ready to start
   TE DJ Johnson - We usually keep a TE on the PS
   OT Jason Capizzi - A big man we're always rooting for. Hasn't been good enough to make the roster but too good for the PS. Hopefully this is his year.
   LB Donovan Woods - actually made 53 man roster last year before being hurt
   CB Roy Lewis - CB / S hybrid could make the team, but if they keep 4 safeties don't be suprised if this spot goes to a RB.
    DE Ra'Shon Harris - will sit here for a year or two while developing
   DT Scott Paxson - insurance in case a NT goes down
   WR Martin Nance - can play all 3 positions, but how well? Baker is more polished.
asd

Gary Russell back on the market

syrsteelerfan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:20:23 -0000

Gary Russell back on the market

Multiple outlets are reporting that the former Steeler has been cut by the Bengals along with former 1st round running back Chris Perry - and that the team plans to part ways with Levi Jones after picking Andre Smith this weekend.

I don't think the Steelers sign him unless he gets past his legal troubles AND someone gets hurt in the preseason. But if the Bengals think you aren't good enough / have too many off-field issues... you're probably not going to have much luck anywhere else.

Steelers sign Hines Ward to 4-year contract extension

syrsteelerfan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:44:42 -0000

Steelers sign Hines Ward to 4-year contract extension

Great news on draft day.

From ESPN:

"Ward agreed and signed a four-year, $22 million contract extension that will allow him to stay a Steeler the rest of his career, according to a source. Ward was scheduled to be a free agent after the season. He is now signed through 2013."

Alphonso Smith?

syrsteelerfan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:34:57 -0000

I was watching NFL Network tonight, and they showed a segment with Mike Mayock and Brian Billick predicting teams picks. It's a regular segment, and tonight they predicted the Steelers pick.

I've made no secret of the fact that Mike Mayock is my favorite draft guru. I've trusted him since last year, when I was impressed with his NFL.com analysis, he predicted like 8 picks in a row on draft day, and he was proven right about the future success of NFL picks (he loved Matt Ryan, didn't like MacFadden, for example).

Nevertheless, I was suprised to hear him predict Alphonso Smith, CB from Wake Forest as the Steelers pick at 1.32. I've heard a lot about Mack, I think Darius Butler or Hakeem Nicks could fall, and my favorite Steelers beat reporter Jim Wexell both loves Eric Wood.

And it makes a certain amount of sense - especially when you consider this section from the Tomlin / Colbert pre-draft press conference:

Mike, what about the corners and receivers that may be a little shorter than ideal but were really productive in college?

MT: Short in what area?

Height.

MT: You know, there’s no cookie cutter. I’ve always subscribed to that. When you go to Canton and walk those halls, they come in different shapes and sizes. I’m a believer in that. Guys that can play, can play. Guys that are short find ways to compensate for that. If they’re a great player, they do. Guys that are slow compensate for that if they’re great players. I tend to lean on the tape.

"I tend to lean on the tape." Well not only does that sound like the Mike Tomlin we know and love, but going that route could definitely lead you to Alphonso Smith.

After all, as NFL Draft scout says:

Alphonso Smith could be this year’s Flowers. He’s only 5-9 and 193 pounds. But he ran a 4.47 time in the 40. "It’s unfortunate how much people put into the height," Smith said. "The only thing I can say is I make plays and I’m a pretty decent player." Smith showed first-round coverage ability for the Demon Deacons, producing 15 interceptions the past two seasons. Counting pickoffs and passes defended over four years, he got his hands on 72 passes. "You have to be smart," Smith said. "I understood our defense and I knew when I could take chances and when I could not take chances. I was an offensive player my whole life until I got to Wake Forest. So I was used to getting the ball in my hands." Smith is one of the top four cornerbacks in this year’s draft and probably rates as a second-round pick for most teams

Here's NFL Draft Countdown on Smith as well. No doubt he's a gamer. But there's that one small problem:

He's small.

Just 5'9", Smith also isn't a bulky corner. And though aggressive, tough, and an absolute ballhawk, as a Scout said to Jim Wexell, "in 3 years, he'll still be 5'9"."

So I don't know how I feel about this. On one level I'm totally with Coach Tomlin and we've seen the impact of players that were under-rated for physical reasons who go on to make plays. On the other hand, we're talking about first round money, and I can't get that jump ball between Fitzgerald and Ike Taylor in the Super Bowl out of my head.

Does Alphonso Smith make that play because he's more instinctive about getting his hands on the ball? Or does he come nowhere close because, after all... he's 5 foot 9 inches.

What do you think? Would you be dismayed? Thrilled? Accepting if he's BPA? Personally I'm still hoping for Eric Wood, but I'm open to a bunch of other options and completely unsure how I feel about Smith.

Mel Kiper's 4 round mock

syrsteelerfan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:07:08 -0000

Interesting...

32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eric Wood, C, Louisville

Wood has been a player on the rise of late, and with his size and skills he could find himself a Steeler for a very long time.

64. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon

96. Pittsburgh: Quinten Lawrence, WR, McNeese St.

132. Pittsburgh: Sen'Derrick Marks, DL, Auburn

I'm no Kiper fan, but I'd give this draft a B+.

1) The Steelers analysts I trust most pick Wood as our guy at 1.32. Big, strong, incredible intangibles, can excel at G and then move to C.

2) Jairus Byrd has been someone i've been thinking about in the 2nd round for a while. He's big, physical, the knock is that he's not quite fast or quick enough to play a ton of man coverage and is a better fit for a zone system. Luckily we are primarily a zone system, and he'll come up and play the run - one of the main things we look for in a corner.

3) Don't know much about Lawrence other than this but he sounds like the fast return specialist / slot receiver we need; other options may be better here.

4) Not wild about Sen'Derrick Marks. It sounds like he has a lot of potential but is more of a project, and I'm not sure he has the length to play the 5 technique in our system.

What do you all think?

James Harrison and Steelers close to deal

syrsteelerfan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:00:41 -0000

James Harrison and Steelers close to deal

Bill Parise, agent for James Harrison, said that the Steelers are very close getting a contract done with the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.