Training Camp: Day 4-5

Well it happened, my being busy getting the new Pittsburgh Blitz Community Forums ready to go kept me from posting about day 4 of the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp. So today I will post an update on day 4-5 together. Again since I can not be live at camp this article will focus on providing excerpts and links from around the net to those who can.

Day 4-5:

What Steelers Today had to say:

Today marked the fourth day of the Steelers 2009 training camp.  The crowd was blessed with great weather, and things are starting to get heated on the field.

The competition between the offense and the defense is starting to show, and several fights broke out today.  There was also some non-fight related contact that was harder than necessary.

A couple of players are starting to stand out to me.  They are:

Mike Wallace – This kid is a player.  He has caught passes along the sideline, made sliding catches, and beaten everybody deep (more than once).  Unless the sun explodes, he is going to make the team.  He may even shock the world and win the #3 receiver position…..

Read More…

Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Steelers’ defense has one goal: Be better

Imagine, if you will, the Steelers’ offense failing in those final few minutes of Super Bowl XLIII and that Arizona actually had pulled out a 23-20 victory.

It would have ranked as the biggest collapse in any Super Bowl. The NFL’s No. 1 defense, a dominating force all season, would have been remembered as blowing a 13-point lead in the final 7 1/2 minutes to lose the Super Bowl.

The gloom would still hang over all of Steelerdom. Instead of playing host to the only six-time Super Bowl champions, Saint Vincent College’s training camp might resemble the old monastery’s cemetery behind Bonaventure Hall on a hill beyond the practice field. Instead of Sixburgh, there would be Sickburgh….

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Steelers Notebook: Tomlin offering little information about Stapleton

Offensive lineman Darnell Stapleton continues to watch practices and coach Mike Tomlin continues to shed little light about what is wrong with his second-year starter.

Stapleton has a left knee injury that has kept him from practicing since Sunday. He had at least one MRI (Monday), but Tomlin remains mum about what might be wrong with him.

“No new news with Stapleton,” Tomlin said, and, when asked about him a second time, said, “Again, when I’m ready to talk, we’ll talk about it.”

Stapleton, who started 15 games at right guard through the Super Bowl last season, opened training camp at center for injured Justin Hartwig. Veteran backup tackle/guard Trai Essex has been at right guard and is likely to stay there, no matter what happens with Stapleton.

Read More…

From Steelers.com:

Sweed making big strides

Four Position Battles To Watch In Training Camp

by jonathan staub

When a team that is fresh off a Super Bowl victory goes into their following season with 20 of 22 starters returning, it is hard to pinpoint where the position battles will ensue.

For the most part, returning players know their place and incoming rookies know that their chance of breaking into the starting lineup, or even seeing a significant amount of playing time, is scarce.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, fresh of an instant-classic caliber win against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, lost only Larry Foote and Bryant McFadden from their starting lineup in the offseason, and enter the 2009 season with very lofty expectations.

In what will be one of the blandest mini-camps in recent memory, the Steelers have beyond adequate replacements ready to fill in for their departing starters, as well as enough depth to hint that their aspirations for this following season will go unfilled if they do anything other than hoist the Lombardi Trophy again at the end of the season.

There are, however, four position battles that will be worth watching, and a couple minor storylines that should keep things interesting in the hot summer weather of Latrobe at St. Vincent’s College.

The offensive side of the football is cluttered with one of the most solid arrays of talent in the NFL…once you get past the offensive line of course.

Pittsburghhas the potential to conceivably send four or five players to the Pro-Bowl in February with Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller filling out their skill positions.

Their performances rely heavily on the success of the offensive line which, unless you have been kept out of the loop, is the known weak-point of the Steelers attack.

An interesting storyline that will monopolize much of the press this upcoming season is whether or not the front five of Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu, Justin Hartwig, Darnell Stapleton and Willie Colon can build on last year and develop the cohesiveness necessary to turn one of the NFL’s weakest front five into the traditional stalwart unit that has paved the way for one of the most tenacious rushing attacks in NFL history.

Pittsburgh was not as active in the draft as initially suspected in regards to building depth at the offensive line position.

They selected two linemen in Wisconsin’s Kraig Urbik and 2008 Rimington Trophy winner, given annually to the player considered to be the best center in college football, A.Q. Shipley of Penn State; Shipley was voted the 2008 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year as well.

Shipley will be an interesting rookie to watch develop. He scored a 40 on the Wunderlik Test, which is twice the NFL average, benched pressed 33 reps of 225 pounds (fifth among offensive linemen, measured a 31-inch vertical jump (eighth), ran a 7.46 in the three-cone drill (second) and a 4.40 in the 20-yard shuttle run (fifth).

Pittsburghmay have the steal of the draft in Shipley, he has all the athletic tools to succeed and the smarts to be the quarterback of the offensive line, but at 6’1”, 304 pounds, there is concern that he may be undersized against some of the league’s bigger nose tackles.

While the offensive line makes for an interesting storyline heading into the season, the most important position battle will be taking place amidst a group of individuals vying for a non-starting spot in trying to become the Steelers third option at wide receiver.

Position Battle No.1 – No.3 Wide Receiver

The Steelers boast the NFL’s first ever pair of Super Bowl MVP’s at wide receiver in Hines Ward (XL) and Santonio Holmes (XLIII).

Ward, perhaps the team’s all-time greatest receiver, continues to make the hard catches in heavy coverage, over the middle, while laying out vicious blocks that not only shatter jaws (my apologies for the painful reminder to Keith Rivers), but change NFL rules.

Holmes’ break-out game in the Super Bowl has him poised to emerge as Big Ben’s go-to-guy, as well as one of the AFC’s elite. His ability to create yards after the catch makes him a dangerous threat in the open field, and he has developed enough chemistry with Roethlisberger that he knows when to break-off a route and improvise as Ben scrambles.

The departure of Nate Washington has created a void in the deep passing game for Pittsburgh.

Washington had been a deep threat for Pittsburghfor three seasons, before signing a six-year 27 million dollar contract with Tennesseein the offseason, as he never averaged below 15.5 yards per catch in a season.

In 2008, Nate caught a pass of 48-yards or longer in four straight games; three straight with a reception of 50-yards or longer.

In seven of 16 regular season games Washington recorded a reception of 20-yards or longer en route to a 40-catch year with 631 yards and three touchdowns.

His ability to stretch the field enabled Holmes and Ward to catch balls underneath, Mewelde Moore to catch 40 balls out of the backfield for 320 yards and one score.

The 6’1”, 185lb Washington will be sorely missed, but the Steelers, as they consistently do on defense, should have no trouble plugging the hole with a completely capable cast of individuals ready to fill-in.

The prohibitive favorite to fill-in immediately is recently signed veteran Shaun McDonald.

McDonald, entering his seventh NFL season, spent the last two seasons with Detroit after serving his first four NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams.

For his career, McDonald has registered 220 receptions, 2,490 yards (11.3 average per catch) and 11 touchdowns.

His best season came in 2007, while with Detroit, when he hauled in 79 receptions for 943 yards and six touchdowns; he dropped off a bit last year, while only playing in 12 games, with 35 receptions, 332 yards and one touchdown.

In his 12 games last season, McDonald registered four or more receptions in six games.

The former two-time All-Pac 10 receiver, third team AP All-American, and Biletnikoff finalist was selected in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2003 NFL entry draft by the Rams.

McDonald’s only disadvantage is his size. Standing at 5’10”, 183lbs, he would find himself looking up at Hines Ward (6’0”, 205lbs) and Santonio Holmes (5’11”, 192lbs).

His experience gives him an edge over the other men competing with him for the job, and he should find himself in the number three spot come opening day.

His primary competition for the role will come from 2008 second round pick (53rd overall) Limas Sweed.

Sweed had a bittersweet rookie campaign with Pittsburgh, becoming better known for his dropped balls and inability to grasp the playbook than the big-time potential he displayed while at Texas.

Sweed only caught six balls for 64 yards in a Steelers uniform last year while sporadically seeing the field; his first taste of NFL action came in the seventh week against Cincinnati where he registered one catch for 11 yards.

When asked to fill in for Hines Ward in the AFC Championship game, Sweed dropped a 50-yard bomb in the endzone after looking at the scoreboard as opposed to his hands; there was no one within 15 yards of him at the time; he subsequently laid on the field after his drop and cost the Steelers their final time-out before the half.

It was very reminiscent of that old Snickers commercial where the trainers asked the fallen football play what was hurt.

“My feelings,” he replied with a sniffle…as the deafening boo’s rang down upon Sweed after his drop, Steelers fans across the nation knew that he was more frustrated with himself than anyone at that given moment.

Sweed would redeem himself in the second half when he landed an absolutely crippling blow on Corey Ivy that sent Heinz Field into a frenzy.

While Sweed may be the long-term option at receiver, it will be up to him to make his case for playing time this season.

There will be little room for error in Pittsburgh, and Sweed will need to show that he can hold on to the ball before he is challenged to hold onto a significant role in the offense.

At 6’4”, 220lbs, Limas Sweed could be the big receiver that Pittsburgh has sought since the departure of Plaxico Burress.

Two other players will also be vying for a role in the Steelers passing game this season.

While not as publicly prominent as McDonald and Sweed, Dallas Baker and Mike Wallace will also be given opportunities to earn playing time in camp.

Baker, a seventh round pick (227 overall) out of Florida in 2007, has split time between the practice squad and the 53-man roster for Pittsburgh.

The former first team All-SEC standout played in eight games for the Steelers in 2008, registering only one catch for six yards.

At 6’3”, 206lbs Baker adds an element of size that only Sweed can match, but still has a lot of work to do if he hopes to play a significant role this upcoming season.

Mike Wallace, the team’s third round selection (84th overall) out of Ole Miss in this year’s draft will most likely be asked to fill a preeminent role on special teams returning kicks.

However, after recording 784 yards and seven touchdowns on only 39 receptions in the 2008 collegiate season, he only played in six games by the way, Wallace will warrant some looks at wide receiver.

In 2007, the 6’0” 199lb Wallace saw action in all 12 of Ole Miss’ games, with nine starts at slot receiver, and recorded 716 yards with two 100-yard games, seven catches of at least 40-yards or more, three catches of 50-yards or more, was first in the SEC in yards per catch at 18.8 and was named to the third-team all-SEC.

The credentials are there, and you can rest assured that he will be given a chance to lay his claim to a spot on the offense.

This battle, for all intensive purposes, will come down to Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald.

McDonald will most likely have the spot on opening day, but don’t be surprised if come the season’s end that Limas Sweed has earned a spot alongside Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward.

Position Battle No.2 – Mewelde Moore vs. Rashard Mendenhall

In 2008 the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rashard Mendenhall with the 23rd overall selection in the first round.

Expected to be a compliment to Willie Parker, the 5’10”, 225lb Mendenhall was expected to get the tough yards up the middle and take the big-bruising place of Jerome Bettis.

Fumbling problems in the preseason limited Mendenhall’s role early on, and at one point he was forced to carry a football around for an entire week after Hines Ward taped a note to the ball saying, “Take Mendenhall’s ball and he’ll pay you 100 bucks!”

In 2007, while at the University of Illinois, Mendenhall earned first team all-Big 10 and Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year honors after racking up 1,681 rushing yards (6.4 average), 17 rushing touchdowns, 318 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Initially considered a top-ten talent, Mendenhall fell down the draft board to Pittsburgh who stuck with a tradition of selecting the best player available.

The Illinois standout would carry the ball 19 times for 58 yards in 2008 as he would suffered a fractured shoulder at the hands of Ray Lewis in the Steelers fourth game of the season; Mendenhall got the start in this game after Willie Parker went down with an injury the prior week.

When Mendenhall went down, it was Mewelde Moore that would step in and play perhaps the biggest role of any Steeler in their quest for a Super Bowl.

The 5’11”, 209lb Moore was a fourth round pick (119th overall) out of Tulane; Moore was the second player in NCAA Division I history to rush for 4,000 yards and record 2,000 yards receiving.

He arrived in Pittsburgh after spending his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

He finished the 2008 season with 140 carries for 588 yards and five touchdowns; he would also register 40 receptions for 320 yards and one score.

While his numbers are not staggering by any means, Moore may have been the team’s MVP for the role he played after Parker and Mendenhall were forced to miss extended time with injuries.

In the six games he was asked to carry, or assist a returning Parker in carrying the load for Pittsburgh, Moore carried the ball 107 times for 483 yards.

If not for Moore’s contributions during the Steelers time of need, it is highly doubtful that Pittsburgh would have remained an elite team in the AFC.

These two payers will be battling it out for the right to be Parker’s backup, as well as the third-down back, again.

This battle will all but come down to the progress that Mendenhall shows in recovery from his injury, and his ability to hold onto the ball on the field.

Moorehas the experience and has shown what he is capable of doing, and any improvements he can show will certainly help his cause, but the uber-talented Mendenhall could provide an upgrade in short yardage situations, something that haunted Pittsburgh all season, and take a considerable load off the shoulders of Willie Parker.

Position BattleNo.3 – William Gay vs. Keiwan Ratliff

Pound-for-pound this is the most even matchup of any position battle that could take place in Steelers training camp.

All indications are that this is William Gay’s job to lose, but the offseason acquisition of Ratliff should create a situation similar to that of the place-kicker every year.

Pittsburgh brought in a guy to challenge and push Gay in order to see if he is ready to take over as a starter in Dick LeBeau’s vaunted defense.

Ratliff is no slouch however, and could very well steal this job right out from underneath Gay’s nose if he is not up to snuff.

Gay, a fifth round pick (170thoverall) in 2007 saw significant playing time last year after injuries forced Bryant McFadden and DeShea Townsend out of the lineup.

The Louisvilleproduct filled in admirably, and showed enough potential that Steelers management allowed McFadden to sign with Arizonain the offseason.

Gay registered 41 tackles and one interception in 2008, and that one interception locked up the division title in Baltimore in week 15.

At 5’10”, 190lbs Gay has enough size to hold his own on the line, and has shown enough quickness to allow Steelers fans to feel comfortable with him taking over as a starter.

Gay was as close to a shutdown corner as Pittsburgh had all season last year during his time filling in, and barring a total mental collapse in training camp, he should find himself in the starting lineup.

However, nothing is a given in the NFL, and in the spirit of Herm Edwards’ “You play to win the game” rant, Pittsburgh brought in capable opposition to challenge Gay for that starting role.

With DeShea Townsend being relegated to mostly nickel and dime packages towards the tail end of his career, granted he is more than capable of filling in as the starter but he is better preserved in this manner, Keiwan Ratliff will offer the chief competition for William Gay in Steelers training camp.

Ratliff has quite the collegiate resume to his credit, as he accumulated numerous individual accolades in 2003 including a first-team all-SEC selection, first team All-American selection, the Sporting News SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a spot on the ballot as a Thorpe Award finalist, given annually to the player considered the top defensive back in all of college football, Ratliff’s pro-career has been that of a journeyman to say the best.

After being drafted by Cincinnati in the second round (49th overall) of 2004, and spending three seasons with the Bengals, Ratliff moved on to Tampa Bay, where he spent 16 days with the Buccaneers, Indianapolis for one season and now finds himself on the defending Super Bowl Champions.

The 5’11”, 188lb Ratliff had 32 tackles and two interceptions for the Colts last season, one against Pittsburgh, and has been continually trying to find a niche in the NFL that would allow him to return to his collegiate form.

Ratliff is well-traveled, as well as very experienced, but it may take him some time to learn the complicated schemes of a LeBeau defense.

However, while he might not find himself in the starting lineup, granted he has the ability, he is a beyond satisfactory addition that should provide some depth the NFL’s top rated passing defense.

Position Battle No.4 – LawrenceTimmons vs. Himself

Lawrence Timmons will start opposite James Farrior as an interior linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, and the duo of James Harrison and Lamar Woodley will continue to flank the outside edges.

This tetrad of linebackers will be the focal point of LeBeau’s zone blitz schemes once again in 2009, and the athleticism that oozes from this quartet makes them among the best linebacking core in the NFL.

Larry Foote, the starting interior linebacker for the Steelers last season, got his wish and is out of Pittsburgh; he signed with his hometown Detroit Lions.

Foote, it should be noted, wanted out of Pittsburghdue to the increased playing time that Timmons was receiving.

The 6’1”, 234lb first round (15th overall) selection from Florida State earned it, period.

The success of this linebacking contingent will hinge greatly on Timmons ability to take the next step in his career.

After seeing time in all 16 games as a rookie, his time increased last season and he finished with 65 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and one memorable 89-yard interception return against the New England Patriots.

Timmons is the perfect mix of a defensive back’s athleticism, mixed with a safety’s speed and a defensive end’s strength all in the ideal package of a middle linebacker’s frame.

His progression is on par with many of history’s great linebackers, and he appears to be the next in what is a long lineage of Pittsburgh Steelers Pro-Bowl caliber linebackers.

Timmons will be virtually unopposed for the starting position in the Steelers 3-4 scheme, but that’s not to say he won’t have people vying to push him to his limits.

There will be several young studs trying to make a name for themselves in Pittsburgh’s training camp this season, they include, but are not limited to, Patrick Bailey (the teams rookie of the year last season), Donovan Woods, Bruce Davis, Arnold Harrison, Andre Frazier and Keyaron Fox.

Many of these men will find themselves on the Steelers special teams however, as the main obstacle awaiting Timmons is himself.

Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons, named after NBA great Hakeem, knows the system and what will be asked of him.

All that is left is for him to avoid any kind of letdown and continue to build on the success he has experienced in his young career.

Other things to watch for in Steelers training camp

As stated previously, a Super Bowl winning team returning 20 of 22 starters, with replacements already in place, will lack a lot of drama in training camp.

Players and coaches alike know what to anticipate when they take the field at St. Vincent’s College in Latrobe, PA.

There will be, however, a few other interesting things to watch come July and August.

Daniel Sepulveda may be the most important Steeler returning from injury this upcoming season. After Paul Ernster and Mitch Berger combined for the second worst punting season of any team in the NFL, Sepulveda will be looked upon to once again upgrade the glaring weakness on the Steelers roster.

The high-praise that first round selection Evander Hood has received from collegiate teammates and coaches has been well documented in Pittsburgh.

While his chances to see significant time are slim, they typically are for first round defensive linemen in Pittsburgh, he will have a chance to learn from one of the best in Aaron Smith.

His development will lie squarely on the shoulders of assistant coach John Mitchell, and with the depth and experience on the Pittsburgh defensive line he should have a full season to watch, learn and prepare for his sophomore campaign.

Mike Wallace, who is a long shot to see time at wide receiver, will be looked to in hopes of adding some speed to a weak return game.

Pittsburghdoes not want to risk injury to Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, and the duo of Carey Davis and Gary Russell does not provide the Steelers with a true return man capable of break a big return.

With a returning Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore’s history of returning kicks in Minnesota (he still holds many punt return records for the Vikings) and Mike Wallace providing some depth, Davis and Russell could be in danger of losing their spot on the roster.

The Steelers do not have many holes to fill, after all they did win the Super Bowl will virtually the same team they will field to open the 2009 season.

There are, however, a few things to keep an eye on in Steelers training camp as Pittsburgh looks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a seventh time, make another run at defensive history and fully establish themselves as the NFL’s premier organization.

The Source

Position Breakdown the Cornerbacks

With our offensive breakdown of the quarter backs, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line now in the books, it is now time to move to the other side of the ball. Our breakdown of the defense will start with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Cornerbacks. With only Bryant McFadden not returning to his starting role in 2009, this position will remain pretty much ’status quo’ from the one that won the Super Bowl last season.

Gay moved up on the depth chart when McFadden signed with Arizona as a free agent. That, coupled with veteran Deshea Townsend becoming more entrenched as the nickel back, opened the door for Gay.

Two years ago, Gay was a little-known, fifth-round draft pick from Louisville. Now, he’s on the verge of starting at cornerback for the defending Super Bowl champions. Now on to the breakdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive secondary.

The Starters:

 Steelers Position Breakdown of the Defensive Backs

Ike Taylor - For the second consecutive year, Taylor has restructured his contract to help the Steelers gain some cap room and be able to sign other key players. That in it’s self shows, off the field, he has character. On the field Ike is all business. Just ask Chad Ocho Cinco, of the Cinncy Bungals, about his talent. Taylor is still the only DB on Ocho’s ‘list’ to not get checked off. Taylor has the speed and ball skills to be one of the best in the business at his position and has the respect of the leagues top receivers to boot.

Ike’s one flaw is his hands and ability to create interceptions. He has possibly dropped more potential int’s then the great Rod Woodson every caught. If his skills catching the rock could improve, Ike might be considered a top five NFL cornerback. Either way he is still one of the best the game has to offer and a few years under Mike Tomlin’s tutelage has only made him better. Our suggestion to Ike, here at Pittsburgh Blitz ,is that he no longer packs those butter sandwiches in his lunch on game days.

William Gay - He played in all sixteen games last year, starting in four of them when McFadden and Deshea Townsend were injured. Gay logged 41 tackles and netted the interception that sealed the Steelers second regular season victory over the Ravens. Yet the former fifth round draft pick will have to make Steelers fans forget about McFadden as soon as possible. Gay has all the tools to be a solid number two cornerback in the league but lacks the experience required to have gained much notoriety. Though that should change in 2009.

William Gay isn’t taking his depth chart promotion for granted, but he is confident as spring workouts get underway that he can be the eventual starting cornerback opposite Ike Taylor. “I’m not a starter yet. It’s just penciled in. That’s all a starter means, that I’m penciled in for the first game. Matter of fact, take it back just to the first preseason game,” said Gay. “Just knowing the defense, going out there and playing with confidence. I think that’s the biggest thing as a corner, just having a comfort level — what we call a swagger.” Gay will compete for now with veteran CB Deshea Townsend, who settled into the nickel back role last season.

Deshea Townsend - A crafty veteran cornerback, Townsend enters his 11th year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though he may have lost a step, Deshea will always be an intelligent player and can make up for his lack of speed with great decision making. Townsend was regulated to nickel back duties last season after losing the starting job to Bryant McFadden. His place on the depth chart should remain the same for 2009 as well, unless the team decides to make him their primary back up safety and promote one of the other DB’s on the team to the nickle spot.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide star is more then a DB though for the Steelers. Townsend is known for his outside speed as a pass rusher and has recorded 15.5 sacks in his career to go along with his 18 interceptions. In Super Bowl XL, Townsend had a key sack on Matt Hasselbeck of the Seahawks, late in the game to help seal the victory. Deshea is well known for making key plays at critical moments during his career and his experience should help him remain the Steelers nickle back as well as help the younger players at the position, grow and become better players.

Key Role Players:

Fernando Bryant - Originally drafted 26th overall by the Jacksonville Faguars in ‘99, Bryant has played for a number of teams including the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and being reunited with college team-mate, Deshea Townsend, midway through the 2008 season. Now that Bryant knows the defense, he should be more of a contributor for the team.

Fernando should be in the mix to be the Steelers dime back and or at least play in the quarter package. His experience is the the main factor he was signed by Pittsburgh and that should also factor into his playing time over the younger DB’s on the team. Though Bryant could be in for a battle with the recently signed Keiwan Ratliff, for both playing time and a spot on the team.

Keiwan Ratliff - Fresh off the bus from Indy, the former Bungal & Buccaneer was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to provide veteran depth to the team and be an insurance policy against the rookies, Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett, bombing out this season. Ratliff will be in a battle with the two afore mentioned players and Fernando Bryant for playing time and a spot on the team though.

Ratliff has seen limited time on the field the past two seasons while playing for the Colts but has shown promise in his career. He has the potential to play the position but has not shown it thus far as a member of any other team. More then likely Ratliff will end up being camp fodder but he does have a shot at being a key role player for the Steelers if he steps up his game this summer.

The Rookies:

Keenan Lewis - A third round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2009 NFL draft, Lewis has good size at 6′0 and 208 lbs. He has long arms, great instincts and awareness and reads and reacts quickly. Lewis also has excellent hands and ball skills and is said to be able to leap over the moon. A very physical, hard worker who can support in the run game. Bla..Bla..Bla.

Lewis was a four year starter at Oregon State so he has plenty of game time under his belt. The problem is it is college experience and not that of an NFL professional. Lewis will need time to learn the Steelers complicated defense and grow into a roll on the team. He has a shot at the fourth DB spot but it’s a long shot this season with two crafty vets ahead of him on the roster. He has a ton of untapped potential and could turn out to be a great pick or a bust down the road, only time will tell which.

Joe Burnett – A record setting cornerback and returner for the UCF Knights who was named a first-team All-American as a senior in 2008, helped UCF to its first two bowl berths and the school’s first ever conference championship in 2007. Burnett Earned a total of eight career All-Conference USA honors, including a four-year sweep of the first-team punt returner award. Named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior.  Burnett had 16 career interceptions and broke up 35 others. Joe also returned 96 punts for 1,304 yards (13.6 avg.) with three touchdowns and returned 26 kickoffs for 745 yards (28.7 avg.) and a pair of scored.

Burnett also has qood size for a DB in the NFL at 5′11 and 185 lbs. The problem is he was not drafted predominately for his cornerback skills but what he can bring to the return game. Burnett is a burner and his skills in the kick and punt return games are what will make or break him in Pittsburgh. He is a long shot to even make the final 53 unless he earns time on the special teams units or wows the coaches with his skills while lining up across from the WR’s. A ton of potential but even more to prove before he can be considered a real Pittsburgh Steeler.

The Safeties:

Troy Polamalu - Better known as the  “Tasmanian Devil” of the defense, Polamalu is as important to the Steelers as energizer is to that annoying little bunny. Troy can do it all and usually does with the passion of a scud missile on every snap of the ball. He lines up all over the field and causes chaos for every quarter back he faces. He has full range and basically calls his own number each play. Some times he drops into coverage and others he zones in on the quarter back or  ball carrier and lays the smack down.

One big issue is of concern for Polamalu in 2009 though, he is a the co-cover athlete for Madden NFL 10. Along with the honor of having his picture on the cover of the best selling sports game, comes the curse. Better known as the Madden Curse in the gaming world. As 9 out of 10 athletes who grace the cover have an injury riddled or down year of statistics that same season. Hopefully this being the first time two athletes are on the cover of the game, the curse will skip one or both of those players. Look for it to effect Larry Fitzgerald and leave big Troy alone or EA is gonna have some ’splaining to do to the Steeler Nation.

Ryan Clark - Originally signed as an un-drafted free agent by the Giants in 2002 before joining the Redskins for a stint and currently the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ryan Clark is a safety that would make any boxer proud. He hits like a mack truck and seldom is out of place during passing plays. He is smart and a solid supporter in the run game as well.

The one problem Clark has had during his time with the Steelers is staying healthy. Last season was his first with almost no time riding the pine due to the pangs of the game. He enters the final year of his contract when the season begins and could be a cap casualty if he and the Steelers can’t work something reasonable out as far as his contract goes. Clark is an important cog in the wheel and we hope a deal gets done soon.

Key Role Players:

Tyrone Carter - “Chowder” is what his friends call him but “old man” is more like it. At age 33 and in his ninth NFL season Carter could be the odd man out come cut down time. He is a smart player but his size or lack there of, high mileage and low rate of speed have him possibly on the outside looking in with youngsters Ryan Mundy and Roy Lewis looking to make the roster as safeties for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We have a feeling here at Pittsburgh Blitz that Carter will get beat out this summer by both Lewis and Mundy for a spot on the team. Also with Deshea Townsend possibly moving to safety Carter’s days in the Burgh could be numbered. So with that said we say “See ya shorty.”

Youth in the wings:

Ryan Mundy – A sixth round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, Mundy signed with the the team, got hurt and then cut then resigned to the practice dummies. After a season in the Steelers system though Ryan could be ready to be elevated to the 53 man squad and unseat Tyrone Carter as the primary back up safety this season.

He is a tough kid out of West Virgina who was not invited to the NFL Combine. However, Mundy did work out at the university’s Pro Day on and was able to catch the eye of the Steelers scout in attendance. Look for Mundy to improve on last season and make the final cuts this time around, that is if he can stay healthy.

Roy Lewis – Signed as a rookie free agent by the Steelers on April 28, 2007 but has not been able to crack the 53 man roster since. A career practice dummy so far but Lewis has shown plenty of promise during pre-season games and this could be the year he makes the final cuts.

Lewis seems to have a better then average nose for the ball as he found himself in on a few nice broken up passes when he got the chance to play during previous pre-season games for the Steelers. As converted CB, Roy should add some youth and speed to the Steelers safety position as well as another pair of hands to help create turnovers. Look for Lewis to be the main reason Tyrone Carter finds himself unemployed and living under the sixth street bridge at the end of training camp.

Derrick Richardson – Who the hell his he? Don’t worry he won’t get issued a Steelers uniform for long. Hell he might not even get a chance to get it dirty before he gets sent packing. So we won’t even both to discuss him further.

Camp Battles:

Fernando Bryant verse Keiwan Ratliff - The chance of both of these guys making the team is slim to none. With so much youth on the depth chart father time will catch up with one of these two before the final pre-season bell rings. It should be a hard fought camp battle but look for the year of experience Bryant already has in the Steelers defense to be too much for Ratliff to over come.

Prediction: seventh round knock out by Bryant who earns the right to hold down the dime spot long enough for Keenen Lewis to get his feet under him and learn the play book.

Ryan Mundy verse Roy Lewis verse Tyrone Carter verse Who the hell is he - This camp battle is one for the ages, as in youth verse senior citizens. There is only room on the team for two of these guys and here at Pittsburgh Blitz we are in the mindset of the Eskimos when it comes to old folks. Time to send them out to sea.

Prediction: Look for youth to over come experience in these battles as Mundy and Lewis lay the smack-down on the old man and what’s his name.

Well that’s the lowdown on the defensive backs, thanks for reading and your comments are always welcome. Let us know what you think.

*Check back soon for the 7th edition of this 9 part series. Next up we will be the breakdown of the Linebackers.

*We did not mention Anthony Madison because here at Pittsburgh Blitz we feel he is nothing more then a special teams player so why bother.

Madden NFL 10 Screenshots

Here are some first looks at Madden NFL 2010 screenshots for the XBOX 360, featuring Troy Palamolu, Ben Roethlisberger, Ike Taylor and Larry Fitzgerald. Give them a look and let us know what you think of the new version of madden sceduled for an August 2009 release.

I am not sure about the rest of you but I can’t wait. Been a long time since Madden was realistic and my hopes are high for this release. I mean come on, you can run over a ref. Hell yeah!!

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