Steelers Offensive Line is the New Kordell?

By Jeffrey Burton (the artist formerly know as J.B. Steel)

The Steelers have a long history of enabling. Just as all people that have substance control problems know it always helps to have someone who is always there to lend support, tell you everything is OK and no matter how bad it gets they will always be there. This is a form of delusion that is destructive not only to the people that are screwed up, but the people that enable. There is always a lot of collateral damage as well.

Chuck Noll came to Pittsburgh with a hard-nosed attitude, telling most of the current players they would not be there next year. He then went on to ignore the fact that Joe Gilliam and Terry Hanratty would never be NFL Quarterbacks and benched Terry Bradshaw, who despite the fact he sucked at first, was clearly the Quarterback of the future. Eventually Bradshaw exploded as a great future Hall of Famer with 4 Super Bowl rings and is for my money the greatest Quarterback Ever to Play the Game. Yes, I said it. Screw Montana, Peyton and even the great Johnny Unitas, well maybe not Johnny , Tom Brady does not even factor in here. Not only is he not close to being the greatest Quarterback of all time, he is not the best Quarterback currently playing, but I digress.

Noll fought with Bradshaw his entire career. Noll actually said, when he was asked toward the end of Bradshaw’s career if he was concerned about the future. “The Quarterback is one 11^th of the offense.” Was his reply. He then went on to prove it by starting the worst Quarterbacks in recent Steeler history

Cliff Stoudt. A cold chill should be running through any Steeler fan old enough to remember that name. That is a horror show that deserves a rating, which prohibits it from this forum. Suffice it to say when I moved down to Florida, I was watching a Dolphins game and saw him in Dolphin sweats on the sideline, I went ‘Ayah!” and jumped out of my chair. I hadn’t even had a good look at him. I just knew it was him. The horror…The horror… Enabling project.

Mark Malone or Magnum P.U. as he was known in some circles due to his resemblance to Tom Selleck, was an incredible athlete. He could play wide receiver, run back kicks, do anything. He could throw the ball as well. He was the original Slash. What he wasn’t, was a NFL Quarterback and he loved taking his helmet off while he was running off the field so the women could bask in his beauty. Enabling project.

The years went by and David Woodley (talented but concussed), the spastic Bubby Brister and his mother and I don’t know who else made it clear that the quarterback was one eleventh of the Steelers offense or less.

Bill Cowher came in as Head Coach and Neil O’Donnell seemed to be the Steelers future, but he sentenced himself to Pallookaville after choking in the Super Bowl against the Cowgirls and going free agent to the place NFL player’s careers go to die, the Big Apple.

Then came Kordell Stewart, one of the most talented athletes ever to play professional football. This was a guy, that if he had remained Slash would have been the first person to get into the Hall of Fame playing multiple positions since I don’t know, Bronco Nagurski, Slingin’ Sammy Baugh and whoever else you can think of as a leather head. He insisted on being a quarterback and Cowher, enabled him. He was horrendous, and Cowher backed him year after year as all the fans and media shouted and waved their hands in slow motion Nooo! Nooooo!

So this leads to the latest Steelers enabling project, of our Non-Offensive line. If you’re offensive you need to be offensive, spit on the sidewalk, pinch a baby, be sarcastic to your sainted grandmother and BLOCK for your extremely tolerant 100 million dollar Quarterback. The fault is not entirely with their obvious lack of talent. It is the fact that Mike Tomlin, who I respect, Non-Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians who I don’t, and Line Coach and Vietnam Vet Larry Zierline who I like, but think is the wrong guy at the wrong time, won’t face facts. This group does not have sufficient talent to be a starting NFL Offensive Line. Utilizing numbers from Frank Trusic, “Is Bruce Arians using Fuzzy Math?” at SteelCityInsider.com that he gleaned from Jay Cooper at Fanhouse.com and Stats LLC I will interpret how the sacks are credited.

The sacks attributed to the Steelers line due to getting physically beaten or missing an assignment:

Left Tackle – 7 sacks – Max Starks is the most intimidating one on one player of this group. He is a mountain with tree trunk legs. He gets control of his guy and can usually engage him or drive him to the ground. He surrendered 4 sacks and almost all of them were for lack of getting so much as a hand on an OLB or DB rushing the edge while he was engaged with his primary blocking assignment. The former starter, talented Marvel Smith’s career with the Steelers has come to an end due to back injuries. He surrendered 3 sacks while he was starting.

Left Guard – 7 sacks – Chris Kemoeatu, the teams best run blocker has a glaring flaw. In run blocking he explodes against his assignment, is great using his arms and body to knock his guy off the line and then down the field. The problem is he blocks this way when he’s pass blocking. He does not displace and defend and watch that nobody runs the gap as you are supposed to. This is an easy thing for Defensive Coordinators to spot and I can only think there was no coaching done to address it or Chris gets too caught up in what he’s doing and forgets.

Center – 5 sacks – Justin Hartwig, the line’s play caller has been a huge improvement over the hapless Sean Mahan. Early on there were some badly missed assignment call-outs that he should have caught, but the other linemen should have seen them as well. Justin will be a solid veteran center until the Steelers have his successor. He would probably make a good backup for a couple years after that provided he doesn’t drop an anvil on his toe. The Steelers think they’ve found their guy of the future with draft choice A. Q. Shipley and I hope he gets a chance to prove it in the preseason.

Right Guard – 4 sacks – Darnell Stapelton, was really bad in place of the solid Kendell Simmons whose career is probably over due to a torn Achilles tendon. Hopefully Kraig Urbik the 3^rd round draft choice this year can win the starting position and begin the revolution that has to happen on the Steelers offensive line.

Right Tackle – 6 sacks – Willie Colon, to return to a theme, I’m sure has spit on the sidewalk and pinched a baby. I’m staying way clear of the rest of my earlier comment because I fear him and know nothing of his family. If I did know I wouldn’t say anything for the same reason. Willie’s problem is he’s playing out of position. He doesn’t make adjustments well and causes one of my favorite Steelers, the most underrated Tight End in the NFL and should be Pro Bowl player, come on say it at home, Heattthhhh(!) stay at home to help way too much. Willie needs to move inside where if he can’t start, would be an outstanding back-up.

So this leaves us with 29 sacks attributed to the offense line either getting beaten physically or due to assignment. Now here’s the rub. There are another 13 sacks attributed to assignment once again or Ben holding on to the ball too long. I dismiss the Ben thing out of hand because as he’s matured, he usually makes a play or throws the ball out of bounds, so that puts it back on the O-Line and the Coaches.

There’s another 7 sacks attributed to the Running Backs, but that happens and it usually means someone on the front line got beat or the opposition was blitzing. This brings us up to a whopping 49 sacks. Yep that’s right 49 divided by 16 is 3 sacks a game. 3 times a game your 100 million dollar Quarterback is getting driven to the ground. This is acceptable for a Super Bowl quality team? Although to be fair, against the Eagles he was sacked 9 times. I remember yelling out load as time after time rushers lined up in the gap between our linemen wearing a cloak of invisibility as the Steelers O-line and Coaches seemed blind to their existence.

Now the downward end of our journey is not yet here. On top of the 49 sacks we have an inexcusable and staggering 89 hits Big Ben took. That is 138 contacts, 9 times a game if you average up your franchise is getting smacked, knocked down or slammed.  There is no accounting for the remaining QB hurries. It is simply impossible.

We are not done yet. This is the crux of this article. Arians actually had the brass to say words to the effect that they didn’t care how many times Ben got hit. They only cared if he got injured. If this is not the most classic example of enabling of abuse I don’t know what is. Arians and the other Coaches if they agree are enabling serial abuse of their franchise Quarterback. Enabling encourages abuse and it’s not only the Coaches that are at fault it is also Ben who is obviously suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and should be asking for a new O-line.

He has had multiple injuries as a result and was taken off the field with the back board and golf cart and the Thumps Up to prove he wasn’t paralyzed, in Mummy-Rap last season.

Effing Mummy-Rap.

Now the coaching of the O-line is very suspect. Most of the season I couldn’t tell you if they were in a zone or man to man blocking scheme. I don’t think they knew half the time or if they did whatever they were trying devolved so quickly they were operating out of desperation. This didn’t seem to confuse the defenses who exploited their incompetence all season long. Slight improvements happened in the second half of the season, but that’s like being a hundred miles from shore and saying ‘Hey, the boat’s not sinking as fast as before’‘

Okay, so I think I’ve beaten the problem enough. How about some solutions?

I had three picks in my Mock Draft little Big Board last year going to the line, 1^st Round Max Unger C\OG\OT, 2^nd Round OT’s William Beatty, Eben Britton or Jamon Meredith and in later rounds Robert Brewster. There were free agents available the Steelers could have gone after. They added no free agents to compete on the Line with the exception of the undrafted OT Ramon Foster. They added Kraig Urbik RG\RT and A. Q. Shipley C, who I hope will pan out.

Next season I have three O-line picks again for the Draft (Yes, I’m so pathetic, I’ve already done a Mock for 2010, but cut me some slack, I’m getting the ricky-ticky’s from lack of football and have resorted to having the NFL Network on all the time. It’s sort of like Methadone for NFL junkies.) If the coaching staff think their starters are so good they should make them prove it with some competition. I think they will find that this ‘starting line’ is actually a bunch of good reserve linemen and have been all along.

The Steelers have been famous for the anonymity of the Offensive Line. The only players that were ever pointed out were the standouts, Mike Webster, Dermonti Dawson, Alan Faneca, Jeff Hartings. The rest did their job and nobody knew who they were. We now have a line that is mostly I’m sorry to say, infamous. We need that hard-nosed Chuck Noll attitude that I’ll paraphrase, I’ve looked at the film. I’ve seen you play. The problem is not that you have a bad attitude or don’t have a good work ethic. You are simply not good enough and a lot of you won’t be back here next year.”

This should have been addressed this year in the off-season in a major way. It wasn’t. If it continues this year Noll’s message from the past should extend not only to the Offensive Line, but to the Coaches as well.

Go Stillers!

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 Offensive Line

So far we have covered the quarter backs, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, now it is time to turn our attention to the most criticized position, the Offensive Line.  It’s hard to believe a defending Super Bowl champion with so many starters returning could have any weaknesses, but the Pittsburgh Steelers do. Without a question, the Steelers had the worst offensive line of any Super Bowl champion in history. Don’t believe us? Check out the stats.

Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons were let go, and not one lineman was signed in free agency. The draft produced just two picks, Wisconsin guard, Kraig Urbik, was tabbed in the third round and Penn State center A.Q. Shipley was a seventh round selection. Only Urbik has a shot to earn a starting position as Shipley will need time to develop.

The line has size, center Justin Hartwig (6-4, 312), LG Chris Kemoeatu (6-3, 344), RG Darnell Stapleton (6-5, 305), LT Max Starks (6-8, 345), and RT Willie Colon (6-3, 315) all are 300-plus pounders who, at times, can be dominant run blockers. The problem they had was athleticism and pass protection.

Steelers Position Breakdown of the Offensive Line

The Starters:

LT – Max Starks – Starks is among the tallest NFL players, standing at 6′8″ and 340 pounds. He is probably never going to be a tackle in the image of Tunch Illkin or Leon Searcy, but he is a solid, versatile starter. Starks has bounced in and out of the starting line up the last few seasons but played well enough in 2008 to earn the franchise tag a second year in a row.

At the very least, Starks will give their line some stability and franchising him buys Pittsburgh time to draft and develop other offensive lineman or to work out a long term contract with him. Starks is penciled in as the starting LT but will need to play well in camp to fend of Tony Hills and keep the job.

LG – Chris Kemoeatu – Chris Kemoeatu joined the Steelers in 2005 as a sixth round pick out of Utah. Listed at 6’3” and 344 pounds. Since being drafted he has captivated the imaginations of Steelers fans who are devotees of the team’s Smash Mouth identity. Though has yet to live up to the hype.

It’s unfair to single out Kemoeatu for blame, but the Steelers had a lot of difficulty punching at the goal line in the latter half of the year, and much of that difficulty was due to the run blocking from the interior lineman. While the Steelers definitely could do worse than Kemoeatu at guard, he is certainly not a player you break the bank for.

Center – Justin Hartwig - Signed to sure up the center position at the start of the 2008 season, Hartwig easily earned the starting job and allowed the Steelers to trade the undersized Sean Mahan to free up needed cap space. His play at the position was an upgrade but still not up to Steelers standards.

Hartwig enters the final season of his contract in 2009 and with Darnell Stapleton and the rookie A.Q. Shipley on the roster
will need to improve to get resigned by Pittsburgh. At 6′4 and 312 lbs., Hartwig has the size to play the position and hold up against the Sean Rogers of the NFL, but will need to improve his run blocking to earn his keep in 2009 or beyond.

RG – Darnell Stapleton - Originally was signed as an un-drafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 2007 season. After the trade of Sean Mahan, Darnell became the backup center for the 2008 season. Due to necessity, after starting guard Kendall Simmons was placed on Injured Reserve after a Monday Night game against the Baltimore Ravens, he became the starter for the rest of the 2008 season.

As a starter for the 2008 AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Darnell joins teammates Willie Parker and James Harrison on the list of impact non-drafted players in the Kevin Colbert era.

Our personally opinion here at Pittsburgh Blitz is that Darnell was an upgrade to Simmons and his play, though not perfect, helped to shore up the OL down the stretch and into the play-offs and Super Bowl. We are eager to see how he improves his second year as a starter. That is if he can hold off Kraig Urbik for the job this summer.

RT – Willie Colon -  Was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round (131st overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. He started the first two games of his career in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2006 season, replacing an injured Max Starks, and in early 2007 team activities has replaced Starks as the 1st-team right tackle for the team.

There has been rumors the past few years that Willie Colon should move to guard as another tackle, such as Max Starks or Trai Essex could play right tackle. The rumors were founded mainly because of Colon’s unspectacular pass protection, as well as his size – 6′3″ is an ideal guard size, not a tackle size. However, Mike Tomlin and other members of the Steelers organization have often dispelled such rumors.

Technically the teams only offensive linemen listed on the roster at RT, Colon could get challenged for the job by Tony Hills this summer. We look for this to be one of the more interesting camp battles, as here at Pittsburgh Blitz we are not big Willie Colon fans, at least not with him at RT. A move to RG or LG would suit him better in our opinion.

Key Role Players:

LT – Jason Capizzi - At 6-9, 315 pounds, Jason Capizzi looks big, even by NFL standards, as he walks around the locker room of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has the size and pedigree to play a key back up role for the Steelers in 2009. Capizzi signed with the Steelers as an un-drafted free agent from IUP. The Gibsonia native, who started his college career at Pitt, has spent time last season on practice squad and was elevated to the 53 man roster when Marvel Smith was put on IR.

Here at Pittsburgh Blitz we like Capizzi’s potential and feel he could be a surprise for the team this year once camp opens. He already has the eye of the coaches but lacks the experience needed to crack the starting line-up. That won’t stop him from making the final cut and getting a job as a key back up for the Steelers though.

LT – Tony Hills - Fundamentally sound left tackle who is at his best as a pass-protector. Blocks with good pad level, sets with a wide base, and makes outstanding use of body positioning as well as blocking angles. Slides out off the edge, stays square, and nicely works his hands throughout the play. Shows the ability to adjust and jolts defenders with good hand-punch. Fights hard until the whistle blows.

Hills has one negative though, his history of staying healthy is not the best. Suffering numerous injuries in both high school and college. Once considered a potential first rounder, Hills slipped to the Fourth round and the Pittsburgh Steelers due to those set backs. His slide in the draft could be a blessing in disguise though as he has the potential to grow into a quality starter at LT or RT for the team and could be a dark horse in the camp battles this season.

RG – Kraig Urbik - Selected in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft, Urbik will get a chance to compete for Darnell Stapleton’s starting job at right guard. If he does not start, Urbik should become the top backup guard and dress for games along with Trai Essex as the two backup linemen on Sundays.

RG – Trai Essex - During the off-season Essex visited the Tennessee Titans but came back home to sign a 2-year deal worth $2 million. The fifth-year veteran out of Northwestern was given a signing bonus of $500,000 by the team. He can play four different positions and will likely start camp as the No. 2 left tackle behind Max Starks but could be involved in a camp battle with Kraig Urbik for that role on the team.

Practice Dummies:

A.Q. Shipley - A Penn State center who grew up in Moon Township, was one of their two seventh-round picks selected by the Steelers in the 2009 NFL draft. Shipley is a solid center, but has short arms, which may limit him from playing guard in the NFL. The Steelers staff seem very high on Shipley and he has the perfect attitude for the team. Look for Shipley to land on the practice squad for a year then crack the 53 man roster in 2010.

Jeremy Parquet – At 6-6, 321 lbs., Parquet has the tangibles to play in the NFL. Thus far in his career Jeremy has been nothing more then A practice squad member of the Chiefs, Rams and now the Steelers. We do not anticipate that changing this season and look for Parquet to continue to be a practice dummy in 2010.

Hope you got a day job list:

Doug Legursky – Signed as a rookie free agent by the Steelers on April 28, 2007 and made the practice squad that season. He has remained at that status since but could be cut this time around with the addition of A.Q. Shipley to the team. We so no need for two centers to be on the practice squad this season and neither will the Steelers.

Ramon Foster – Signed by the Steelers as an un-drafted free agent on April 27, 2008. Foster was a three-year starter who earned Freshman All-SEC honors in 2005 after stepping in at left guard and right tackle due to injuries. Primarily started at right tackle the past three seasons for Tennessee and was named to the ESPN Mark May’s 2007 “MayDay Team” after playing with a broken thumb throughout most of his junior season. Foster played in a career total of 44 games and was four-year letterman in college.

Foster has plenty of potential, but may be out in the cold due to the numbers game and lack of NFL experience. He could be a surprise and make the practice dummies, and here at Pittsburgh blitz we are rooting for him to due just that. Not sure it will happen though.

Training Camp Battles:

Starting Right Guard: Darnell Stapleton vs Kraig Urbik

Darnell Stapleton was the starter this previous season, but with issues consistently surrounding the Steelers offensive line he shouldn’t feel too comfortable. Urbik is a highly touted rookie who could very well end up winning this job.

Urbik was a tackle at Wisconsin, but he struggles in space so will get bumped inside. His size and the ability to be a mauler in the running game fits the mentality of the Steelers organization perfectly.

Many fans are already on Urbik’s side in this battle and as long as he continues to show the work ethic and intelligence that he had while he was a Badger, he should get the edge entering the season.

Look for a heated battle for this position but in the end, Stapleton will prove to be a NFL worthy guard and win the starter role for the Steelers.

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

*Check back soon for the 6th edition of this 9 part series. Next up we will begin the defensive breakdown and the Cornerbacks.

Achilles Heel Remains Intact

After the draft and much of free-agency, we now have a very good idea of what the Steelers’ offensive line will look like in 2009.  And it will be close to exactly how it looked in 2008. 

The good news: That line was good enough to win the Super Bowl. 

The bad news: That line was the clear Achilles heel of the team.

The team won their sixth Lombardi Trophy in spite of their offensive line rather than because of it.  Not many quarterbacks could have had success playing behind that line last year, let alone survived.

I was surprised that the Steelers were able to keep their starting offensive line together.  It seemed like an unlikely scenario heading into the offseason—considering how many of them were free agents.  

I figured Chris Kemoeatu was surely gone and Max Starks would likely be switching teams.  They’ve secured both of those players with Kemoeatu likely taking slightly less to return to the Steelers than he could have secured somewhere else. 

I wasn’t a big fan of placing the franchise tag on Starks, but it certainly buys the team some time to develop some other options.  Willie Colon will also return. 

Gone are former stalwarts Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons.  Both of these moves made sense due to injury and health problems.  It is highly doubtful that either player will return to anywhere close to their top form. 

Added to the line is Wisconsin mauler Kraig Urbik, selected in the third round.  Urbik should push Darnell Stapleton and, perhaps, Justin Hartwig, during training camp.  I would not be surprised if he earns a starting job by the end of the season. 

He will also serve to provide essential depth across the interior offensive line.  Tony Hills, a fourth-round draft pick from last season, may also enter the discussion in terms of providing depth. 

Behind that, the team remains somewhat thin across the line.  Considering how often I was frustrated by the O-line this past season, I’m a little surprised to be somewhat relieved that last year’s group is coming back together. 

The O-line at the beginning of last year bordered on terrible.  Their performance in the Eagles game was easily the worst I’ve ever seen out of a Steelers’ line.  The miracle in that game is that Ben kept getting behind center and snapping the ball without demanding additional hazard pay. 

But, the oft-vilified line clearly improved by the end of the season.  They weren’t a great offensive line—they still didn’t get enough surge in the run game, were prone to too many mistakes, and allowed speed rushers to beat them. 

But, they were far better by the end of the season than in the season’s first half.  They played three solid games in the playoffs, including holding up against one of the league’s premier pass rushing teams in the Ravens.  

It is likely that this group will continue to improve next year while becoming more in-sync with one another.  Darnell Stapleton played admirably in his first year starting and will likely continue to improve, as will the other players on the line. 

Good offensive lines don’t just spontaneously come into existence.  They take time to develop.  More so than other positions, playing together as a unit has a big impact on their overall development. 

That should continue to be the case with this group. 

If the Steelers fall short this year, the offensive line will likely be the culprit.  But, with the unit showing steady improvement last year, they have shown they are good enough to win a Super Bowl together

Steelers’ veterans purge?

By John Harris, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 4, 2009

There’s a move under way to rebuild the Super Bowl XLIII champion Steelers.

In another year, you may not be able to tell the players without a scorecard.

Twelve starters are entering the final year of their contracts, led by two-time Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison, who is expected to sign a new deal before the 2009 opener.

Other players scheduled to become free agents after next season include tight end Heath Miller, receiver Hines Ward, nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker Larry Foote, running back Willie Parker, defensive end Brett Keisel, center Justin Hartwig, safety Ryan Clark, kicker Jeff Reed and tackles Willie Colon and Max Starks.

“When you have a championship team, you’re going to have players and their agents looking for a higher value. They may not be amenable to doing a contract before seeing what the market will bear,” said veteran player agent Ralph Cindrich.

Of those 12 starters, seven will be 30 and older next season.

That won’t do.

The Steelers rarely award big contracts to their free agents older than 30 — almost never, in fact — so they will have to make an even bigger exception with Harrison, the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year who turns 31 next month.

Whether they also extend contracts to several other veteran free agents who will be 30 and older after next season remains to be seen.

Let the transition begin.

Being part of a championship team doesn’t guarantee a roster spot in ensuing years. It doesn’t guaranetee a new contract either.

The Steelers will sign their free agents as they see fit.

Their successful track record of building with draft picks makes it unlikely they will sign any of their potential free agents until after this month’s draft.

“When a team’s winning like the Steelers, their back’s not against the wall to do anything desperate. Whatever they feel they’re doing to win, they’re going to keep doing,” said agent Kenny Zuckerman, who represents former Steelers tackle Marvel Smith.

The Steelers failed to re-sign Smith, 30, who recently joined the 49ers.

“Teams that are built by the draft will definitely wait for the next draft before they make decisions on their veterans,” Zuckerman said. “Players taken in this draft are going to replace a lot of those guys. The players they draft become starters.”

The Steelers could have another reason for displaying patience regarding free agents. Players entering the final year of their contracts tend to perform better when a new deal is at stake.

The strategy worked for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who signed a record contract with the Washington Redskins. Don’t be surprised if it works for several of the Steelers as well.

“The key is whether they play hard going into the end like that. I don’t think there’s any question this team is a reflection of its leaders,” said Cindrich, who represents Steelers defensive captain James Farrior. “These guys are going with the mentality of the team and that is to go (all-out).”