Tomlin says Steelers will stick with what they have

[stillers4me]

Mike Tomlin has no magic wand to wave over his offensive line to make it better, and that includes signing tackle Flozell Adams.

The Steelers coach made that perfectly clear when he said he will go with what he has when they play Sunday in Houston.

"Make no mistake, we intend to prepare with the men that we have here," Tomlin said Tuesday. "Those will be the guys that will help us win this football game. Anyone we add will be simply for the purposes of practice or numbers."..........

read more @ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11271/1178021-66.stm

[GBMelBlount]

Mike Tomlin has no magic wand to wave over his offensive line to make it better, and that includes signing tackle Flozell Adams.

The Steelers coach made that perfectly clear when he said he will go with what he has when they play Sunday in Houston.

"Make no mistake, we intend to prepare with the men that we have here," Tomlin said Tuesday. "Those will be the guys that will help us win this football game. Anyone we add will be simply for the purposes of practice or numbers."..........

read more @ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11271/1178021-66.stm

Ummm, OK, well then can you add Flozell for the purposes of practice or numbers?

Just sayin.

[86WARD]

He also said they'd be open to bringing someone in...lol.

[salamander]

So in other words we're in for (another) long season of the o-line totally sucking.

[Spike]

"Marcus Gilbert will be at right tackle. We are comfortable with what he is doing and with Trai Essex lining up on the left side, and what he is capable of doing on the left side of our offensive line. We have played a lot of football with Trai in the past, and he has generally been above the line, and that is what we anticipate him playing."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_759037.html#ixzz1ZFp4stCk

[SteelMember]

Also, the recent CBA agreement limiting padded practices isn't going to help cohesiveness to our musical chairs problem.

For Ben's sake, I hope they are up to the task. Houston has a good team. Our issues will surely be on their game plan radar.

I have reserved confidence because of the competition, but I really think it will come down to the D limiting their scoring opportunities more than anything. There will be problems keeping up if they get more than 30... Then we'll be one dimensional again.

I'd like to see Woodley show up and make some impact plays. So far, I think he's been a non-factor.

[tube517]

Can Essex be any worse than JScott? I mean, it's been a long time since he played there but do we have any other choice? :noidea:

[steeldevil]

I would think that Essex would be at least a small improvement over Scott... I hope.

[BigNastyDefense]

What Mike Tomlin isn't telling you:

1. We are up against the cap, maybe $2.5M in cap room. Flo wants $5M to play this year, even if he signs the day before the final game of the season. So we can't sign him because we cant get him to sign for under our cap number.

2. Who out there is really available to sign? Anyone out there worth a damn is already on a team. Our only options are to sign guys off of our own or other team's practice squads...guys not good enough to make final 53 man rosters.

The Steelers really don't have much of an option but to go with what they have and sign a street guy or two for depth/practice.

[steelerdude15]

It's going to be a long year.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Can Essex be any worse than JScott? I mean, it's been a long time since he played there but do we have any other choice? :noidea:

No, I don't think it's possible to be any worse than Scott. I'm not a fan of Essex but he played OK previously at LT when filling in for Starks.

[Chidi29]

If I had to guess, the team would like to have Essex be the backup because he is so versatile. Scott can only play both tackle spots and hasn't played RT since the preseason last year IIRC.

[Edman]

The Offensive Line is what it is. It sucks and we can only ask for mediocrity.

What can be fixed is the recent influx of sloppy turnovers. Bad O-Line or not. Ben is not doing a good job of taking care of the football. It's like throwing more gasoline on a grease fire.

[zulater]

Just watching Essex play right tackle in place of Gilbert makes me pray for a speedy recovery for Jonathan Scott. Honest to God, he stunk worse than shit on asphalt in the few plays he had. and that's going to be Ben's blind side protection?! :horror:

[HollywoodSteel]

Just watching Essex play right tackle in place of Gilbert makes me pray for a speedy recovery for Jonathan Scott. Honest to God, he stunk worse than shit on asphalt in the few plays he had. and that's going to be Ben's blind side protection?! :horror:

Yes, but Essex has always been a better LT than RT for whatever reason. I'm not saying he's any good, he just doesn't suck as bad at the LT spot.

[JayC]

whelp any good oline in next years draft? please take one in the first even if it means moving up and giving up like a 3rd round pick

[SteelerFanInStl]

whelp any good oline in next years draft? please take one in the first even if it means moving up and giving up like a 3rd round pick

How many years have we already been asking for that? I like Cam Heyward but why did we once again use a 1st on a DE when we needed OL so badly? I just hope that Gilbert turns into a good starter.

[zulater]

Yes, but Essex has always been a better LT than RT for whatever reason. I'm not saying he's any good, he just doesn't suck as bad at the LT spot.

Trai last played left tackle in 2008. In dog years that's foreverish, and that old dog was mediocre then, I'm scared to think what he might look like for an entire game now.

Get well soon Jonathan Scott. You truly suck, but I'll wager you suck about a hundred times less than trai.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

How many years have we already been asking for that? I like Cam Heyward but why did we once again use a 1st on a DE when we needed OL so badly? I just hope that Gilbert turns into a good starter.

Exactly!!

Could have had Brian Bulaga and JD Walton instead of Pouncey and Worilds last year. Could have had Kory Lichtensteiger and Carl Nicks instead of Bruce Davis and Tony Hills in 2008. O line has been neglected for years.

I still think Demarcus Love who was drafted in the 6th should have been taken instead of Carter this year.

[X-Terminator]

How many years have we already been asking for that? I like Cam Heyward but why did we once again use a 1st on a DE when we needed OL so badly? I just hope that Gilbert turns into a good starter.

Because the DL is aging and needed an influx of youth. Just like on offense, the Steelers' D starts up front. That doesn't, however, excuse them from not trying to fix the problem in the 2nd round when there is usually still some talent left on the OL. I had more of a problem with them drafting Worilds in the 2nd round last year. Completely unnecessary pick since they had already signed Harrison to a long-term deal and both Woodley and Timmons were due to hit the jackpot.

[Psycho Ward 86]

How many years have we already been asking for that? I like Cam Heyward but why did we once again use a 1st on a DE when we needed OL so badly? I just hope that Gilbert turns into a good starter.

it's easy to have 20-20 hindsight...if the o-line was playing decent and Cam was already merking against the opposition right now we'd probably be saying the opposite. Aaron Smith is sucking horribly so far by the way...

[SteelerFanInStl]

Because the DL is aging and needed an influx of youth. Just like on offense, the Steelers' D starts up front. That doesn't, however, excuse them from not trying to fix the problem in the 2nd round when there is usually still some talent left on the OL. I had more of a problem with them drafting Worilds in the 2nd round last year. Completely unnecessary pick since they had already signed Harrison to a long-term deal and both Woodley and Timmons were due to hit the jackpot.

Yes, but we already drafted Ziggy in the first a few years ago. Keisel still has a lot of good years left in him. It would've probably been smarter to take a NT this year than a DE. Besides, I think that it's easier to get good 3-4 DEs later in the draft than it is to get good OL.

I definitely agree about Worilds. There was no reason to take an OLBer in the 2nd round last year.

[SteelerFanInStl]

it's easy to have 20-20 hindsight...if the o-line was playing decent and Cam was already merking against the opposition right now we'd probably be saying the opposite. Aaron Smith is sucking horribly so far by the way...

Of course it is. That's what we're here for! :lol:

The OL has played poorly for so long and it's been mostly ignored besides later round draft picks and retreads that no one else wanted.

Anyone else notice how well Buffalo's OL has been playing this year? They've only given up 2 sacks and their running backs are averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Funny how they've turned it around so fast after firing Kugler.

[GBMelBlount]

it's easy to have 20-20 hindsight...if the o-line was playing decent and Cam was already merking against the opposition right now we'd probably be saying the opposite. Aaron Smith is sucking horribly so far by the way...

Actually the complaints about about the offensive line (and shitty drafting with regard to the line) have been loud and consistent the last 5 years to best of my recollection.

[Shoes]

Well Mike... what your going to have is an injured Ben.

[BigNastyDefense]

And I don't want to hear anything about this being the fault of Mike Tomlin. He doesn't choose who gets drafted, who gets signed as a FA, and who gets cut (for the big names); that's up the Kevin Colbert, the General Manager. Before Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers hadn't drafted an offensive lineman since 1998 when they took Alan Faneca. The o-line has been neglected for many years.

[Shoes]

And I don't want to hear anything about this being the fault of Mike Tomlin. He doesn't choose who gets drafted, who gets signed as a FA, and who gets cut (for the big names); that's up the Kevin Colbert, the General Manager. Before Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers hadn't drafted an offensive lineman since 1998 when they took Alan Faneca. The o-line has been neglected for many years.

It doesn't matter who's fault it is BND.....Ben will not survive the season under these conditions.

[Chidi29]

And I don't want to hear anything about this being the fault of Mike Tomlin. He doesn't choose who gets drafted, who gets signed as a FA, and who gets cut (for the big names); that's up the Kevin Colbert, the General Manager. Before Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers hadn't drafted an offensive lineman since 1998 when they took Alan Faneca. The o-line has been neglected for many years.

Tomlin definitely has a say on those decisions. He and Colbert collabarte on those events.

[steel striker]

Another year that Ben is going to be running for his life. I'm glad we don't play the rats for a while. Maybe by some act of God the o-line will improve. I know the answer to that.

[oneforthetoe]

Yes, but we already drafted Ziggy in the first a few years ago. Keisel still has a lot of good years left in him. It would've probably been smarter to take a NT this year than a DE. Besides, I think that it's easier to get good 3-4 DEs later in the draft than it is to get good OL.

I definitely agree about Worilds. There was no reason to take an OLBer in the 2nd round last year.

I agree in principle with the last part - we could have done without Worilds. Of course, if Harrison's back goes out and Worilds becomes a Pro Bowler, then in hindsight we might all be grateful for the drafting of Worilds. Still, as it stands now, I would rather have had a o'linemen.

As for drafting Cam, I am still good with that. As was stated above, the d'linemen have to be stout in the 3-4 or the entire defense falls apart, regardless of how good the rest of the d is. In addition, even the most talented d'linemen need a few years to make the adjustment to the 3-4, since almost nobody runs it in collage. Next year we will have to find Casey's replacement as well as rebuilding the o'line.

[86WARD]

Without Worilds, there is little to no depth at LB. The Steelers have been trying to hit the lottery with these late round picks and have missed everytime recently. Historically, the Steelers have been pretty bad at drafting talent beyond the 3rd round. Sure they have hit here or there, but for every one they hit, they've missed and failed to address critical positions a lot. You could make an argument that there was no need for Antonio Brown AND Emmanuel Sanders. The pick of Worilds was more necessary than one of those...one of those picks could've been an OL.