stillers4me
05-02-2012, 06:43 PM
Part I
The Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for a happy medium. They have a $102 million quarterback, clearly among the top 10 franchise quarterbacks in the NFL. The strength of Ben Roethlisberger is his toughness, ability to shake defenders and uncanny knack to extend and make plays. The weakness of this style of play is the vulnerability to injury. Roethlisberger, sacked 314 times in his regular-season career, limped along with his team into the playoffs last season and exited stage left as an eight-point favorite.
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
After the one-and-out playoffs, the Steelers sent messages loud and clear, both in words and in actions. The words came from Art Rooney II, who declared that Big Ben needed to tweak his game. The actions spoke even louder when Pittsburgh fired offensive coordinator and Roethlisberger's backyard grill-mate, Bruce Arians. The mandate of all this? Keep Roethlisberger upright as he enters the second half of his career and reduce the number of times his now 30-year-old body gets blasted. Insisting that Ben tweak his game and changing his immediate boss is all fine and well, but management too must put its money where its mouth is.............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/4/30/2973885/steelers-put-their-money-where-their-mouth-is-part-i#storyjump
Part II
Did you notice how quickly Pittsburgh turned in its pick to the commissioner last Thursday? Roger Goodell barely left the stage. David DeCastro was not supposed to be available at #24. He was the best offensive guard in the draft by everyone's account. When he started to fall, Kevin Colbert was tempted to trade up for him. Colbert is very crafty with that move. He doesn't like selling the farm to move up in a draft, but if his guy starts to fall a bit, he will meet in the middle and split the difference. He did that with Holmes in 2006 and Polamalu in 2003.
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
Colbert had his finger on the trigger and was ready to meet DeCastro halfway also. The reason he didn't, I am guessing here, is that Riley Reiff (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/152672/riley-reiff) was falling alongside DeCastro. I think the Steelers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/pittsburgh-steelers) would have gladly taken Reiff at #24, though perhaps with a little less euphoria. Their second tackle (Willie Colon (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1590/willie-colon)) has not played football in two years and was not a tackle that many people were thrilled with when he was healthy. Anywho, as long as Reiff and DeCastro were still on the board, Colbert knew that until one of them was drafted, he had an insurance policy with the other. He could wait until one was selected before he pulled the trigger to move up to get the other. As it turned out, he never had to pull that trigger. Reiff stayed on the board all the way until the Lions (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/detroit-lions) picked at #23. Colbert knew he'd get one of them...............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/1/2988683/steelers-offensive-line-nfl-draft-david-decastro-willie-colon-riley-reiff#storyjump
Part III
Enter Mike Adams, a mid-first-round talent who fell to the bottom of round two. He had a couple scrapes during his junior year with drugs and team rules at Ohio State, causing a two-game suspension. This past year has been disastrous. Adams was suspended for five games for his involvement in the Ohio State memorabilia/tattoo scandal - and then things got worse. He went to the NFL Combine in February totally unprepared. His bench press was awful and then he flunked a drug test. Does it get any worse?
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
When he reached the nadir of his football life, Adams apparently (hopefully) had a come-to-Jesus experience. What he did was unprecedented, and interestingly, only with the Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/pittsburgh-steelers). The native of Farrell, PA and lifelong Steelers fan hopped in his car and drove back home. He requested a meeting with Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin. Though he was told he was off the Steelers draft board, Adams talked and promised his way back on to it. Stipulations were made and ultimatums were issued. When it came time for the Steelers to pick #56, they chose Adams.
Reactions from Steeler Nation ranged from North Pole to South Pole. There were those who were angry and embarrassed and disagreed completely with the pick. Others were ecstatic with the notion of getting first-round talent at a low second-round price, especially at an area of great need............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/2/2989535/steelers-put-their-money-where-their-mouth-is-part-iii#storyjump
The Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for a happy medium. They have a $102 million quarterback, clearly among the top 10 franchise quarterbacks in the NFL. The strength of Ben Roethlisberger is his toughness, ability to shake defenders and uncanny knack to extend and make plays. The weakness of this style of play is the vulnerability to injury. Roethlisberger, sacked 314 times in his regular-season career, limped along with his team into the playoffs last season and exited stage left as an eight-point favorite.
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
After the one-and-out playoffs, the Steelers sent messages loud and clear, both in words and in actions. The words came from Art Rooney II, who declared that Big Ben needed to tweak his game. The actions spoke even louder when Pittsburgh fired offensive coordinator and Roethlisberger's backyard grill-mate, Bruce Arians. The mandate of all this? Keep Roethlisberger upright as he enters the second half of his career and reduce the number of times his now 30-year-old body gets blasted. Insisting that Ben tweak his game and changing his immediate boss is all fine and well, but management too must put its money where its mouth is.............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/4/30/2973885/steelers-put-their-money-where-their-mouth-is-part-i#storyjump
Part II
Did you notice how quickly Pittsburgh turned in its pick to the commissioner last Thursday? Roger Goodell barely left the stage. David DeCastro was not supposed to be available at #24. He was the best offensive guard in the draft by everyone's account. When he started to fall, Kevin Colbert was tempted to trade up for him. Colbert is very crafty with that move. He doesn't like selling the farm to move up in a draft, but if his guy starts to fall a bit, he will meet in the middle and split the difference. He did that with Holmes in 2006 and Polamalu in 2003.
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
Colbert had his finger on the trigger and was ready to meet DeCastro halfway also. The reason he didn't, I am guessing here, is that Riley Reiff (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/152672/riley-reiff) was falling alongside DeCastro. I think the Steelers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/pittsburgh-steelers) would have gladly taken Reiff at #24, though perhaps with a little less euphoria. Their second tackle (Willie Colon (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/players/1590/willie-colon)) has not played football in two years and was not a tackle that many people were thrilled with when he was healthy. Anywho, as long as Reiff and DeCastro were still on the board, Colbert knew that until one of them was drafted, he had an insurance policy with the other. He could wait until one was selected before he pulled the trigger to move up to get the other. As it turned out, he never had to pull that trigger. Reiff stayed on the board all the way until the Lions (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/detroit-lions) picked at #23. Colbert knew he'd get one of them...............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/1/2988683/steelers-offensive-line-nfl-draft-david-decastro-willie-colon-riley-reiff#storyjump
Part III
Enter Mike Adams, a mid-first-round talent who fell to the bottom of round two. He had a couple scrapes during his junior year with drugs and team rules at Ohio State, causing a two-game suspension. This past year has been disastrous. Adams was suspended for five games for his involvement in the Ohio State memorabilia/tattoo scandal - and then things got worse. He went to the NFL Combine in February totally unprepared. His bench press was awful and then he flunked a drug test. Does it get any worse?
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v5e9d7f1.jpg
When he reached the nadir of his football life, Adams apparently (hopefully) had a come-to-Jesus experience. What he did was unprecedented, and interestingly, only with the Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/pittsburgh-steelers). The native of Farrell, PA and lifelong Steelers fan hopped in his car and drove back home. He requested a meeting with Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin. Though he was told he was off the Steelers draft board, Adams talked and promised his way back on to it. Stipulations were made and ultimatums were issued. When it came time for the Steelers to pick #56, they chose Adams.
Reactions from Steeler Nation ranged from North Pole to South Pole. There were those who were angry and embarrassed and disagreed completely with the pick. Others were ecstatic with the notion of getting first-round talent at a low second-round price, especially at an area of great need............
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/2/2989535/steelers-put-their-money-where-their-mouth-is-part-iii#storyjump