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View Full Version : Adams has much to prove



zulater
05-06-2012, 05:57 AM
http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=puu1a 1kaj5QkxPzWoHsJO8$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYvWpVP0hTYgssT EFPIz2UbxWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg

The body looks ready-made to repel NFL pass rushers, but it isn’t the only reason why the Steelers assumed the risk that came with drafting Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams.

Watch his face break into a grin at the mention of a struggling high school freshman he once mentored, and it offers a glimpse into the kind of character that the Steelers are gambling will ultimately prevail.

“Emmanuel Leath,” Adams said Friday after his first Steelers practice. “Now he’s working with kids, and to be able to make an impact in a young man’s life like that is special to me.”

Rookie minicamp concludes today at the team’s South Side facility, and five practices — in shorts, no less — won’t change Adams’ profile as the player with the most upside and baggage in the Steelers’ draft class.

The 6-foot-7, 323-pound Adams, perhaps not coincidentally, is rooming with first-round pick David DeCastro. The two became friends during pre-draft training in Arizona, but they also offer a study in contrast.

DeCastro, a guard, was considered one of the safest picks in the draft because of what he did on the field at Stanford — and what he didn’t do away from it. Adams, meanwhile, served a five-game suspension at the start of his senior season at Ohio State for accepting improper benefits. He also failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, nearly torpedoing his lifelong dream of playing for the Steelers.

“I think step one is proving myself off the field because that’s where my issues have been,” said Adams, who worked at left tackle during rookie camp. “I haven’t had any issues on the field. To prove myself to the people in this organization, the people in this city, that’s what I’m here for.”

http://triblive.com/sports/1441963-85/story

suitanim
05-06-2012, 06:52 AM
As I said in the other thread, I think Adams only problems are between his ears. The Steelers seem to be taking the right path here to get his attention and wake him up.

ShutDown24
05-06-2012, 07:04 AM
Hopefully he can straighten up off the field and become more consistent on it. If he stays out of trouble and works hard he should be a valuable starter within a year or two. Seems like a good kid, he's just addicted to some of the wrong things. If the coaching staff can get him addicted to polishing up the ugly parts of his game instead, we should come away with a steal of a player.

GBMelBlount
05-06-2012, 07:55 AM
If Adams delivers our offensive line could be an asset for the first time in many years....

suitanim
05-06-2012, 08:33 AM
Hopefully he can straighten up off the field and become more consistent on it. If he stays out of trouble and works hard he should be a valuable starter within a year or two. Seems like a good kid, he's just addicted to some of the wrong things. If the coaching staff can get him addicted to polishing up the ugly parts of his game instead, we should come away with a steal of a player.

He'll start this year. And the best part is, we won't have to wait years for that to bear out...we are only 4 months away from the season starting.

Still shaking my head over this one, too...

ShutDown24
05-06-2012, 08:38 AM
He'll start this year. And the best part is, we won't have to wait years for that to bear out...we are only 4 months away from the season starting.

Still shaking my head over this one, too...

He will most likely see time due to injury. But why would he start over a healthy Gilbert or Colon?

st33lersguy
05-06-2012, 09:07 AM
He seemed like a nice guy in high school, makes me wonder what happened to him during his tenure at Ohio State

steelerdude15
05-06-2012, 09:19 AM
He seemed like a nice guy in high school, makes me wonder what happened to him during his tenure at Ohio State

People change. I've seen so many people change in the past four years. Some have become better people, some haven't.

steeldevil
05-06-2012, 09:34 AM
He seemed like a nice guy in high school, makes me wonder what happened to him during his tenure at Ohio State

Am I missing something? Did he have other problems other than weed?

Smoking weed makes someone a bad person, or not nice?

If so about 1/4 of college kids are bad people then...

He needs to straighten it out for sure, but lets not pretend that he assaulted someone or something like that. Lets also not pretend that some players on the Steelers don't smoke on occasion, because I'd about bet my life that some of the players light it up every once in a while.

ShutDown24
05-06-2012, 09:36 AM
Am I missing something? Did he have other problems other than weed?

Smoking weed makes someone a bad person, or not nice?

If so about 1/4 of college kids are bad people then...

He needs to straighten it out for sure, but lets not pretend that he assaulted someone or something like that. Lets also not pretend that some players on the Steelers don't smoke on occasion, because I'd about bet my life that some of the players light it up every once in a while.

Only 1/4th? :chuckle:

steeldevil
05-06-2012, 09:44 AM
Only 1/4th? :chuckle:

From my recent 4 years, I would guess 1/4 do it with regularity and including those that did it "sparingly" or whatever it would be 2/3.

I just look at it as something that the players will have to fix/alter coming into the league, not some giant red flag that needs to be freaked out over.

zulater
05-06-2012, 09:50 AM
Am I missing something? Did he have other problems other than weed?

Smoking weed makes someone a bad person, or not nice?

If so about 1/4 of college kids are bad people then...

He needs to straighten it out for sure, but lets not pretend that he assaulted someone or something like that. Lets also not pretend that some players on the Steelers don't smoke on occasion, because I'd about bet my life that some of the players light it up every once in a while.

It's not a bid deal to smoke weed at that age generally speaking. But when you're going to the biggest job interview of your life ( aka draft combine) you know what day it falls on, and you absolutely- positively know that you will be tested for drugs. Then it show's a serious lack of judgement, brains, or character to then test positive. To me this suggests his usage was more than incidental and that he may have dependency issues.

ShutDown24
05-06-2012, 09:50 AM
From my recent 4 years, I would guess 1/4 do it with regularity and including those that did it "sparingly" or whatever it would be 2/3.

I just look at it as something that the players will have to fix/alter coming into the league, not some giant red flag that needs to be freaked out over.

Haha I'd have to put the number at about 2/4ths (Yeah, 50%).

And I agree. I don't think it's a huge issue. The weed itself doesn't bother me as much as the fact that Adams knew he would be tested and was still stupid enough to smoke it. To me, that indicates that the kid is either rather dumb, or has a serious addiction. Both would be obvious concerns.

tube517
05-06-2012, 09:55 AM
Am I missing something? Did he have other problems other than weed?

Smoking weed makes someone a bad person, or not nice?

If so about 1/4 of college kids are bad people then...

He needs to straighten it out for sure, but lets not pretend that he assaulted someone or something like that. Lets also not pretend that some players on the Steelers don't smoke on occasion, because I'd about bet my life that some of the players light it up every once in a while.


Adams, meanwhile, served a five-game suspension at the start of his senior season at Ohio State for accepting improper benefits

Tatoogate

steeldevil
05-06-2012, 10:00 AM
Doing it before the combine was very dumb. Hopefully it was just the typical adolescent dumb mistake and not a sign of addiction. Which is it even possible to be addicted to it? Maybe that is a stupid question, but I've never done it and my friends, some of which do it with some regularity, say you can't be addicted to it. So far he appears to have done all the right things and started on a good pro path.

ShutDown24
05-06-2012, 10:06 AM
Doing it before the combine was very dumb. Hopefully it was just the typical adolescent dumb mistake and not a sign of addiction. Which is it even possible to be addicted to it? Maybe that is a stupid question, but I've never done it and my friends, some of which do it with some regularity, say you can't be addicted to it. So far he appears to have done all the right things and started on a good pro path.

You can be addicted to anything. I have 300+ hours on TES: Oblivion and 260 lbs to prove it :chuckle:

tube517
05-06-2012, 10:06 AM
The 6-foot-7, 323-pound Adams, perhaps not coincidentally, is rooming with first-round pick David DeCastro. The two became friends during pre-draft training in Arizona, but they also offer a study in contrast.
I'm glad he's rooming w/DeCastro. DeCastro seems to be all business when it comes to football and hopefully that rubs off on him.

steeldevil
05-06-2012, 10:08 AM
You can be addicted to anything. I have 300+ hours on TES: Oblivion and 260 lbs to prove it :chuckle:

Yeah true.

zulater
05-06-2012, 10:10 AM
Doing it before the combine was very dumb. Hopefully it was just the typical adolescent dumb mistake and not a sign of addiction. Which is it even possible to be addicted to it? Maybe that is a stupid question, but I've never done it and my friends, some of which do it with some regularity, say you can't be addicted to it. So far he appears to have done all the right things and started on a good pro path.

Rubbish. It's not a substance you become physically dependent on, but plenty allow it take control of their lives. If it has such a hold on you that you jeopardize your present and future well being then it's a problem and you quite likely need outside help. If that's not the definition of addiction I'm not sure what is?

zulater
05-06-2012, 10:13 AM
I'm glad he's rooming w/DeCastro. DeCastro seems to be all business when it comes to football and hopefully that rubs off on him.

Definitely. By the way I've grown to like the pick and am optimistic that Mike will turn it around and quickly become an asset to the Steelers.

El-Gonzo Jackson
05-06-2012, 10:16 AM
Honestly, my biggest concern is that I see a kid that things may have come easy to him and he never worked that hard to get very far. That is why he looks solid one play and sluggish on the other, when you watch film. That is why he didnt bench that much at the combine and that may be the reason he isnt a great run blocker.

It may all be motivation, but hopefully Heyward, Keisel, DeCastro and the rest of the team will be on him and show him how to be a professional, rather than a kid that received the key to the city of Columbus, the smoke shop and the tattoo parlor because he could be an NFL LT.

zulater
05-06-2012, 10:24 AM
Honestly, my biggest concern is that I see a kid that things may have come easy to him and he never worked that hard to get very far. That is why he looks solid one play and sluggish on the other, when you watch film. That is why he didnt bench that much at the combine and that may be the reason he isnt a great run blocker.

It may all be motivation, but hopefully Heyward, Keisel, DeCastro and the rest of the team will be on him and show him how to be a professional, rather than a kid that received the key to the city of Columbus, the smoke shop and the tattoo parlor because he could be an NFL LT.


You get the feeling this will be a boom or bust pick. I don't see a happy middle Max Starks like career. He'll either be elite or out of the league in 3 years I'm going to guess.

El-Gonzo Jackson
05-06-2012, 11:55 AM
You get the feeling this will be a boom or bust pick. I don't see a happy middle Max Starks like career. He'll either be elite or out of the league in 3 years I'm going to guess.

I'm more thinking he will at least be Max Starks and best Ryan Clady. He's more athletic than Starks but doesnt show the ability to run block as well as Starks at this point. If he turns out to be like Starks, I will consider that a bust.

zulater
05-06-2012, 12:37 PM
I'm more thinking he will at least be Max Starks and best Ryan Clady. He's more athletic than Starks but doesnt show the ability to run block as well as Starks at this point. If he turns out to be like Starks, I will consider that a bust.

In my opinion Max's ceiling was a little higher than you believe. That said, potentially, I think Adams will be our best left tackle since John Jackson was in his prime.

BigNastyDefense
05-06-2012, 01:19 PM
When the Steelers received the letter that he failed the drug test at the combine, he want from having a first round grade to completely off of their draft board. He requested that they bring him in, and they did. He explained to them what happened and asked them what he had to do to get back on their draft board. They told him what he had to do, including counseling, and he completed it all before the draft.

He is going into the NFL with one strike. He's starting out in the substance abuse program that the NFL has, his next failed/missed drug test will result in a four game ban. After that? One year ban.

He has all the talent to be a top shelf left or right tackle. Most teams had him at a first round grade, but the failed drug test scared them all away. I think we got a great value for him in the second round. If he had not failed that drug test, he would have been long gone before then.

I am going to trust the front office on this. He was an excellent left tackle at Ohio State and his skills transfer well to the NFL. Now it's all mental for him, luckily he was drafted to a team with a strong locker room and that should help the mental aspect of it for him because he's got great players and great character guys to lean on for advice.

El-Gonzo Jackson
05-06-2012, 03:10 PM
In my opinion Max's ceiling was a little higher than you believe. That said, potentially, I think Adams will be our best left tackle since John Jackson was in his prime.
Here is the scouting report from Starks at the 2004 Senior Bowl......not much has changed in his career IMO.

Florida tackle Max Starks has a lot of upside because of his size and relatively quick feet. But he never reached his potential in college, where he didn't always show great effort on and off the field and was known for being somewhat soft. Starks also will have trouble against top speed rushers because he isn't effective in space

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/f4/draft-dish-late-arrivals-are-out-to-make-most-of-senior-bowl-23643.html

katmandu
05-06-2012, 09:08 PM
If so about 1/4 of college kids are bad people then....You're obviously refering to the 1/4 of college kids that never smoked weed.

katmandu
05-06-2012, 09:18 PM
It may all be motivation, but hopefully Heyward, Keisel, DeCastro and the rest of the team will be on him and show him how to be a professional, rather than a kid that received the key to the city of Columbus, the smoke shop and the tattoo parlor because he could be an NFL LT.Hopefully getting bull rushed and knocked on his ass a dozen times will be the motivating factor he needs to excel!

GBMelBlount
05-06-2012, 09:20 PM
I'm more thinking he will at least be Max Starks and best Ryan Clady.

He's more athletic than Starks but doesnt show the ability to run block as well as Starks at this point.

If he turns out to be like Starks, I will consider that a bust.

Agreed....and if he turns out to be no better than Starks it will be for the same reasons...

suitanim
05-07-2012, 05:50 AM
Adams lost his way because the whole program at OSU lost it's way, and I blame that on Tressel. This is like looking at an actor who worked with a bad director and saying that because the actors performance was inconsistent in movie A, that the actor will always be inconsistent in every movie he plays in again.

Anyway, I've watched every Ohio State game for years. My knock on Adams is his inconsistency. It's my only knock on him. He has all the tools to be dominant, he just needs motivated. If he can't be motivated by playing for the best franchise in all of sports, by a top-tier coaching staff, than he can't be motivated.

I think we already know that he can, because he worked his way back onto the Steelers draft board. This is a team that highly coveted him, and there is some anecdotal evidence they would have taken him in the first had DeCastro not fallen and he not failed his drug test. I've questioned some FO decisions lately, but I never question their emphasis on character. They know what they are doing. This ain't Jermaine Stephens. When his head was in the game, he was dominant against top-tier competition. I think his head is in the game.

I looked back at 2010. He was the Buckeyes best OL that year. He graded out at 89.6%, had 89 knockdowns, and 20 TD resulting blocks (this according to Tressel). And he's known primarily for his pass blocking skills.

I was off the Adams bandwagon, especially as a 1st rounder after his boneheaded dope deal, but I'm back on after he jumped through the Steelers hoops.

Austin87
05-07-2012, 07:01 AM
You can be addicted to anything. I have 300+ hours on TES: Oblivion and 260 lbs to prove it :chuckle:

Oblivion can do that to a person...not to mention Skyrim...

suitanim
05-07-2012, 08:12 AM
Oblivion can do that to a person...not to mention Skyrim...

I'm currently addicted to Mass Effect...finished 1, am halfway thru 2, and just bought 3. If I was at the combine, I would definitely test positive for Xbox 360...

ShutDown24
05-07-2012, 08:46 AM
Oblivion can do that to a person...not to mention Skyrim...

I bought Skyrim the day it came out and have yet to play it due to that. I'm honestly afraid to start.

El-Gonzo Jackson
05-07-2012, 09:29 AM
I cant relate. Last game I played a lot was on a Sega Genesis system.

O'Malley
05-07-2012, 10:30 AM
I cant relate. Last game I played a lot was on a Sega Genesis system.

I still have the original X Box... Don't play it much, I have a different addiction.. It's called lifting weights... Everybody has their own addictions..

sgtrobo
05-07-2012, 07:52 PM
Honestly, my biggest concern is that I see a kid that things may have come easy to him and he never worked that hard to get very far. That is why he looks solid one play and sluggish on the other, when you watch film.

bam.

exactly.

86WARD
05-09-2012, 11:33 AM
I have no doubt that Adams is on his way to having his head straightened out between driving to the Steelers facility and apologizing for his mishaps to offering to defer his signing bonus...he's doing everything right and then some.

We have the potential here in this draft class to be set up for a nice period of time...a lot of potential!!!

tube517
05-09-2012, 12:12 PM
I cant relate. Last game I played a lot was on a Sega Genesis system.

I still have my Dreamcast.

O'Malley
05-09-2012, 12:12 PM
I have no doubt that Adams is on his way to having his head straightened out between driving to the Steelers facility and apologizing for his mishaps to offering to defer his signing bonus...he's doing everything right and then some.

We have the potential here in this draft class to be set up for a nice period of time...a lot of potential!!!

He has done everything the Steelers have asked of him so far... IMO you start with a clean slate and I hope his slate stays clean.. I still believe the Steelers get the most out of each player.. Or they get rid of them.. I have a good feeling about Adams, high hopes for the offense this year... There is now competition for spots on the O-Line.. Step up or sit down, I think the O-Line is going to play inspired this year..

suitanim
05-09-2012, 12:16 PM
He was arguably (Brewster was pretty good, too) the best OL the Buckeyes have had for the last couple seasons. And I doubt he had to work very hard at that, because oddly, Tressel did not emphasize recruiting blue-chip OL as much as he did the skill positions and especially guys on the defensive side of the ball. But if playing for the Steelers truly is his dream gig, I doubt his dreams including riding pine. The Steelers ain't gonna hand him anything, nor will he be guaranteed anything if and when he does earn the starting job. I think that will be motivation enough.

The Duke
05-09-2012, 05:40 PM
I still have my Dreamcast.

mine broke last year :(

they have them for like 100 bucks on ebay, I think I might just get one. Kind of miss it already

Steeltreal
05-09-2012, 06:43 PM
mine broke last year :(

they have them for like 100 bucks on ebay, I think I might just get one. Kind of miss it already

its all about gamecast!

El-Gonzo Jackson
05-09-2012, 06:53 PM
I still have my Dreamcast.

Dude, I am so old..... I lost my Atari 2600 decades ago. http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/collection/articlepics/atari2600/atari4.jpg

BigNastyDefense
05-10-2012, 09:44 AM
He was arguably (Brewster was pretty good, too) the best OL the Buckeyes have had for the last couple seasons. And I doubt he had to work very hard at that, because oddly, Tressel did not emphasize recruiting blue-chip OL as much as he did the skill positions and especially guys on the defensive side of the ball. But if playing for the Steelers truly is his dream gig, I doubt his dreams including riding pine. The Steelers ain't gonna hand him anything, nor will he be guaranteed anything if and when he does earn the starting job. I think that will be motivation enough.

I agree. He had a first round grade. He was a steal at the end of the second round. The Steelers drafted him to be a starting tackle on the offensive line, but they are still going to make him earn it.

Does anyone remember when we drafted Pouncey? The thought was that Justin Hartwig would start at center that year and Pouncey would possibly start at guard and learn. Instead, Pouncey beat Hartwig and became the starter. Hartwig ended up released.

If Adams comes in and blows the socks off of the coaches, he will start at one of the two tackle positions in the first game of the season. Even if he doesn't, if he works hard he could earn that during the season. I don't want it to come from injury, I want him to earn it.

But the truth is, the Steelers will make him earn it. They expect him to start if not this season, come in as a starter in 2013. They drafted him to start, but he will still have to earn it.

ShutDown24
05-10-2012, 10:12 AM
But the truth is, the Steelers will make him earn it.

Exactly. And if he doesn't get stronger, he won't be ble to compete. So he won't be able to earn it. I really hope he's going hard at the wieght room. His skills are there, but we have yet to see if the desire is. I'm sure the team will do everything it can to get him ready to be a starter. But just because he was handed a starting job in the Big 10 doesn't mean he'll be handed one here.