My individual grades for 2012 season.

[zulater]

Over the next few days, maybe even weeks, depending on how ambitious I feel, I'm going to grade most of the Steelers with an individual grade, going on a unit by unit basis. I grade on a combination of ability, usage of ability, availability, and overall value to team. In the end I'll assess what future I think they have ( or not) with the Steelers.

Feel free to comment on or critique my grades or add your own.

Tonight I'm going to grade the offensive line, starting at left tackle and working across.

Max Starks. B. Probably the easiest grade on the team to give. Max isn't a superstar, but he's a solid NFL starting left tackle and there's value in that. Some may think he should be graded higher, some would probably put him lower ( Chidi :chuckle: ) but to me B is just right.

As far as Max's NFL future, my guess it will be someplace else, I'll guess he'll end up in Arizona with Bruce Arains. While part of me would like to see the Steelers keep him I fully understand why they probably wont.

Willie Colon. C-. This was a tough one. You could break Willie's grade into 3 segments. The first 3 games he commited way too many drive killing penalties and gave up too many qb pressures. And his run blocking was up and down.

Then starting with the Eagles game and up until he first injured his knee ( was it the Giants game) he was playing at virtually All Pro level. He was road grading linebackers and linemen ( often two on the same play) and his pass blocking was more than adequete.

After aggravating his knee he tried to play a few more games, but then finally blew it out completely against the Ravens, and with him gone our ability to run the ball virtually ended. So basically what it comes down to is he was playing at D level early, jumped his game to B+, and even A level in mid season, then got injured ( again) and was diminished or unavailable from that point on. You can't completely blame a player for being injured, so overall I'll stick with the C-.

Colon's future as a Steeler is up in the air. I hope they keep him, perhaps get him to play a few pounds lighter, and hope for the best. It will cost more to cut him than to keep him the way his contract is written, and if you can get him back now that's he's got most of a season under his belt at guard he could be a special player next season.

Maurkice Pouncey. B+ I wrestled with this one as well. There were times Pouncey played the best he ever has in his career. But he also struggled towards the end of the season along with the rest of the line. Part of this was due to being moved back and forth to left guard, and the associated loss of practice reps divinding his time at both positions. And really if you get right down to it the second Bengal game more than anything else is why I downmarked him from an A.

As for Pouncey's future. Just stay healthy Maurkice and hopefully get him signed to an extension soon.

Ramon Foster. B at right guard. D at left guard. As a right guard Ramon's play was very steady, at times even exceptional. He could start on my team anyday as a right guard. And it's not his fault that he was moved to left guard when Colon got hurt. In fact it's to his credit that he was able ( sort of) and willing to do so. But the fact is his play as a left guard was often lacking, and barely adequete even at it's best. Truth be told the Steelers may have been better off moving him out to right tackle instead of left guard after Colon went down. I've heard numerous former linemen say how hard the transistion is moving from one side of the line to the other. You have to reverse everything in your brain, and the moment's hesitation that causes often makes you lose your assignment.

Foster is probably going to be moving on as an UFA. But I expect the Steelers to make a play to keep him. But unless they plan on offering him the inside track at left guard ( which means they'd part with Colon) I don't see it happening. Foster is good enough to start in the NFL and if the Steelers wont give him that chance someone else likely will. ( Cardinals? :lol: )

By the way if they do keep him and move him to left guard he should be fine. Left guard is a more demanding posistion, and I don't think his upside is as high as Colon's. But given benifit of a full offseason to fully learn the position he'd be competent starter at the very least.

Mike Adams C+ Here's another tough one. As a run blocker this kid is the real deal. When the Steelers were playing their best football this season Adams was often securing the strong side edge. As a pass blocker he's still got a way's to go. Also he needs to stay healthy! All in all though much more to like than not to like.

Adams will be the Steelers starting right tackle next season for as many games as he can stay healthy. If he stays focused he could end up being a solid starter in Pittsburgh for years to come.

Marcus Gilbert C-. Probably my most dissapointing Steeler on offense. Even before his season was ended by injury in week 5 Marcus Gilbert wasn't performing nearly up to expectations at right tackle. His pass blocking was mostly decent, but his run blocking was atrocious. Hopefully he'll be more focused this offseason and come in with a point to prove.

As far as his future, he's the projected starting left tackle next season. It's his job to lose. Gulp!. Seriously though the Steelers think he's more comfortable and a more natural left tackle than right tackle. There was much to like about his rookie season. So hopefully they gambled right ( assuming I'm correct in the plan)

David DeCastro D I'll probably be accused of being too harsh with this grade. But sorry I just didn't see much to like with this kid in what time he actually did play. Not this year anyway. I'm hoping that knee was still an issue, or that it inhibited his ability to lift, thereby making him weaker than he would normally be. Anyway he was absolutely dominated by the Bengals, and he wasn't all that great in his other games either. He didn't look much like a first round draft pick to me.

Whether I like it or not DeCastro will be awarded the Steelers starting right guard spot next season. It's his job to lose, and given the investment in him he'd really have to blow chunks to have the job taken away from him for any reason besides injury.

Hopefully a fully healthy DeCastro will prove to be a worthy investment. Though I'd love to have Foster around as an insurance policy, it's not likely to happen.

Kevin Beachum. C- . Played a pretty good game against the Ravens when thrust into the starting lineup, but after that his play was mediocre at best. Still proved himself to have some NFL chops. And given the investment he earned his roster spot.

Steelers future. Will possibly be given a chance to earn starting left guard spot. Which in my opinion would be a huge mistake. I'm not hating on the kid, but I also didn't see enough to give me great confidence that he'll be anything more than a marginal starter. I would consider this to be a huge downgrade to Colon or even Foster.

Doug Legursky. C- as a center, D- as a guard If I were the Steelers I would tell Doug to learn how to long snap.

2013??? Your guess is as good as mine?

That's it for tonight folks! :rockon:

[Bluecoat96]

Good stuff, although I don't think that they've ever thought about DeCastro at LG. I thought he was strictly a RG in their eyes.

[zulater]

Good stuff, although I don't think that they've ever thought about DeCastro at LG. I thought he was strictly a RG in their eyes.

Oops, that was a misprint on my part!:doh:

Has been corrected.

[zulater]

Receivers and tight ends.

Antonio Brown. B- It's funny how fast the narrative can change on a player. Prior to his high ankle sprain I really don't remember anyone complaining about Antonio being overpaid or underperforming. Through 7 games ( before the injury) Brown was on pace to catch 91 passes for 1100 yards. He was a huge part of the reason the Steelers were leading the league in 3rd down conversions. Also through 7 games he had two punt returns for touchdowns, both of course were unfortunately called back. But the point remains through 7 games he was a multi dimensional weapon and no one was doubting the contract he was given in the offseason.

After he came back he just wasn't quite the same. After his return from injury he was defined more for a single fumble, and some dropped passes. Before the high ankle sprain I give him a B+, after his return C-.

Going foward This is the Steelers number one wr going into 2013. But don't be surprised if they draft a receiver high with the idea of keeping Brown more in the role of slot recevier and flanker.

Mike Wallace. D+ He let his contract status become a yeal long distraction and in no way resembled the elite wide receiver he wants to be paid as. Too many drops, too much sulking, too much dissapearing from games for long stretches of time. 8 TD catches don't erase all the negative Wallace brought to the team this year.

Going foward. I doubt very much he'll be a Steeler next season, and I don't think it's anything to worry about. In fact subtracting his attitude could be an overall positive for the team.

Emanuel Sanders. C- We keep waiting for him to have his break out year, and while the ability shows itself in flashes something always derails him. Sometimes it's injuries, sometimes it's inexplicable drops or lapses in concentration. Still all in all 44 catches isn't terrible for a 3rd wr.

Going foward this is a make or break year for Emanuel if he want's to be considered an NFL starter. He'll get his chance. It's up to him to make the most of it. If he stays healthy I think he will.

Jerricho Cotchery B- I expected better numbers from Jerricho going into last season, but he really wasn't used a whole lot, and when he was he usually came through. Makes tough catches in traffic ( when he gets a chance) and displays leadership qualities.

Going foward I think he'll be back and I hope he gets more opportunity to play next season. Use him to push Sanders if need be.

Heath Miller. A+. He was team MVP for a reason. Most reliable Steelers all season. Not only is he a dynamic and dependable pass catcher, he's also an exceptional blocker. Some people get confused on this issue because Heath will get called for the occasional hold, and sometimes even get's beat on a block. But what these people are missing is that Heath is used differently than other pass catching tight ends when it comes to blocking. Taking nothing away from Jason Witten or Rob Gronkowski, there's a big difference between chipping an already engaged linebacker or DE and taking them one on one as if you're an offensive tackle. While other pass catching tight ends are rarely asked to block anyone other than a DB man up, Heath is asked to block like the tight end's you bring in on short yardage downs.

Going foward, get well soon Heath. Hopefully it wont be too many games ( if any) before he's back, and hopefully when he does come back it will be the Heath that we all know and love.

David Paulson C+ Honestly I don't even know if it's worth grading Paulson? His most memorable play to me was getting pushed back so his ass hit a an intended screen pass, which in turn caused a fumble. But I guess he did ok given the chanches he was afforded. I guess we'll find out how the Steelers feel about him by the way they address the tight end situation this offseason.

Is this a guy who can catch 2 or 3 passes a game and help block for the running game until Heath is ready to play? Don't know, stay tuned.

As far as Plaxico Burress and Leonard Pope, I have no idea how you would grade them for 2012, or why you'd even bother to try. But going foward I think Burress could help replace Heath Miller as a red zone target until Heath comes back from his injury. Pope was a wasted roster space this past season and even if Heath misses a portion of next season I don't see where that would change?

[GodfatherofSoul]

I'd give DeCastro an incomplete. Very weird situation for a rookie; coming in 1/2 through a season after injury.

[zulater]

I'd give DeCastro an incomplete. Very weird situation for a rookie; coming in 1/2 through a season after injury.

That's entirely fair.

[Mojouw]

The positive argument on Gilbert is something akin to Starks' first couple of seasons. I seem to remember that he was a "natural" left tackle that got flipped over to RT early on and stunk. He then got moved back to left, and almost instantly looked like a better player. Granted it did take him a bit to master the position, but that is true for all but a few. Hopefully Gilbert is the same thing. If not, he is simply another fat slow lineman with bad footwork, of which the Steelers have had far too many recently.

[zulater]

Running backs

Jonathan Dwyer C+. When the line was functioning at a high level Dwyer was looking like a back you'd want on your team. Through 7 games Dwyer had 299 yards and was averaging 5.2 yards per carry. In the final 9 games Dwyer had 98 carries for 324 yards for 3.3 yards per carry. Obviously he was affected by the injuries to the o-line. But he also was part of the problem at the end. This is a guy who plays about 25 pounds too heavy for the kind of back he is. Speaking of which have you ever seen a 260 lbs back who is less effective in short yardage situations? Breaking tackles isn't exactly Dwyer's strong suite. Also doesn't do much to help you with the passing game. 17 catches for 5.9 yards per catch?!

Going forward, if Dwyer wants a chance to be the Steelers feature back next season I would hope he shows up at the first OTA at about 225-230. If not they have to go in a different direction. Or so I hope.

Rashard Mendenhal F. He had one good game ( week 4 Eagles) that's it. I'm not sure football is one of Mendy's life priorities? Sure couldn't tell by the way he acted last season. Doesn't fight his way back on to the field.

Going forward, there is no going forward with Mendenhall and the Steelers. He punched that ticket out of town when he refused to show up as an inactive against the Chargers.

Isaac Redman. B. Rushing and receiving combined he was only 75 yards short of Dwyer with considerably less playing time and touches. ( 729 Dwyer, 654 Redman yards respectively) He is one of the best short yardage backs in the league, and fights for every yard. After the line deteriorated Redman's yards per carry actually went up, as his YPC in the first 8 games was 3.6, and his ypc in the final 8 games was 3.8. Keep in mind that Redman was playing through a pulled groin early in the season. Also a good blocker in the backfield.

Going forward, Redman is the only back on the 2012 roster who I envision having a prominent role on the 2013 Steelers. As a complimentary back and a short yardage back he's an excellent man to have on your team, and I predict the Steelers will keep him around for those very reasons.

Chris Rainey. D as a running back, B- as a returner. I bought into Rainey going into last season. ( I was wrong) He had a few highlights, but not nearly as many to match the chances he was given. I got the feeling Todd Haley was trying to force feed Rainey into the system, and it just didn't work. I don't think he was ever quite the same after he got speared against the Giants.

Going forward, he's done as a Steeler as we all know, but I imagine he'll get another chance in the league. I wouldn't bet either way as to what I expect of him as an NFL back? Definetely saw some flashes, but not sure he has the physical make up to take the pounding?

Will Johnson B I would have liked to have seen more of Will Johnson. It seemed like good things usually happened when he was in the picture. Has nice hands coming out of the backfield. Good find by the Steelers.

Going forward, I'm guessing he'll be back and be slightly more prominent in the offense. But still a bit player.

Barron Batch is a special teams guy, I really think he'll have a hard time making the team next season.

Same with David Johnson.

[Dwinsgames]

I give you credit for even attempting this grading of the linemen , so many different combinations hit the field this past season makes it nearly impossible to walk away feeling satisfied with any grade for any member of the line with exception to Starks ( the only man to start all 16 games in 1 spot ) ...

line play is so much more than an individual effort and not having a comfort level with the guy lining up next to you for an extended period of time plays a big part in your ability to perform at your 100% best ..

we had what 5 different starting RTs ?
3 or 4 different starting RGs ?
2 different starting C ?
4 different starting LG?
And Big Max at LT ....

looking at the above says just about everything you can say about our linemen, FRAGILE

to think the two most durable guys of the bunch could be elsewhere in 2013 is FRIGHTENING ( Max and Foster )

I will leave the grades to you guys , but one of my top criteria for getting a passing grade is availability that is HALF of it because it does not matter if you are the best in the league if you spend half the season on the injury report and on the sidelines without your pads on , the other half of the grade is performance 25% of it from pass blocking 25% from Run blocking .....


if you are only active 8 games the best you can achieve is 25%
if your dominate at run blocking best you can get is 25%
if you are dominate at pass blocking best is 25%

average at pass or run blocking gets around a 15 mark go up or down from there based on perceived performance for each run and pass blocking ...
use the baseline of 50% per 16 games availability and work it down from there ....

in other words if a guy is active only half a season and he is the best pass blocker in the game and best run blocker in the game his best total score could be 75 which is a C ...

those are my standards .... based on that and the amount of players not available for large chunks of the season , the lack of creating much in the way of running room for the Backs , combined with less than stellar pass blocking ..... I think you get where I stand with this unit without saying to much more ... until they can prove to stay healthy I do not hold out to much hope for this unit

[GBMelBlount]

Thanks for the individual grades Zu. Nice to read.

I guess any way you slice it the overall grade imo can't be any better than D+.

They were nowhere close to being average or satisfactory as a unit this year imo.

[zulater]

Quarterbacks.

Ben Roethlisberger. B Here's another one I struggled with. I could see the rationale for a B+, and I could also see the rationale for a C, maybe even a C- if you're one of those that subscribe to the opinion that Ben was responsible for getting injured by not getting rid of the ball when he should have.

On one hand most of those early season losses were due to defensive lapses. But on the other hand Ben had the ball in his hands with an opportunity to go ahead or tie against the Raiders, Broncos and Titans, and for various reasons came up short.

But then it's also fair to say that Ben's name was being bandied about as a dark horse MVP candidate prior to getting injured against the Chiefs. I also think it's fair to surmise that if the Steelers hadn't been hit with a rash of offensive injuries at midseason they would have easily made the playoffs.

So in the end I went with a straight up B for Ben. Knowing that when Ben is playing at his best he's elite, but also knowing that his pattern of getting injured is troublesome and will have to stop for the Steelers to be genuine contenders in 2013.

Going forward, he's still the most important player on the team. But he has to stay healthy! To do so he needs to play smarter and stay within the frame work of the "dink and dunk offense" that he sometimes despises.

Charlie Batch. B-. How can I go any lower than B- after he helped deliver that win over Baltimore in Baltimore? The Browns loss I pin more on fumbles by the backs and poor field position than I do on Charlie.

going forward, who the hell knows with Charlie? Guy has more lives than a cat. I think the time has come for him to bow out though, and what better way than with a win at Baltimore. So long Charlie (if you go) it was a nice run while you were here.

Byron Leftwich. I as in injured, which is what he always is.

Going forward, sorry but this guy can't get through one single game without getting hurt. What's the sense of having him on the roster?

[zulater]

Thanks for the individual grades Zu. Nice to read.

I guess any way you slice it the overall grade imo can't be any better than D+.

They were nowhere close to being average or satisfactory as a unit this year imo.

I disagree. By the law of averages every NFL team should be 8-8. So by that logic an 8-8 record should result in a C grade. Which is probably about where I would have the Steelers as a team.

And thanks for the nice words GB! :drink:

[Dwinsgames]

I disagree. By the law of averages every NFL team should be 8-8. So by that logic an 8-8 record should result in a C grade. Which is probably about where I would have the Steelers as a team.



I disagree on several levels ...

here are just a few reasons ...

1) nobody plays the same let alone a similar strength of schedule

2) we do not play every team in the league every year to show equality of schedules

3) not every team spends the same amount of money

4) not every team endures the same injuries

5) your entire basis is set on the fact that the league actually does have parity and it does not , if it did we would not see the vast majority of the super bowls won by a small percentage of the league count up all the teams with multiple SB victories ( 3 or more ) and then combine the number of SB's won by those teams and look at th number left to spread around the rest of the league ....

or ...

6) consider all the teams with 2 or more SB wins if the number 3 is to strict for your view , and apply the rest of the same above formula .....

Look at all the teams with ZERO SB wins and then to fathom some have never even been to a SB let alone have won one ....

if we had parity we would not see such a large disparity in numbers ....

EDIT for additional information ...

There are 10 teams that have been to the Super Bowl (in years shown) and lost each time:

Minnesota Vikings (0-4) 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977
Buffalo Bills (0-4) consecutively 1991-1994
Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) 1982, 1989
Philadelphia Eagles (0-2) 1981, 2005
San Diego Chargers (0-1) 1995
Atlanta Falcons (0-1) 1999
Tennessee Titans (0-1) 2000
Carolina Panthers (0-1) 2004
Seattle Seahawks (0-1) 2006
Arizona Cardinals (0-1) 2009



There are 4 Teams that have never played in a Super Bowl :

Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
so 14 teams ( basically half the league ) have never won a SB while the Steelers , 49ers and Cowboys combined have 16 Lombardis

[zulater]

Fair points Dwins. But I still stand by my grades and even my overall assessment of the team being graded at around a C level.

Of course there's one notable exception which I haven't got to yet, which would be the coaching staff.

[Mojouw]

I agree that the grade for this year's version of this team has to be around a C. What is more important (and this may only be for me) I look at the talent level both for the team as a whole and unit by unit on both sides of the ball. I still feel that (on paper...and yes I know the games are not played on paper) this roster has far more talent than most. Unfortunately, this year that talent drastically underperformed and father time may have come or be coming for some of it. Still, there are not many teams around the league whose roster I would want more.

[GBMelBlount]

I disagree. By the law of averages every NFL team should be 8-8. So by that logic an 8-8 record should result in a C grade. Which is probably about where I would have the Steelers as a team.

And thanks for the nice words GB! :drink:

Sorry Zu, I was talking about an overall grade for the offensive line only and forget to specify that.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Emanuel Sanders. C- We keep waiting for him to have his break out year, and while the ability shows itself in flashes something always derails him. Sometimes it's injuries, sometimes it's inexplicable drops or lapses in concentration. Still all in all 44 catches isn't terrible for a 3rd wr on a team that didn't really play more than 2 wr's for the majority of their plays.

false. completely false. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcounts

check your facts before you assume aspects of the game. And ill have to sharply disagree with you on miller vs. gronk and witten. Those players that theyre blocking or only chipping arent always engaged. seems palpable without statistical analysis that a lot of the chipping tight ends do in general comes in one on one situations. Of course, it is not Heath's fault that he has to block a lot because that's just something he's great at and we always have a lot of injuries on the O-line. It's also not gronk and witten's fault that they get to leave the line of scrimmage so frequently and catch some balls. Thats just something theyre good at. Not anyone's fault theyre utilized differently. Just because they rack up superior stats to heath doesnt mean they are inferior blockers and heath is the superior blocker. Heath has to throw chip blocks too. i think the fact that a lot of steeler fans discount the abilities of other great tight ends is just homerism. gronk and witten honestly throw some blocks that (for lack of a better word) just look like theyre CONSUMING the players in front of them. not that i dont appreciate heath. love you heat. LOL!

[zulater]

false. completely false. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/snapcounts

check your facts before you assume aspects of the game. And ill have to sharply disagree with you on miller vs. gronk and witten. Those players that theyre blocking or only chipping arent always engaged. seems palpable without statistical analysis that a lot of the chipping tight ends do in general comes in one on one situations. Of course, it is not Heath's fault that he has to block a lot because that's just something he's great at and we always have a lot of injuries on the O-line. It's also not gronk and witten's fault that they get to leave the line of scrimmage so frequently and catch some balls. Thats just something theyre good at. Not anyone's fault theyre utilized differently. Just because they rack up superior stats to heath doesnt mean they are inferior blockers and heath is the superior blocker. Heath has to throw chip blocks too. i think the fact that a lot of steeler fans discount the abilities of other great tight ends is just homerism. gronk and witten honestly throw some blocks that (for lack of a better word) just look like theyre CONSUMING the players in front of them. not that i dont appreciate heath. love you heat. LOL!

I'm not playing sportswriter, I'm a Steelers fan writing my opinion on a Steelers message board, presumably to other Steeler fans at a slow time of year from a Steelers football perspective. So no I'm not going to check every single fact and I'll assume as I fucking please. Thank you all the same.

[Dwinsgames]

http://draftsteel.com/ff/images/smilies/hitsfan.gif

[zulater]

Disclaimer:

To whom it may concern. These grades represent an off the cuff opinion based mostly on the memory of the season I just observed from the perspective of a diehard Steeler fan. Some statistical research was done, but again mostly this is me flying by the seat of my pants talking to you as if we were sitting next to one another shooting the shit at your favorite local watering hole. The main point of this thread is to provoke Steeler related conversation among Steeler fans.

[Dwinsgames]

Disclaimer:

To whom it may concern. These grades represent an off the cuff opinion based mostly on the memory of the season I just observed from the perspective of a diehard Steeler fan. Some statistical research was done, but again mostly this is me flying by the seat of my pants talking to you as if we were sitting next to one another shooting the shit at your favorite local watering hole. .


in other words cracking open a cold one down at the stables after a Victory in the 7th that nobody seen coming

[zulater]

in other words cracking open a cold one down at the stables after a Victory in the 7th that nobody seen coming

That works for me dwins. :drink:

[Psycho Ward 86]

lol well that escalated quickly. just pointing out something that was completely wrong that you said that was peculiarly specific.

[zulater]

lol well that escalated quickly. just pointing out something that was completely wrong that you said that was peculiarly specific.

You provided a good link, but perhaps there was a better way of putting it than


"check your facts before you assume aspects of the game."

A little antagonistic, no?

[zulater]

Kickers

Shaun Suisham. A- How ironic, you only miss 3 kicks all season, and those misses directly lead to two losses! :doh: Truthfully though the one miss inside the 30 was due to a bad snap, and the other two misses were just outside his range. Barely. I mean this guy has a 52 yard limit, to the foot! And there's nothing wrong with that if you can make all your kicks under that, which he did. Suisham has made himself into a very good kicker, and his kickoffs are no longer problematic.

Steelers future: As long as he keeps kicking like he did in 2012 there will be a place for him on this team.

Drew Butler. D In my opinion Butler was the worst punter the Steelers have seen since Ernster/Berger back in 2008. His one saving grace was that he did a great job on placement holds. In my opinion his ability to get the ball in the perfect spot almost every time was a huge part of Suisham's great accuracy this season. Nearly every kick split the upright this season. That doesn't just happen. So call me silly if you want, but despite being underwhelmed with Butler's punting I'm hoping he can be coached up this offseason to be more consistent in that area to keep Suisham where he's at as a kicker.

Steelers future: Is the incumbant going into the season and he does have the leg. He just needs to get more conistent.I'd say it's 60/40 he'll be the punter next season.

[Steeldude]

Doug Legursky. C- as a center, D- as a guards If I were the Steelers I would tell Doug to learn how to long snap.

:

At one time he was attempting to learn the skill. I remember a few years ago there was a small piece on Legursky showing him long snapping. I don't know if he continued practicing his long snapping. Here are a couple of links...

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/x1257067399

http://bdtonline.com/localsports/x519520556/Legursky-fighting-nerves-on-draft-weekend

Here is a video of Legursky long snapping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIHRG_r-hhg The long snapping starts at about 4:50 into the video

[zulater]

At one time he was attempting to learn the skill. I remember a few years ago there was a small piece on Legursky showing him long snapping. I don't know if he continued practicing his long snapping. Here are a couple of links...

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/x1257067399

http://bdtonline.com/localsports/x519520556/Legursky-fighting-nerves-on-draft-weekend

Here is a video of Legursky long snapping http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIHRG_r-hhg The long snapping starts at about 4:50 into the video

Thanks for the link Steeldude.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could save that roster spot and use it on a player who could occasionally contribute in the case of an injury? In the old days the regular center's did the long snapping. Now we use a roster spot and a veteran's salary strictly for a guy who snaps punts and placement kicks.

[zulater]

Linebackers.

Larry Foote. B Larry Foote isn't a star, he can get bullied on occasion even. But for the most part he does a solid job playing inside linebacker.And he even throws in the occasional splash play. Put it this way If every Steelers played up to their potential to the degree Foote does the Steelers would still be playing. But on the other hand if every Steeler was as limited as Foote physically we wouldn't have even made it to 8-8. :lol: Sorry not trying to be ironic, but Foote is a good player because he's made himself that. I wish more Steelers had the heart that Larry does.

Steelers future. Uncertain. The Steelers have enough other issues that i could see them going to Larry for one more season.

Lawrence Timmons. A- Was a little slow out the gates. Early in the season he was doing a great Claude Raines impersonaition in fact. But as the season progressed Timmons kept getting better and better, to the point that by the end of the season he was among the best at his posistion in the league in my opinion. Just needs to get off to a better start next season.

Steelers future. The only real certainty among the Steelers linebacking core for 2013.

James Harrison B Hampered early by injuries in 2012, kept getting better as the season progressed. But not to the point that he was the old James Harrison. Or even close. Still though did a nice job containing the run, and was starting to get more consistent pressure on the qb as the season wore on. If Harrison can start next season as he ended 2012 the Steelers will be in great shape at LOLB next season.

Steelers future. Hopefully they can restructure his contract to make him more cap friendly. They absolutely need him if they're to make a serious run at the Super Bowl next season.

LaMarr Woodley. D- Never got on tract this past season. Why? Lot's of theories, but it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is figuring out if he can be fixed. And if not what to do then?

Steelers future. I'm guessing he'll be back. Hopefully he'll be better conditioned and if not the Steelers wont hesitate to remove him if his slovenly play from 2012 continues.

Jason Worilds. C- Jason had one more sack than Woodley. Outside of that he didn't really impress much. One tackle for loss, no forced fumbles or interceptions.

I suppose Worilds will be back. :yawn:

[GBMelBlount]

Linebackers.

Larry Foote. B Larry Foote isn't a star, he can get bullied on occasion even. But for the most part he does a solid job playing inside linebacker.And he even throws in the occasional splash play. Put it this way If every Steelers played up to their potential to the degree Foote does the Steelers would still be playing. But on the other hand if every Steeler was as limited as Foote physically we wouldn't have even made it to 8-8. :lol: Sorry not trying to be ironic, but Foote is a good player because he's made himself that. I wish more Steelers had the heart that Larry does.



I gotta say that for me Foote was one of the brightest spots this year.

Was he the best player on the team? Nope.

But I feel he arguably played as close to his potential as any other player.

I respect that.

[zulater]

Defensive linemen

Brett Keisel. B I know some will think this is too high for Keisel, but I think I bent over backwards to be conservative in my grade. Brett had over twice as many qb hurries as the next Steeler

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=68&f=1897&t=11217280

I get that hurries aren't sacks, but still if you pressure the qb he'll more often than not do something favorable for your cause. Also Keisel is still effective against the run, though not dominant. All in all he was far and away the Steelers best and most consistent defensive lineman.

Casey Hampton. C+ Hampton started off the year slow, dreadfully so in fact. But as the season progressed and he got farther away from his knee surgery his play improved. To where at the end of the season he was pretty close to the players he's been over the last several seasons. Now that's not to confuse him with the dominant player he was circa 04-08, but he was still effective ( after October) and he's the sort of player you'll miss more after he's gone then you realize now.

Steelers future. I think it's all but a given that he's played his last down as a Steeler. I hope he retires, just because it wouldn't look right seeing him in any other uniform. To me anyway.

Ziggy Hood. C- Maybe the toughest grade to come up with for me. On one hand he comes across as an underperformer. Particularly when you consider he was a first round draft pick. But then I look at his stats, and they aren't that much worse than Aaron Smith's were in some of his prime years. That's not to say he's close to being Aaron Smith, but what it does say is that the strong side DE is rarely going to overwhelm you with their stats in the Steelers version of the 3-4. The bottom line is the Steelers were pretty solid against the run for the most part, and a good defense overall. Though of course one that lacked splash plays. So in the end we need to get more push on the pocket from Ziggy. And he can do a better job holding the strong side edge. But overall his play wasn't that bad and he earns at least a C-. Also if Woodley were the dynamic player that he's supposed to be it would probably help Ziggy look better.

Going forward. They may use Cameron Heyward to push Ziggy. Though much of what I just wrote may come across as excuse making for Hood, truthfully I think his game can be taken to a higher level. I think it's what the Steelers expect and I think they'll try to motivate him thusly.

Cameron Heyward. D+. He shows flashes in limited opportunities. But that's just it, a 1st round draft pick in his second NFL season needs to do more than earn limited playing opportunities. Maybe with Hampton leaving they'll use different line combination that will have Heyward, Keisel, and Hood on the field together? Whatever? He needs to be more than a bit player next season. The potential is there. But as they say potential gets coaches fired.

Steelers future. This could be a make or break year for Cameron. He has to be given more playing time, at who's expense, I don't know? But the only way to find out if he's the player you thought you drafted is to get him on the field.

Steve McClendon. B For the life of me I don't understand why he wasn't given more snaps? Whenever he was on the field he made plays or forced the issue.

Steelers future. I think he's going to be the Steelers starting nose tackle next season. Now the question is will additonal playing time expose him, or will he carry on the same level of play that he did last year in limited snaps? I'm optimistic it will be the latter.

[GBMelBlount]

Defensive linemen


Steve McClendon. B For the life of me I don't understand why he wasn't given more snaps? Whenever he was on the field he made plays or forced the issue.



These are the types of stories I love...


2009 - Steve McLendon – Signed as an undrafted free agent from Troy, McLendon is a long shot to make the team. His small school background, combined with the fact that he is the smallest of all of the Steelers’ defensive linemen, gives McLendon a small chance of making the team. Enjoy your time in training camp, Steve. You won’t be on the roster in September.

http://steelerstoday.com/?tag=steve-mclendon

Good for him...

So is McClendon currently under a long term contract?

[Dwinsgames]

I actually seen more from Heyward than Hood and Heyward had far less snaps ....

McClendon looked dam good in his limited role too and always seemed to be in the middle of anything good that happened when he was on the field , he is a player no question about it ... my only fear with McClendon is he is a bit small for the NT pos ( yes he plays it well ) but the fear comes with long term durability and fatigue , the answer of whether or not he can hold up will only come after he is given a chance to do so ... Until then I like the kid ...a lot

[zulater]

I actually seen more from Heyward than Hood and Heyward had far less snaps ....

McClendon looked dam good in his limited role too and always seemed to be in the middle of anything good that happened when he was on the field , he is a player no question about it ... my only fear with McClendon is he is a bit small for the NT pos ( yes he plays it well ) but the fear comes with long term durability and fatigue , the answer of whether or not he can hold up will only come after he is given a chance to do so ... Until then I like the kid ...a lot

According to my info McClendon played exactly half the snaps that Heyward did (470-235), yet had 2 sacks to Heyward's 1.5, had 2 tackles for losses to Heyward's 1, had 6 qb hurries to Heyward's 4, and forced 1 fumble while Heyward didn't force any.

Obviously this is still subjective with defensive lineman, and Heyward did have more total tackles (20-7) than McClendon. But I wasn't even basing my opinion on stats so much as I was the perception I have that when McClendon was in he was really collapsing the A gape the way a 3-4 nose tackle is supposed to.

With Heyward I saw flashes, but not enough to satisfy myself that he's going to be a major player for the Steelers in years to come. Nor did I think his production was adequete in relation to his playing time this season, thus I gave him the grade I did.

[zulater]

Defensive backs.

Cornerbacks first

Ike Taylor. C+One of the biggest mystery's of the Steelers 2012 season to me is Ike Taylor's awful play in the first 5 games, and his subsequent turnaround thereafter? Had Ike played at the same level he did after week 6 before then I have little doubt the Steelers would have won at least two more games early in the season, (Titans and Raiders) and I wouldn't even discount the possibility that they would have beat the Broncos as well if Ike had been playing more along the lines of a shutdown corner right from the start of the season.

So that's how I graded him. Basically he did D- work through the Titans game, (and I think I'm being generous here), and then from the Bengals game until his season ending injury against the Ravens in game 12 he was a B+ type player. And to me that's as high as a non play making CB can go. Then of course he missed the final 4 games with a broken ankle. But in Ike's case I didn'tr really mark him down, because being injured is such an abberation for him. Just one of those things.

Going foward. I've seen nothing to indicate that Ike wont be back, and as long as we get the Ike we saw games 6-12 that's a wonderfull thing.

Keenan Lewis. B+ As I said in regards to Ike Taylor, B+ is as high as I can go for a non play making defensive back. No matter how well you defend, and Keenan was exceptional in coverage for the most part last season, they're going to keep coming after you if you pose no threat to take the ball away! Keenan's inablilty to catch the easiest of lobs directly led to the loss against the Titans in fact. Anyway I don't want to distract from his overall season in 2012. He was a very good corner last year, and that has earned himself a nice contract this spring. It's just a matter of where?

Going forward; the Steelers obviously want to keep him, but whether they can is hard to answer at this point. I give it about a 35% chance that he's back next season.

Cortez Allen A- Before Ike Taylor went down to injury Cortez was one of the best nickle backs in the NFL. After Ike went down Cortez showed he can play with the big boys in my opinion. Sure he still has things to learn. But the way he moves through the hips and turns with a receiver, keeps his eyes on the ball, I think this guy could be special. And what I heard all summer from various sources that Allen has mad ball skills looked to be true in the time that we saw him manned up on big time receivers.

Going forward, call me a sucker, but I'm sold on Cortez already. If Lewis leaves via free agency getting Allen on the field more will definitely soften the blow.

Curtis Brown. D as a CB, B+ as a special teams player. When Taylor got hurt and Curtis was given a chance to see some game action he looked totally overmatched. He did look a bit better in the season finale against the Browns, but against that team, a traffic cone could probably get the job done.

Going forward. Has a place on the team because he's their best on special teams. But as a corner has much to prove. In fact I would say anything you get from him at corner should be considered a bonus. You certainly can't pencil him in as your nickel back next season. Compete for the position with Josh Victorian? Maybe? But to me you better bring in another able body.You can't go into a season without a capable 3rd corner in this day and age.

I'll get to the safeties later.

[GBMelBlount]

Cortez Allen A- Before Ike Taylor went down to injury Cortez was one of the best nickle backs in the NFL. After Ike went down Cortez showed he can play with the big boys in my opinion. Sure he still has things to learn. But the way he moves through the hips and turns with a receiver, keeps his eyes on the ball, I think this guy could be special. And what I heard all summer from various sources that Allen has mad ball skills looked to be true in the time that we saw him manned up on big time receivers.

Going forward, call me a sucker, but I'm sold on Cortez already. If Lewis leaves via free agency getting Allen on the field more will definetely soften the blow.



Me too...he is very smart and very athletic.

You know, I can't help but wonder if lack of athleticism is our biggest problem with our O & D lines?

[steeldawg]

I am also a cotez fan and a big lewis fan if we can keep lewis are corners will be set for many years to come.

- - - Updated - - -


Me too...he is very smart and very athletic.

You know, I can't help but wonder if lack of athleticism is our biggest problem with our O & D lines?

I dont think the oline i just think injuries hurts us there, but d-line definetly we are old and slow because lebeau stiil subscribes to the idea that are lineman should just plug holes and open gaps for linebackers not really rush the passer or collapse the pocket. Mclendon and heyward i think can get some push upfront if we can get them on the field.

[zulater]

Safeties.

Ryan Clark. A. OK yeah I know this sort of violates my non play making DB getting no higher than a B+ rule. :lol: But there's exceptions to every rule. And simply put, after Heath Miller Ryan was the MVP of the team. Week after week he got the job done at a very high level. And truthfully given the mayhem he creates in all 3 zones he does in fact qualify as a playmaking DB even if he doesn't get many interceptions.

Troy Polamalu. C- I considered giving Troy an I as in Incomplete. And I also thought about grading him as low as a D-. The reason being I suspect some of Troy's injury problem's relate to an uninspired off season work ethic. Going back to last spring's OTA's I heard rumor of Troy looking thick through the middle and slow of foot. These rumors continued through the summer, but I thought once the season started Troy would flip the switch and would soon be back to being one of the best defensive playmakers in football. But instead, either after, or during a mediocre opener in Denver , Troy strained his calf and basically sat out the next two months. Once he came back his play was mediocre at best. At least until the last 2 games. In the last 2 games Troy looked like his old impactfull self, and hopefully that's the guy we see right from the start next season.

Going forward. I'm pretty sure he'll be back next season. I just hope his off season conditioning program is a lot more focused.

Ryan Mundy. D As a safety Ryan Mundy is a good special teams performer. But that's it. He's ok for occasional spot duty, but God forbid you have to start him.

Will Allen B-. Will Allen isn't anything special. But he did a solid job in midseason starts against the Bengals, Redskins, and Giants. A much better back up than Ryan Mundy.

I'll do the coaches sometime later.

[GBMelBlount]

I dont think the oline i just think injuries hurts us there, but d-line definetly we are old and slow because lebeau stiil subscribes to the idea that are lineman should just plug holes and open gaps for linebackers not really rush the passer or collapse the pocket. Mclendon and heyward i think can get some push upfront if we can get them on the field.

I think it is possible that lack of athleticism can lead to increased injuries....

[Dwinsgames]

According to my info McClendon played exactly half the snaps that Heyward did (470-235), yet had 2 sacks to Heyward's 1.5, had 2 tackles for losses to Heyward's 1, had 6 qb hurries to Heyward's 4, and forced 1 fumble while Heyward didn't force any.

Obviously this is still subjective with defensive lineman, and Heyward did have more total tackles (20-7) than McClendon. But I wasn't even basing my opinion on stats so much as I was the perception I have that when McClendon was in he was really collapsing the A gape the way a 3-4 nose tackle is supposed to.

With Heyward I saw flashes, but not enough to satisfy myself that he's going to be a major player for the Steelers in years to come. Nor did I think his production was adequete in relation to his playing time this season, thus I gave him the grade I did.


I was not comparing the two as they are totally different pos. with different responsibilities ... I was comparing Heyward and Hood ....

again my biggest concern with with McClendon is he ability to keep from wearing down over the long haul playing at NT , him being on the small side its a big job for a smallish guy for the pos. ( albeit he plays it well , but differently than the typical 3-4 nose )

[steeldawg]

I think it is possible that lack of athleticism can lead to increased injuries....

Its possible but they are young so i need to wait and see them play as a healthy group before i can gauge them accurately.

[zulater]

Coaching staff.

Mike Tomlin. D.

You can't keep losing to inferior teams and not question the coaching. The total laydown to the Chargers, the mishandling of the backs in Clevleand, firing the special teams coach right before the season starts and taking charge of them yourself, only to have an assett from the previous season turn into a huge liablity. Too many penalties. Wide receivers acting like punks and playing as such.

All on Tomlin.

That's not to suggest he should be fired, he has too strong a resume going into last season to even cosnider that. But call it what it is, he had a terrible season in 2012 and needs to coach better.

Todd Haley B. It was working, things were slowly coming into place for the offense, and then a rash of injuries changed everything. I'll give Haley a pass for this season.

Dick LeBeau. B- Great finish for the defense, for the most part. But how do you excuse that start? Why did it take five games to figure out and fix what was wrong with Ike Taylor? and I could even forgive all that but what the hell happened against the Chargers? The defense sucked that day. Never could figure out a damn things. That was our season right there. So Dick has to take some blame too.

[Seven]

Don't see anything I disagree with - worth pointing out at least. Think I agree with you for the most part, Zu. Hope these grades trend higher this time next year.

[Steeldude]

Thanks for the link Steeldude.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could save that roster spot and use it on a player who could occasionally contribute in the case of an injury? In the old days the regular center's did the long snapping. Now we use a roster spot and a veteran's salary strictly for a guy who snaps punts and placement kicks.

The only problem I see is if Legursky becomes injured. He has a greater chance of being injured because he will be called upon throughout the season to more than snap for punts/kicks. You would think the team could teach one or more players this skill in case of emergencies. Kill two birds with one stone.

I wonder why centers do not long snap. Are they too bulky? Does it have to do with special teams coverage?

[zulater]

The only problem I see is if Legursky becomes injured. He has a greater chance of being injured because he will be called upon throughout the season to more than snap for punts/kicks. You would think the team could teach one or more players this skill in case of emergencies. Kill two birds with one stone.

I wonder why centers do not long snap. Are they too bulky? Does it have to do with special teams coverage?

You got me. For the first 75 season of NFL football there was no such position as long snapper, or at least that I can remember. I remember Ray Mansfield and Mike Webster handling long snapping duties. I can't remember if Dawson did or not?

[Steeldude]

You got me. For the first 75 season of NFL football there was no such position as long snapper, or at least that I can remember. I remember Ray Mansfield and Mike Webster handling long snapping duties. I can't remember if Dawson did or not?

I wonder if any centers in the NFL are currently long snapping.

This is what I found on it with a short search on Google http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/11/understanding_the_the_lonely_j.html

http://media.cleveland.com/browns_impact/photo/10309057-large.jpg

[st33lersguy]

Tomlin deserves an F, unfocused play, not benching any starter even though numerous starters deserved to be benched, gross under-achievement

[Craic]

As far as Plaxico Burress and Leonard Pope, I have no idea how you would grade them for 2012,
Let me help you with grading out Plax.

1. Did he catch a TD pass? Yep.

2. Did he shoot off his mouth? Nope.

3. Did he shoot any other part of his body? Nope.

A+

:chuckle:

[GBMelBlount]

Let me help you with grading out Plax.

1. Did he catch a TD pass? Yep.

2. Did he shoot off his mouth? Nope.

3. Did he shoot any other part of his body? Nope.

A+

:chuckle:


CLASSIC.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Coaching staff.

Mike Tomlin. D.

You can't keep losing to inferior teams and not question the coaching. The total laydown to the Chargers, the mishandling of the backs in Clevleand, firing the special teams coach right before the season starts and taking charge of them yourself, only to have an assett from the previous season turn into a huge liablity. Too many penalties. Wide receivers acting like punks and playing as such.

All on Tomlin.

That's not to suggest he should be fired, he has too strong a resume going into last season to even cosnider that. But call it what it is, he had a terrible season in 2012 and needs to coach better.

Todd Haley B. It was working, things were slowly coming into place for the offense, and then a rash of injuries changed everything. I'll give Haley a pass for this season.

Dick LeBeau. B- Great finish for the defense, for the most part. But how do you excuse that start? Why did it take five games to figure out and fix what was wrong with Ike Taylor? and I could even forgive all that but what the hell happened against the Chargers? The defense sucked that day. Never could figure out a damn things. That was our season right there. So Dick has to take some blame too.

you graded out haley higher than lebeau. think about that for a second. Lebeau's defense started out slow then went off rampant and stout the rest of the season. haley started out somewhat decent, and finished laughably weak? Not to mention lebeau's defense managed to rank 6th in scoring defense, 1st in total defense, 1st in pass defense, and 2nd in run defense while haley's offense was 22nd in scoring offense, 21st in total offense, 14th in passing offense, and 26th in rushing offense. Even with injuries, which were also plentiful on defense, that is inexcusable and nowhere near above satisfactory. Not sure what youre logic is

[GBMelBlount]

you graded out haley higher than lebeau.

Perhaps a modicum of context might shed light...

LeBeau has been the Steelers defensive coach for a few hundred years.

Haley was in his first season.

[zulater]

you graded out haley higher than lebeau. think about that for a second. Lebeau's defense started out slow then went off rampant and stout the rest of the season. haley started out somewhat decent, and finished laughably weak? Not to mention lebeau's defense managed to rank 6th in scoring defense, 1st in total defense, 1st in pass defense, and 2nd in run defense while haley's offense was 22nd in scoring offense, 21st in total offense, 14th in passing offense, and 26th in rushing offense. Even with injuries, which were also plentiful on defense, that is inexcusable and nowhere near above satisfactory. Not sure what youre logic is

First off I'd welcome your grades on the coaches, or anyone else for that matter. I don't propose to be the be all end all authority on all matters Steelers. I just hadn't really seen an end of season individual grade posted on the Steelers and thought it might make for an interesting topic.

Now as to why I graded Haley slighty better than LeBeau. It's splitting hairs really. Both had injuries to contend with. But the level of devastation the offensive line sustained, I mean we're starting a 3rd string right tackle in multiple games with the season on the line, was greater than what LeBeau had to deal with. Plus I think some of Haley's problems stemmed from head coaching intervention. In other words I don't think the bizzare running back rotation after every single fumble in Cleveland was attributable to Haley.

And lastly, and most significantly from my point of view; of the inexplicable losses that shaped the Steelers season, (Raiders, Titans, Browns, and Chargers) I thought the defense was more culpable in 3 out of the 4 ( exception being the Browns game).

So that's my reasoning. It's fair if you disagree.

[Craic]

CLASSIC.

Cool! Maybe I'll be immortalized in the one liner's thread! :chuckle: