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View Full Version : Kovacevic: Clear now 2012 Steelers were fat cats



zulater
08-04-2013, 05:21 AM
The rolling hills wrapping St. Vincent are suddenly alive with the sound of Steelers professing their commitment to conditioning.

Which is, of course, awesome.

I mean, who wouldn't applaud Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman for dropping roughly 20 pounds each to compete for a running back spot neither of them claimed last season?

Or LaMarr Woodley for dropping roughly 20 from his playing weight of the past two seasons?

Or Troy Polamalu for showing up hale, healthy and more active in drills than anyone's seen from him since INACTIVE dominated his ledger?

There are other examples, and they even include poor Marcus Gilbert. You've no doubt heard how he cramped up on the opening run test and had to be carted off but, in reality, has received sterling reviews for his shape.

It's all wonderful. Really is.

Just one problem: Put all these various warm-and-fuzzy pieces together, and it exposes, now more than ever, that the sore-thumb shortcoming of those 8-8 Steelers from last season was — and I'll say it because Mike Tomlin won't — being overweight and out of shape.

Think that's oversimplifying?

Think again: Those Steelers lost five games by three or fewer points. And in at least three of those — Titans, Bengals, Raiders — all they needed was one play in the waning minutes to flip the outcome.

One play!

And if anyone can't see how running an extra lap, taking one more turn at the weights might have made up the difference, I'll assure there are plenty — in this camp, no less — who can.

“I don't think there's any question,” guard Ramon Foster said before practice Saturday. “We're in better shape as a team, and we've got a better mindset.”

Why now, not then?



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Steeldude
08-04-2013, 05:37 AM
Or LaMarr Woodley for dropping roughly 20 from his playing weight of the past two seasons?

So that would mean he is about 275 now? That's still way too heavy.

zulater
08-05-2013, 07:15 AM
But if this training camp looks different from others during the Mike Tomlin era that began in 2007, there's a reason. It isn't the same camp.

Practices are running longer than before, sometimes by a half-hour. There is live contact — something that was missing entirely in the past, except during the goal-line drill. There are rookies not just pushing but bulldozing for jobs at multiple positions, cheered on by encouraged fans who already seem to have adopted Le'Veon Bell, Jarvis Jones and Markus Wheaton as favorites.

Players such as LaMarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Cam Heyward are in noticeably better shape, some of them at the coach's insistence.

Tomlin said he didn't change anything in response to the 8-8 season of a year ago, but this training camp appears to contradict that stance.

“I'm not doing anything in response to what occurred a year ago. This is not a continuation of what occurred a year ago,” Tomlin said Sunday following a practice on a sunny but uncommonly cool low-70s day. “I'm just trying to provide this group of men what it is they need to be the best they can be. We've got a lot of young guys, a lot of competition, jobs and so forth. The only way to provide an opportunity to sort themselves out is to throw a ball out, snap it and play football. And that's what we're doing.”

Only they're doing it with a much-changed cast, at least by Steelers standards, with new starters at eight positions — at least.

Ben Roethlisberger seems energized by the addition of Bell and Wheaton to an offense that ran the ball consistently for only a brief stretch last year and didn't throw it nearly as well late in the season as it did early.

The fans at St. Vincent already are sensing that Bell might be the starter and appear to be affording him the same attention they do the Polamalus and Pounceys. The quarterback is noticing, too.

“He's shown that power. He's been able to run through things,” Roethlisberger said. “He's shown some shiftiness and quickness. He's made some guys miss, which is good. He's dynamic and can do a lot of things, and you can see it so far.”

Wheaton, who will replace some of the speed element the Steelers lost when Mike Wallace departed, “is doing a great job,” Roethlisberger said



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Count Steeler
08-05-2013, 08:09 AM
Not only were they fat cats, they had cancers in the locker room. Looking forward to a much improved effort on the field. Tomlin lost control of the team last year, I hope he has also grown as a coach.

zulater
08-09-2013, 07:03 AM
Officials were on hand last week to go over new rules with the team. Apparently Brown wasn't listening. After catching a pass against Da'mon Cromartie-Smith, Brown got up and spun the ball which is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty this year.


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:doh:

X-Terminator
08-09-2013, 09:16 AM
Wait, spinning the ball after a catch is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty? Seriously? Is the league trying to suck EVERY bit of fun and character out of the sport??

Dwinsgames
08-09-2013, 09:31 AM
So that would mean he is about 275 now? That's still way too heavy.

not sure what WAY equates to in terms of pounds but I would venture to say at his height and frame size 260 is what I would consider ideal , however one must remember muscle weighs more than fat within the same amount of mass , so if his fat percentage is down considerably from a year ago and he has put on muscle mass in its place even 275 would not be to big of a stretch at this time of year ( he will drop another 10 pounds before camp ends easily ) and that would place him at 265 to start the season