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stillers4me
09-15-2013, 09:36 AM
Newly acquired center Fernando Velasco picked up the offense enough throughout the week to get the start for the injured Maurkice Pouncey against Cincinnati on Monday.

However, Velasco will get help making the calls (identifying the middle linebacker) at the line of scrimmage from guards Ramon Foster and David DeCastro.

“We are on top of that,” Foster said. “I know it a little bit better than Fernando, and David is re-assuring it. If Ben (Roethlisberger) needs to, he can righty or lefty us to where we are going.” ...........


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4705673-74/steelers-allen-cornerback#ixzz2eyKtjCzd

Count Steeler
09-15-2013, 10:46 AM
I guess he is well versed in Rosetta Stone? 1 week and a normal human is ready to grasp this offense and call the line blocking duties. Hmmmm.....

Just stay clear of the right side of the line, and he should be fine.

salamander
09-15-2013, 12:30 PM
I would much rather see him start over Beachum. I'd rather save Beachum for the next guy that's eventually going to get hurt.

Psycho Ward 86
09-15-2013, 01:11 PM
I guess he is well versed in Rosetta Stone? 1 week and a normal human is ready to grasp this offense and call the line blocking duties. Hmmmm.....

Just stay clear of the right side of the line, and he should be fine.


:lol:

steel9guy
09-15-2013, 07:03 PM
Anyone hope we go back to the pre Pouncey injury offense? With Beachum blocking as a tight end. We looked good with that.

60_MINUTES
09-15-2013, 08:28 PM
I agree it could be very interesting to see how we look with this guy over pouncey. I'm not so sure we won't play better up front. I also has not been impressed with pouncey the past couple years.

Psycho Ward 86
09-15-2013, 08:31 PM
I agree it could be very interesting to see how we look with this guy over pouncey. I'm not so sure we won't play better up front. I also has not been impressed with pouncey the past couple years.

jesus christ. they say you dont know what you have until you dont have it anymore. real talk.

60_MINUTES
09-15-2013, 09:06 PM
jesus christ. they say you dont know what you have until you dont have it anymore. real talk.


u maybe right. I'm not saying your not. But I'm just wondering if there maybe something to this football focus thing. They have pouncey as average to below. They actually have our new guy here rated higher. All in saying is I'm looking forward to seeing over the next few weeks how much drop off if any there is going to be. Look pouncey will want 8 mil a year. For a guy that seems to have nagging injuries and miss big games like the superbowl with injuries. I just wonder ?? Is he that good. U certainly thought so at first but have not been impressed as much last year.

I will say this. If nothing else what if velasco can step in this year and be solid. Not great but solid. Maybe that could open up the option of putting pouncey at left guard. That could end up being very solid. All I know is we have to do something or hope for something. The current line and past couple years has been pathetic.

jb500ex
09-16-2013, 12:09 AM
jesus christ. they say you dont know what you have until you dont have it anymore. real talk.
Yeah he's been the 16 th rated center the last two years. Velasco was rated higher we could very well just improved the line

60_MINUTES
09-16-2013, 11:03 PM
jesus christ. they say you dont know what you have until you dont have it anymore. real talk.


So what u think now ? I saw an upgrade at the center position and that's after 5 days of being on the team. Pouncey has been coasting on us, and there's no way in hell that I would pay 8 million for a guy wearing a hat trying to free a murder. Maybe pouncey can stay at guard for 4 or 5 mil a year. But no doubt about it velasco just proved a point . Pouncey has been slacking

Count Steeler
09-17-2013, 04:59 AM
So what u think now ? I saw an upgrade at the center position and that's after 5 days of being on the team. Pouncey has been coasting on us, and there's no way in hell that I would pay 8 million for a guy wearing a hat trying to free a murder. Maybe pouncey can stay at guard for 4 or 5 mil a year. But no doubt about it velasco just proved a point . Pouncey has been slacking

Give our coaching staff time to bring him down to our usual level.

zulater
09-17-2013, 11:48 AM
Valesco did a nice job last night. That's one problem solved anyway.

Any good tackles on the free agent market? I mean we got a legitimate center just like that, so why not a tackle? Not even saying you have to necessarily bench Adams or Gilbert, but a little push from behind from a veteran presence might go a long way to bridging their apparent concentration gaps?

- - - Updated - - -


Give our coaching staff time to bring him down to our usual level. :chuckle: And they say I'm negative.
:wink02:

LLT
09-17-2013, 02:38 PM
Valesco did a nice job last night. That's one problem solved anyway.

Any good tackles on the free agent market? I mean we got a legitimate center just like that, so why not a tackle? Not even saying you have to necessarily bench Adams or Gilbert, but a little push from behind from a veteran presence might go a long way to bridging their apparent concentration gaps?


Thats the correct question. "Are there Free Agent Tackles worth picking up who could provide depth"?

The answer is yes, but each have there own pros and cons...

Jared Gaither, Winston Justice, Wayne Hunter, Frank Omiyale, Sean Lockler, and Jammal Brown

zulater
09-17-2013, 04:30 PM
Thats the correct question. "Are there Free Agent Tackles worth picking up who could provide depth"?

The answer is yes, but each have there own pros and cons...

Jared Gaither, Winston Justice, Wayne Hunter, Frank Omiyale, Sean Lockler, and Jammal Brown

It would be nice if they would make a play for one of those guys then. Or maybe they think Beachum could push them a little? All I know is I hope they improve soon. Particularly Gilbert. I mean at garbage time you have to go to max protection and keep receivers out of the pattern to protect the edge on a 3 and 4 more man rushes because your tackles can't be trusted. Well that's just not good.

Mojouw
09-17-2013, 04:32 PM
No cap space to make a play for any of those guys. Why do you think Whimper is who they went to camp with. Not that those names really seem like upgrades anyways. One can only hope that playing time makes Adams better.

zulater
09-17-2013, 04:42 PM
No cap space to make a play for any of those guys. Why do you think Whimper is who they went to camp with. Not that those names really seem like upgrades anyways. One can only hope that playing time makes Adams better.

If they're unemployed wouldn't they sign for the vet minimum?

LLT
09-17-2013, 04:45 PM
No cap space to make a play for any of those guys. Why do you think Whimper is who they went to camp with. Not that those names really seem like upgrades anyways. One can only hope that playing time makes Adams better.

We were not talking about upgrades...talking about depth. And even then only as hypotheticals.

Craic
09-17-2013, 04:45 PM
It would be nice if they would make a play for one of those guys then. Or maybe they think Beachum could push them a little? All I know is I hope they improve soon. Particularly Gilbert. I mean at garbage time you have to go to max protection and keep receivers out of the pattern to protect the edge on a 3 and 4 more man rushes because your tackles can't be trusted. Well that's just not good.

Correction, your right tackle can't be trusted. Adams had a pretty dang good game last night, all things considered.

zulater
09-17-2013, 05:28 PM
Correction, your right tackle can't be trusted. Adams had a pretty dang good game last night, all things considered.

Good to hear that at least on of them is rounding into form. I still think there's a good chance Beachum replaces Gilbert before season's end.

jb500ex
09-17-2013, 05:48 PM
So what u think now ? I saw an upgrade at the center position and that's after 5 days of being on the team. Pouncey has been coasting on us, and there's no way in hell that I would pay 8 million for a guy wearing a hat trying to free a murder. Maybe pouncey can stay at guard for 4 or 5 mil a year. But no doubt about it velasco just proved a point . Pouncey has been slacking
Exactly that game by velas o was better than any game pouncey a had in years. It was a upgrade let the thug wannabe go

zulater
09-17-2013, 11:51 PM
Center Fernando Velasco was a bright spot on the offensive line despite the Steelers inability to run the ball. Velasco, who was signed a week ago and didn't start taking first-team snaps at practice until Friday, didn't allow a sack or a pressure against a pretty formidable Cincinnati defensive line. Velasco did particularly well helping out guards Ramon Foster and David DeCastro. One play early in the game, Velasco snapped the ball, helped Foster to the left, helped DeCastro to the right then scraped off and got to the second level to put a block on linebacker Vontez Burfict




Tackle Mike Adams and guard David DeCastro didn't have good games at all. DeCastro was pushed around a couple of times by Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins and Adams allowed four quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4717479-74/quarterback-steelers-dalton#ixzz2fDUwOE84
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

LLT
09-17-2013, 11:54 PM
Correction, your right tackle can't be trusted. Adams had a pretty dang good game last night, all things considered.

Spot on.

Craic
09-17-2013, 11:55 PM
Center Fernando Velasco was a bright spot on the offensive line despite the Steelers inability to run the ball. Velasco, who was signed a week ago and didn't start taking first-team snaps at practice until Friday, didn't allow a sack or a pressure against a pretty formidable Cincinnati defensive line. Velasco did particularly well helping out guards Ramon Foster and David DeCastro. One play early in the game, Velasco snapped the ball, helped Foster to the left, helped DeCastro to the right then scraped off and got to the second level to put a block on linebacker Vontez Burfict




Tackle Mike Adams and guard David DeCastro didn't have good games at all. DeCastro was pushed around a couple of times by Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins and Adams allowed four quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4717479-74/quarterback-steelers-dalton#ixzz2fDUwOE84
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook


That's funny. They focus on Adams, but completely ignore the screwups of Foster and Gilbert. For my money, Adams was probably the second best lineman out there last night. That's not saying much, of course, but still . . .

zulater
09-18-2013, 12:00 AM
That's funny. They focus on Adams, but completely ignore the screwups of Foster and Gilbert. For my money, Adams was probably the second best lineman out there last night. That's not saying much, of course, but still . . .

I'll get around to rewatching the game when the pain from it dulls a little more. But from what I gather the only o-lineman who really played any good was the new guy! And why the hell didn't they use Beachum as a third tight end ever to aid the running game?

Maybe they should make Velasco the new offensive line coach? :sarcasm:

LLT
09-18-2013, 12:07 AM
That's funny. They focus on Adams, but completely ignore the screwups of Foster and Gilbert. For my money, Adams was probably the second best lineman out there last night. That's not saying much, of course, but still . . .

On at least one of those plays Adams scraped the DE to the outside and then slid inside to the man he was supposed to block. The RB, who was responsible for the pickup, stepped up instead of out, and left the DE unblocked

Yes...a RB blocking a DE is a generally a bad idea...but it was a "timed play" and all the RB had to do was get in the DE's way...not sustain the block. The mistake was on the RB , not the Tackle as the announcer said. Just poor execution.

86WARD
09-18-2013, 06:49 AM
I'll get around to rewatching the game when the pain from it dulls a little more. But from what I gather the only o-lineman who really played any good was the new guy! And why the hell didn't they use Beachum as a third tight end ever to aid the running game?

Maybe they should make Velasco the new offensive line coach? :sarcasm:

Beachum was used twice! Power Run!!

Master Blaster
09-18-2013, 07:51 AM
And why the hell didn't they use Beachum as a third tight end ever to aid the running game?
The same can be asked as to why he started Redman. Tomlin always says that he wants to have the best players on the field. That is, clearly, fiction.

86WARD
09-18-2013, 09:07 AM
The same can be asked as to why he started Redman. Tomlin always says that he wants to have the best players on the field. That is, clearly, fiction.

Luckily Redman got concussed so he wasn't able to start! Good times.

Master Blaster
09-18-2013, 02:32 PM
Correction, your right tackle can't be trusted. Adams had a pretty dang good game last night, all things considered.
We are in agreement on this subject. I would prefer to see Beachum at RT over Gilbert.