polamalubeast
05-23-2016, 06:24 PM
Two years ago, Artie Burns and Sean Davis had virtually no shot at starting.
Even playing would've been a challenge, even for the top two rookies in the Steelers' draft class.
Now, they at least have a chance.
The Steelers on Tuesday open up their four-week voluntary but highly attended on-field organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, with a handful of holes in the secondary that could be filled by the Steelers' top two rookies.
When Keith Butler took over for veteran Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator last year, one of the most notable changes was Butler not bogging down the unit with the complexity of the defense. Instead, he simplified it and let players play. The volume of the playbook was scaled back dramatically to reduce mental errors, which allowed young players to get on the field sooner than in the past.
It had positive results.
Sacks went from 33 to 48; turnovers went from 21 to 30; and points allowed dropped almost four per game as the Steelers advanced to within three minutes of the AFC championship game despite an injury-riddled roster, Players such as rookie linebacker Bud Dupree and inexperienced cornerback Ross Cockrell saw plenty of playing time.
Veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats said Butler's approach was crucial to their success in 2015 and key to their plans in 2016.
“Coach LeBeau is going to challenge you more mentally in the sense of going into some games to have 30-40 calls, and you have to be able to execute them at a high level,” Moats told the Tribune-Review. “A lot of the younger guys couldn't get on the field right away because the mental complexity of it would be overwhelming for them.
“Coach Butler is more about simplifying things and let your ability take over. The younger guys can play faster because they don't have to think as much.”
read more
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/10503460-74/steelers-moats-butler
Even playing would've been a challenge, even for the top two rookies in the Steelers' draft class.
Now, they at least have a chance.
The Steelers on Tuesday open up their four-week voluntary but highly attended on-field organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, with a handful of holes in the secondary that could be filled by the Steelers' top two rookies.
When Keith Butler took over for veteran Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator last year, one of the most notable changes was Butler not bogging down the unit with the complexity of the defense. Instead, he simplified it and let players play. The volume of the playbook was scaled back dramatically to reduce mental errors, which allowed young players to get on the field sooner than in the past.
It had positive results.
Sacks went from 33 to 48; turnovers went from 21 to 30; and points allowed dropped almost four per game as the Steelers advanced to within three minutes of the AFC championship game despite an injury-riddled roster, Players such as rookie linebacker Bud Dupree and inexperienced cornerback Ross Cockrell saw plenty of playing time.
Veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats said Butler's approach was crucial to their success in 2015 and key to their plans in 2016.
“Coach LeBeau is going to challenge you more mentally in the sense of going into some games to have 30-40 calls, and you have to be able to execute them at a high level,” Moats told the Tribune-Review. “A lot of the younger guys couldn't get on the field right away because the mental complexity of it would be overwhelming for them.
“Coach Butler is more about simplifying things and let your ability take over. The younger guys can play faster because they don't have to think as much.”
read more
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/10503460-74/steelers-moats-butler