hawaiiansteeler
05-28-2016, 10:31 PM
Steelers cornerbacks corps gets near-complete overhaul
Chris Adamski BY CHRIS ADAMSKI | Saturday, May 28, 2016
http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=ymzCc hr85Q_Ts6cwo8RpZs$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYuJYaI99SWll44 K_ciJBelwWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg
William Gay, wearing now-retired Troy Polamalu’s No. 43, practices during organized team activities Wednesday, May 25, 2016, on the South Side.
Changes at CB
The Steelers' depth chart at cornerback has changed dramatically over the past nine months:
Aug. 2015 May 2016
William Gay William Gay
Cortez Allen Ross Cockrell
Antwon Blake Senquez Golson
Brandon Boykin Artie Burns
Doran Grant Doran Grant
B.W. Webb Donald Washington
Kevin Fogg Al-Hajj Shabazz
Steelers cornerbacks are well aware of the team's passing defense statistics from last season.
Even if few of them were here when those statistics were compiled.
Steelers opponents averaged 271.9 passing yards in 2015, third worst in the NFL. The Steelers were one of two teams that ranked below 20th in that category and qualified for the playoffs.
“You understand that we gave up a lot of yards last year,” cornerback Ross Cockrell said, “so we're going to improve upon that as best we can.
“One thing we know, to be a good defense, you can't just let people go up and down the field on you, especially through the air.”
That happened far too often last season — even if, because of a dynamic offense, the Steelers many times were able to overcome it and finish 10-6. Opposing quarterbacks topped 300 passing yards in seven of their final 12 games.
Partially as a result, the Steelers revamped their cornerbacks corps over the offseason. Circumstance aided that endeavor. Three of their top four cornerbacks at the end of the season were unrestricted free agents, and another player who missed the 2015 season is back from injury.
The group of cornerbacks they're using for the ongoing three weeks of organized team activities barely resembles the unit that was taking part in training camp at St. Vincent last August.
Of the seven cornerbacks on the roster, just two were on the roster for the Steelers' final preseason game in 2015: William Gay and Doran Grant. Gay is the lone carryover from the top four at the position on the depth chart from the latter stages of this past preseason.
to read rest of article:
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/10534939-74/steelers-season-cornerbacks
Chris Adamski BY CHRIS ADAMSKI | Saturday, May 28, 2016
http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=ymzCc hr85Q_Ts6cwo8RpZs$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYuJYaI99SWll44 K_ciJBelwWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg
William Gay, wearing now-retired Troy Polamalu’s No. 43, practices during organized team activities Wednesday, May 25, 2016, on the South Side.
Changes at CB
The Steelers' depth chart at cornerback has changed dramatically over the past nine months:
Aug. 2015 May 2016
William Gay William Gay
Cortez Allen Ross Cockrell
Antwon Blake Senquez Golson
Brandon Boykin Artie Burns
Doran Grant Doran Grant
B.W. Webb Donald Washington
Kevin Fogg Al-Hajj Shabazz
Steelers cornerbacks are well aware of the team's passing defense statistics from last season.
Even if few of them were here when those statistics were compiled.
Steelers opponents averaged 271.9 passing yards in 2015, third worst in the NFL. The Steelers were one of two teams that ranked below 20th in that category and qualified for the playoffs.
“You understand that we gave up a lot of yards last year,” cornerback Ross Cockrell said, “so we're going to improve upon that as best we can.
“One thing we know, to be a good defense, you can't just let people go up and down the field on you, especially through the air.”
That happened far too often last season — even if, because of a dynamic offense, the Steelers many times were able to overcome it and finish 10-6. Opposing quarterbacks topped 300 passing yards in seven of their final 12 games.
Partially as a result, the Steelers revamped their cornerbacks corps over the offseason. Circumstance aided that endeavor. Three of their top four cornerbacks at the end of the season were unrestricted free agents, and another player who missed the 2015 season is back from injury.
The group of cornerbacks they're using for the ongoing three weeks of organized team activities barely resembles the unit that was taking part in training camp at St. Vincent last August.
Of the seven cornerbacks on the roster, just two were on the roster for the Steelers' final preseason game in 2015: William Gay and Doran Grant. Gay is the lone carryover from the top four at the position on the depth chart from the latter stages of this past preseason.
to read rest of article:
http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/10534939-74/steelers-season-cornerbacks