Steelers rookie LB Matthew Thomas went undrafted. But he's not lacking in confidence

[hawaiiansteeler]

Steelers rookie linebacker Matthew Thomas went undrafted. But he's not lacking in confidence

RAY FITTIPALDO
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
MAY 11, 2018

The Steelers raised a few eyebrows when they did not draft an inside linebacker, their biggest area of need after losing Pro Bowler Ryan Shazier to injury. But the Steelers did sign an intriguing undrafted free agent at the position, and he’s someone who will have an opportunity to make the roster this summer.

Former Florida State linebacker Matthew Thomas is one of 13 undrafted free agents the Steelers signed after the draft. He comes to the Steelers with a resume filled with high levels of production for one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but he also carries some off-the-field baggage, including some early suspensions and injuries that led to him being bypassed in the draft.

to read rest of article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2018/05/11/Steelers-Matthew-Thomas-Jonathan-Bostic-Vince-Williams-inside-linebacker-NFL-draft/stories/201805110138

[BlackAndGold]

Really hope he develops. He's a very talented player.

[st33lersguy]

He should be able to at least make the roster given how thin the ILB position is.

[teegre]

Thomas had the highest SPARQ score of any ILB in the draft (148.6).

[Fire Goodell]

Thomas had the highest SPARQ score of any ILB in the draft (148.6).

Wonder how an insider backer with this much talent doesn't at least get drafted in the 7th round. But awesome, we need all the help we can get at ILB

[BlackAndGold]

Thomas had the highest SPARQ score of any ILB in the draft (148.6).

If he can mature and put it all together, man he could be good.

Also, we've been pretty good with Florida State Linebackers, hopefully he's next.

[teegre]

Wonder how an insider backer with this much talent doesn't at least get drafted in the 7th round. But awesome, we need all the help we can get at ILB

Good question.

Right after the 2017 draft, Matthews was listed as a sure-fire, top 15 pick in the 2018 draft. Then, he plummeted. If he can get even half of that mojo back, we have ourselves a steal.

Oh... and a correction. His SPARQ score was the highest of ANY linebacker in the draft (inside and outside).

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If he can mature and put it all together, man he could be good.

No risk / high reward

[pczach]

Here's a quick draft breakdown that they have of Thomas at NFL.com:

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/MATTHEW-THOMAS?id=32462018-0002-5598-86e2-43ff05f442ff

[Dwinsgames]

Here's a quick draft breakdown that they have of Thomas at NFL.com:

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/MATTHEW-THOMAS?id=32462018-0002-5598-86e2-43ff05f442ff



quite a few lights have to turn on quickly if he is to ever make an impact for anything more than special teams ...

maybe he gets a Hub implant ..... Alexa turn on all the lights

[DesertSteel]

quite a few lights have to turn on quickly if he is to ever make an impact for anything more than special teams ...

maybe he gets a Hub implant ..... Alexa turn on all the lights
How do you explain his productivity the past two seasons, leading his team in tackles?

[Dwinsgames]

How do you explain his productivity the past two seasons, leading his team in tackles?


he plays back , watch his tape he lets the ball come to him he is not an attack athlete / read diagnose is not his forte ... that is a huge missing piece in the nfl game

Larry Foote accumulated a ton of tackles too 5 yards beyond the LOS , and was always considered a guy needing to be upgraded because of it

[pczach]

quite a few lights have to turn on quickly if he is to ever make an impact for anything more than special teams ...

maybe he gets a Hub implant ..... Alexa turn on all the lights



He has some real work to do from a personal standpoint IMO. He has many physical gifts, but he hasn't shown that he can figure out how to attack the game from a mental and psychological standpoint.

I wish this kid the best. Losing his mom was a real blow. I know I would have been reeling if it had been me too, but he needs to find a way to focus all his energy into putting everything together in his life and becoming the sum of his parts.

Hopefully he has matured and finds a way to maximize his abilities. His talent is staggering.

[Dwinsgames]

as a side note , I really hope this kids finds his way .... not trying to dog him in any way but it would be foolish to over look his flaws and blindly think because he is an athletic freak he will play great football ..

he has warts 32 teams had a shot at him many times over and yet we got him as an UDFA ( I had him in the 7th round in our mock draft contest here ) so there is plenty to like at the cost and I am thrilled to have him because he is well worth the almost nonexistent risk and he could turn into a gem ...

that said I just am not going to bank on it coming to fruition but I sure hope it does

[DesertSteel]

he plays back , watch his tape he lets the ball come to him he is not an attack athlete / read diagnose is not his forte ... that is a huge missing piece in the nfl game

Larry Foote accumulated a ton of tackles too 5 yards beyond the LOS , and was always considered a guy needing to be upgraded because of it
I haven't watched and probably won't, so I'll take your word for it. That said, the only possible excuse would be that's what FSU wanted him to do, to some degree. Some of these great college coaches aren't that great IMO. His athleticism is off the charts so I hope he gets it together.

[GBMelBlount]

as a side note , I really hope this kids finds his way ....

not trying to dog him in any way but it would be foolish to over look his flaws and blindly think because he is an athletic freak he will play great football ..

he has warts 32 teams had a shot at him many times over and yet we got him as an UDFA ( I had him in the 7th round in our mock draft contest here ) so there is plenty to like at the cost and I am thrilled to have him because he is well worth the almost nonexistent risk and he could turn into a gem ...

that said I just am not going to bank on it coming to fruition but I sure hope it does

Like Burfict?

[Shoes]

Like Burfict?


you're reading my mind! :lol:

[Dwinsgames]

Like Burfict?


nah Burfict is on a whole other planet , he is just a ruthless dirty player with no moral compass on the football field ...

Thomas has some off field stuff but nothing to alarming , he went through a lot I sorta get it ... my whole thing is the on field issues/holes in his game if you will ... if he can somehow have the light go on in this system I am all for it ....

if you took Dirty Reds instincts and feel for the game and gave him Thomas's athletic ability you would have the mold of a perfect ILB that everyone would want

[Shoes]

nah Burfict is on a whole other planet , he is just a ruthless dirty player with no moral compass on the football field ...

Thomas has some off field stuff but nothing to alarming , he went through a lot I sorta get it ... my whole thing is the on field issues/holes in his game if you will ... if he can somehow have the light go on in this system I am all for it ....

if you took Dirty Reds instincts and feel for the game and gave him Thomas's athletic ability you would have the mold of a perfect ILB that everyone would want

I was thinking Burfict with out this part.

[ALLD]

He could follow the path of James Harrison or he could be working for UPS.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Wonder how an insider backer with this much talent doesn't at least get drafted in the 7th round.

As per Lance Zeirline at NFL.com


Thomas is lacking in many of the areas teams covet in linebacker play. His instincts are poor, he doesn't always play with a competitive demeanor, he's not a downhill player and he lacks play strength and productivity for the position. However, Thomas does possess a long frame with outstanding play speed and the potential to make plays. It's his athletic traits and "potential" that will give him a shot as a WILL linebacker who will need to excel on special teams to stick with a team long-term.

[Dwinsgames]

As per Lance Zeirline at NFL.com


Thomas is lacking in many of the areas teams covet in linebacker play. His instincts are poor, he doesn't always play with a competitive demeanor, he's not a downhill player and he lacks play strength and productivity for the position. However, Thomas does possess a long frame with outstanding play speed and the potential to make plays. It's his athletic traits and "potential" that will give him a shot as a WILL linebacker who will need to excel on special teams to stick with a team long-term.


actually that's a damn good take

[DesertSteel]

Maybe the light goes on now that he knows his livelihood is on the line, hanging by a undrafted free agent thread? We can hope...

[Dwinsgames]

Maybe the light goes on now that he knows his livelihood is on the line, hanging by a undrafted free agent thread? We can hope...


oh definitely can hope ..I actually think he has a decent shot at making the team for what one would think would be ST ability if nothing else ... but its all a guess at this point ...but if that light comes on ??? oh boy

[teegre]

Here’s what is interesting...

Tyler Matakevich:
Great football smarts, good instincts, not very athletic, poor speed = tackles made 5 yards downfield

Matthew Thomas:
Awful football smarts, poor instincts, very athletic, great speed = tackles made 5 yards downfield

SUMMATION:
Yes... let’s meld them into one human: Matthekevich.

[Dwinsgames]

we had comparisons of polar opposites thus ....

- We all Knew Teegre would use the word SUMMATION and tie it up in a nice neat little package before the thread ended

Thanks for being on time buddy :drink:

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

we had comparisons of polar opposites thus ....

- We all Knew Teegre would use the word SUMMATION and tie it up in a nice neat little package before the thread ended

Thanks for being on time buddy :drink:

:rofl: great call, it was gonna happen.

BTW, I love that word Summation. I use it all the time, like Uzbekistan is summation in Europe that I cant find on a map. :wink02:

[teegre]

we had comparisons of polar opposites thus ....

- We all Knew Teegre would use the word SUMMATION and tie it up in a nice neat little package before the thread ended

Thanks for being on time buddy :drink:


:applaudit:

[hawaiiansteeler]

Maybe the light goes on now that he knows his livelihood is on the line, hanging by a undrafted free agent thread?

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/995008087315697665/iFuVyLro?format=jpg&name=800x419

[hawaiiansteeler]

Can Steelers ILB Matthew Thomas prove his athleticism?

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Monday, July 23, 2018

With Steelers training camp opening this week, the Trib is spotlighting a handful of the 90 attendees who might not be big names but who are fighting for a roster spot and potentially could make an impact on the 2018 team. This is the first in that series that will run leading into reporting day at St. Vincent College on Wednesday.

When the Steelers didn’t take an inside linebacker with their first-round pick April 26, most assumed they’d end up with one over the next two days of the draft.

Technically, those people were correct: while the Steelers did not draft a linebacker this year, they did acquire one by the end of the day of the draft’s final four rounds.

And that player was one of the most physically-gifted inside linebackers available.

to read rest of article:

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13893007-74/ilb-matthew-thomas-has-shaziertimmons-type-athleticism-but-can-he-show-it-for

[hawaiiansteeler]

Film Room: Matthew Thomas Shows Speed

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on August 13, 2018

Due in part to the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers ended up coming out of the 2018 NFL Draft emptyhanded at the inside linebacker position, rookie college free agent Matthew Thomas has emerged as one of the players that fans have been most excited to see.

A young, talented, and athletic linebacker out of Florida State, Thomas saw his draft stock tumble far enough to fall out of the draft due in large part to things that occurred outside of the field, but the Steelers were willing to give him an opportunity as a free agent.

They reportedly wanted to get a long look at him during the spring, and he has received plenty of opportunities to play so far during training camp. He ran quite a bit in the second half of the Steelers’ preseason opener on Thursday against he Eagles as well, and he showed some positive indications that will give him a chance to make the roster.

to read rest of article:

https://steelersdepot.com/2018/08/film-room-matthew-thomas-shows-speed/

[HollywoodSteel]

Maybe I’m an optimist (believe me, that will change during the actual games) but I have hope for the kid.

The light might not “turn on” all at once when it comes to football IQ, but that’s kind of normal for ANY young inside linebacker on our team. Timmons sat for a year, Shazier took awhile too...

The biggest hurdle the kid really has to face is the “want to” part. It’s the desire. The fire.

He was absolutely lacking that fire before now... and I’m sure that had a lot to do with off the field stuff. He also lacks the other stuff Dwins pointed out, but I believe those things can be learned... IF the player REALLY wants. He can only
Learn the technical football stuff at the NFL level if the fire is lit.

From what I’ve read and seen, I think that fire HAS been lit. I think he’s still gonna struggle the way ALL our rookie ILBs struggle. I’m not saying I’m sure that his fire is lit. I’m not SURE he can be mentally tough enough to work through this part... the part where he can’t just get by on his athleticism.

But if he WANTS IT bad enough he can be good. Maybe not right away...

But that brings me to a slightly different point: there was SO much talk about us not drafting the great Shazier replacement this year to fix our woes... even if we had traded up for the best inside linebacker in draft... would people really think that guy would be the difference between champions or non champions THIS YEAR.

Even if we redrafted Shazier HIMSELF as a rookie... he was nowhere NEAR the player he became in 2017. Our short term problem was unsolvable by the draft. I’m not saying we couldn’t have done something better, like make some incredible trade or whatever... but as far as 2018 goes, no rookie was totally gonna solve the problem.

Am I way off base?

[pczach]

Maybe I’m an optimist (believe me, that will change during the actual games) but I have hope for the kid.

The light might not “turn on” all at once when it comes to football IQ, but that’s kind of normal for ANY young inside linebacker on our team. Timmons sat for a year, Shazier took awhile too...

The biggest hurdle the kid really has to face is the “want to” part. It’s the desire. The fire.

He was absolutely lacking that fire before now... and I’m sure that had a lot to do with off the field stuff. He also lacks the other stuff Dwins pointed out, but I believe those things can be learned... IF the player REALLY wants. He can only
Learn the technical football stuff at the NFL level if the fire is lit.

From what I’ve read and seen, I think that fire HAS been lit. I think he’s still gonna struggle the way ALL our rookie ILBs struggle. I’m not saying I’m sure that his fire is lit. I’m not SURE he can be mentally tough enough to work through this part... the part where he can’t just get by on his athleticism.

But if he WANTS IT bad enough he can be good. Maybe not right away...

But that brings me to a slightly different point: there was SO much talk about us not drafting the great Shazier replacement this year to fix our woes... even if we had traded up for the best inside linebacker in draft... would people really think that guy would be the difference between champions or non champions THIS YEAR.

Even if we redrafted Shazier HIMSELF as a rookie... he was nowhere NEAR the player he became in 2017. Our short term problem was unsolvable by the draft. I’m not saying we couldn’t have done something better, like make some incredible trade or whatever... but as far as 2018 goes, no rookie was totally gonna solve the problem.

Am I way off base?



I don't know if you're way of base or not. We need to see much more from him before I can make a determination about him. He has a long way to go, but he did some good things in the Eagles game.

First off....if he doesn't start hustling on every play and running to the ball all over the field until the whistle blows....he's got no shot. Nobody is going to take a chance developing someone that doesn't even hustle and takes himself out of plays. He does have a tendency to do that.

From a recognition standpoint, I just haven't seen enough from him to know. He's young, and nearly everyone struggles with recognition of plays and assignments as a rookie. He struggled with that in college as well. I'm not saying he can't do it. I'm saying he needs to show consistent effort and start to show the ability to diagnose plays and explode to the ball and make a play in the backfield or right at the line of scrimmage.

I really don't think we have seen enough to know. I hope you're right, and the kid's light has gone on. I haven't really seen anything concrete to say that has happened at this point.

I'm in wait-and-see mode with him.

[HollywoodSteel]

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13969594-74/intriguing-steelers-rookie-ilb-matthew-thomas-takes-practice-reps-at-outside-linebacker

They are trying him out at OLB too. Might just be a lack of bodies there.

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Sorry that didn’t post title of article I linked to:

Intriguing Steelers rookie ILB Matthew Thomas takes practice reps at outside linebacker

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13969594-74/intriguing-steelers-rookie-ilb-matthew-thomas-takes-practice-reps-at-outside-linebacker

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https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13969594-74/intriguing-steelers-rookie-ilb-matthew-thomas-takes-practice-reps-at-outside-linebacker

They are trying him out at OLB too. Might just be a lack of bodies there.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry that didn’t post title of article I linked to:

Intriguing Steelers rookie ILB Matthew Thomas takes practice reps at outside linebacker

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13969594-74/intriguing-steelers-rookie-ilb-matthew-thomas-takes-practice-reps-at-outside-linebacker

I don’t know if I’m supposed to start a new thread with a new article. But it seemed appropriate here.

[hawaiiansteeler]

https://triblive.com/sports/steelers/13969594-74/intriguing-steelers-rookie-ilb-matthew-thomas-takes-practice-reps-at-outside-linebacker

They are trying him out at OLB too. Might just be a lack of bodies there.


Tomlin likes position versatility, Thomas will have a much higher chance of making the 53 man roster if he can play both inside and outside.