Steelers sticking with Marcus Gilbert

[Shoes]

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said right tackle Marcus Gilbert is not in danger of losing his starting job despite giving up four sacks through the first two weeks of the season.

“I’m not concerned about Marcus and his ability to rebound,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “I expect him to come back fighting like Rocky.”

I'll bet Ben is concerned, Mike. Didn't they say something like this about Mike Adams?


http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...marcus-gilbert

[Steelerette]

What's he supposed to say? "Our guy sucks but we forgot to have a serviceable backup on the roster. It is what it is."

[Count Steeler]

Munchak's first real test. Ben can't afford another big hit.

[Shoes]

What's he supposed to say? "Our guy sucks but we forgot to have a serviceable backup on the roster. It is what it is."

How about the truth.

[Steelerette]

Munchak's first real test. Ben can't afford another big hit.

I think Munchak can still do a lot for the organization but, he didn't quite inherit a hero squad. I wonder what kind of draft input he's going to have after having a season under his belt.

[GBMelBlount]

Being a hall of famer Munchak may also be dismayed with the lack of heroes in general....

[Texasteel]

Now, I have not seen any of the Steelers practices, but, just what has Gilbert done in a game that has earned such confidence?

I can still see him rolled on his back by a much smaller man, and almost sacking Ben himself.

[ALLD]

Now, I have not seen any of the Steelers practices, but, just what has Gilbert done in a game that has earned such confidence?

I can still see him rolled on his back by a much smaller man, and almost sacking Ben himself.

Might be like when Carolina gave Jake Delhomme that big contract as motivation and he choked.

[Texasteel]

Might be like when Carolina gave Jake Delhomme that big contract as motivation and he choked.

In other words, we gave a mediocre player a larger contract so he can fell more comfortable, and not work so hard. I guess we were worried if he went to another team he wouldn't make enough.

[st33lersguy]

This is why you don't give an unproven player a big contract. I hope everyone on this board who said this was a good move take note

[Texasteel]

I don't really want to keep hammering on the young man, but I can still see him on his back at the feet of the QB he was suppose to be protecting.

[GBMelBlount]

In other words, we gave a mediocre player a larger contract so he can fell more comfortable, and not work so hard.

Well he seems to fit in with the rest of the team pretty well, why rock the boat?

[Shoes]

Well he seems to fit in with the rest of the team pretty well, why rock the boat?

[Psycho Ward 86]

This is why you don't give an unproven player a big contract. I hope everyone on this board who said this was a good move take note

Thats far too polarizing of an answer to be accurate imo. Giving an unproven player a big contract is opinionated and completely situational. You have to lock up some safe contracts AND mix in some riskier ones if you want to thrive in this league. Not every player plays up to their potential in their 1st year. Or even their 2nd year. Or even their 3rd year. You end up with a lot of players who havent shown "enough" until the final year of their contract or something of that sort to get a big contract. You have to pick and choose those who are worth it. If you dont, you better have a stacked team thats pretty much flawless at drafting every year and hardly needs free agency and thats not going to happen.

Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are good examples of what happens when you lock people up way earlier than you probably "need to." They are probably two of the most awesome bargains at their respective positions in the NFL.

Keenan Lewis is a good example of what happens when you refuse to acknowledge the ceiling of a player's ability. Yeah yeah, the saints defense is doing badly the 1st 2 games of the season. So what? They were dominant last season, especially their 2nd ranked pass defense and keenan lewis was a big part of that, even after jabrari greer and kenny vacarro went down.

Woodley is a good example of what happens when you think a player is better than he really is. he's the type of player you dont want to extend that you are probably talking about. i dont think this one needs to be explained.

Mike Wallace is a good example of what happens when a baby back bitch thinks he's better than he really is and the front office is smart enough to laugh it off.

if we were to go back in time and sign all of these guys, it would have been a disaster. if we didnt sign any of them, that would have been a disaster too.

[st33lersguy]

Thats far too polarizing of an answer to be accurate imo. Giving an unproven player a big contract is opinionated and completely situational. You have to lock up some safe contracts AND mix in some riskier ones if you want to thrive in this league. Not every player plays up to their potential in their 1st year. Or even their 2nd year. Or even their 3rd year. You end up with a lot of players who havent shown "enough" until the final year of their contract or something of that sort to get a big contract. You have to pick and choose those who are worth it. If you dont, you better have a stacked team thats pretty much flawless at drafting every year and hardly needs free agency and thats not going to happen.

Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are good examples of what happens when you lock people up way earlier than you probably "need to." They are probably two of the most awesome bargains at their respective positions in the NFL.

Keenan Lewis is a good example of what happens when you refuse to acknowledge the ceiling of a player's ability. Yeah yeah, the saints defense is doing badly the 1st 2 games of the season. So what? They were dominant last season, especially their 2nd ranked pass defense and keenan lewis was a big part of that, even after jabrari greer and kenny vacarro went down.

Woodley is a good example of what happens when you think a player is better than he really is. he's the type of player you dont want to extend that you are probably talking about. i dont think this one needs to be explained.

Mike Wallace is a good example of what happens when a baby back bitch thinks he's better than he really is and the front office is smart enough to laugh it off.

if we were to go back in time and sign all of these guys, it would have been a disaster. if we didnt sign any of them, that would have been a disaster too.

There is a clear difference between the Woodley, Ben, and AB contracts and the Gilbert contract, the main one being all three had been to the pro bowl and had had at least one really good season and had already proven they could play at a high level before their big paydays unlike Gilbert. Ben was the franchise QB who had led them to their first Superbowl in 26 years and when he signed his contract was coming off a year in which he threw 32 TDs and made the pro bowl. Woodley at the time he signed his contract, had compiled 35 sacks the past 3 years (his only 3 full years as a starter), and was named to the pro bowl. Based on his most recent production prior, it looked like a no-brainer at the time, and no one could have predicted his production would have declined the way it did. AB while not as established was at least coming off a year in which he had 1,000 receiving yards and 1,000 return yards. Comparing the situation with Gilbert to that of Woodley and Ben is absurd, Brown more understandable but at least he had proven himself. Plus the main problem with Keenan Lewis in free agency was that he prefered to play in his hometown while Wallace raised concerns with the way he tailed off in the final half of 2011 and while having some drops along the way.

[GBMelBlount]

You have to lock up some safe contracts AND mix in some riskier ones if you want to thrive in this league.

I just don't see how overpaying and locking up an apparently mediocre player is a recipe for "thriving" in this league.

I hope I am wrong.

[Psycho Ward 86]

There is a clear difference between the Woodley, Ben, and AB contracts and the Gilbert contract, the main one being all three had been to the pro bowl and had had at least one really good season and had already proven they could play at a high level before their big paydays unlike Gilbert. Ben was the franchise QB who had led them to their first Superbowl in 26 years and when he signed his contract was coming off a year in which he threw 32 TDs and made the pro bowl. Woodley at the time he signed his contract, had compiled 35 sacks the past 3 years (his only 3 full years as a starter), and was named to the pro bowl. Based on his most recent production prior, it looked like a no-brainer at the time, and no one could have predicted his production would have declined the way it did. AB while not as established was at least coming off a year in which he had 1,000 receiving yards and 1,000 return yards. Comparing the situation with Gilbert to that of Woodley and Ben is absurd, Brown more understandable but at least he had proven himself. Plus the main problem with Keenan Lewis in free agency was that he prefered to play in his hometown while Wallace raised concerns with the way he tailed off in the final half of 2011 and while having some drops along the way.

i wasnt comparing those contracts, i was differentiating them. you are also only observing the precedent in a lot of those contracts and not the results. all im saying is there are no absolutes in how to treat someones contract.

im going to reserve my judgement on gilbert until the end of the season but so far he's looking like early 2013 mike adams. ugh.

[Craic]

I wasn't impressed with Gilbert from day one, and personally, think we'd be better off sticking Adams at Right Tackle and letting him work through his issues there. At least, Adams is a good run-blocker and can sometimes plow the road for a RB. Sure, he has his protection issues, too. But at this point, when we're back to using the run to set up the pass (or, at least it looks as though we're trying to do that), having a better run blocker in makes sense, IMO.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I wasn't impressed with Gilbert from day one, and personally, think we'd be better off sticking Adams at Right Tackle and letting him work through his issues there. At least, Adams is a good run-blocker and can sometimes plow the road for a RB. Sure, he has his protection issues, too. But at this point, when we're back to using the run to set up the pass (or, at least it looks as though we're trying to do that), having a better run blocker in makes sense, IMO.

i still remember mike adams pancaking mario williams against the bills last season

[Craic]

i still remember mike adams pancaking mario williams against the bills last season

Yep.

In hindsight, I don't think the O line of the previous years with Cowher were much better than what we have now. I think that instead, we had an o line that could shoot out and demolish people, and then when they didn't, when they held back because it was a pass play, it took a second for the D-line to recover and come charging in. I don't know, but maybe that's what we need to go back to, just a much more balanced offense where the D line has to think "run first," which will take half to a second of pressure off the o line.

I fully admit I could be completely wrong here, as I'm making assumptions on decade old memories, but . . .

[BigNastyDefense]

Yep.

In hindsight, I don't think the O line of the previous years with Cowher were much better than what we have now. I think that instead, we had an o line that could shoot out and demolish people, and then when they didn't, when they held back because it was a pass play, it took a second for the D-line to recover and come charging in. I don't know, but maybe that's what we need to go back to, just a much more balanced offense where the D line has to think "run first," which will take half to a second of pressure off the o line.

I fully admit I could be completely wrong here, as I'm making assumptions on decade old memories, but . . .

I think what we had then wasn't quite what you described, but pretty damn close. They were first-and-foremost road graders. They could knock any defensive lineman on his ass. They could also move and block down the field on run plays.

However, I think they were also, for the most part, above average pass blockers. Because when it was 3rd-and-7 the defense knew it was going to be a passing down, and I remember our o-line being able to create a pocket for Big Ben, and it wasn't because the d-line was timid at first.

[Craic]

I think what we had then wasn't quite what you described, but pretty damn close. They were first-and-foremost road graders. They could knock any defensive lineman on his ass. They could also move and block down the field on run plays.

However, I think they were also, for the most part, above average pass blockers. Because when it was 3rd-and-7 the defense knew it was going to be a passing down, and I remember our o-line being able to create a pocket for Big Ben, and it wasn't because the d-line was timid at first.

Timid? No. Tired? Yes. Have to take half a second to readjust? Possibly. But the line of O4, for instance, had Oliver Ross and Keydrick Vincent, neither of whom were anything more than journeyman after leaving the team that year. The Left side had Smith, Faneca, and Hartings. However, I'd argue that we have their equivalent in Pouncey and DeCastro (opposite side, but...) We also have a better all around TE now.