Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

August 25, 2009
By John DeWald

This is Part 9 in a series.  If you haven’t read the previous installments, please click below:

Part 1:  Defensive linemen

Part 2:  Linebackers

Part 3:  Safeties

Part 4: Cornerbacks

Part 5: Quarterbacks

Part 6: Running backs

Part 7: Wide receivers

Part 8: Tight ends

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the offensive line.   Regardless of what Bruce Arians might think, the offensive line did not have a good year in 2008.  During the off-season, they lost their best (although often injured) lineman in Marvell Smith, as well as Kendall Simmons.  The incumbent starters entering training camp are (from left to right) Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig, Stapleton, and Colon.   Added to this are 9 other veterans, rookies, and practice squad players.  Last year the Steelers carried 9 linemen on the active roster and, in all likelihood, they will do the same this year.  So, we are looking at 14 players fighting for 9 spots on the 53-man roster.

Although the line is a much maligned unit, there is ample reason for hope.   Once the current line was in place, they steadily improved throughout the year.  Continuity is very important in line-play, so with an off-season and training camp under their belts, the Steelers obviously hope their play will continue to improve (otherwise they wouldn’t have spent so much money keeping them).  The Steelers would also like to see some of the young backups step up and push the starters.  Without further ado, here are the prospective linemen.

Max Starks – The starting left tackle was a bit of a joke at the start of last season when, as the transition player, he couldn’t even crack the starting lineup.  He more than proved his worth, however, when Marvell Smith went down with back problems.  Starks stepped in and played solid for the rest of the year.  This off-season the Steelers were so thin at tackle (all 4 tackles were either restricted or unrestricted free agents) that he was designated as the franchise player.  Most thought that this would actually act as an impediment to a long term contract since he was guaranteed $8 million for 2009 under the franchise tag.  In June, however, he signed a 4-year contract for $27 million, which is quite respectable for a starting left tackle.

Chris Kemoeatu – is a big, strong, nasty, mauling guard…with occasional temper issues.  He also commits far too many penalties and mental mistakes.  The saving grace is that he is young and this was his first year as a starter.  After signing him to a 5-year $20 million contract, the Steelers obviously hope his play improves.  This contract, however (unlike Kendall Simmons’ contract), had a modest $3.885 million signing bonus, so it offers an inexpensive “out” should Kemo fail to live up to expectations.

Justin Hartwig – is the old man of the group at 30.  He was signed as a free agent last year and was a noticeable upgrade over Sean Mahan.  Probably best known for the safety he committed during the Super Bowl, he actually had a very solid year.  If anything, the biggest knock against him is that he is not Webster, Dawson, or Hartings.  Over 30 years of excellence at the center position creates high expectations.

Darnell Stapleton – was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2008 draft.  He made the team last year as a backup center and proceeded to beat out Trai Essex for the right guard position after Simmons went down.  Stapleton played extremely well for an undrafted free agent just one year out of college.  Coming into camp he was set to compete with Essex and  Urbik.  Unfortunately for Darnell , he suffered a knee injury at the beginning of camp and had to undergo  arthroscopic surgery.  This will essentially keep him out of camp and he will likely lose his starting job as long as either Essex or Urbik prove competent.

Willie Colon – Willie “false start” Colon, the starting right tackle, did not have a very good year last year.  In fact many analysts feel he would make a better guard than tackle.  Even so, as a restricted free agent, he was offered a first round tender at roughly $2 Million.   This is relatively cheap for a starting tackle and, as Colon is still young, the Steelers obviously hope he will improve.  If he does improve, they can sign him long term.   If not, they can let him go or move him inside to guard at a lower cost.  So far in Camp, Zierlein and Arians have been raving about Colon – let’s hope that is an indication of his play and not simply an attempt to pump up his confidence.

Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig , Stapleton , and Colon are all locks to make the team.  That leaves 9 people fighting for the 4 remaining spots.

Trai Essex -  A 3rd round pick in 2005, he has been a top backup but has never shown enough to crack the starting roster.  Able to play tackle and guard, he was resigned this off-season to a 2 year deal for about $1 Mill/year – respectable for a guy who can backup multiple positions.  This year, with Stapleton out,  he has staked a strong claim to the starting right guard position and appears light years ahead of Urbik.  If he maintains his play throughout the pre-season he could keep the starting job even after Stapleton returns.  In any case, he seems to have a roster spot locked up.

Kraig Urbik – The guard out of Wisconsin was the Steelers’ first 3rd round pick in this year’s draft.  Urbik has the size and pedigree to be a dominant guard, but it appeared during camp that he is a bit over-matched right now.  He needs time to adjust to the speed of the NFL and, as a high 3rd round pick, the Steelers will likely give that to him.  Urbik may never see the field this year but I project that he will make the team.

Tony Hills – Selected by the Steelers in the 4th round in 2008, last year was essentially a red-shirt year for Hills.  This year he needs to show more to make the team.  Lucky for him the team is rather shallow at tackle.  As Steelers Today has reported, Hills did not start camp off very well.  His play, however, has steadily improved and he appeared to hold his own in the first pre-season game.  He is competing against Jason Capizzi and Jeremy Parquet for the last tackle spot.  I see it coming down between Hills and Capizzi, with Hills currently holding the edge.

Jason Capizzi – played at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is from Gibsonia, Pa.  He was originally signed by the Steelers as a rookie free agent in 2007. He has bounced around on the practice squad of a number of teams before being resigned by the Steelers last December (after Marvell went on IR). He has put in a lot of work in the off-season and is fighting Hills and Parquet for the last tackle spot.  As mentioned above, I believe Hills currently has the edge and Capizzi really needs to impress if he wants to overtake him.

Jeremy Parquet – A 7th round pick in 2005 by the KC Chiefs, Parquet spent time with the Rams before joining the Steelers in 2007.  He was promoted to the active roster in October of last year.  I don’t believe he is eligible for the practice squad anymore so he will probably be on the outside looking in when the cuts come in.

Ramon Foster – was signed this year as an undrafted free agent.   He was a 4 year starter for Tennessee at tackle but projects as a guard in the NFL.  The book on Foster is that he is BIG and could develop into a pounding  guard (or play right tackle in a pinch) but that his footwork is slow.  Foster has impressed during camp and has a decent shot to win the final roster spot.  If not, they will definitely try to sign him to the practice squad.

Doug Legursky – played center for Marshall in College and was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008.  He spent part of last year on the practice squad but was never added to the active roster.   He is competing against A.Q. Shipley, Alex Stepanovich, and Foster for the final backup center/guard spot.  As mentioned above, I believe Foster currently has the edge to make the active roster and Legursky’s fight is primarily against Shipley to make the practice squad.

A.Q. Shipley – The center out of Penn State was the Steelers’ first 7th round pick in this year’s draft.  Shipley is another early fan favorite due to his blue collar work ethic.  Heck, let’s just call him the NFL equivalent of “Rudy.”  His height and arm length are too short to play in the NFL…everyone has told him that but he keeps plugging away.  Unfortunately, I don’t see him making the active roster.  There is a good chance, however, that he will be signed to the practice squad.

Alex Stepanovich – A 4th round pick in 2004 by the Arizona Cardinals, he started 34 games in his 5 year career, most of them for Arizona during his first 3 years.   The past 2 years he has been a backup for the Bengals and the Falcons.  He was signed recently as insurance given the injuries to Hartwig and Stapleton.  On the positive side, he has far more NFL experience than Shipley, Legursky, and Foster put together.  On the negative side, there is a reason he hasn’t been able to stick with a team.  At the end of the day, he only makes the team if Hartwig and Stapleton are not healthy at the beginning of the season AND if neither Shipley nor Legursky are able to impress the coaching staff.

So in summary, I predict that Starks, Kemoeatu, Hartwig , Stapleton , Colon, Essex, and Urbik are in.  Hills and Foster appear to have the edge for the final two spots.  Capizzi, Shipley, and Legursky are fighting to make the practice squad and Stepanovich and Parquet are out.  Agree?  Disagree?  Your comments are welcome.

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August 23, 2009
By Donald Starver

The Steelers came up short last night in a 17-13 loss to the Washington Redskins.  However, we need to be careful not to read too much into the results. 

Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play at all, due to an injury that he suffered on the last day of training camp.  Offensive tackle Max Starks stepped on Big Ben’s foot, but the injury is not serious.  Roethlisberger might have even played a series or two last night if the field weren’t soaking wet.  Heavy rains made for a slick playing surface which posed too great a risk for further injury to Roethlisberger.  So Charlie Batch started the game in place of Roethlisberger.

The outcome of these games really isn’t important.  What matters is how the Steelers execute their assignments, and how they perform in what head coach Mike Tomlin calls “situational football”. 

The first unit left the game with the Steelers leading.  The 1st team defense had a nice stop within the Redskins 5 yard line that forced them to settle for a field goal.  However, there were still several areas of concern. 

The team finished the game with 13 penalties.  That is far too many.  Few teams can find a way to win when they give up that many penalties.  Most concerning was the fact that the first unit was just as penalty-prone as the substitutes were.

Also concerning was the protection by the offensive line (sound familiar?).  Though the Steelers’ quarterbacks were only sacked twice, they were under pressure quite often.  I paid close attention to Max Starks’ battle with Redskins DE Andre Carter, and Carter owned Starks.  If you look at the box score, it will show that Carter only had one tackle during the game.  However, that is not an accurate reflection of what really happened.

On the positive side, Stefan Logans made the game his personal coming out party.  Logans returned 4 punts for an average of 12 yards per return.  Even more impressive, he returned 4 kickoffs for an average of 39.3 yards.  No, that’s not a typo.  He averaged almost 40 yards per kickoff return.  He even had one 60 yard return. 

Logans pretty much closed the door on his competition with Joe Burnett for return duties.  Burnett fielded one punt and fumbled it after gaining only 4 yards.  The Redskins scored on the next play.  Burnett was also beaten for a touchdown while playing cornerback.  When you combine that with the fact that Burnett also had a fumble in last week’s  game, it becomes clear that Burnett is not having a good pre-season.  Fortunately, Burnett had an interception last week, else he might have been cut immediately following the game.

Other notable performances:

Dan Sepulveda- Sepulveda punted 5 times for an average of 47.8 yards.  His longest punt of the night traveled 58 yards.

Rashard Mendenhall- While he didn’t get many touches, Mendenhall averaged 5.2 yards on his 5 carries.

Tom Korte - Recorded an interception, and returned it 27 yards.

Ziggy Hood – Hood recorded both of the Steelers’ sacks.

Martin Nance – Nance made 2 catches for an average of 13 yards per catch.

Needs Improvement:

Tony Hills – Hills accounted for 2 of the Steelers’ 13 penalties.  I can live with physical errors.  Holding is a part of the game.  Heck, if an offensive lineman isn’t holding, then is he really even trying?  But what I can’t tolerate is mental errors.  Both of Hills’ penalties were due to mental errors.  On one he was called for a false start, and on another he was flagged for an illegal formation.

Joe Burnett – Hold onto the ball Joe.

Jeff Reed – Jeff Reed actually missed two field goal attempts in a row.  Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either.  After missing his first attempt, Reed was given another shot due to a penalty by the Redskins, and he missed again.  It must be snowing in Hell.

Other news:

Back-up quarterback Dennis Dixon left the game with an unspecified shoulder injury.

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August 22, 2009
By Donald Starver

This is Part 8 in a series.  If you haven’t read the previous installments, please click below:

Part 1:  Defensive linemen

Part 2:  Linebackers

Part 3:  Safeties

Part 4: Cornerbacks

Part 5: Quarterbacks

Part 6: Running backs

Part 7: Wide receivers

Tight end is the next position up as we attempt to look at each position on the Steelers and predict which players will make the final 53-man roster.

Since becoming head coach, Mike Tomlin has always carried 3 tight ends on the roster.  We are going to operate under the assumption that this year will be no different.

The Steelers took 5 tight ends into training camp; Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Sean McHugh, Dezmond Sherrod, and rookie David Johnson.  Let’s look at them one at a time.

Heath Miller – I was a very happy man when I heard that the Steelers had extended Heath Miller’s contract.  Though underutilized, Miller is crucial to the Steelers’ offense.  He is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL (which is important in a run oriented offense like the Steelers’), and he also has great hands.

It has always amazed me how Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians seems to love tight ends, and he loves the passing game, yet he can’t find a way to get the ball to Heath Miller more often.  Nevertheless, Steelers fans know that when Arians does call Miller’s number, Heath is going to deliver.

Matt Spaeth – Not many teams have two John Mackey Award winners on their roster, but that is exactly what the Steelers have.  The John Mackey Award is given annually to the best tight end in college football.  Heath Miller won the award in 2004, and Matt Spaeth won it in 2006.

Big Ben has publicly stated that he likes throwing to tall receivers, and at 6’7″, Spaeth is a very tall target.  Moreover, Spaeth has excellent hands.  Unfortunately, Spaeth is only an average (okay, below average) blocker.  That means that he will probably never be a starter for the Steelers.

Sean McHugh – McHugh was signed by the Steelers in 2008 after being released by the Detroit Lions.  While he has been the Steelers third tight end, he is their primary fullback.  Bruce Arians believes in using a tight end as an H-back, rather than using a traditional fullback for blocking purposes.

Perhaps this offensive philosophy has contributed to the decline in the Steelers running game (though most of the blame probably belongs to the offensive line).  Willie Parker has stated that he prefers running behind a traditional fullback, and that he misses former Steeler Dan Kreider.

McHugh played in 15 regular season games last year and caught a total of 3 passes, so it is clear that he is not viewed as a viable component of the Steelers passing game.  However, as long as he is the best blocking option on the Steelers’ roster, he will maintain his spot on the roster.

Which brings us to……….

David Johnson – The rookie out of Arkansas State is clearly the best blocker among the Steelers’ tight ends.  As I watched the Steelers’ tight ends doing blocking drills at training camp, Johnson jumped out at me.  Firstly, when they did blocking drills with the blocking sled, Johnson consistently drove the sled back farther than any of the other tight ends, including Heath Miller.  Moreover, when Johnson hit the sled there was always a loud popping sound that sounded like an explosion.  It was that sound that made me start paying attention to the tight end blocking drills in the first place.

Besides excelling at clobbering blocking sleds, Johnson did something that almost never happens at Steelers training camp.  I watched him stop James Harrison’s bull rush dead in his tracks.  For those of you who have never been to Steelers training camp, when James Harrison goes up against any blocker, it is pretty much like watching Germany battle France during World War II; Harrison wins in devastating fashion.  But that was not necessarily the case against Johnson.

Johnson plays at essentially the same weight as Sean McHugh, but he is 3 inches shorter.  That means that he is stockier and more powerfully built.  Based on the fact that McHugh was used almost exclusively as a blocker, I believe that Johnson has a very good chance of supplanting McHugh as the Steelers’ H-back.

Dezmond Sherrod- The fifth tight end battling for a spot on the Steelers’ roster is Dezmond Sherrod.  Sherrod spent 2008 on the Steelers’ practice squad, and is now hoping to earn a spot on the active roster.  Unfortunately, Sherrod finds himself in a precarious position.  He is not as good a pass catcher as Heath Miller or Matt Spaeth, and he is not as good a blocker as Sean McHugh or David Johnson.  This leaves Sherrod little chance of making the team.

So in summary, I believe that the Steelers are going to enter the 2009 season with Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, and David Johnson as their tight ends.  What do you fans think?  Agree?  Disagree?  Let me hear your comments.

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Hines Ward is without a doubt one of the most popular of the Pittsburgh Steelers players.  When you walk around Pittsburgh or go to a game, you are bound to see plenty of #86 jerseys.  One could argue that Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, and Troy Polamalu make up the big 3 when it comes to popularity among Steelers players.

I consider myself to be a big Hines Ward fan.  That’s why I was excited to come across this article in Whirl Magazine.

Whirl is Greater Pittsburgh’s premier lifestyle magazine.  Each month throughout the Steelers’ season, WHIRL will feature a Steelers Special Section which includes profiles of the rookie draft picks, player profiles, profiles of Steelers bars throughout the country and essays written by Contributing Editor and Steelers kicker, Jeff Reed.  They also include coverage of other topics of interest to those in and  around Pittsburgh.

Click here to read the Hines Ward article from the September 2009 issue of Whirl.  Also, make sure  to pick up a copy of WHIRL at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Giant Eagle stores, and more newsstands around the region.

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Buzz up!Buzz up!

August 18, 2009

The NFL Fantasy Files ad campaign is very entertaining.  I think they’ve done a good job with all of the commercials.  I hate to give a Baltimore Raven credit for ANYTHING,  but I must admit that even the one with Joe Flacco in it is pretty good.

But needless to say, the best one in the entire series is the one with the Steelers’ own Santonio Holmes.  If you haven’t seen it yet, just click below and start watching.  So what are you waiting for?

Personally, I thought that this one with former Cleveland Brown Braylon Edwards was pretty funny.  After all, Braylon is a certified “drop master”.  Heck, he has like a 12th degree black belt in dropping passes.  So does anyone else see the irony in this commercial?  It must have been added to bring satire to the campaign.

Funny, wasn’t it?

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Buzz up!