2009/2010 Pittsburgh Steelers Discussion

[Hines]

So excited to be at camp tomorrow! I will be watching back on backers if they do it, the one on ones, and all that.

Sucks that Stapleton could be out for the year, but Essex and Urbik could pick up the slack. Foster could be a future starter IMO.

[terribletowel39]

I am liking what I am reading about everyone. It excites me. Wish I could go to camp, just for a day.

Although, I am bringing another Steeler fan into the world guys. I found out today I am having a baby boy. He already has a Steeler onesie thing to wear home. :)

[Mr. Goosemahn]

So with training camp underway, here's a list of the 10 most impressive players and 10 most disappointing players. The lists exclude the team's core players.

Impressive:
10. Dennis Dixon - Quarterback
The second best quarterback the team has right now. Dixon looks to be fully healed from the knee injury that bit him in his senior year. His throws are tight, accurate, and have a lot of zip to them. He's learned the majority of the playbook, and his timing with WR is impressive. Shows nice touch, and has used his raw athleticism on very few occasions so far. If we start to use the Wild Cat, Dixon is bound to be higher on this list.

9. William *** - Cornerback
Even though coaches and players and fans knew that William *** would be the favorite to win the starting RCB spot, very few imagined that *** would play the way he is doing now. *** bulked up from 180 lbs. to around 200, and he says that it's all "healthy weight," meaning that most of it is pure muscle. *** looks more like Ryan Clark right now, meaning he's got the build of a safety. He looks more confident than last season, and his play shows it. *** has delivered several strong hits, but the one that stood out was when he utterly obliterated Frank Summers. *** looks powerful, and it looks like it's going to be a good season for him.

8. Ramon Foster - Offensive Lineman
The UDFA OT from Texas has looked impressive during blocking drills. He's held his own as a tackle, and done a very good job when used as a guard. His big frame (6'5 and 330 lbs.) allows him to play both positions, making him the type of versatile player that Mike Tomlin covets. He's probably best fitted as a guard, as he gets a great push in the run game when playing inside. Plus, his experience as tackle gave him knowledge on pass-protection, which he demonstrates when playing. If he keeps on playing like this, don't be surprised to see him land a spot as depth in the 53 man roster.

7. Piotr Czech - Kicker
Entering camp, people thought that Reed would be the unquestioned starting kicker for the Steelers. While that might ultimately be true, Piotr Czech is giving Reed a run for his money. Both have been extremely accurate (I'm talking missing less than five kicks in all camp and hitting 55 yarders accurately) and have shown great technique. This should definitely give coaches some security and peace of mind in case anything should happen to Reed, as Czech looks just as good in practice as Reed has. This also doesn't help Reed's situation, as he is in the final year of his contract.

6. Doug Legursky - Offensive Lineman
After being on the practice squad for a year, Legursky's improvements are very clear. He can play both center and guard, and he's the team's strongest players. With Hartwig and Stapleton out, Legursky has stepped in and done a great job. His strength allows him to get monster pushes in the run game, and his size helps him take on guys like Hampton with minimal help. With a little more grooming, this guy could suit up for game days.

5. Mike Wallace - Wide Receiver
Mike Wallace has been burning everyone who's tried to cover him. Arians said that he honestly though that Washington's departure would mean some adjustments to the playbook and the plays that specifically involved him going deep. With Wallace, though, Arians said that he can keep all the plays, and even add more. Wallace has already been named an upgrade over Washington due to him being faster and having better hands. He's already gone over the middle and received monster hits. He likes this, though, as he says that the more they hit him now, the less he'll worry about it on game days. He can still polish his routes a bit, but Wallace is lighting up training camp.

4. Keenan Lewis - Cornerback
Keenan Lewis is opening eyes at camp. A very similar player to Ike Taylor, Lewis already has multiple interceptions and is picking up the defensive schemes very quickly. He's rarely out of position, and always seems to be around to make the great play. Lewis is rooming with Wallace, and they both tell each other what their respective coaches tell them. So if Arians tells Wallace how to polish his technique, he tells Lewis to help him. Lewis does the same thing for Wallace. That way, both players can anticipate what their opposition is going to do, and this has worked out great for both guys. Lewis appears to be the front runner for the #4 CB spot, but Ratliff could still push for it.

3. Evander "Ziggy" Hood - Defensive Lineman
Our first round pick has dominated in training camp. Nobody has been able to stop him entirely. Entering camp, some people felt that his inside pass-rush was a weakness. He's proved all doubters wrong. Hood can not only pass-rush from the inside, he can do it constantly, efficiently, and effectively. He already ascended to the second unit in practice, and he's been getting reps at both DE and NT. His non-stop motor helps him put in his maximum effort on every play, and it's paying off. Hood has created problems in the backfield and has commanded two blockers for the majority of training camp. He definitely looks like a great player in the making.

2. Limas Sweed - Wide Receiver
After doing virtually nothing last year, Limas Sweed is tearing up training camp. Yes, he's had some drops, but he's been the most eye-opening offensive player thus far. He's had all sorts of acrobatic catches, from one handers to diving-to-the-sidelines, to run up the middle. He's faster, stronger, and much more down-to-earth than last year. He claims that he's seeing things now in slow motion, and that he's not second-guessing himself anymore. Plus, it appears that he's learned to use his body against defenders, evidenced by the fact that he's not getting pushed around by ANYBODY. He's won almost every single jump ball thrown his way, and looks like the front-runner to win the #3 WR spot. If there were doubters about his abilities and his determination to win the #3 spot, he's shutting them up.

1. Daniel Sepulveda - Punter
HE'S BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! Sepulveda has been a beast in punting, constantly delivering 50 yard bombs. His shortest kick in camp has been of 47 yards, and his average is near 55 yards; putting that into perspective, the leagues best punters average around 46 yards. Lechler has 48.8, Moorman has 44.1, and Scifres has 45.7. Sepulveda's longest punt in camp so far is of 67 yards, and this happened as the rainstorm was coming down. Last season, Lechler's was of 70, Moorman had 63, and Scifres had 67. Sepulveda's punts are also averaging more than 5 seconds of air time, and that is a HUGE amount of time. Right now, Sepulveda is ranking up there with the best of them, and hopefully this carries on for the rest of his career.

Honorable Mentions: WR Tyler Grisham, WR Steven Black, TE David Johnson, OL Trai Essex, LB Keyaron Fox, LB Donovan Woods

Now, on to the bad stuff.

Disappointing:
10. Bruce Davis - Linebacker
After hearing during the summer that Davis had bulked up and had learned a lot of stuff, it's kind of disappointing to not hear anything good about him so far. It seems he's passing on as just another player at training camp, and that he hasn't had that great an impact. He's played with the first team, but at ILB when Lawrence Timmons was out with cramps. Davis was drafted to be an OLB sack specialist, and he doesn't seem to fit the part just yet. Yes, he did improve from last year, but not in the way Timmons and Woodley did. Hopefully he can still develop, but right now Andre Frazier, Keyaron Fox, and Donovan Woods are playing better than him. Hopefully this changes, but Davis' time is running out.

9. Matt Spaeth - Tight End
It seems that Spaeth doesn't quite comprehend that Steelers require tight ends that can block well. This summer, instead of focusing on how to improve his blocking, Spaeth attended Larry Fitzgerald's camp to improve his route running. In his defense, his routes have been better, but that is not what the team is really asking him to do. Spaeth has fallen behind David Johnson, as well as already having been behind Miller, when it comes to blocking, and his role this season might be decreased because of this. He has the large frame to add weight be a tougher blocker, but instead he actually lost weight to gain speed. He simply doesn't understand what a Steeler TE really is.

8. Dallas Baker - Wide Receiver
Entering training camp the battle for the #3 WR spot was wide open and Baker was thought to be a contender for it. Unfortunately, Baker started off the first practice with drops and bad routes. Arians got real angry with him, and that seemed to set his head on straight as he had a great practice in the afternoon of that same day. After that practice, however, Baker has been mediocre, overshadowed by UDFA's Tyler Grisham and Steven Black, rookie Mike Wallace, and Shaun McDonald and Limas Sweed. It looks like Baker is either going back to the practice squad, or leaving the team for good.

7. Frank "The Tank" Summers - Running Back
A fan-favorite from the day he was drafted, the Tank started out training camp delivering big, loud hits. Since then, however, he's looked a bit softer and doesn't look like the rock-solid, incessant-pounding, powerful RB we thought him out to be. Mendenhall looks more powerful than he does, and he's not hit as hard anymore. Maybe he's limiting himself to not hit guys that much, but that can't be good at all for his chances of making the team. Maybe he doesn't want to get his bells rung again after what *** did to him. The point is that Summers still has a great chance of making the 53 man roster, but he's not shown the raw toughness and desire to punish that was originally expected from him.

6. Darnell Stapleton - Offensive Lineman
So much for having all our starters from last year. Stapleton had swelling in the knee entering training camp, and he hasn't practiced for some days now. He had an MRI to reveal any possible injuries, and there is already some speculation that he could miss the entire season. Stapleton was a guy who many though could gain muscle and improve from his disastrous Superbowl performance, but so far the off-season has yielded very little results for him. He's already in danger of losing his job to Trai Essex, who looks better now than he ever did, and not practicing almost ensures that coaches will prefer someone who's not going to be rusty come game day.

5. Kraig Urbik - Offensive Guard
People hoped that Urbik would immediately take up Stapleton's place as the starting RG, but according to what we've seen from him in practice, he's far away from starting. Urbik has struggled in drills, looking slow and sometimes even confused. Yes, he's durable and a powerful road-grater, but he lacks pass-protecting moves and that's been evident by Ziggy Hood simply overpowering him on 1 on 1 drills. One thing working in his favor is his ability to move, something coaches love in guards. He can pull well, and he's bound to be used at times for this. Still, Urbik still leaves a lot to be desired, and even though he's improved as practices go on, he's not even close to unseating anyone starting at RG.

4. Charlie Batch - Quarterback
Entering camp as the guy most people though to be the #2 QB, Batch has been off the mark for the majority of drills. He's constantly overthrowing receivers, and he seems somewhat jittery. Yes, he hasn't played football in a very long time, but Batch just isn't the same as he used to. He's not really close to battling Dixon for the #2 spot, as Dixon's play is superior to Batch's right now. The only thing keeping Batch as a contender for the #2 spot is his experience and the hope that he's still a savvy veteran. Batch leaves many feeling worried instead of relieved as Ben's backup.

3. Martin Nance - Wide Receiver
Nance, Roethlisberger's favorite college target, has absolutely lost it during training camp. He appeared to improve last year during his tenure in the practice squad, but he's been wildly inconsistent this year, and he's had too many drops. Nance seems doomed to be cut come September 1, and his role so far in camp has been minimal. There have been few, if any, good plays on his behalf, and he's being outplayed by no less than 8 receivers. There sadly appears to be no spot for him on this team.

2. Brandon Williams - Wide Receiver
Williams has dropped a ridiculous amount of passes and has gotten a large amount of unpleasant criticism from Arians. He doesn't have soft hands, and he simply doesn't make plays. There's not much to say about this guy. He simply doesn't have what it takes to be a Steeler.

1. Tony Hills - Offensive Tackle
And neither does this guy. He's in danger of not only not making the team, but not even making the practice squad. Hills has been awful, looking slow, apathetic, and is constantly overpowered. He got into the first fight with Keyaron Fox, and he's definitely angering coaches with his lack of desire to improve. He's got bad levels, and he stops moving his feet at times. He tends to lean forward at times, and this throws off his balance. Hills better do something about his play, because he's done nothing so far to earn a roster or practice squad spot.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

Originally Posted by terribletowel39

I am liking what I am reading about everyone. It excites me. Wish I could go to camp, just for a day.

Although, I am bringing another Steeler fan into the world guys. I found out today I am having a baby boy. He already has a Steeler onesie thing to wear home. :)

Congrats man!

It's always good to hear there's another Steeler joining Steeler Nation.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More camp updates:

- It appears that Roethlisberger put on a little weight during the off-season. He says that it doesn't matter and that he'll lose it during training camp, and Tomlin agrees.
- Dixon is clearly ahead of Batch for the #2 spot. Dixon knows the offense very well after a year on the team, and he's throwing very accurate passes.
- Out of all the UDFA's we have, WR Tyler Grisham is the one making the biggest impact so far.
- UDFA LB Tom Korte has been working on Nickel and Dime packages. It's believed that he can make this squad if he can prove to be useful in ST.
- Both Sean McHugh and David Johnson are battling for the #3 TE spot, and it's actually Johnson who has the early lead.
- Trai Essex is still starting at RG in place of Stapleton and he's doing an admirable job.
- Ziggy is showing great quickness of the ball.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More news:

- Justin Hartwig isn't practicing today.
- Doug Legursky is playing with the first team again.
- Stapleton's MRI results should be revealed later today.
- Bruce Davis has appeared much more aggressive today than in previous practices. It seems that he's starting to fully grasp his role in the defense.
- Shaun McDonald has shown he's got very soft hands, as well as being a reliable target. He was a nice FA acquisition.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More news:

- Mendenhall looks very agile and nimble. On one occasion, he ran up the middle of the defensive line, pulled a juke on a LB, and was running all by himself in the secondary.
- Frank the Tank is running too tall. Defenders can get a nice hit on him if he continues this, and RB coach Kirby Wilson is constantly telling him to get his pads lower.
- Some coaches are concerned that Mendenhall doesn't have enough vision. On various occasions, he has not seen the wide open lane and has run into a pile of defenders. He has improved on this as of late though.
- Tony Hills continues to have bad plays, even though Larry Zeirlien says that he's improved and that this is the best that he's played in his tenure with the Steelers.
- Aaron Smith said that Ziggy Hood "is gonna be a good one."
- Jason Capizzi has played well so far in camp, and has gotten reps both at guard and tackle.
- Doug Legursky held his own against Casey Hampton.
- Ben threw a long pass to Holmes, but some reporters are still asking about his "weak" arm.
- It seems that Ziggy has already replaced Nick Eason in the DE rotation. Aaron Smith and Keisel are the starters, with Kirschke and Ziggy being the main backups. Plus, Ziggy is practicing with the first team on third-down-plays because of his inside-pass-rushing skills.
- Martin Nance keeps disappointing. His routes are choppy and end prematurely.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

Good luck later on in training camp, HinesWardJr. Hope you get to see some nice drills. Take pictures!

And on a different and somewhat unrelated note, Panthers guard Duke Robinson was carted off practice today with heart problems.

I remember I was really rooting for the Steelers to draft the guy, especially when he was available in rounds 3 and 4, but I guess that the front office once again did their job right.

He was apparently doing well in camp and was already the primary backup at both guard positions.

Urbik might not have as much talent as Duke did, but he's at least in healthy condition. The heart problems seem to be related with his weight, as he constantly ballooned in college. These problems are normally chronic, and don't simply go away.

Even though I was a bit disappointed we didn't draft him, I guess we ultimately wound up dodging a bullet.

Best of luck to the guy.

[no bare feet]

It may only be training camp but I am loving what I hear about Mendenhall.

[Hines]

Here is one thing I have to say about Bruce Davis: man the **** up and quit being so damn soft.

[terribletowel39]

Originally Posted by HinesWardJr

Here is one thing I have to say about Bruce Davis: man the **** up and quit being so damn soft.

Are you able to update while at training camp?? If so, keep them coming.

[Hines]

Originally Posted by terribletowel39

Are you able to update while at training camp?? If so, keep them coming.

I would if my phone still had the internet. Sorry. I will try and bring a note pad and jot down some notes if I am not too excited screaming at everyone and trying to meet Hines Ward.

[terribletowel39]

Originally Posted by HinesWardJr

I would if my phone still had the internet. Sorry. I will try and bring a note pad and jot down some notes if I am not too excited screaming at everyone and trying to meet Hines Ward.

when something good happens you could also record it. your phone should have a recorder. all phones do if it is a phone made in the last 3-4 years. just an idea.

and good luck.

[Hines]

Originally Posted by terribletowel39

when something good happens you could also record it. your phone should have a recorder. all phones do if it is a phone made in the last 3-4 years. just an idea.

and good luck.

I could do that too, but I cannot send the videos. Very stupid.

[terribletowel39]

Oh, I meant like a voice recorder just to keep some notes for yourself. So when you report back you have an outline kinda. Probably already has left. Oh well.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

Camp updates:

- Hartwig and Stapleton still out, Legursky and Essex still training with the first team; this gives the line no cohesion at all, as Legursky will not be the starter and Essex has to get used to playing with Hartwig.
- Stefan Logan is impressing coaches with his skills, and has been used as a RB, WR (Percy Harvin style), and Special Teamer. While originally thought to be a long shot to make the team, don't count the little guy out. He's developed a kind of Wes Welker, Percy Harvin in Florida, Michael Vick-ish kind of role. He could be another keeper.
- Legursky seems to remind some of Hank Fraley.
- No results on Stapleton yet, Tomlin says they're still evaluating him.
- A.Q. Shipley starting to open coaches eyes, as he's playing against the second unit (Hoke, Kirschke, Hood, and co.) and doing a good job.
- Shaun McDonald is lethal in the red zone; no drops, perfect routes, soft hands, and great separation.
- Coaching finally seems to start settling in with Frank "the Tank" Summers. He was finally lowering his shoulders, delivered some big hits, and simply ran over everybody. He reminded some of Bettis running over DB's.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More news:

- Martin Nance looked better today, but injured his hamstring on a receiving drill.
- Team practiced goal-line passing drills, and Santonio Holmes and Shaun McDonald stood out from everybody else.
- Mike Wallace seems to be the front runner for the KR spot, while Burnett has done a good job returning punts.
- Keenan Lewis has been a monster in special teams. He sheds blockers extremely quickly and is always close or making the play.

[steel man]

http://upload.info/5boe7eanrb0z/Madd...-_Steelers.xls

on a side note here is the list of rating for Madden 10

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More camp notes:

- Ben not participating in afternoon practice; some say he's hurting from the throwing arm, others say coaches just want to give Batch, Dixon, and Reilly more opportunities to play.
- Reilly's looked good so far, coaches like what they have seen.
- Tony Hills has been getting more aggressive as days pass. He's starting to play with some kind of nasty streak, but he's still got a long way to go.
- Urbik needs to hit the weight room. He's apparently not as strong as he was during the combine and draft day, and it's evidenced by him getting pushed around a lot.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More news from camp:

- Dennis Dixon looks completely different this camp from last years. His throws are right on the money and he's showing great confidence, skills and poise.
- Justin Vincent has looked good so far. He runs hard, isn't afraid to give hits, and has solid hands out of the backfield.
- Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald are looking very good in the 11 vs. 11 drills. The battle for the #3 WR spot is going to be a very tough one.
- In kicking drills, Jeff Reed went 5/6 missing from the 50. Sepulveda held and Warren snapped. Don't know if Czech also kicked.
- Charlie Batch, Arnold Harrison, Tyrone Carter, and Santonio Holmes were the best players in the 7 vs. 7 drills.
- The only moment when Dennis Dixon looked shaky was in the red zone. He was jittery, indecisive, and made some bad reads. Nothing too bad though, just three mediocre plays.
- Hartwig is finally playing; he's the starting center in the 7 vs. 7 drills. Coaches have been very wary of his injury, as toe injuries tend to nag and affect a very long time. He's going to be resting for more time, but his practice will increase.
- Tom Korte continues to add to his resume for a roster spot. He plays with endless energy and tons of intensity. He capped of his practice with an interception against Charlie Batch.

[Hines]

Just got home! Got Hines', Clark's(got a picture with him too), Smokin Joe's and Jeremy Parquet's autographs. William *** is going to be good. He played well today. I was a few inches rom Tomlin, but he left when I wanted him to sign my sign(got a lot of chatter around camp), Ship dissed me, along with Ziggy, Timmons, Dixon, among others. I want to go again. It was a real fun day. Sweed looks like a player, Davis isn't explosive, and Hood is going to be a good one.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

Originally Posted by HinesWardJr

Just got home! Got Hines', Clark's(got a picture with him too), Smokin Joe's and Jeremy Parquet's autographs. William *** is going to be good. He played well today. I was a few inches rom Tomlin, but he left when I wanted him to sign my sign(got a lot of chatter around camp), Ship dissed me, along with Ziggy, Timmons, Dixon, among others. I want to go again. It was a real fun day. Sweed looks like a player, Davis isn't explosive, and Hood is going to be a good one.

Put up the pic with Clark! Did you take any other pictures?

How did Legursky play? I've heard he's doing real good, but that could be biased opinion.

[Hines]

I will post pictures when I get back to Arizona. OH, and Dixon is playing very well. There was also a fight today.

[Mr. Goosemahn]

More notes from camp:

- Willie Parker is having a sensational camp. RB Coach Kirby Wilson is confident that Parker can return to his 26 year old 1,000 yard, 8 TD self again this season, even with the shared carries with Mendenhall. This is the best camp Parker has had in two years.
- Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger will practice in pads today.
- Polamalu, Clark, and Townsend have been given a maintenance day.
- Stapleton, Nance, and Ra'Shon Harris aren't practicing today.
- Ra'Shon Harris hasn't practiced at all this training camp, maybe only one day. There were reports that Ramon Foster was injured and not practicing, but these are false. Foster is wearing the same number as Harris (73) and there's been some confusion as to who's injured. Foster has participated in all practices while Harris has not.
- Hartwig is training today, but in a limited way.
- NFL Officials will work with the team during the 11 vs. 11 drills.
- No changes in the first unit. Legursky and Essex in for Hartwig and Stapleton, respectively, and Carter playing safety.
- UDFA WR Tyler Grisham is impressing everybody and is having a great camp. These last two days, he's looked as good as some starters, and has impressed all coaches, especially Mike Tomlin. Tomlin told him, and I quote, "if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll be on this team."
- A coach who desired to remain anonymous said that Mike Wallace is the fastest player the team has had since he's been with team.
- Keyaron Fox looks entirely different than he did last year. It seems that Keith Butler has taken another low-key linebacker and turned him into a great player. To put things into perspective, Tomlin gave Farrior a breather and Fox took his place with the first unit. Fox was wearing the captain's helmet, and the defense didn't lose a beat. They made plays for two would-be-sacks (players aren't allowed to hit the QB) and didn't allow many runs.
- McDonald, Holmes, and Logan are returning punts. Neither Mewelde or Joe Burnett are practicing that today.
- Joe Burnett is not having that great a camp as of yet.
- Polamalu has his right calf iced and taped.
- Clark now appears with his helmet and pads on. He was supposed to rest today.
- As of right now, the vast majority of Mewelde Moore's training camp has been dedicated to third down drills and special teams.
- Charlie Batch keeps looking like a shadow of his old self. Today he was QB-ing the first team offense during a two minute drill and the offense never managed to score.
- Dennis Dixon, however, did manage to have his offense score. His unit moved extremely effectively, and it all culminated with Dixon throwing a TD pass to Mike Wallace near the back of the end zone.
- Matt Spaeth has appalled everyone. At the beginning of camp, he was kind of disappointing people with his mediocre blocking. For some unexplainable reason, the past few days Spaeth has been absolutely dominant in both blocking and catching. Almost no defender has been able to take on him when he's blocking them, and when he's catching things. An NFL expert was asked what he thought of Matt Spaeth during camp, and he said that the only reason Spaeth would not start is because the team just gave a huge amount of money to Heath Miller. He said that, from what he's seen, Spaeth's blocking is "first-rate," and looks like some of the best blocking TE's in the league.
- Though Limas Sweed has looked excellent for the majority of training camp, he dropped an extremely easy ball today during the 7 vs. 7 drills.

[Smooth Criminal]

I'm loving all the reports I'm hearing from camp. I really think this team has potential to be better than both of the teams that won Superbowls for us. The defense looks better than last year and the offense has a ton of talent.

I'm liking our chances this year. I havn't felt this confident about a Steelers team before.