The Blitzburgh Report

I think most Steelers fan would agree that there are some positional changes that could be made on the team right now. Former head coach Bill Cowher wasn’t known to be one who often switched out under-performing players, especially veterans. He was a “players coach” who was often loyal to his players, sometimes to a fault. That is why I am interested in seeing what Mike Tomlin will do.

It is never an easy decision to bench or move a player. Without a doubt, it is a fine line. You don’t want to overreact and pull someone too soon. But after 11 weeks, I think that you have a good idea about who is under-performing and who might have just had a bad game or two.

The first player that needs a look is Allen Rossum. I called for Willie Reid getting a shot last week, but it didn’t happen. There’s more of a real chance for it this week, however, as Reid should be active on gameday due to Santonio Holmes‘ injury. I think that it is time for a spark on returns and it is worth the risk of trying Reid, especially against the Dolphins.

The other glaring spot is the offensive line. It is the one position where you don’t really say you’re bringing someone in to provide a spark; it is not a very spark-y position. You kind of know what you have who does what best. The concern is that I’m not sure the Steelers have any special guy waiting in the wings, just begging to get his shot. The Steelers OL backups are: Trai Essex, Chris Kemoeatu, Darnell Stapleton, Marvin Philip, and Max Starks. Not exactly a who’s who of rising OL stars.

As far as the starters, Sean Mahan just isn’t getting it done and should probably be the focus right now. Marvel Smith and Alan Faneca might not be playing their best but I don’t think they should be benched, because who would take their place? I like Willie Colon and while his inexperience shows, I think he is a very solid player in the making. With Mahan, you can say he is still learning but I would have hoped that he would be further along at this point. That is not to say he might not be good at another position. In fact, I would think that he would be headed that way after this season. But is it worth trying before then?

I’ll freely admit that I am no expert on offensive line mechanics, but I do know enough to realize that switching positions is not cut and dry, especially in the middle of the season. The team thought highly enough of Darnell Stapleton to keep him on their 53 man roster to start the season. Would they be confident enough in him to give him a shot? They then might give Mahan a turn at right guard, or even try Kendall Simmons at center, where he does have a little experience. How viable is all this? Maybe not very much, but I am just throwing some things out there.

Also, what about fullback? Count me in with the group of people that were high on Carey Davis after the pre-season. I did not, however, feel that he should be replacing Dan Kreider and I feel even more strongly about that today. Carey Davis is not getting the job done blocking, and his versatility ( the supposed reason he was playing ahead of Kreider) has yet to really have any impact.

Running out of three tight end sets has been very slow going, especially with rookie Matt Spaeth’s poor blocking. The biggest issue facing the team presently is that they can’t pass block, and really haven’t been doing great run blocking either. So why not bring back the guy who specializes in it? If you can’t protect your quarterback, bring in the guy who is basicially another offensive lineman. Willie Parker has made it well-known he prefers running behind Krieder as well.

The point is that there are changes out there that can be made. I am not saying they are all great changes (well, except for putting Kreider back in, which I feel very strongly about). But it will be interesting to see if Tomlin is the type of coach that will make them. As I said earlier, it is a fine line of when to make a switch, but some changes might just be what the doctor ordered to help shore up some weaknesses.

What are some changes that you would like to see be made for the team to strengthen it self?

Just how well did the Steelers do in the 2007 NFL draft? Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com gives the team a “B” in his midseason evaluation:

Pittsburgh: Expected to get instant production from rookie linebackers LeMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons, the linebacker quartet of veterans Clark Haggans, James Farrior, Larry Foote, and James Harrison have been arguably the best unit in the league. Woodley’s come along a bit faster than Timmons, but neither rookie’s really been given the chance to soar. Third-round pick Matt Spaeth already has three touchdown receptions as the team’s second tight end. And then there’s the punter, fourth- round pick Daniel Sepulveda. The two-time Ray Guy Award winner has been a rock for the Steelers, averaging 44.4 yards per punt and nailing 12 inside the 20. Nice production from this crew so far, and it’s only expected to get better.

I have no big problems with Schrager’s assessment and think that a “B” is a fair grade so far. Though, I am not sure that the Steelers “expected to get instant production” out of Timmons and Woodley. Also, I think he could have added cornerback William Gay to his list. I can’t fault him much for that one because most outside of Steelers fans probably haven’t heard much about him. But those of us paying attention know that Gay so far has the makings of a solid player. Of course, it is all still just talk anyway because it takes multiple seasons to get a true read on a player (Kendrell Bell, anyone?).

So how about you, Steelers fans? What tentative grade would you give the Steelers’ 2007 draft class so far?

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The Steelers walked away from last Sunday’s game with quite a few injuries. Fortunately, head coach Mike Tomlin had some good news in his press conference today.. Troy Polamalu (abdominal strain) , Casey Hampton (hamstring) , and Chris Hoke (neck injury) will be limited in practice but should be ready to go next Sunday.

The most significant injury was to Bryant McFadden, who suffered a high ankle sprain. On the injury, Tomlin said “Bryant McFadden is going to be an issue. I would leave open a window of opportunity for him of course. You have to say it’s going to be tough for him because of the position he plays to play with a high ankle sprain.”

Tomlin noted that Hines Ward is coming along nicely with his recovery from a bruised knee. Ward may even be ready to go for the next game against the Seahawks if he keeps progressing (Update: Hines himself does not sound quite as optimistic in this KDKA interview). Tomlin also mentioned that rookie tight end Matt Spaeth should be also be back in the line up this week.

It is great to see that the injuries aren’t as bad as we feared. The situation could have been disastrous on the defensive line if both Hampton and Hoke could not go. Also, the defense is obvious not as dynamic without Troy in the mix.

The Steelers have only played two games so far, but already their rookies are having a huge impact. The Steelers may have struck gold in the middle of the draft, specifically rounds two through five. It is still very early and we have limited stats to look at, but why not indulge ourselves:

LaMarr Woodley, round two: Last game, Woodley held his ground while filling in for the injured James Harrison. He already has a sack and continues his lightning pace learning the defense. He got a lot of hype with his progress last off-season and it looks like he is delivering on it.

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Last Saturday we took a look at some questions we had about the Steelers heading into the season opener. Now let’s take a look at how those questions were answered:

The Much Anticipated New Steelers Offense- So far so good. The offense, despite a lull at the end of the first half, looked crisp and efficient. It is hard to argue with the results- 4 TD passes for Ben Roethlisberger to four different players, over 100 yards for Willie Parker, and only one sack allowed.

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The Steelers were impressive today in their beat-down of the Cleveland Browns, winning 34-7. The Defense was fierce, special teams was a strong point for once, and the offense was efficient. Things are looking good, but we must remember it is still early and it was only the Browns. Without further delay, here’s the good and the bad of week one:

The Good

-The Steelers got all kinds of pressure today, sacking the Browns quarterbacks six times.

-The Steelers defense also caused five turnovers.

-Ben Roethlisberger was very poised today and threw a career high four touchdown passes. He was in command and looks like he will excel in his new expanded role.
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Training Camp is over and the preseason is halfway done, here is a look at how the Steelers’ 2007 rookie class is performing so far:

1) Lawrence Timmons- Timmons’ story has been pretty well documented. He finally saw he first real practice time with the Steelers last week after missing most of the offseason workouts and training camp. He saw limited action last game against the Redskins, and actually looked OK. He needs a lot of work, but at least he didn’t embarrass himself. He has a lot of catching up to do.

2) LaMarr Woodley- Woodley has been a real bright spot. He is a hard worker and it shows. His impressive practices have translated onto the field where he has made plenty of plays. He seems to be on his way to being another successful defensive end to linebacker conversion for the Steelers.

3) Matt Spaeth- Spaeth has had a mediocre preseason thus far. He’s a big target that should come in handy in the passing game, but he has shown that his blocking still needs a ton of work. Still, he isn’t in any danger of being cut.

4) Daniel Sepulveda- So far, Sepulveda has certainly justified the Steelers using a 4th round pick on him. He is booming kicks and looks like he might finally shore up a position that has been lacking the last two years with Chris Gardocki.

5) Ryan McBean- McBean has been fairly disappointing so far. He has been slow to pick up the defensive playbook and hasn’t shown much in practice or on the field. Still, he has a lot of raw talent and could be a project. But the Steelers really could have used some insurance at back up for the defensive line.

6) Cameron Stephenson- Stephenson has had an extremely quiet offseason. I like to pretend that I know it all, but I have heard and read next to nothing on the guy- which really doesn’t bode well for him.

7) William Gay- Gay just might be the biggest surprise of all. He went from a guy most hadn’t heard of (most draft websites didn’t even have a full bio on him until well after the draft), to someone everyone has their eyes on. He’s making plays all over the field, from big hits, to sacks, to the game ending interception last week.

9) Dallas Baker- Baker is another one who has had a quiet offseason. His size is intriguing, but it was known the moment he was drafted that he would be a long shot at making the team, and he hasn’t done anything yet to show he deserves a spot on in the already deep Steelers’ receiving corp.

Coach Mike Tomlin’s first NFL draft is over, and you can definitely feel his influence on the picks that the Steelers made. They wanted to shore up the team’s pass rush, and they certainly made a move to that with both Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. They have two tall receiving targets in Matt Spaeth and Dallas Baker. They picked perhaps the best punter in the draft in Daniel Sepulveda. They have some good potential in some project picks in Ryan McBean, Cameron Stephenson, and William Gay.

Click each player to check out our analysis:

1 (15) Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida State

2 (46) LaMarr Woodley DE Michigan

3 (77) Matt Spaeth TE Minnesota

4 (112) Daniel Sepulveda P Baylor

4 (132) Ryan McBean DE Oklahoma State

5 (156) Cameron Stephenson G Rutgers

5 (170) William Gay CB Louisville

7 (227) Dallas Baker WR Florida

It was an interesting draft and opinions are split (but really, when aren’t they?) on a lot of the picks. But the Steelers are no longer Bill Cowher’s team and that means things will be done a bit differently. A lot of the defensive picks seems to be suited for both the 3-4 and the 4-3, so a hybrid or 4-3 defense might be closer then we think.

With the offensive line trouble, the team might have done itself a service to pick up a lineman before a Stepehnson, and taking a TE with the 3rd round pick was a bit of a shocker. Dallas Baker was a pretty solid pick for the 7th round.

It should be fun to see how all these players develop and what new coach Mike Tomlin does with them.

In a bit of a shocker, the Steelers selected Minnesota tight end Matt Spaeth with their third round pick. The pick could symbolize the Steelers moving to more two tight end sets on offense. One thing that can be said about Spaeth is that he is huge. He is 6-7, 267 lbs. Though, he is known more for his blocking then his pass catching.

Yahoo.com has some highlights up of Spaeth.

NFL.com’s Positive and Negatives:

Positives: Has a tall, long frame with very good arm length, large hands and shows better muscle development since adding 10 pounds to his frame prior to the 2006 season … Shows good chest thickness, functional upper-body strength and some thickness in his thighs and calves …

Has good ball-adjustment skills, using his long arms to catch away from his frame and secure the pass at its high point … With his frame, he is very effective at posting up the middle and uses that frame to shield defenders from the ball … When he lowers his pads, he is good at moving the chains … If used on stop, out, shallow crossers and comeback routes, you can get decent production from him …

Negatives: More of a short-area target due to his imposing size, but also because of his marginal speed that makes him a liability in deep routes … Little too stiff in his hips to generate fluid lateral movement and is best when running straight-line routes than when having to cut and redirect … Would like to see him get more aggressive when having to take on defenders as a blocker and his overall strength needs to be improved … Has to rely more on his hand punch and size to defeat the press … Struggles vs. the larger defenders when he fails to get his hands up quickly to push off his opponent … Lacks suddenness coming off the snap and does not have good moves to get into his routes cleanly … Has some short-area acceleration to settle in the soft areas, but needs to be quicker getting position as a blocker … Lacks precision in and out of his breaks and is best served settling in underneath than trying to take the ball up the seam … Needs to do a better job of selling or conning on his route progression, as he lacks a top burst coming out of his breaks … Does not show the savvy moves needed to set up the defender and must be more physical to escape, as his lack of change-of-direction agility will not let him surprise a defender … Check out NFL.com for the full analysis.

Could the Steelers still have gotten Spaeth in a later round? That remains to be seen, but some projections had him going as late as the 5th round. This draft was pretty thin at TE, so that might have raised his stock a bit. However, the Steelers have far more pressing needs then to take a TE with their 3rd round pick. To paraphrase one Steelers fan’s comments: ‘the Steelers still don’t use Heath Miller right. The Steelers haven’t used a tight end right since Eric Green. Why are they using a 3rd round pick on another tight end?’. We tend to agree. Hopefully this pick fits into some bigger plan. This is not to say that Spaeth isn’t a talented player (his size is actually very intriguing), we’re just still surprised the Steelers pulled the trigger on a TE in the 3rd round with all the needs that they have.

Matt Spaeth out of Minnesota. What? Why? I am not going to lie, I was really hoping for Michael Bush here, but I would have accepted just about any other player then a TE. A TE, with our 3rd pick? Why not a later pick if you really wanted a TE? It is not even a need. This draft is certainly a confusing one for the Black and Gold.