The Blitzburgh Report

Smith’s injury will likely have a huge impact on the defense

Mike Tomlin said in his press conference today that defensive end Aaron Smith has a torn biceps and is likely done for the rest of the season. In his words, “there is a strong possibility” that the injury requires surgery that would end Smith’s season.

This is a huge blow to the defense. The three big men up front are really the unsung heroes of the Steelers’ defense, and a pro bowl player like Smith not playing will probably have a ripple effect. Tomlin said that Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason will help fill in but they’re not great long term options; not that you can easily replaced a player like Smith anyway.

Injuries are a part of every football season, but the Steelers have been hit particularly hard. For starters, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu have all missed significant time. But the three players done for the season have more impact then some may notice at first glance.

Smith is a pro bowl player, who as I said, is an integral part of the 3-4 defense. Ryan Clark is a consistent, reliable player who’s loss was especially felt last Sunday against the Patriots. Dan Kreider was injured just when many of us were clamoring for the Steelers to start using him again to help protect Ben and lead the way for Parker.

The injuries really add up and just when it seems like the team was starting to get guys back, they lose Smith. But as with any season, injuries happen and players have to step up. They’ve been very good at this in the past and if they hope to make it far this season, they will have to do it again.

(Update: It is now official, the Steelers have placed Aaron Smith on injured reserve. They also moved defensive end Ryan McBean (not to be confused with Steely McBeam) up from the practice squad to the 53 man roster.

The Steelers signed eight players to their practice squad today, seven of which were in their camp this pre-season. The list includes 2007 draft picks wide receiver Dallas Baker and defensive end Ryan McBean (am I the only one who keeps thinking of Steely McBeam the mascot ever time I see his name?). Also, 2006 draft pick center Marvin Philip, wide receiver Gerran Walker, tight end Jon Dekker, defensive back Grant Mason, and defensive linemen Scott Paxon. They also signed running back Jamal Branch, who spent the pre-season with the New Orleans Saints.

The Steelers have made their last cuts this off-season, finalizing their 2008 roster. The two biggest names are center Chukky Okobi and running back Verron Haynes.

Three of the Steelers’ 2007 draft picks were also cut - fourth round pick defensive end Ryan McBean, fifth round pick guard Cameron Stephenson and seventh round pick wide receiver Dallas Baker.

Center Marvin Philip, defensive end Shaun Nua and special teams ace Chidi Iwuoma were also cut. As well as fullback John Kuhn, quarterback Bryan Randall, linebackers Rian Wallace and Ron Stanley, receivers Walter Young and Gerran Walker, tight ends Cody Boyd and Jon Dekker, nose tackle Scott Paxson, cornerbacks Anthony Madison and Jovon Johnson, and safeties Grant Mason and Mike Lorello, and tackles Jason Capizzi and Brandon Torrey.

Perhaps the most hotly contested position, running back, is now finalized. Keeping Dan Kreider was a smart move, especially with the offensive line still questionable. New backs Carey Davis and Gary Russell provide youth to the position.

An interesting aside, the Steelers have four total backs that were undrafted- Willie Parker, Dan Kreider, Carey Davis, and Gary Russell.

The battle for the center position was also sorted out, with Coach Mike Tomlin apparently liking what he saw from Sean Mahan more then Chukky Okobi. Furthermore, center Marvin Philip was also cut, leaving some serious question as to the depth behind center.

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.

With their second pick in the 4th round, the Steelers have chosen Oklahoma State defensive tackle Ryan McBean. Bean is said to be able to fit into both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes, thus seems like another one of these hybrid players that the Steelers have seemed to be focusing on in this draft.

NFL.com’s positives and negatives:

Positives: Has a tall, angular frame that can easily carry another 20 pounds of bulk … Has the play recognition skills and instincts to flow to the ball with ease … Shows decent knee bend and flexibility in his stance, demonstrating the short-area acceleration to string plays wide and take away the ball carrier’s outside rush lanes … Has the quickness to give chase up field, showing the functional agility and loose hips to redirect … Has the power to stack and hold the pile at the line of scrimmage … Shows proper use of hands to gain leverage and the foot agility to generate a quick surge through the gaps … Can locate the running plays working through trash and keeps his pads down and arms properly extended to wrap tackle …

When he keeps his hands inside the frame, he can stuff and shed quickly … Decisive in pursuit and goes low in his tackles to stop ball carriers at the line … Displays impressive power behind his hits and has the initial burst to knife into the backfield and the acceleration to zero in on the quarterback once he penetrates … Hard worker in the weight room … Maintains body control on the move and has an explosive first step off the snap … Has enough arm strength to reach out and drag the ball carrier to the ground … His best asset is shooting the gaps, as he has the quickness to pressure the pocket consistently … His hand quickness is evident by the activity he shows with them when executing counter moves … Alert to play-action and it is rare to see him get fooled by an erratic snap count … Keeps his head on a swivel to locate the ball and has a quick spin move to slip off the lineman and clog the interior rush lanes.

Negatives: More of a push rusher than one who displays technique … Has good quickness, but tires late in games and then reverts to leaning into blockers rather than trying to battle them … Can disappear for stretches, struggling to disengage when challenged by double teams (when he fails to extend his arms and keep his hands active, he will get tied up on blocks and lacks the bulk to split multiple blockers … Best making plays on the move, as he can get run over at the line of scrimmage at times due to a lack of ideal lower body strength … Has improved his pad level, but when he gets high in his stance, he leaves his chest too exposed … Gets out of control at times and tries to club blockers, making him late getting off blocks … Can be taken down by low blocks, as he doesn’t use his hands to protect his body … Adequate wrap-up tackler, but needs to do it with better consistency (will collide or arm tackle on the move and bigger backs can bounce off those hits) … Has good leaping ability, but poor timing (with his reach, he should be knocking down more passes than he has).

The Steelers really seem to be focusing on the players in the box. We’re not sure yet where McBean figures to fit into the Steelers’ plans. Looks like he might be a solid pick for Coach Tomlin to groom.