Change Of Pace For Blitzburgh Blog

Written by Brian Schaich on .

June is a great time to work on things, because there's nothing to post about in the NFL (unless you're on the edge of your seat about Chad Johnson going to jail, but if you are, this isn't the website for you. Try TMZ). In the past, Blitzburgh had been sort of haphazardly organized between quick hits from Bam, longer recaps and essays from your truly, and George's big statistical breakdowns. Looking towards this upcoming training camp and 2013 season, I think Blitzburgh will likely move more toward Bam's style of quick opinions on goings-on in Pittsburgh.

For a better comparison, we're probably going to be more like WHYGAVS than Jesse's in-depth work on Faceoff-Factor. There will of course still be more practical relationships with this site, such as getting ticket deals with TiqIQ. If gambling is your thing, we keep up with top 5 sports betting sites. But in general, I'll still be raving about how Heath Miller is the perfect football player, Santonio Holmes is the whiniest, and everything can be fixed with a better pass rush.

It's just that putting together long, in-depth posts can't be the norm if I'm going to have anything to say about Nick Williams. It's a 7th-round defensive lineman; just apply whatever you know about Steve McLendon. Those posts will come and go as interesting topics arise, but I think it's in everyone's best interests to stick to short newsworthy items day-by-day.

Meta-posts always kind of bugged me on blogs, so here's an image of Heath Miller being better than the Cleveland Browns:

Some more stuff on a few of the rookies coming up.

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Better Know a Rookie: Shamarko Thomas

Written by Brian Schaich on .

 
One of the most iconic Steelers of the 2000s has been strong safety Troy Polamalu. If his flowing mane didn't identify him on the football field, his style of play would on its own. Polamalu plays football with reckless abandon. He can line up all over the defense and has the foot speed to drop into deep zone coverage from the line of scrimmage or rush the quarterback from his natural DB position. He plays safety like a linebacker, and his versatility can confuse quarterbacks and make the job easier for his fellow defenders. The problem with Troy Polamalu is that he's been in the league for ten years and age does not look kindly on a player with his physical nature. Between Polamalu and fellow veteran safety Ryan Clark, man-games will be lost throughout an NFL season. There has to be a player who can step in and adequately produce in their absences.
 
The Steelers traded a 2014 3rd round pick for the Browns' 2013 4th round pick to select Shamarko Thomas, a safety from Syracuse. The fact that Kevin Colbert anted up as much as he did for the opportunity to draft Thomas tells you how important he could be to the Steelers. Thomas is a thick, physical safety who played around the line of scrimmage a lot during his career. He's strong and he's fast. He can defend the run and he can cover slot receivers. He's got character. Any of this sound familiar yet? It should, because it's all the stuff I just said about Troy Polamalu.
 
I'm not going to anoint anyone "the next Polamalu" because I'm not sure Thomas can do this. What Thomas appears to be is the future replacement for Troy Polamalu, and there is a difference. His versatility has to appeal to Dick LeBeau, and one can expect him to spend the next few years learning to see the game the way Polamalu can from behind the Steeler defense. His pursuit ability and aggressiveness should get him substantial time on special teams this year (where Steelers have traditionally cut their teeth) and hopefully fill in for Polamalu or Clark if and when the need arises. It's possible he sees time as a nickel DB to cover a slot receiver, but with the Steelers' wealth of young cornerbacks from recent drafts, it's more likely that Thomas just be groomed to play safety.
 
So if Shamarko Thomas is supposed to be so great, how come he wasn't selected until early in the fourth round? Surely a player with that much potential should have gone higher, right? Well, here's the downside: He's only 5'9". He's thick, not big. His height definitely scared teams away, teams who rely on their safeties to cover receivers one-on-one. He isn't much of a ballhawk either, and while there are a hundred factors that lead to an interception (one of them usually being luck), it's a stat that scouts can look at and judge. On many NFL teams, there's no room for an undersized safety who doesn't catch the ball. The Steelers are not necessarily one of those teams.
 
The safety position, and specifically Troy Polamalu's position, require someone who can read plays, get into traffic, and make a tackle. Shamarko Thomas is a ferocious tackler. It remains to be seen how well he will learn to read NFL offenses, but he made plays in college. Given that the Steelers' defense primarily uses zone coverage, Thomas won't be asked to cover a man one-on-one very often, so his height is less of an issue in Pittsburgh than it might be elsewhere. There are parts of his game that he will have to adjust, like wrapping up a ball carrier instead of trying to lay the big hit. He'll have to learn how to read NFL quarterbacks instead of the putrid passers of the Big East.
 
But those are things that come with coaching. Carnell Lake did a tremendous job with the defensive backs last year and he'll be given a fairly raw but extremely driven athlete to work with in Thomas. Pittsburgh offers the perfect situation for him; a team where he can play sparingly as he learns the system and develops better habits on the field. If everything goes as planned, he can take over for Troy Polamalu when the superhuman safety either decides to quit or his body gives out on him. That's still a few years away, but that will be plenty of time to prepare for the future.
 
Note: This has little to do with Thomas' ability as a football player, but every Steeler fan should know this. His mother died of heart disease prior to the 2010 season and his father died in a motorcycle accident nine months later. Thomas is the oldest of six children who lost their parents within a year of each other. He became the head of his household and considered entering the NFL Draft a year early, but ultimately stayed in school to finish his degree to help provide for his family in the long term. I don't even feel like I have the right to form an opinion on him knowing that, but I'll say that he seems to know how to make a good life decision. I couldn't have more respect for Shamarko Thomas, knowing how he handled that situation.
 
And on a lighter note, how cool of a first name is Shamarko?
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Chidi Iwuoma Is Back In Pittsburgh

Written by Brian Schaich on .

From the Steelers' official website

I have no idea what a BLESTO scout is, but the position will now be filled by former Steelers defensive back/special teams captain/king of downing punts at the 1-yard line, Chidi Iwuoma.

This is exciting news to nobody but me, because I own this jersey:

Yes, I am that kind of hipster.

Been working on some stuff about the Steelers' rookies this year, but I want to get that all done before they start publishing. It's May; if you're hurting for football news, buy Madden or something.

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Steelers Address Offense On Day Two

Written by Brian Schaich on .

With Rashard Mendenhall moving on to Pittsburgh, Part 2 in Arizona and Emmanuel Sanders settling for a one-year deal before he likely leaves for greener pastures, depth on offense was going to be an issue for the Steelers. When the sun came up on Friday, the Steelers had three running backs: Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman, and Baron Batch. Batch came in highly touted for a late draft pick and was expected to assume the role of 3rd down back after Mewelde Moore departed. Batch hasn't impressed in his short time in Pittsburgh and it looks like he'll have to hold his job against the incoming LaRod Stephens-Howling.

That left Redman and Dwyer to battle for the starting job. Both are thick power backs capable of blasting through tacklers, but the lack of speed and agility between the two backs doesn't bode well for an every-down running game. Redman and Dwyer are basically the same player, but they need a Rashard Mendenhall type in front of them to handle the bulk of the work. That brings us to Le'Veon Bell. He's about the same size as his two new backfield mates, and with a 4.6 40 time, he doesn't have elite speed. Given that, it seems like they want more of the same from the running back position. I'd be interested to know what they like in Bell moreso than Eddie Lacy, but that's what Kevin Colbert's scouts get paid for.

One round later, the Steelers chose Markus Wheaton out of Oregon State to fill out the wide receiving corps. The aforementioned Emmanuel Sanders is in a lame duck year as a receiver, but fortunately that means he'll be playing for a new contract. The problem is going to be whenever Brown or Sanders gets hurt and now the offense is featuring Jerricho Cotchery. Wheaton will get plenty of chances to play this season.

As for the rest of the draft, the Steelers are still hurting for a backup safety to groom behind Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark (and inevitably play when one or both of those guys get hurt, which one or both of them will). The presence of David Paulson and Matt Spaeth diminish the need for a tight end to get some reps in case Heath Miller isn't ready to go.

With their major, immediate needs filled thus far in the draft, the Steelers are in a position to take the best player available on the last day of the draft. They'll lean towards a safety, but if a guy they like doesn't come along, I don't expect them to reach for one.

I'm also not sure if this is the year or not that the Steelers put some serious stock into grooming a new backup QB. It's not a pressing need for the team, with Bruce Gradkowski shoring up the position, but this could be a good year to find a backup. Without any real stars at QB in this draft, second-tier passers are falling into the later rounds. If Kevin Colbert likes one of them on Day 3, I'd expect him to take the opportunity.

He has a luxury on the final day of the draft though; one that he didn't have the first two days. He doesn't need anything in particular. That gives him the option to take what he wants. That's a much better position to be in.

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LaRod Stephens-Howling Returns to Heinz Field

Written by Brian Schaich on .

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed running back LaRod Stephens-Howling to a one-year deal, according to the team's website. With only Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman on the depth chart at the moment, the Steelers had a definite need to att RB depth. Stephens-Howling is expected to play mostly special teams and third downs rather than being the new feature back to replace Rashard Mendenhall.

It's nice to see a former Pitt Panther join the Steelers (and hey, maybe they'll draft Ray Graham this weekend) and bolster the depth in the backfield a little bit. It doesn't change the desperate need for a real starter, and likely won't alter Colbert's draft strategy tonight.

I'm on the record as hoping Eddie Lacy falls to Pittsburgh in the second round. This signing has done little to change my stance. It might not happen, but expect the Steelers to address that position before the end of the draft. As the rounds go on, the strategy will shift to "best player available" but if they have to reach a little bit to get someone at the RB position, they probably will.

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Steelers Select LB Jarvis Jones In First Round

Written by Brian Schaich on .

Meet Jarvis Jones, the former-DE, future-OLB that will be joining the Steelers this fall. He was the consensus pick from the mock drafts, and Kevin Colbert made a number of people just look a little smarter. James Harrison's replacement might not start right away, but with the instability on the right side of the defense (sorry, Jason Worilds fans), Jarvis could find playing time sooner than later. He'll certainly have his chance to take the starting job in training camp.

If you know me, you know I like this pick. In a pinch? Draft more linebackers. If the defense were ten linebackers and Troy Polamalu, I'd be fine with that. Jarvis Jones pretty much closes the door on Jason Worilds' career. The front seven has a lot of youth in the mix. The next ten years will depend on them living up to their draft pedigree. Jones' tape says he can motor. Brett Keisel (and eventually Cam Heyward) are going to have to open lanes for him to prove he belongs in the NFL.

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2013 NFL Draft Liveblog!

Written by Brian Schaich on .

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Steelers 2013 Mock Draft Roundup

Written by Brian Schaich on .

Heads up: The NFL Draft is on Thursday. Other football blogs have been saturated with prospect reports, scouting updates, and all sorts of draft coverage basically since the Superbowl ended.

That hasn't been going on here, because I make no secret of the fact that I know nothing about college football or the process of finding a player who fits a certain team. Fortunately, there are several people who make their living knowing that kind of thing. In preparation for this week's draft, I've gone around the internet and collected some predictions from analysts and websites that know more than I do. So let's take a look at who the Steelers might select on Thursday, according to these fine football minds.
 
Note: There are a lot of mock drafts that go the full seven rounds. We're not doing that, because as the rounds go on, seriously, no one has any clue what will happen. I could just make up names and call them sixth-round picks and I'd probably have a similar success rate to anyone else.
 
Source Player School
Gil Brandt Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB Georgia
Bucky Brooks Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Tennessee
Charley Casserly Justin Hunter, WR Tennessee
Charles Davis Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB Georgia
Pat Kirwan Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas
Josh Norris Xavier Rhodes, CB Florida State
Pete Prisco Tyler Eifert, TE Notre Dame
Bleacher Report (1) Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas
Bleacher Report (2) Bjoern Werner, DE/OLB Florida State
Drafttek Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB Gerogia
Fansided Eddie Lacy, RB Alabama
SB Nation Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Tennessee
Walter Football Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB Georgia

Consensus winner: Jarvis Jones

The only reason players get listed as "DE/OLB" coming out of college is because they are going to be a 3-4 OLB. An actual hybrid player at that position is hard to find, yet a thousand of them come out every year. If Jarvis Jones is indeed a future Steeler, he is the de facto replace for James Harrison on the right side of the defense. He's a pass-rusher; not especially versatile. He isn't the fastest guy and he may not be able to drop into coverage very well. I'm not sure if Dick LeBeau would prefer to work with a player like that, but the Steelers are really hurting for a pass-rusher on that side. If Jones is available at 17, it's possible the Steelers take him purely out of necessity.

Runner-up: Cordarrelle Patterson

Again, a pick that could be determined by need. Patterson is a hot-shot wide receiver from the SEC. The Steelers have really backed themselves into a corner by losing Mike Wallace and having to settle on a one-year lame-duck deal for Emmanuel Sanders, and they might be forced to spend their first round pick on a wide receiver rather than the best player available. I'm not saying I don't want a receiver like Patterson on the team, I'm only saying I don't like the team being forced to make a pick based on position.

Runner-up: Kenny Vaccaro

Here's a player the Steelers could pick based on the future rather than the present. The Steelers have a notable hole behind Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark on the depth chart, and that is a position that gets playing time for the Steelers. Having a talented rookie playing behind those two veterans would mean a lot to this defense in the future. Ryan Clark is getting older every year and Troy Polamalu is eventually going to fall apart. Sooner or later, the Steelers are going to need a safety of the future. If Vaccaro is that guy, I like it.

As for the other projections, Bjoern Werner is basically the same as Jarvis Jones from an analysis perspective. I wouldn't mind having a guy named Jarvis on the team, but I could really get behind someone named Bjoern. Justin Hunter, like, Patterson, is a wide receiver from Tennessee. It depends on which player fits the offense better, but it's the same idea that the Steelers have a clear need for a pass-catcher. Speaking of pass-catchers, a few drafts (only one listed here), suggested Tyler Eifert out of Notre Dame. I get that Heath Miller is coming off ACL surgery, but the Steelers have a lot more pressing needs than tight end. Why spend a first round pick on a TE if Miller ostensibly has several effective years left?

Xavier Rhodes is just a continuation of the "get some more DBs" refrain, though I'm not convinced the Steelers need youth at corner. Enough draft picks have been spent there the past few years, and it's time for one of them to rise up and take a starting job. This is especially not a need if the Steelers indeed choose Kenny Vaccaro. Eddie Lacy is a more intriguing prospect. I'm always torn on drafting running backs, because a good run-blocking line will do more with less, and that's why so many running backs in the league today were undrafted. The Steelers need a running back though, and Lacy has some crazy talent. So much that I doubt he falls to the Steelers at 17, but if he's there, he would be hard to pass up even for me. He's a fast and tough runner who can play every down between the tackles. Coming from Alabama, you know you're getting a pro-ready player with a ton of experience winning games. But given his chances of going higher coupled with more pressing needs at positions that are harder to find, I don't think Lacy will be wearing the black and gold.

It sounds like Jarvis Jones is a likely pick, and it's one the Steelers desperately need. The entire defense is built around rushing the passer. Someone has to put Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco on the ground to win the AFC North, and even if LaMarr Woodley regains his form (not holding my breath), if you're predictable you might as well be dead against an NFL quarterback. Serviceable wide receivers and running backs can be found in later rounds, but you can't fake a good pass-rusher. If Jarvis Jones is there at 17, I'm on board.

Big time disclaimer: All of this is wrong because who on Earth thought the Steelers would land David DeCastro last year? Anything can happen on draft day.

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