BUT, I think An Smith is overdue for another opportunity and I’ll say it, Tyrone Carter has played pretty shitty football for as long as I can remember now. At about 900k a year, hes worth every penny, but I think Smith brings more to the table and I have faith hes learned something this offseason and this year having to watch from the sidelines.

I agree with you; I don’t recall that many plays where Carter and Hooray were in the same sentence. That said, your logic makes sense to me. Seems he can match up well. I think my only concern with Carter is that he tends to feel a need to prove his manhood all the time, leading to potentially disasterous penalties.

I am not a 23 fan but agree he is probably the best choice. Heard Tomlin is giving A Smith some reps in practice as a possibility. It would be great for Steelers football to see 27 step up and become a player.

Picking a starter between Carter and Smith is liking picking a broken foot or a torn ACL, either way your on crutches.

Whoever they go with, I hope they stress every single day that their job is to cover deep. Tell them that we can handle the run without you and if we see you within 15 yards of the original line of scrimmage, we’re going to fine you. Don’t bite on play fake or double moves. Your job isn’t to make a tackle on a slant route or a 7 yard run, it’s to prevent a WR from scoring a 50 yd TD.

I have a feeling that LeBeau will rotate Smith and Carter during the game depending on situation. I hope Smith has learned his lessons and can step up.

On Clark – that was a helluva a hit in the Giants game. Wow!! Smith can set that kind of tone for this game.

or I’d be clamoring for Townsend at FS.

I think you got to try the guy for two reasons:
1. He’s got the tools: He’s big, strong and fast and he hits like McGwire on Steroids.
2. Now is the time to find out if he has learned the game or not.

the Steelers haven’t taken another look at Ryan Mundy? I know he didn’t get alot of playing time this preseason because of a high ankle sprain, but he was an inteeligent player in college and has more physical ability than Carter and Smith. Maybe the coaches thought he was too laxed in his desire to get back on the field or maybe they just liked the other guys better. In the only PS game he played in (Philly), he was where he was supposed to be and he made a couple plays in limited action.

 Out of Carter and Smith, I think Anthony Smith has to be the guy to step up if he’s ever going to have a career worth remembering. He reminds me of James Harrison when he first came into the league, a fiery competitor that lacked discipline. I would hope the coaches and fellow DB’s thought enough of Anthony as a person th realize what he could be as a player. Tyrone Carter is a better SS than FS. He is excellent on run support but a shutter to think of him as our last line of defense. He IS more disciplined than AS but he’s not going to hold opponents from converting 3rd downs on him with any kind of consistency.

I appreciate your point of view, but Anthony Smith has to be our guy if we are to remain effective as a defense.

should get the nod. If it were up to me, I would cut Carter…he’s garbage! Smith deserves another chance. It wasnt long ago that he was battling for the starting job with Clark; let’s see what the kids got once and for all.

Smith. And the reason for that is speed alone. Carter is just to slow to keep up with Randle El or Moss (and his reaction time doesn’t help either).

I’ve never been a Carter hater but he just lacks the physical skills to keep up with the Redskins receivers. However, since he is slow to react to plays and fairly conservative I think he wouldn’t get beat too often but if he does there is no chance to recover. I like his attitude, he will talk trash and hit someone hard but no more than Smith.

Smith has better speed, hitting power, and catching ability. However, he is more susceptible to double moves and play action but with the way our LBs play I think the pressure should be there to prevent the receivers from being able to pull off too many moves. And the play action doesn’t worry me because in order for that to work your run game has to work, and I’m convinced we can stop Portis with our front 7.

I don’t think either would be a dangerous pick for us but I’d just prefer Smith.

Does anyone have any stats on Anthony Smith’s play last year (or guesses)? For example, how many times was he beat deep on play-action or off of double moves?

I ask this because the only knock against Smith is his susceptibility to these two things. I think everyone clearly remembers the Patriots-Guarantee-This-Asshole game, but how many other instances of this exploitation were there?

but besides that Smith didn’t have a bad year. I don’t have the stats but I remember that he didn’t do all that bad for a DB that had cover with no pass rush against the QB.