can hold up, and Ziggy can rotate, this defense will be scary, especially if the offense improves the running game, man think about it, no more putting the D in bad situations, bad punts, not being able to run out the clock at the end of games. CRAZY!!! Teams won’t be able to rack up yards at the end of games. I mean this season has the potential of dominance written all over it

I am convinced that this LB corps will be a strength in 09. Woodley and Harrison are the best in the business right now as a tandem coming off the corners. Lawrence Timmons will make his national debut as a starter against the Titans (for the 2nd time, he started against them last year when Woodley was hurt) and Farrior will continue to be Farrior.

I know there are some who are worried about depth for this unit, but that is what training camp is for. I do like A. Frazier, B. Davis and Patrick Bailey on the outside. The second-team backups on at ILB in training camp were K. Fox and D. Woods. I do expect this team to keep 9 LBs on the roster, with 8 being active on game day.

The biggest reason for optimism is the natural progression of Woodley and Timmons, J. Harrison coming of a NFL Defensive Player of the Year season with the possibility of being better and fresher since he’ll probably be taken off of special teams, and the second-year debuts of Bailey, Davis and Woods. People are down on the 08’ draft class right now, but don’t be too quick to judge them, particularly when you throw in the rookie free agent class. Take those three LBs and then add potential safety’s making this squad in Roy Lewis and Ryan Mundy and you have a very good draft haul.

I would expect Tomlin to add a veteran ILB to the mix before training camp, but pretty much the hay is in the barn. What they have now is what will largely represent the team in 09 and the Steelers are loaded. Good depth in the secondary, DL, RB and WR. I still want to see how the OL shakes out. If Capizzi or Hills take a big step forward, this OL could appreciably better in 09.

This squad is loaded and Tomlin knows it. A lot of competition at camp and there are spots up for grab. And don’t forget that there are several veterans in the last year of their contract who are playing for their next pay day. Always good to have a few of those on your squad (another example of this on the flip side is the Dallas Cowboys, with Jerry Jones extending everyone in their last year before the season started and then having those already receiving big money shut it down at the end of the year). Those who don’t bring it at Latrobe won’t be making this squad. Should be fun.

I could see 14 and 2 in the regular season and a stairway to 7th Heaven. Injuries are always the big unknown, but as Tomlin says so eloquently, the expectations for whomever is replacing a starter won’t change. Players vibe off their coaches and what they do and say, and this team really believes in not letting things slip because of injury.

Now, how can he all best pass the next 3 months until training camp rolls around?

I don’t know why but I like Woods. Maybe it was his ST efforts last year..I don’t rightly recall. But here is to D. Woods have a good year and making more contributions on the field. I’d like to see him step up this year and give us some needed depth at ILB.

Other than that, our LB corp…ridiculous. I hope Farve comes back so Woodley and Harrison can terrorize him and make him regret coming back.

I like how foote is still a starter…

But honestly I have to wonder about depth. I think Fox is a solid backup but I dont know about the others. Time will tell.

Guys, besides what D. Woods showed in the first game of the season this past year, there is one other play that has me believing that he could another one of those rookie free agent finds. It occurred against the Carolina Panthers this past preseason. Woods had been playing LOLB in the 4th Q with a lot of the other players who would have a hard time making NFL squads. He was regularly getting pressure from this spot on first and second down.

However, when it came to third down, LeBeau moved him inside, and he blitzed up the middle like he was shot out of a cannon. He put a shoulder into one blocker and kept going and then put his Superman cape on and leaped over another block and put a lick on the QB. Does anyone remember that play?

The Carolina announcers were like, “Whooaaa, who was that that looked like they were shot out of a cannon?”

It reminded me a little of that play that S Roy Williams did in college against Texas, I think. From the time the ball was hiked to the time he leaped into the air, over a blocker, and hit the QB to me exemplified what an explosive football player is. And last year was the first year that he had ever played LB. In college, he played QB for most of his career before switching to safety his last year. I bet he and Timmons will both be 240 plus this year. Woods and Bailey on the field at the same time on special teams could be something to behold.

It was Timmons who was getting in Warner’s grill (while being held) when he let the pass go only to be pick-sixxed by the Silverback. I can see this defense being among the best ever, with plenty of strip sacks and hurried passes being picked off. I cannot wait….GO STEELERS.

He was a first-round pick two years ago, and where Woodley has flourished, Timmons hasn’t. He still hasn’t started yet at inside, and he probably wouldn’t if Foote hadn’t left.

I still think he’s a pretty good player, and I’m glad he’s getting his chance, but I don’t expect him to be something amazing. ILBs in a 3-4 make a lot of tackles, but very few highlight plays. I’m very hesitant to say that Timmons in ‘09 is going to be better than the Foote/Timmons combo in ’08. Hope I’m wrong.

Guys, here is another report card on the Steelers draft. Someone file this away so that in 3 years we can come back and laugh at it. I may be in the minority, but I definitely think this is Tomlin’s best draft in his 3 years and some of these players will have a quicker impact on the field for this team than the first 2 drafts. Would love to hear your view on this so-called “expert’s” take.

Pittsburgh Steelers Final Draft Report Card

By Tom Marino, Scouts.com Lead Analyst

If medically sound RB Rashard Mendenhall should pay big dividends in 2009. Safety Ryan Mundy and LB Bruce Davis are fast developing prospects and good special teams players. If healthy OT Tony Hills has an upside. WR Limas Sweed is overrated while QB Dennis Dixon is not a professional prospect.

 
Pittsburgh Steelers Grade – C +
NO RD Name Pos School HT WT 40 Grade 32 1 Hood, Evander DT Missouri 6027v 300v 4.89v 1.202
79 3 Urbik, Kraig OG Wisconsin 6052v 328v 5.39v 1.422
84 3 Wallace, Mike WR Mississippi 6003v 199v 4.34v 1.512
96 3 Lewis, Keenan DC Oregon St 6012v 208v 4.49v 1.393
168 5 Burnett, Joe DC C Florida 5093v 192v 4.59v 1.722
169 5 Summers, Frank RB UNLV 5091v 243v 4.60v 1.900
205 6 Harris, Ra’Shon DT Oregon 6036v 298v 5.04v 1.800
226 7 Shipley, A.Q. OC Penn St 6011v 306v 5.21v 1.800
241 7 Johnson, David TE Arkansas St 6014v 260v 4.73v 1.900

The Steelers drafts are never flashy, but year in and year out the club makes sound selections that ultimately upgrade their football club. I like number one selections Evander Hood’s quickness, hand use, ability to stretch things and playing character, but in my opinion is going to need to get stronger and develop a second (counter) move as a pass rusher. He’s going to play a very long time. Kraig Urbik, is another tough, physical inside player with a chance to play early. Mike Wallace can flat out fly and with further skill development could develop into a strong vertical threat in the near future. Both corners (Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett) are skilled performers who should contribute in back up roles. I like Lewis’ size and speed, but is going to need work in off coverage (pressed almost exclusively at Oregon State). He can’t be faulted for this, but I really didn’t like the the side pedal that Central Florida employs in their secondary. I really didn’t like the way he played the run. I thought he struggled to get off blocks, and was not explosive on contact. The best area of his game appears to be as a punt return man. I liked his confidence fielding punts in traffic. I particularly liked his first step quicks and instincts in this area. Frank Summers is an inside hammer, who could surprise. He a downhill runner who was particularly effective on short yardage and red zone situations. A. Q. Shipley kind of grew on me as his season progressed, but what really scares me about the undersized center prospect was his lack of lower body strength and short arms (29"). I’m not as concerned with his arm length on pass protection or as a run blocker at close quarters, but rather his ability to get the ball up on center snaps.

FRANCHISE PICK: N/A
QUICKEST TO START: Kraig Urbik
FASTEST TO PRO BOWL: Keenan Lewis
BEST IN 3 YEARS: Kraig Urbik
OVERRATED: Joe Burnett
UNDERRATED: Mike Wallace
PROJECT: Ra’Shon Harris
BEST COLLEGE F.A.: Ramon Foster (OT)
TOP TALENT SCOUT: Kelvin Fisher
HAH?: N/A

Some people may say that the team was better off keeping the Timmons/Foote combo, but I don’t agree. Foote didn’t want to be here and Timmons has paid his dues. You don’t pick a guy no. 1 to sit. Time to put him in there and let him be great. That’s the Steelers way of doing things. You learn, prove that you can be trusted, beat out the competition and then you play. Don’t forget Timmons had 2 pretty good players in front of him on the no. 1 D in the league his first two years. Foote was a good player; he was never a great player. Timmons has the ability to be great.

I don’t think the Steelers have had 2 ILB’s that could play all 3 downs since Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown. And I think that is the mold that Tomlin wants all of his LB’s to have — versatility, speed, explosion with the ability to be tough at the point of contact.

And another reference to D. Woods, I’m sure that was a pass play in which he put his cape on and made like Superman. It was a called blitz where he shot the A gap and looked like he was fired out of gun. The pass was incomplete but his effort and explosion were impressive. The good thing is that he not only flashes ability, but that he is one of your best special team players on the squad to boot. In other words, you get good production from a young player that you can continue to groom for the base defense — The Steelers Way, BABY!!!!!!

BMF, you are definitely one of my boys here that I love reading, but I have to disagree that the Steelers are just “above average” when it comes to the draft. For the most part, the draft is hit and miss anyway. However, I include whom you sign as rookie free agents as part of your draft haul as well, and I think the Steeler’s scouting department is second to none as far as finding talent that fits the team’s philosophy and schemes. I’d be the first to admit that K. Colbert’s second day of drafting hasn’t been that great, but he seems to have done a little better the past 3 years (at least some of those players are still on the squad now).

This team believes in building around a core group and I think they do as good a job as any team in the NFL at doing that. They’re just not going to pay top dollars to other team’s players to come here. The only players they usually pay big money to are those that they have drafted, developed and have produced at an All-Pro level. Their philosophy of not negotiating a new contract with a player until the last year of their contract might cause a few good players to leave, but they usually keep who they really want to keep and it saves the organization a ton of headaches in the offseason when it comes to contract talks.

I agree that player development is crucial, but the talent has to be first identified before it can be brought in and developed. That’s called Scouting. And once you get that talent under contract, they have to be taught the Steelers Way and their skills refined. That’s called player development and coaching. And the Steelers do both of those, the acquisition of talent and player development, as well as anyone in the NFL.