Will it be the Limas Sweed show at #3

Sweed will begin showing us more of the skills he was blessed with in ‘09. I am hoping he will workout with Ike and Santonio in that Florida training center (I forget who runs it) this off season. Wallace could also benefit from those training sessions. Ike and Tone both came to camp in great shape, focused and ready. Wasn’t Farrior with them too?

McDonald gives us the depth we were lacking. His role can only add to the mix.

Great report Steelergurl. Thanks.

I really think he’ll be the #3 guy, based solely on his consistency when there’s someone with a hand throwing to him. He’s a good player when he’s with a good bunch. Unless Limas dramatically improves from last season, which I think probably will not happen for the kid, we’ll be better than last year in the passing game with McDonald. It can be great for Sweed, too.

This offense could have a great, diverse passing game with the players we have on the roster.

Steelergurl, do you also wear a cape along with your jersey? Another great steelers fan in D.C. who works for the govt (me too). Anyway, let’s keep in mind that the Steelers only keep 4 WR’s active on game day. Wallace, right now, is the no. 1 KR and one of the gunners on the no. 1 punt team. He can also come in right now on 3rd downs and play the X position at WR on offense and stretch the field. In other words, he’ll be active on game day.

So, that leave us with Sweed and Mcdonald. At this time, I’ll have to put my money on McDonald. And the reason is Sweed hasn’t done it yet, and McDonald has. Sweed also hasn’t shown that he can consistently catch the ball. The last time I checked, that skill is an important part of the skill set needed as an NFL WR.

If one of the starters go down, I can’t see the coaches being comfortable with Sweed as a starter. I’d love to see Sweed step up, but I can only go by what I’ve seen on the field. Sweed could also help himself if he all of a sudden becomes a great special-teams player as well. Patrick Bailey will have a roster spot and see time on the field this year simply because he can bust heads on coverages.

When the ball is kicked off against the Titans in September, the coaches will want players that they can depend on play in and play out, which Sweed hasn’t shown yet. That doesn’t mean that he can’t. We’ll see.

I think the main thing that Sweed has going for him is this is his second year in the system, so he shouldn’t have to think so much and can just play. Any rookie in a Steelers uniform will get what I call the “TP grace period” (TP stands for Troy Palomula, the grace period is the time they’ll get to show something considering how bad and lost Troy looked as a rookie but yet proved he had star potential in his second year). That’s why I expect the Steelers rookies that made the squad this past year (and those that landed on the practice squad) to take a big step up this training camp. And by the way, the TP grace period only lasts 3 years. If you haven’t shown anything by the end of Year 3, time to move on, both the player and the team.

I believe Wallace will end up being a starter with Santonio in a few years and be one of the gems from this draft. Keep it coming, Steelergurl!

I remember in Washington’s first two years he made a bunch of drops too. People didn’t complain too much because he wasn’t a second rounder. I remember one really good/bad drop. From about hte 14 yard line, Ben hit him in the chest on a slant in the end zone. Drop=field goal=loss . All I am saying is wait for the second year transition. WRs notoriously struggle in their rookie years with only 1 or 2 really wowing people. Year two and three are the important years. If he struggles this year, then we can start to worry a little.

Tomlin seems intent on improving the KR and PR positions and will have the best options for both active on game day. Interesting to see how the competition plays out, particularly for the PR position. Burnett seems like a natural PR and could probably play on the other special teams units as well as some sub D packages.

I believe that both Wallace & Burnett will be active on game day as the returners and special teams contributors.

Steelerlifer, if they do keep 5 WR active on game day, then they will be short another position on gameday, either DB, LB or TE. I’m thinking just 4 WR positions because they could get more bang for the buck from special teams at DB and LB.

Thoughts?

My .02 here.

Tomlin I think has an excellent ability to coach players on a personal level. Imagine if you will what Cowher would have done after Limas dropped that easy TD against B-Whore.

But instead we saw Tomlin coach him up, and we saw a catch later and a crushing block shortly after.

I think we see this on a grander scale this year and I really believe that drop will motivate Sweed to get himself together. He had a limited rookie year and it wasnt pretty, now he has to show up. And I think Tomlin will make sure he does.

Guys, just re-watched the AFC championship game and am still a little amazed at the hitting that went on during that game. Great football. I think the best thing the Steelers did for Sweed in the offseason was signing McDonald and drafting Wallace. Competition brings out the best in good players. For all of the potential that you guys say Sweed is oozing with, he still has to prove that he can consistently catch the ball. I just haven’t seen it. We’re all pulling for the guy, but he has to prove that he can do that before anything else can be expected of him.

I think the kickoff returners will be Burnett and Wallace, with Burnett handling PR. S. Logan and Williams have a shot, but they’re going to have to do something extra special during the preseason to stick, though one or both could make the practice squad.

I still wonder how much better this OL could be if the team could have J. Capizzi and Starks as your bookend tackles, with Colon and Urbik battling for that starting RG position. I’ve had the opportunity to watch and re-watch several games from this season, and I’m just not that big a fan of Willie Colon as a RT.

I watch the right side of our line get beat by X stunts, the tackle and end or LB crossing and the 2 meatheads (Staples and Colon) getting beat consistently. The were running pee wee football stunts getting to Ben.

We seriously need Tony Hill and Urbick to step up and take those jobs or we fire Zierlien for not developing Staples and Colon. Also, please add Spaeth to the list, he is flat out horrible blocker and looks lost in the passing game. He’s 6’7" with no push or blocking ability.

As far as Sweed is concerned the # 3 it is his to lose.

The debate will be settled in preseason. Imo, McDonald initially gets the nod over Sweed. I just don’t get from Tomlin he trusts Sweed yet and it will take more than just one preseason to earn that trust.

But, what intrigues me more is the overall talent on paper of the WR position:

    Hines, Holmes, McDonald, Sweed, Wallace…WOW! It’s not just the talent individually but I think collectively they can complement each other very well.

    You have the grizzled, tough, future HOF Hines provding invaluable leadership, making all the tough, clutch 3rd down plays/TDs. Then you have, the reigning SB MVP still coming into his own as a top notch NFL receiver and playmaker. Add to that physical specimen Sweed, who hopefully continues to progress and finds a comfort zone for himself as an NFL receiver…we don’t need him to carry the team, just make some plays when your numbers called…contribute. Wallace, nothing replaces speed. He will provide our vertical threat, along with Sweed and Holmes. But he has that extra, extra gear that few players have. If he proves to have decent hands and good location of the deep ball…wow! Throw in a capable veteran like McDonald, who hopefully will flash even more skills and production playing on a Championship team, surrounded by quality talent. And add to that potential talent/practice squad players Nance and Baker.

Again, I think collectively this could be a great mixture and collage of talent complementing each other. We could have the best WR talent, top to bottom, since our ‘96 SB with O’Donnell and the 5 receiver sets (pardon that reference…I still get a nauseous feeling when thinking about THAT SB…but I was just referring to the talent of our WR’s :)

I agree with the above posts…it probably is going to be a combination of all those guys getting to contribute throughout the entire season. It’s not going to be either Sweed or McDonald or Wallace but everyone contributing at various points, depending on the game and the situation.

How does everyone else feel about our WR’s as a group?