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2012 NFL Team Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers started to show their age in 2011. They were inconsistent early in the season, but bounced back to make the playoffs. They didn’t get very deep. They lost to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos in the first-round.

Pittsburgh addressed their offensive line issues in the draft by picking guard David DeCastro and tackle Mike Adams. They will have to mature in a hurry, since Ben Roethlisberger needs to stay off his back.

Mike Wallace has a contract issue that has been a distraction all offseason. Rashard Mendenhall will start the season on the sideline, which will be the biggest hurdle early in the year. The season has already been a chore and they haven’t played a regular season game yet.

Can Pittsburgh make another playoff run or will their age finally creep up on them? Here is our 2012 NFL team preview of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 12-4

Key Additions: TE Leonard Pope, OG David DeCastro, OT Mike Adams, RB Chris Rainey, LB Sean Spence, TE Justine Peelle, DT Alameda Ta’amu, WR Toney Clemons, TE David Paulson and LS Matt Katula

Key Losses: CB William Gay, RB Mewelde Moore, WR Hines Ward, QB Dennis Dixon, LB James Farrior, OT Jamon Meredith, P Daniel Sepulveda and DE Aaron Smith

Non-Division Schedule: AFC West and NFC East

Fantasy Sleepers: RB Chris Rainey and WR Jerricho Cotchery – Mike Wallace is marred in a contract dispute which may not be resolved before training camp. Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown will step up and fill the need, but Cotchery lends veteran leadership to the position. He could take over Hines Ward’s role. He will not be a superstar, but a possession receiver that could steal a few touchdowns inside the red zone. Another sleeper possibility sleeper is rookie running back Chris Rainey. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer will be the primary backs while Rashard Mendenhall starts out the season on the sideline, but keep an eye on Rainey.

Team Analysis: New offensive coordinator Todd Haley loves to air it out, so the pressure will be on the offensive line. Roethlisberger could have his best statistical season if they they do their job. Speaking of the passing game, Antonio Brown stepped up in the second-half of last year and it due for a breakout season. Mike Wallace has held out for most of the preseason, which is never a good thing when going into a new offense. Rashard Mendenhall is hurt and will most likely be out until the the fifth week. Pittsburgh will have to rely on a group of inexperienced backs early. The defense looked old at times last season and they didn’t do a lot in the offseason to address getting younger. They will need to stay healthy (i.e. Troy Polamalu) and use their experience if they hope to keep up with youth. In 2011, they lead the NFL in pass defense, but the loss of William Gay could hurt them. I don’t see Pittsburgh starting off well in 2012. They face tough defenses in their first four games when they will be without Mendenhall. I see Pittsburgh losing a few games they usually win, especially if they become one-dimensional. Baltimore looks like the team to beat in the AFC North, so the Steelers will be fighting for a Wild-Card spot.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 10.5 (Prediction: UNDER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 9-7

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Will Steelers’ Mike Wallace Sit Out The Entire Season?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made Mike Wallace wait on getting a new long-term deal, so now Wallace is making the Steelers wait. He didn’t show up to OTAs this week and doesn’t plan to show up until he gets a long-term deal.

Wallace, over the course of the last two seasons, has been one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. He would have more of a leadership role this season now that Hines Ward is retired. The team hired Todd Haley to be the team’s new offensive coordinator and will need to implement a new offense. Wallace is missing a lot of key time.

Could he hold out and force the Steelers to trade him? He is holding all of the cards, but does Pittsburgh have enough cap space to give into his demands?

Before I get into the fiscal details of what Mike Wallace would get if he signs his one-year tender and what he wants long term, let me tell you his agent’s name. Wallace is represented by Bus Cook, who most famously dragged out every Brett Favre negotiation. The Steelers are playing with fire when they negotiate with one of Cook’s players.

Wallace is a restricted free-agent. If another team wants to sign him, he is free to do so, but that team would give up a first-round draft pick. His one-year tender is $2.74 million and he has yet to sign it. He wants a long-term deal in the neighborhood of Larry Fitzgerald’s mega-deal he signed last year. That deal was for $120 million dollars over eight years…Pittsburgh lacks that kind of cap space. They can’t offer anywhere near those numbers. Wallace could sign the one-year tender, play out the year and become an unrestricted free-agent after this season. He would be risking a lot to do that, since injuries happen so frequently in today’s NFL.

Wallace must sign at some point this season, since he must accrue service time in order to reach unrestricted free-agent status. This is similar to the situation that Vincent Jackson was in with the San Diego Chargers in 2010.

A lot of football experts thought that the Steelers would trade Wallace before the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh didn’t get the kind of deal that they expected and held onto him. Both sides say they want to work on a long-term deal, but it is turning into a waiting game. The Steelers can’t fiscally give him the deal that he wants and not many other teams could swing the cap space either.

The Steelers offense in 2012 is rumored to look a lot different. Former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians had a pass-happy system, but ownership wants to get back to running the ball. Haley is known for his passing attack while he was on the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys. He was the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs the previous three seasons and was fired after the final game in 2011. Ben Roethlisberger has already commented that the offense is 90% different.

The Steelers could still suit up a nice receiving corps without Wallace. Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and recently-signed Jerricho Cotchery at wide receiver with Heath Miller and Leonard Pope as your tight-end tandem. The running back group will be getting a lot of carries. Rashard Mendenhall is coming off an injury and will need some carries from Isaac Redman and high-draft pick Chris Rainey. Jonathan Dwyer and John Clay are in camp and are battling for a roster spot.

It is only a matter of time before Mike Wallace and the Steelers come to an agreement. One of the sides will lose in the deal. The Steelers have dealt with disgruntled wide receivers in the past, Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes. Wallace doesn’t have the on and off-the-field issues as Holmes or Burress, but know when to cut their losses. They can’t afford to tie up a large portion of their salary cap on a wide receiver in a “run first” offense.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Draft – Underrated Draft Picks

Once the 2012 NFL Draft started, it went by in a hurry. The first-round finished in about three hours, which is less than half of the time it took just three years ago. The picks were coming in faster than a commissioner’s hug and the trades were flowing like water. The top of the draft went as planned, but my mock draft barely survived the early surprise picks (Bruce Irvin). The chain reaction caused a few top prospects to fall deep into the draft.

A lot of quality players were taken later in the draft, which is where a team’s scouting department earns their money. The first few rounds have a greater percentage of sticking in the league, but the later rounds is where championship are won. Every Super Bowl team has a few guys like Donald Driver, Tom Brady, or Marques Colston, who were picked in the last two rounds of the NFL draft. Who were the steals in the 2012 NFL Draft? A few of these picks might surprise you, because there were a lot of smart draft picks this year.

12. Philadelphia Eagles – DT Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State) – I know what you’re thinking, “How can a Top-12 pick be a “steal?” It’s due to the fact that he was there at #12 and he was the #1 guy on their board. He wasn’t even the first defensive tackle taken. Kansas City drafted an untested guys from Memphis (Donatri Poe). Cox has been compared to Warren Sapp and if you can get a guy like that at #12, it’s a steal.

21. New England Patriots – DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse) – The Patriots could draft an 8-year old girl in the first-round and NFL analysts would defend it with “Belichick is a genius.” As much as I say that every year, I really love Jones. He reminds me of Dwight Freeney, but with the ability to be a really good OLB in a 3-4. His brother is Jon “Bones” Jones of the UFC, so you know he’ll be a fighter for you.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – OG David DeCastro (Stanford) – DeCastro was a guy that I heard would be taken in the top 15, but teams didn’t focus much on offensive linemen in the first-round. He could be the best guard to enter the draft since Steve Hutchinson. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is old and fragile, so this was a pretty easy decision.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – RB Doug Martin (Boise State) – The Bucs were sneaky before the Draft and didn’t squash the rumor that they wanted to move up for Trent Richardson. They kept their cool and ended up getting a better fit at running back at #31. Martin will be a nice complement to LeGarrette Blount. The duo reminds me of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, who had a nice run in New York.

34. Indianapolis Colts – TE Coby Fleener (Stanford) – Andrew Luck isn’t able to practice at the Colts practice facility until June. He is finishing up his academic quarter and he needs a familiar target to help ease him into the NFL. Fleener will also be at Stanford during this time, so it was logical that he was high on the Colts draft board. The Giants was rumored to be interested in him at #32, but ended up taking a running back instead. Fleener reminds me of Rob Gronkowski, because he can line up at tight-end or wide receiver. He has big hands and he isn’t a terrible blocker.

40. Carolina Panthers – OG Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State) – I didn’t know of Silatolu until I started to research some of the offensive linemen in this year’s draft class. I watched some videos online and read some of the chatter about him. The video of him is ridiculous, but I had to remind myself that he was facing sub-par talent at the D-II/D-III level. He is a project for the Panthers, but he impressed me enough to think of this pick as a steal.

51. Green Bay Packers – DT Jerel Worthy (Michigan State) – Just a few weeks ago, Worthy was mentioned as a first-round grade, just behind Cox and Poe. He will come into the league with a chip on his shoulder. If the Packers ever line up at a 4-3, he would be interesting beside of B.J. Raji, but in a 3-4, he’ll come in the game to spell Raji.

54. Detroit Lions – WR Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma) – Broyles was a consensus All-American in 2010 & 2011 and the NCAA FBS leader in career receptions (349). The reason that he fell into the second-round was that he tore his ACL in a November game last season. He will start out the year on the PUP list, but if the Lions are patient with him, he could be a nice bookend to Calvin Johnson.

55. Atlanta Falcons – C Peter Konz (Wisconsin) – Konz is another guy that was rumored to be picked late in the first-round. Konz fell because teams were drafting based on need instead of using the “best player available” strategy. The University of Wisconsin manufactures NFL offensive linemen and Konz will be in the league for a long time.

65. St. Louis Rams – DB Trumaine Johnson (Montana) – Montana isn’t known for it’s NFL talent, but seven players will end up in NFL camps. Johnson is a bit cornerback at nearly 6’2 and the kind of physical corner that Jeff Fisher loves. He will compete to the be a starter in 2012.

66. Minnesota Vikings – DB Josh Robinson (Central Florida) – The Vikings drafted the fastest guy at the NFL Combine, with a 4.29 40-yard time. I usually hate teams drafting the fastest guy high in the draft, but I like it when he’s a corner. He can play man-to-man or zone and he’ll instantly help Minnesota’s poor pass defense.

85. Detroit Lions – DB Dwight Bentley (Louisiana Lafayette) – This is the third “steal” of a cornerback in the 3rd round. He’s an aggressive guy and reminds some of Eric Berry. He will need some work to get at Berry’s level, but if you can get a starting cornerback at pick #85, you’re doing something right.

97. Miami Dolphins – RB Lamar Miller (Miami FL) – The Dolphins didn’t have to go very far to scount Miller. He has blazing speed (4.3) and will inject some life into Miami’s running attack. Some scouts had him as a Top-50 talent, but he was leapfrogged by some other running backs with higher potential.

109. Pittsburgh Steelers – DT Alameda Ta’amu (Washington) – Ta’amu received a high grade by a lot of scouts (2nd-round), but he was also hurt by a few guys being taken higher because of upside. He can fill holes on the interior with his 348 pound frame. The Steelers hope that he will be the Casey Hampton’s successor.

112. Arizona Cardinals – OT Bobby Massie (Mississippi) – One of Arizona’s top needs was trying to fill the vacated right-tackle position. They confused a lot of people when they didn’t address this issue in the first three rounds. Massie should win the starting right-tackle job and getting him here is a steal.

143. Carolina Panthers – DB Josh Norman (Coastal Carolina) – A lot of teams take small college cornerbacks in hopes of molding them into NFL talent. If they don’t pan out there, they can stick them on the special teams. Norman is a nice gamble at #143, because he has a nose for the ball. He has good size and could end up as a nickelback and get his team a few turnovers.

163. Green Bay Packers – OLB Terrell Manning (NC State) – Manning’s draft stock took a huge hit when he had knee surgery. He was a two year starter at NC State and Green Bay need depth at linebacker. They have been riddled with injuries at that position in the past. If they are patient with him, he’ll be a nice substitution or much more.

164. Atlanta Falcons – DE Jonathan Massaquoi (Troy) – Troy has produced DeMarcus Ware & Osi Umenyiora, so taking a chance on Massaquoi could have a high payout. He will add depth to the position in Atlanta. He’s a project, but all the raw talent is there to be a starter.

186. Dallas Cowboys – TE James Hanna (Oklahoma) – At Oklahoma, Hanna was a red-zone target with big play potential. He will add speed to the tight-end position, but will not be a good blocker. He will be an asset in a two tight-end formation and will be hard for a linebacker to cover with his speed. Drafting Hanna at #186 is great value for Dallas with little risk.

190. Tennessee Titans – S Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State) – If Martin didn’t tear his meniscus after the Senior Bowl, he would have went in the third or fourth round. He scared off some teams and he fell into the Titans’ lap in the sixth round. If he recovers fully from surgery, he can add depth to their secondary, exactly what you want from a late-round pick.

194. Philadelphia Eagles – WR Marvin McNutt (Iowa) – I’m starting to notice a theme with my “draft steals”…they are all coming off late-season injuries. McNutt is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, so he fell to the sixth-round. I watch a lot of Big Ten football games. McNutt seems to have been at Iowa for a decade, but all he did there was catch poorly-thrown balls. He’s a big guy and he will be an asset for Michael Vick.

205. Cleveland Browns – DT Billy Winn (Boise State) – The Browns needed help stopping the run and Winn can add depth at the defensive tackle position. He would have been a second-day pick, but once again, an injury (foot) dropped his draft stock. Winn could be one of the biggest steals in the draft if he bounces back from his injury.

219. Minnesota Vikings – DE Trevor Guyton (California) – Guyton had a third/fourth-round grade coming into the draft, but a lot of teams filled their need in the first two days of the draft. He’s a nice pick for Minnesota in the 7th-round.

224. New England Patriots – DB Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska) – He has some off-field issues, but New England can take on the risk. Their secondary was one of the worst in NFL history, so they will find a spot for Dennard.

237. San Francisco 49ers – DE Cam Johnson (Virginia) – The Niners lack depth on the defensive line and they should be glad that he fell so far in the draft. I predict that he makes the team and has a chance to develop into a nice backup in the NFL.

242. New York Jets – S Antonio Allen (South Carolina) – Allen was graded high by most of the network talking heads and I like the pick. Rex Ryan is a smart guy and he needs to be able to move some guys around in the defense. Allen has played linebacker and safety in college. He’s the kind of guy that Ryan will love to coach.

250. San Diego Chargers – RB Edwin Baker (Michigan State) – I love this pick and could be my favorite of the sixth or seventh-round. Baker seemed to have peaked early in his college career, but he still had an above-average career. Ryan Mathews has had some durability issues and they needed a functional backup. Baker will be a cheap option and end up being Mike Tolbert-like goal-line back (if you subtract 40 lbs.).

What are some of your favorite picks from this year’s NFL Draft?

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

How Ben Roethlisberger Helped Tim Tebow

We all know about the recent trouble that Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, got himself into. Teams are trying to stay away from players with possible “character issues,” could this have been the reason Tim Tebow shot up the draft board as a first-round pick?

Tim Tebow is probably the most celebrated college football player to come out since Roger Staubach. He was a tremendouse college football player and he is a model citizen. He is the kind of player that the NFL would love to have to represent “the shield.” With the recent trouble that some high-profile players have gotten themselves into, the NFL would love to have 50-players on every team like Tebow. Continue reading →

The Season Is Not Lost In Pittsburgh

The Steelers are sitting at 1-2 after three weeks of football and the Steeler Nation is on edge. Troy Polamalu has been out and may not play for another couple weeks, but all is not lost in Pittsburgh. They have some tough games ahead, but if they tighten things up and get the running game established, Pittsburgh will be okay. What does Pittsburgh need to do to resurrect the season? I’ll explain.

The Steelers may have a little Super Bowl hangover right now and they were a coin flip away from possibly being 0-3. They miss Polamalu, but this team reminds me of the Colts Super Bowl season when Bob Sanders went down early that year. They were below .500 after five games, but once Sanders came back, they got their swagger back. Here are some things that the Steelers need to do.

The Steelers need to stay with the running game and work the swing passes to Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall. The first two games of the year, their running back corps was shutdown and the Steelers didn’t stick with them. The Titans and Bears both have great run defense, but they didn’t rely on the swing pass to make their outside linebackers cheat to the outside and establish the run in-between the tackles. They did use Parker well against the Bengals, but they still couldn’t win the game. I think Cincinnati has a better defense, thanks to the last two draft classes and focusing their picks on linebacker.

They must protect Roethlisberger better. The Steelers offensive line is in a state of flux, trying to get young players to mix their veterans. You will not change Big Ben’s tendency to hold the ball too long and I’m not sure that you will want. He has made some big plays when he has held the ball too long, but he needs time to get the ball to his receivers. Hines Ward isn’t what he used to be and Santonio Holmes isn’t as good as Ward in his prime. Nate Washington was nice to have when he was on the team, but the team still haven’t found a consistent #3 receiver.

San Diego comes to town this week and Norv Turner is easy to out-coach. I believe Coach Tomlin is a better coach, but Steelers have playmakers on both sides of the ball. It is still unknown if Polamalu will be ready to play, I’m guess that he will not, so that will hurt. LaDanian Tomlinson is banged up and Darren Sproles is not LT, but Phillip Rivers could be able to throw against the Steelers secondary. It will be a tough game, but Steelers fans needs to relax. If they lose against San Diego, the season is still not over. They have games against Detroit and Cleveland, they will end up 3-3 when they face Minnesota before their bye week. I say that Pittsburgh will be in great position to win a wild-card spot or you never know, Baltimore could implode.

This post means a lot because I really don’t like the Steelers, but I like when they are good. The Colts have lost some big playoffs games against Pittsburgh in the past and I do hold grudges. I live in Columbus, OH now and it’s bad enough that I get every Browns and Bengals games on television on Sundays. If the Steelers were bad, I couldn’t stomach one more bad AFC North game. I still have to watch two Browns/Bengals games a year, I need to move out of this state.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2009 Off-Season – AFC Team Needs

2008 was a great season for the NFL. The entire season was filled with drama and stayed competitive until the final week of the season. Some teams came from obscurity (Dolphins) and and some teams took a step back (Patriots). Here are the needs of all 16 AFC teams for the 2009 Off-Season. Let’s hope it’s very active and teams get what they need in the draft and free agency.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Offensive Line – “The Steel Curtain” was back on the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive line looked like tin foil. Big Ben needs to stay upright to stay healthy and lead this team.

Cleveland Browns – Defensive End – The Browns couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback this season. They were decent on short yardage situations, but they gave up too many 3rd and long first downs.

Cincinnati Bengals – Cornerback – Teams lit up the Bengals secondary in 2008. Injuries plagued the team, but Ndukwe can’t be your best defender. They need to upgrade with more than one new face covering wideouts.

Baltimore Ravens – Wide Receiver – Baltimore took a step in the right direction last season by drafting Joe Flacco. He has a huge arm and can spread the field with long passes. They don’t have any deep threats on the team currently and it would even help their running game by signing an #1 receiver.

Indianapolis Colts – Defensive Tackle – This has been a need for the Colts for a few years. They have been taking their early draft picks on offense and taking fliers in the late rounds with DTs that don’t work out. They need to lighten the run-stopping load from Bob Sanders and get a large body to plug up running lanes.

Tennessee Titans – Wide Receiver – Whomever the quaterback is in Nashville next season, they need someone better than Justin Gage catching footballs. Bo Scaife is their best receiver and he’s a top-15 TE, at best.

Houston Texans – Defensive End – Mario Williams is a great pass rusher and they are very fortunate to take him over Reggie Bush and Vince Young. He is often double-teamed and they would could be a playoff team if they had a book-end pass rusher on the other side to help him out.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Defensive Tackle – In 2007, the Jaguars had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Marcus Stroud, left via free agency, and they Jaguars couldn’t stop the run. If Jacksonville is going to compete, they need a good defense. Their offense isn’t built to consistently score 30 points a game.

Miami Dolphins – Wide Receiver – Chad Pennington had a good season for the Dolphins. He deserves all the credit for their success. If you step back and realize Greg Camarillo was his #1 receiver for most of the year, it’s even more amazing.

Buffalo Bills – Quarterback – I’m not sold on Trent Edwards. I think he will be a decent quarterback eventually, but he needs more grooming. Dick Jauron has one more season in Buffalo and he needs to win or he’s out of there.

New England Patriots – Linebacker – Jerod Mayo will be a great linebacker for many years. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the rest of the linebacking corps has an average age of 38. If they sign a few linebackers and stay healthy, the Patriots will be back on top of the AFC East, if not the entire conference.

New York Jets – Quarterback – Brett Favre has a 10% chance he’ll be back and the Jets have to ask themselves if they even want him. Kellen Clemens is their next best option, but Matt Cassel could be a free agent and he could be a nice addition to open the new stadium.

Oakland Raiders – Offensive Line – After drafting many offensive linemen and none of them working out, Oakland has to get better fast. They spent a lot of money on JaMarcus Russell and he can’t live up to his potential if he is running for his life.

Kansas City Chiefs – Linebacker – I would have mentioned quarterback for Kansas City, but Tyler Thigpen started looking like Len Dawson the last half of the season. The Chiefs have to get better at linebacker to help their young defensive line out.

San Diego Chargers – Fullback – After letter Lorenzo Neal leave last off-season, the Chargers realized his worth during the 2008 season. L.T. didn’t look himself and needs a fullback to clear a path. If they sign a fullback, L.T. should go back to his normal numbers and scoring nearly 20 touchdowns a season.

Denver Broncos – Cornerback – Dre Bly and Champ Bailey looked good on paper, but when they are together on the field, it’s quite scary. The Bly/Bailey duo looked old when they faced better-than-average wideouts. If they get younger and faster at this position, it should help them out, but they clearly need much more help in a variety of areas.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Lendale White Hates Towels

After a very competitive game, “Big Fat” Lendale White decided to perform some towel abuse on the sideline. This abuse wasn’t the kind Jerry Tarkanian used to perform as the coach of UNLV, White took a “Terrible Towel” and stomped on it. If you don’t know what a “Terrible Towel” is, it’s the yellow towels that Steeler fans have been throwing around in the stands for decades. It is Pittsburgh’s version of the “Homer Hanky” or “Rally Monkey.”

After the game Bill Cowher was fuming that Keith Bullock and Lendale White decided to disgrace the towel. Of couse he said that because he is still a Pittsburgh homer. I don’t see anything wrong with it, but I’m sure Towelie would not approve.
Here is the video of Lendale White doing the Tennesse Waltz all over a Terrible Towel.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.