With Harrison's Uncertainty Is LaMarr Woodley Ready To Take A Leadership Role?

By now most everyone has had time to digest the James Harrison news. 

There was the passing of information that he was training and/or practicing by himself indoors away from the others on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. There had been pictures floating around also of him wearing a mask that was supposedly to help get a higher amount of oxygen into his bloodstream. This was being done to avoid what eventually became inevitable, which was left knee surgery. By now you also know that it went well. Good news. 

The surgery ended up mainly being a scope procedure where only a small incision is made allowing the surgeon to trim away whatever is causing the pain or debilitation. Further good news is that it seems not to have been soft tissue/ligament related (some have speculated that it was a bone spur behind his left knee). If it had been soft tissue related it might have been a different issue. 

Trust me, I've had two soft tissue knee surgeries, I know whereof I speak. The doctor or surgeon in each case, meniscus repair and a bursectomy, even told me that bones heal faster. Again, therefore, essentially good news for Harrison. 

Even though the good news is that the downtime is likely only two or three more weeks, the bad news is that the downtime is still two or three more weeks. That means that the Silverback will miss the rest of Training Camp and preseason. Those essential practices that will at least get him ready for game speed will all be missed. 

Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler even said, as reported by Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on his Twitter account, “@arobinson_Trib: #Steelers LB coach Keith Butler on Harrison having no spring, no camp to date: 'He’s a guy who needs reps. It's going to be tough for him.'"

Not exactly encouraging from Butler, but not exactly new, either. Deebo went into the beginning of last season after the two back surgeries, that we spoke of in previous blogs, and wasn't game ready. He showed the effects of the lack of a true offseason, and we could very well see a repeat of it this year. 

Harrison's knee has bothered him since spring workouts, actually. In fact, the five-time Pro Bowler hasn't practiced since then. What prompted the decision to wait until now is unknown. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, though, doesn't appear too worried. 

“Shouldn't be too long,” Tomlin said. “We'll see when we get him back out here and start the process of working him back."

"We just address things as they arise,” Tomlin continued. “We felt like the procedure was necessary at this time, so we had it.”

"When [they] get him back" is the key part of that. Until then, as Tomlin would certainly say, the standard is the standard. Who, in that case, takes Harrison's place? Because this isn't just about a pass rush, it's also about leadership. 

The expected name to be tossed out would be Jason Worilds, but that won't be happening. Keith Butler spoke openly on him as reported again by Robinson.

“Steelers LB coach Keith Butler says there's a chance Jason Worilds, who hasn't practiced in camp, might miss preseason. Best case: 1 game.”

“Keith Butler on Worilds: 'Hopefully we can get him back for the last preseason game, but that may not be the case.'"

So, he's still in the same boat as Harrison, as we at If It Ain't Steel have brought to you before. He still isn't healed completely from his wrist surgery, at least not to the satisfaction of the trainers and coaches. So, that's two linebackers, your first and second stringers, who will miss the rest of the preseason and may miss the first game of the season. 

To that end, Chris Carter has spoken openly about wanting to step up and fill Harrison's void. 

"I have a lot to live up to. I am going to try my best and hopefully get to where James is at." 

Carter, listed at 6'1", 248 pounds, but reportedly is closer to about 253 pounds now, isn't concerned that there may be questions about his size or only being a speed rusher. He's having a very good Training Camp and is by no means going unnoticed. - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/08/15/carter-ready-if-harrison-isnt/

Carter being ready to stand up and be counted is exactly what we as Steelers fans want to hear. At this point, though, he cannot replace Deebo, he can only succeed him. The key element in this is the leadership factor. 

It has become evident that LaMarr Woodley is very close to being the elder statesman of the outside linebackers. As we've written before, this could very well be the Silverback's last year in a Steelers uniform. If so, Woodley must become not only "elite," but also must take on the leadership mantle. 

Woodley says that he doesn't need to "set personal goals," but that may change. Soon. Butler recently called Woodley out for coming into "Camp weighing 290 [pounds]." That was a reference to last year's Camp. Woodley responded this Training Camp and came in closer to his playing weight, but has still had a nagging groin issue that has slowed him. 

Despite the minor tweaks of the groin muscles, Woodley remains vigilant and seems ready to do what's necessary to get back that "elite status." He says that sacks are a big part of that goal-for himself and the team. - tinyurl.com/9jjfyb7 

Woodley has taken his shots in the past, being referred to as Robin to Harrison's Batman, being criticized for slow starts and even being lambasted in various newspaper articles and blogs. Some of it ridiculous rhetoric and some of it unfortunately warranted. 

Woodley showed last season what he could do without Batman on the other side of the field over a four-game stretch, but does Robin become Nightwing and take over the city? If the Dark Knight isn't able to rise again, then it's absolutely time that his ward don the cape and cowl.

Steelers Training Camp - Back To Basics

"Every year [the defense is old] it's said about the Pittsburgh Steelers and every year we're playing in Super Bowls or making a run in the playoffs." 

That statement was made by the Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley on one of the first days of Training Camp. It was in response to being asked about yet more "the defense is old" comments in the national media. 

"You gotta be able to kind of let people across the field from you know that you got teeth too, and that you're willing to bite." 

Guard Willie Colon uttered those words not long after Woodley's remarks. It had to do with the various media comments of the Steelers offensive line having to go through different combinations yet again. 

In other words, the national media is starting to piss the big guys off. 

There is a mentality that has pervaded Training Camp so far: get back to basic, physical Steeler football! In three days of padded practices there have been four fights. Both offense and defense are looking to smack the other in the mouth and neither is willing to give any ground. 

Rookies have dominated veterans and vets have schooled the rooks. Woodley and Steve McLendon have driven blockers into the backfield. Colon and rookie David DeCastro have mauled pass rushers. It has been physical and even nasty from the moment the pads were donned. And the players like it just fine. 

"A physical offense is typically a good offense. So, it's a good start," said Steelers tight end Heath Miller. Not only is it a good start, but it's a good chance for certain players to provide an answer to national media yet again. 

As said by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "My camp phenom through three padded practices is Steve McLendon. The guy is virtually unblockable right now." The backup Steelers nose tackle had his weight and ability questioned by Pro Football Talk recently, so McLendon is on a mission to impress. 

He's succeeding. 

As Steelers veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton pointed out, "Everybody thinks McLendon is a small dude. He is a big, strong guy. He can be dominant." It didn't end there.

"Steve McClendon is a lot bigger than the 280 lbs they have him listed at on the roster," said former Steelers lineman and current WDVE reporter Craig Wolfley. "He told me that he weighed 325. A very impressive 325 I might add. And he ran well on the run test..." - http://t.co/oQrBcRK7

Others are also attempting to make their presence felt as roster spots are up for grabs. Like undrafted outside linebacker Adrian Robinson whom Wolfley also mentioned and about whom we've written about in previous blogs. Overall, though, it's the mentality of the offense and defense as whole units to be aggressive and dominant. Both want to establish a presence and impose its will on opponents. 

To that end, Steelers new offensive coordinator Todd Haley says that he will be starting each practice with run-play drills. "Really, the passes are just to keep the defense honest. I think it's just the way I think myself and our staff believes you have to play football." - http://t.co/NqcoXXG2

He went further saying, "We want to be a team that can, most importantly, run it when it has to run it and throw it when it has to throw it. That's the name of the game offensively, being able to get the yards you need to get on the ground when the defense knows you're running." - http://t.co/vnDbV97S

Haley is still, though, enamored with the Steelers wide receiver corps...minus one: "Across the board we've got a lot of good young guys that have a very versatile skill set."

The defense is echoing that mindset, per CBS Sports' Rapid Reports correspondents (@CBSSportsNFLPIT on Twitter). They said that "player after player, defensive coach after defensive coach, has told anyone who would listen how much the defense needs to improve this year."

It truly says something about an organization that wants to make amends for a defense that was so bad that it ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points and total yards allowed. The Steelers mindset, though, dictates that their pride should be hurt over two embarrassing losses to the Ravens and a historic loss to the Broncos in the playoffs. The Steelers' rich history of defense cries out for retribution. 

Like the blast furnace of a Pittsburgh steel mill, a fire has been lit in the pits of the stomachs of Steelers players up and down the roster. Be it the national media, bitter losses or pride, the Steelers are taking a very physical approach to Training Camp. Simply put, they're getting back to basics.

~

TIDBITS: Keenan Lewis has looked good early on in the cornerback competition with Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown. Lewis tweaked his shoulder, but seemed to be fine. 

Emmanuel Sanders was a full participant in practice Tuesday. Reportedly looked good and showed the great hands and route running ability we expect from him.

Marcus Gilbert got fingers/hand stuck in Cameron Heyward's mask during linemen drills. Didn't seem too bad. 

Steelers signed wide receiver Paul Cox from Mississippi Valley St., per Bob Labriola. He'll wear No. 81. Waived was tackle Bridger Buche.

Catching Up With Steelers Training Camp Roster And Schedule

It's been a very difficult two weeks for us here at If It Ain't Steel and, therefore, there was a drop off in the writing and posting of blogs. I lost a friend to death, I had personal problems in between, I then lost an uncle to death and my partner-in-crime lost an uncle to death as well. So, writing about sports hasn't been foremost on our minds. For those who were aware, by the way, we appreciate the well-wishes received.

In one sense, it was fortunate that little truly went on during this time. It wasn't as if much was truly happening that required immediate attention. Plus, there are plenty of good blog sites we endorse here at If It Ain't Steel, as well as terrible sites and reports which assuredly wrote at least one article on the '10 Best Places To Piss At PNC Park', to go to for speculation and minutiae. That being said, let's catch up by going over the only three things that were worth blogging about in the first place. 

There has been some talk about whether it's more important that Steeler head coach Mike Tomlin should be signed to a new contract before Mike Wallace is signed to his. Personally, I don't believe one is any more or less important than the other long-term. The success of one, or lack thereof, could very easily be directly affected by the other. i.e. Tomlin is a natural leader who knows how to get inside a player's mind and get the best out of him. Let's say Tomlin continues to prod Wallace to become more than a "one-trick pony", Wallace responds positively and that leads to any and all game plans working flawlessly. Game plans run flawlessly and that leads to double-digit wins. Double-digit wins leads to the playoffs and the confidence and swagger to perform their best in the Super Bowl. Ok, now this is starting to sound like a reverse Direct TV commercial ("Keep calling Wallace a 'one-trick pony!'). Seriously though, you get the point. 

The other side of this is that Wallace's amazing natural talent and drive to be the best is enough to make something out of nothing in given situations. Since we all know that Tomlin has been questionable in his clock management and end of half strategies, a more mature Wallace could be the determining factor in turning nothing into something. This not only brings wins, but allows Tomlin and the team to look and be better overall. So, to bottom-line it: Get. Both. Signed. 

~

On Monday, June 25th the Steelers announced that they had released veteran quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith from the roster.

I know, I was shocked too. 

I mean, this was a man who couldn't even start for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL, who decided to go with that household name Jeremiah Masoli because he had been with the team longer, when an injury opened the door for him. Did anyone REALLY think Smith would make it to the preseason games?

The Steelers simply were not going to carry five quarterbacks to Camp, and Jerrod Johnson is eligible for the practice squad, Smith isn't. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review added this wonderful little revelation about him: "Troy Smith had a cannon for an arm, but unfortunately, he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and he showed that during OTAs and minicamp." 'Nuff said.

Smith's release ensures that Uncle Charlie Batch and Byron "Don't Hurt Me" Leftwich will make the team. So, the only chance Jerrod Johnson has is by way of an injury. Which, when you consider the history of the aforementioned Leftwich, is definitely possible. In fact, the possibility of an injury to BLove is like a no-hitter in baseball: don't say anything or you'll jinx it. Who knows? I may already have. 

~

The 2012 Training Camp schedule came out on June 18th and told us that players will report on Wednesday, July 25 and the that the first practice open to the public will be on Friday, July 27. All practices will begin at 3 p.m., except for the annual Friday Night Lights practice which is scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 3 at Latrobe Stadium.

Thanks to 93.7 The Fan, @937theFan on Twitter, here is a complete schedule:

Friday, July 27 – (helmets and shorts)
Saturday, July 28
Sunday, July 29
Monday, July 30 – Campus closed
Tuesday, July 31
Wednesday, Aug. 1
Thursday, Aug. 2
Friday, Aug. 3 – Night practice at Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 4
Sunday, Aug. 5
Monday, Aug. 6 – Campus closed
Tuesday, Aug. 7
Wednesday, Aug. 8-Friday, Aug. 10 – Campus closed
Saturday, Aug. 11
Sunday, Aug. 12
Monday, Aug. 13 – Campus closed
Tuesday, Aug. 14
Wednesday, Aug. 15
Thursday, Aug. 16
Friday, Aug. 17

The Steelers Running Back Situation: An Unknown Commodity

Before the 1987-1988 college basketball season of the now defunct PCAA conference, the various teams' coaches all met for their annual preseason meeting. Each coach spoke of his team's needs and flaws, Jerry Tarkanian, legendary coach of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, inclusive.

Tark, as he was affectionately known, matter-of-factly said of his team that he didn't know what he was going to do because he had too many players. There were light chuckles and an audible, "I'd love to have that problem" that could be heard around the room. That's because the other coaches heard, "embarrassment of riches", but what Tark meant was "unknown commodities."

The Pittsburgh Steelers could possibly go into the 2012 Training Camp with as many as eight running backs: Rashard Mendenhall (though he certainly will start Camp on the Active physically unable to perform, or PUP, list and presumably the season on the Reserve PUP list), Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, Baron Batch and maybe unrestricted free agent Mewelde Moore, end-of-the-season 53-man roster addition Chad Spann and end-of-the-season practice squad addition Albert Young.

Embarrassment of riches or unknown commodities?

The question is valid and worth exploring because of Mendenhall's injury that occurred in the final game and landed him on injured reserve. How the Steelers choose to handle the injury will be interesting to follow, as will be the affect of his loss to the Steelers' immediate future.

Let's look at what will greet Mendenhall when he arrives in Latrobe in July. As I stated earlier, Mendenhall will begin camp, providing he's sufficiently healed, on the Active PUP list. As he runs his laps and such he'll presumably not be ready at the start of the season and would, therefore, be put on the Reserve PUP list.

The Steelers would then have to shelve Mendenhall for the first six weeks of the season, meaning he wouldn't be available for any form of organized team practice until week seven. At that point the Steelers would have three weeks to decide what they need to do with him: to add him to the active roster, IR him again or cut him if healthy. Then, if he's deemed ready and is to be added to the roster, they'd have three more weeks to figure out his roster situation and who'll be released to make room for him. That's a possible 13 weeks where we wouldn't see Mendenhall on the football field. Who, then, will we see on the football field?

Conventional wisdom is that Isaac "Redzone" Redman, No. 33 in your program, is the new starter. Redman is Mendenhall's backup and did get the start in the playoff game against the Denver Broncos. He ran well and ran hard, matriculating his way to 121 yards on 17 carries.

There you have it. Article finished. Redzone Redman is the man. Goodnight, Steeler Nation.

Oh, wait...there are still the questions of whether Redman is a full-time starting NFL running back, how would the Mendenhall situation be resolved, what we do and do not know about the backups and whether the Steelers will draft, or look to free agency for, a running back for depth. *sigh* Ok, let's go over all of this. (Who am I kidding? I love this stuff!)

Mendenhall receives a lot of criticism for not hitting holes hard enough or quickly enough at times. Ok, fair criticism. He has often looked as if he was auditioning for "So You Think You Can Dance." It is understandable, though. He's been running behind an offensive line which simply didn't open many holes at all. He repeatedly had to deal with penetration into the backfield that stuffed the play before it could begin.

Regarding this, Merril Hoge once called Mendenhall "extremely powerful and gifted", and said of him and the Steelers offensive line (as was first reported in an earlier blog post http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2011/09/offensive-line-may-be-fault-of-tomlin.html  ), "Penetration is the number one killer of a running game: it neutralizes the point of attack, it deters your instincts as a runner, it dictates where you're going to go and it destroys you as a runner."

Your typical fan can't understand this, though. Seemingly, when the quarterback gets hit or sacked, it's the Line's fault, but when the running back isn't running well, it's the running back's fault. Never mind that he ran for over 3,300 yards in 43 starts between 2009-2011, averaging a hair under 4.2 yards per carry and scoring 29 touchdowns. Despite this, the calls for Isaac Redman to become the team's starter could be heard long before Mendenhall's career threatening injury in Cleveland last year.

While Mendenhall is expected to return, his game could be changed to the point where he wouldn't be as dynamic a runner anymore. Mendenhall is powerful, fast (4.45 speed), fairly durable, stop-on-a-dime quick, and, again, dynamic. He's the type of runner who will assuredly be affected by this injury.

Redman may be able to provide tough yards running through the middle and breaking tackles, but he lacks the explosion Mendy has. Neither does he have the change of direction Mendy has that allows him to turn nothing into something, nor does he break outside as well.

That would then affect the effectiveness of passes out of the backfield on a designed play or when the quarterback checks down. That might be where other running backs possibly secure a roster spot.

Being able to be versatile, or, as head coach Mike Tomlin puts it, "position flexible" comes into play here as well. It's more than just running the ball. Backs need to be able to catch the ball, pick up blitzes and block (Jonathan Dwyer, I'm looking at you).

Mewelde Moore, who is an unrestricted free agent, is just such a back, a very competent back. Numbers don't tell the story - in his eight NFL seasons he's never had more than 662 yards, no more than 588 with the Steelers. Moore's value has always been as a third down back who was a reliable receiver out of the backfield running back. Though his intangibles may outweigh his tangibles at this point in his career, they just may be needed for one more year.

If all of what has been written here is accurate, instituting a running back-by-committee system might be considered as a viable option. The different backs bring different things to the table. It is that, though, which may cause the pendulum to swing back toward the "unknown commodity" side.

What do we really know about Baron Batch? Is John Clay the bruising, short-yardage back we need? Could Chad Spann become our version of Warrick Dunn or Darren Sproles? Will Jonathan Dwyer finally put down the Krispy Kremes and take his conditioning seriously? Do the Steelers look to the draft to aid this and select a running back (named Isaiah Pead)? Do they trade for Ben Tate as Blech Report, oops...sorry, Bleacher Report (whose motto is, "We occasionally post articles in English") suggested? These are all questions that, if receiving a negative answer, could take a potential embarrassment of riches to a simple embarrassment.

~

Here are some scouting reports of running backs who have been and who may again be on the Steelers sideline next season:

BARON BATCH:
Quick, elusive ball carrier who projects as a third-down back in the NFL. Runs low to the ground, gets lost behind blockers, and will pick and choose his spots on the inside. Squeezes through small openings of the defense, shows a burst, and has the ability to quickly cut back against the grain. Makes defenders miss and creates yardage. Terrific receiver out of the backfield who nicely adjusts to the errant throw and extends to make catches away from his frame. --http://www.draftinsider.net/

JONATHAN DWYER:
Dwyer...is a big, bruising back who's far more agile than his size would indicate. He can get small when he needs to so he can get through a crease, and, because of the offense he works in, he does an excellent job at being patient and setting up his blocks.  He runs with a nice forward lean and has a good burst. Now on the downside,...he's good at working through arm tackles but doesn't battle like you'd think a player his size would. He also hasn't been featured as a wide out, and doesn't do a lot of juking and jiving in the open field.... Being successful out of a traditional offense is well within his skill set....His weight could be an issue. Dwyer has a ton of upside, and he's one of those guys that slips a little in the draft, gets on a team that knows how to use him, and has a long productive career. He gets chunks of yards, scores a lot of touchdowns, and...does everything you want out of a running back and does it well. -- Curt Popejoy of Draft Board Insider - http://draftboardinsider.com/cgi-bin/prospect.cgi?id=517

JOHN CLAY:
The University of Wisconsin's John Clay is a strong, powerful runner who can either run guys over or make a quick cutback to run downfield. When Clay has the ball, everybody knows it. He looks like a linebacker who just got hold of an interception when he runs....Clay doesn't have a lot of film catching the ball out of the backfield or doing much pass protection. He is sometimes not even on the field on third-down or in other obvious passing situations. These sorts of things can be coached to him of course, but no team would ever consider using a running back as an every-down player if he didn't have these skills. This limits his immediate impact greatly.

Clay will likely need to lose some weight and try to improve his speed at the next level. He's a tough runner at 248, he can be a tough runner at 232. He lacks a second gear and rarely initiates contact to fight for extra yards. -- Matt De Lima - http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/profile_display.cfm?prospect_id=2814


CHAD SPANN:
Spann could be described best as a rolling ball of dynamite in a small package. However, don't be fooled by his height, because the Northern Illinois running back packs a powerful lower body to run through contact. -- http://www.draftnasty.com/football/scouting-reports/mac/chad-spann/

Chad Spann was originally signed to the Steelers practice squad on the 12th of December after he spent time with the Colts and the Buccaneers. He was undrafted in 2011. He's 5'8", 201 lbs and played four seasons at Northern Illinois University where he amassed 2,916 rushing yards on 536 carries with 48 touchdowns.

ALBERT YOUNG:
Young was a three-year letterman at Iowa. He finished his career with 3,173 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, only the third player in school history with 3,000-plus yards on the ground. Career rushing totals include 660 attempts for 3,173 yards and 23 touchdowns . . . ranks third in career rushing yards and is just third Iowa player to surpass 3,000 yards . . . collected 79 career pass receptions for 705 yards and two touchdowns. -- http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/young_albert00.html

Running back Albert Young is from last season's practice squad. Young spent one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after signing as a rookie free agent in 2008. He has played in 10 career games, gaining 82 yards on 25 carries. He suffered a season-ending knee injury after playing in three games in 2010.