Maurkice Pouncey Leads List Of Steelers Signings - Was It The Right Move?

Contracts are being signed on the South Side. 

On Monday, June 9, fourth-round draft pick Martavis Bryant signed his rookie contract - a four-year deal worth $2,659,220, with a signing bonus of $109,805. 

The 6'4", 211-pound Clemson product "appeared in 37 games with 13 starts" in college, "registering 61 receptions for 1,354 yards with 13 receiving touchdowns. Bryant’s career 22.2 yards per reception average is an NCAA FBS record, an ACC record and a school record, and his 13 receiving touchdowns are the 10th-best total in school history." - http://tinyurl.com/ln44ry2

ESPN's Field Yates has now also reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed 3rd-round running back Dri Archer, though terms have yet to be disclosed. At the time of writing this, Stephon Tuitt remains the only draft pick left unsigned. 

But the news that has social media buzzing is the signing of former All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey. 

Per Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette, Pouncey's new deal, a 5-year, $44 million extension at its base, is a "6-yr, $48 M deal" that "includes total bonuses of $20.25 M, $13 M for signing..."

At the Steelers press conference announcing the extension, Pouncey said "It seems like five years all over again...I'm excited for this new adventure."

As mentioned, the deal pays Pouncey a signing bonus of $13 million. That’s more than the signing bonus paid last week to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The guaranteed money is about half of what Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack (5 years, $42, $26M reportedly guaranteed) received, but the new money he’s receiving makes him the highest paid center at $8.8 million per year (Mack is at $8.4M). - http://t.co/XFb0Acn2ZI/s/j4lm 

The real money in the contract is three years and a total of $26.5 million. Pouncey will also get $17.75M next year and $23M in 2016 per whatever provisos are set forth in the terms. 

Bouchette also said that the Salary Cap hit would be $3.6M, but OverTheCap.com has it at $5.514M. If Over The Cap is correct, the Steelers sit at $6.36M under their Cap with regard to the Rule of 51 numbers. 

Regardless of the particulars, Pouncey is very happy with his new deal. He said that free agency was "never on my mind." Especially after his injury last season, walking was his main priority. - http://tinyurl.com/oys5nyw

"It's really unbelievable. I'm so thankful for this moment right now," said a Pouncey when speaking on the loyalty the organization showed him after being injured again last season. "I am so thankful for this moment right now. It's really awesome....I'm just glad to be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

Loyalty that is well deserved. 

Despite what I may have said on social media Thursday morning, or how I may have been misconstrued, the signing of Pouncey was a must. It was the right move. Once I saw the real numbers also, after having flashes of LaMarr Woodley go through my head, I was completely in agreement with the contract. 

If you just go by statistics and listen to the "he's always injured" crowd, it could be easy to knock Pouncey. The truth is that Pouncey was on the field more than any other offensive lineman. 

Per a stat offered up by the Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib), "Pouncey played in 86% Steelers snaps first 3 yrs (not counting freak injury last yr). To compare, next highest OL is Foster at 77% over 4 yrs."

Pouncey is just 24-years old and was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in his first three NFL seasons. Though he has never been higher than 12th in Pro Football Focus' center grades, the game isn't played on paper. 

Pouncey is strong and very athletic for his size. Though he has been handled at times by a couple of the behemoth-like nose tackles in the league, he still holds his in that instance. But, to be blunt, he would be pretty damn good in the outside zone and the other things OLine coach Mike Munchak has in store. 

Feisty, mobile and respected, he's a true leader to his peers - his teammates named him an offensive captain at just 24 years old. 

Respected by teammates as well as ownership. A teary-eyed Pouncey hugged Dan Rooney after the brief press conference.

"There's a lot of love here." 

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TIDBITS: Steelers using Ryan Shazier all over the field - http://t.co/y1Z2yasXVz/s/8icA 

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers' Will Johnson is working at fullback and at tight end. Tomlin said he is goes to both RB & TE meetings" - #WVU

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"@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers fans are going to have to get used to a lot of inside handoffs to Dri Archer from the shotgun in the red zone."

Darrius Heyward-Bey: Prove Me Wrong.

Monday morning, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review posted an article regarding the "new Steelers receivers," Lance Moore and, specifically for the sake of this, Darrius Heyward-Bey, "deep on NFL experience." 

In the piece, Kaboly wrote that "what Heyward-Bey offers (even more than his 4.2 speed)" is "experience." 

Granted, he does have experience in the way of 63 starts in 72 career games. He has 169 receptions in those games for a total of 2,380 yards, and he can play both the X- and Z-receiver roles.

“They think I am fast....If that is what they need me to do — to be the deep threat — that's what I will do. If they need me blocking, then sure. If they need me on special teams....I am a team-first guy,” said Heyward-Bey. “....I know a lot of different places to play on the field. Some guys are handcuffed to one spot, where I feel like I am intelligent.” - http://tinyurl.com/lt4lgj4

To my knowledge no one ever questioned his intelligence. For that matter, neither were his heart, his work ethic nor his speed (which, by the way, is actually 4.3/40). 

In a recent blog post, If It Ain't Steel wrote that "speed alone won't get Hermes to Mount Olympus. Nor does it get an NFL player gridiron success."

Remember Clifford Franklin? As Jimmy McGinty said about him: "Great attitude, great desire, and THE fastest son of a b**ch I've ever seen." With the reply to that being, "Yeah, but can he catch?" (Ok, that was from the movie The Replacements. But it's a damn good segue.)

Last season, Football Outsiders had Heyward-Bey with a -24.5 DVOA for the season and a -63 rating - 83 out of 90 eligible receivers - and only a 45% catch rate. - http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

Comparatively, Pro Football Focus had Heyward-Bey graded at -9.4 on passing plays, worst among qualifying receivers. Heyward-Bey so bad that he was pulled at halftime of the November 14 Tennessee Titans game last season. 

Why? His hands. Or lack thereof. 

Digging deeper into Pro Football Focus showed that Heyward-Bey dropped an average of 14.18% of the catchable targets in his final three years with the Oakland Raiders. But he was even worse last year, dropping over 23.5% of catchable targets, five per game average, and ranking next to last of qualifying receivers. 

So "experience", 'intelligence' and speed are all well and good, but they mean nothing if they don't translate into catches. 

Richard Mann and the rest of the Steelers' offensive staff believe they can work with him and make Shinola out of...well, you know. 

Where Heyward-Bey has found success in the past is when he got the ball in space, targeting him on slants, curls, screens, etc...giving him the opportunity to get yards after the catch. 

Can he do that for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Yes, offensive coordinator Todd Haley can certainly design such plays, but Lance Moore and Dri Archer both can perform in those capacities. 

Can he use his speed and fill the role of the X receiver vacated by Mike Wallace? Yes, but that would be akin to breaking up with your girlfriend...and getting with her twin sister. At least in this scenario it would be. Not only that, but that was why Markus Wheaton was drafted last season. 

Can he also defy the odds and move up the depth chart to secure a spot on the final 53-man roster? Yes, it is possible - possible, but not probable. Not probable in our estimation with Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore, rookie Martavis Bryant, Derek Moye and Justin Brown all in front of him, with the latter of whom having impressed the coaches in OTAs thus far. 

Add Archer as de facto wide receiver and it gets harder and harder to find a spot for him. 

Can he? Yes. Will he? Likely not. The numbers say no. History says no. I say no. But, hey, prove me wrong. 

Dri Archer: Speed Kills - Is the Third Time the Charm for the Steelers?

"When you're a fast guy you must always play fast, that's your advantage. I can be quick and I can be fast." - Dri Archer at Steelers minicamp. 

We've all heard the famous words by the late ultimate Raider Al Davis, "Speed kills," and "You can't teach speed." They are idioms by which Davis lived (and figuratively died), and by which NFL coaches and owners still often live today. Including those of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

With their third pick on the 2014 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected Dri Archer, running back out of Kent State. He was a player I had wanted going into the draft, but I felt he could be gotten in the fourth or even fifth round. But, as I alluded to earlier, teams fall in love with speed, and a 4.26/40 - also having an "unofficial" 4.16/40 - is easy to fall in love with. 

That's not just fast, that's "Oh, sh**!" fast. 

Speed is coveted, yes. Speed can be the X-factor that can make the difference over the course of a game or an entire season. Just ask the Seattle Seahawks. But, speed alone won't get Hermes to Mount Olympus. Nor does it get an NFL player gridiron success. 

Just consider names such as Jimmy "Oops" Hines, Johnny Lam Jones, Renaldo Nehemiah, Ron Brown...all of whom had numerous World and/or Olympic speed records between them, yet few receptions, touchdowns or years in the NFL. 

Archer worked strictly with the running back group in the few minicamp practices so far, but has changed his number from 34 to 13 - a wide receiver's number. He did play a lot of WR his last year at Kent State, though, and has said the Steelers have told him they plan on using him "creatively." - http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/5/22/5741166/steelers-dri-archer-offense-wide-receiver 

Recent words by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin seem to echo that sentiment. 

"Is he a running back? Is he a wideout? Regardless of position," Tomlin said, "I think he’s a playmaker. He's a guy that gets yards in chunks and rings up the scoreboard."

Point blank, Archer has more tools than Black & Decker. Over his career, he had 325 rushes for 2,342 yards (7.2 yards per carry) and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 99 passes for 1,194 yards (12 yards per reception) and 12 scores.

He was also a return man, returning 51 kicks for 1,436 yards (28.2 yards per return) and four touchdowns, positions which Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says in his mind "are starters," and saying of Archer specifically that "his kick return ability is unique. It really is special." - http://youtu.be/9ILPHki7-Ww

When you watch the tape on Archer, you can see him read his blocks as he turns it up the field. Upon getting out of the backfield, you even see him breaking some tackles proving he more than just speed. There's a reason he played running back and rushed for all those yards, including despite battling ankle injuries in 2013. The tape does not lie - get him the ball in space and let him use his awesome lateral athleticism to play a life-size game of Madden with 11 grown men. 

Because of his size, however, Archer won't be on the field on every down. When he does take the field on offense, though, you will see him get the ball on draws, sweeps, screens and from the slot. Add the return game to that and his vision, athleticism and speed will make him a nightmare to tackle.

Though his touches may be limited, especially early on, because of the talent around him at running back and wide receiver, defenses will have to prepare for him any time he is on the field. 

The Steelers have been down this road before, however, as they attempted to get a Dexter McCluster-like player for offensive coordinator Todd Haley whom he coached with the Kansas City Chiefs. Another small, versatile and fast X-factor player who added another dimension to the Chief's offense. 

In 2012, they drafted RB Chris Rainey (lasting just one season after 14 receptions and 26 rushes), who was let go because of gambling and assault allegations. 

In April of 2013, they picked up unrestricted free agent RB LaRod Stephens-Howling, or LaSH, on a one-year deal with the Steelers from the Arizona Cardinals. He accumulated only six rushes, two catches and one return before being injured and lost for the year. 

Aside: being that LaSH was "only" a 4.48/40 guy, the other most recent diminutive speedster to be considered would be Reggie Dunn. At Utah's Pro Day, Dunn ran a 4.22/40. But, not having enough versatility, he never made the final roster.

Now, the third is hopefully the charm for the Steelers. Being that he's faster - he was also clocked at an "unofficial" 4.16/40 - and stronger than both Rainey and LaSH, he could ultimately prove to be better for the Steelers than they could have been and easily as good of a weapon as McCluster was. 

All of this is encouraging as we move forward into OTAs, which begin Tuesday of this week, but his speed and college stats will not matter if he isn't ready mentally also. 

“I think I made a pretty good impression. Learning the playbook. A lot to think about.” 

A lot indeed. Because, remember Renaldo Nehemiah mentioned earlier in the article? He lost his job to some slow WR who ran a 4.71/40. I think his name was Jerry Rice or something...

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TIDBITS: The Steelers begin OTAs Tuesday, May 27. The specific dates for the Steelers’ 10 OTAs are May 27, May 28, May 29, June 3, June 4, June 5, June 9, June 10, June 11, and June 12.

There will also be a mandatory three-day minicamp June 17-19. Then an approximate month will pass before Latrobe. 

Steelers Draft Speed And Power - Did They Get Better? Day 1 & 2

Do you know who Bizarro is? He is a sometime-super villain in DC Comics who was created as a "mirror image" of Superman, does and says everything in an opposite or backwards manner and even lives on the cube-shaped planet Bizarro World. To bring it into more of a pop culture light, the t.v. show Seinfeld, which inserted some kind of Superman reference into every episode, even popularized the term "Bizarro World" to mean a situation or setting that is weirdly inverted or opposite of expectations.

That's what the three days of the NFL Draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers felt like. 

Everyone just knew the first and second day would bring a cornerback and a wide receiver, and the third day defensive linemen, offensive linemen and maybe a running back or tight end or both. 

Everyone was wrong.

Going in to round one Thursday night, the consensus was that the Steelers would take either WR Mike Evans (if he was still there) or one of three cornerbacks, Darqueze Dennard, Marcus Gilbert or Kyle Fuller. Though, even with Dennard falling right into their lap at #15, much as another cornerback did in 1987, they passed on him and selected Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier instead. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/05/steelers-draft-ryan-shazier-in-first.html

To be clear, Shazier IS a good pick. He's fast. He has great "see-to-do" allowing him to get to the ball carrier quickly. He's fast. He has very good tackling technique which allows him to wrap up so that he misses few tackles. He's fast. His speed and power make it so that he stops the ball at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield a lot. Just ask former Wisconsin back Montee Ball (2012) - http://t.co/5wOlAq6TtV

And did I mention he's fast? He ran an "unofficial" 4.36/40 at his Pro Day. He ran an official 4.38/40 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, though, said they themselves clocked him at 4.4/40. But what's a few centiseconds between friends?

"I think he's going to be a problem (for offenses)," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said of Shazier. "He's going to get on people quicker than they know."

LeBeau further offered, "He's probably the fastest linebacker in this draft and he will instantly become one of the very fastest in the league....He has as much range and intuitive reaction as any of the great Ohio State linebackers."

Then, in the second round, they took Stephon Tuitt, defensive tackle out of Notre Dame. He has defensive end speed with defensive tackle size, 6'5" and 304 LBs, and strength, 31 reps on the 225-pound bench press. He notched 21.5 sacks in three seasons with the Fighting Irish, including 12 in his 2nd-team All-America year of 2012. - http://youtu.be/v8xFIkZtGX0

He definitely looks the part and also has prototypical dimensions for a five-technique DE with long arms to ward off blocks. He holds his ground at the point of attack, can stack and shed and has excellent movement for his size.

The drafting of a second defensive player in as many picks is a nod to the Steelers knowing that the reality was that they must get younger on defense. With longtime starter Brett Keisel being an unrestricted free agent, Tuitt, as well as Shazier, could possibly compete for reps right away. 

"Both of these players, if all develops as anticipated, are going to get a whole lot of playing time," LeBeau said in an interview after Tuitt was drafted. 

“Sometimes in the past, we've been in a position where our draft picks don't necessarily have to play for a year or so," LeBeau continued. "This is definitely not the case in this situation. Our depth is a challenge....We are getting quality players and quality depth. Both of these players, if all develops, are going to get a lot of playing time."

Specifically of Tuitt, LeBeau said, "You always have to have a big guy on the field and Tuitt suits that no matter what the down and distance is."

The Steelers third selection, a compensatory selection, was running back Dri Archer. He was one I had wanted after doing my due diligence earlier in the offseason, and he is one who could be used in various ways. - http://youtu.be/uX4IAY3d2io

"Steelers plan to use Archer at RB and WR, will move him around everywhere," said Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account. "Plus, he will return kicks and plan to work with him on punts."

He is only 5'7 3/4", 173 LBs, but had some of the best numbers in NFL Scouting Combine history, including a 2014 Combine best 4.26 in the 40-yard dash: 

40 Yrd Dash: 4.26

20 Yrd Dash: 2.34

10 Yrd Dash: 1.47

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 20

Vertical Jump: 38

Broad Jump: 10'02"

20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.06

3-Cone Drill: 6.86 

The number that stands out even more so than the 40 time was the 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press. A number that prompted Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to say that "he's not small, he's short." - http://tinyurl.com/kjcj86e

The Kent State product often lined up as a slot receiver for the Golden Flashes and could do the same for the Steelers. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry at Kent State. 

According to Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly, Archer was clocked at 4.16 "on one official handheld Combine watch." Steelers RB coach James Saxon said the team had Archer timed at a sub 4.2 also. 

That's fast. In fact, that's "Oh, sh*t!" fast. 

According to DraftNasty.com, and something fellow WVU fans will appreciate, Archer is “even more naturally explosive and elusive than...Tavon Austin.”

If Archer is even as explosive and elusive as Tavon Awesome, the Steelers will have found someone who can play human ping-pong with NFL defenses.

Hopefully, therefore, after Chris Rainey and LaRod Stephens-Howling, the third time's the charm. 

The question remains, then: did they get better? The round one results would seem to suggest yes. Though the position of cornerback wasn't addressed, there were areas of need that were. Though Archer could easily have been found in the next round, he's a playmaker that the Steelers can and will make use of sooner rather than later. As is the case with all three of the first three draft picks.