Will Recent Free Agency Moves Affect Steelers Drafting Of A Defensive Lineman?

The Pittsburgh Steelers uncharacteristically acted quickly on the first day of free agency to sign safety Mike Mitchell. 

Wait, it gets better.

The Steelers signed yet another free agent on Friday, former San Diego Chargers nose tackle Cam Thomas. The 6'3", 330 pounder will add needed depth on the defensive line. - http://tinyurl.com/p7ow9rw

We emphasize "depth" here because the Chargers benched the true nose guard late last season, despite having 26 tackles, two passes defended and an interception. If he is in middle, Steve McLendon could move to defensive end. Though, we simply doubt Thomas will step in as starter. 

While, yes, a Casey Hampton-type space eater in middle could upgrade a declining run defense, is today's NFL completely conducive to that? Also, is Thomas even that man? After all, he was benched toward the end of the season. 

One upside to Thomas (@Baby_Zilla76 on Twitter), though, is his age - he just turned 27 years old this past December. So he does at least have youth on his side. 

Still, it doesn't quite balance the losses of free agent defensive ends/nose tackles Al Woods (Tennessee Titans) and Ziggy Hood (Jacksonville Jaguars). Their departure makes the Steelers paper thin across the defensive line, with the biggest loss being Woods, who, in just two starts at nose tackle, still recorded more sacks last season than Jarvis Jones. He has definite upside that was certainly in the team's plans. 

Now, with just Brian Arnfelt, Hebron Fangupo and Nick Williams under contract, the signing of Cam Thomas is a needed depth signing if nothing else. 

I bet Brett Keisel looks a lot more attractive now. (Anybody have Alameda Ta’amu's number?)

Which now begs the question of what the Steelers will do regarding the position in the NFL Draft? 

Since the Steelers strayed somewhat from the norm in free agency, might they do so in May and go after a Louis Nix III? No, we simply don't expect a high pick to be spent on a defensive linemen. Especially if the guys at PatsCap.com are correct.

Their interpretation of the new CBA suggests that it limits the number of compensatory picks to the number of teams in the league. As a result, the Steelers may not receive a "net value" pick. This is dependent, naturally, "on how the NFL values the qualifying players, and which of the qualifying players is used when multiple 7th round value players are involved. One of the earlier listed teams could lose their pick instead."

If the Steelers are one of the earlier listed teams, they may not be compensated for the loss of safety Ryan Mundy. That would mean the Steelers would need to get as much value in each round as possible.

As far as the defensive line is concerned, that could mean players such as Daniel McCullers (3th-4th round), Justin Ellis (4th-5th round), Ryan Carrethers (5th-6th round) or Deandre Coleman (6th round). But, more on them in a later article.

Instead, therefore, look for the Steelers to keep going right along with their original plans. They have been reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac to want a big/big-play receiver in the first or second round. That won't change.

Speaking of receivers, per Joe Person, the Carolina Panthers beat writer for the Charlotte Observer, on his Twitter (@josephperson) account Monday: "Jerricho Cotchery's free agent trip to Charlotte began tonight with dinner with Ron Rivera and Mike Shula. Continues tomorrow. #courting.” 

As a way of free agency balance, what do the Steelers do? Bring in another free agent. CBSSports.com reported that the Steelers will host former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore on Tuesday. 

Business as usual this offseason. 

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TIDBITS: “@steelers: We have re-signed veteran offensive lineman Guy Whimper.

READ: http://stele.rs/1qM8I2d http://twitter.com/steelers/status/445608791480889344/photo/1" 

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We expect Cam Thomas' contract to be somewhere in the realm of two years, $2-$3 million with a minor signing bonus.

Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Another episode of the Sunday matinee that is the rematch of the 2004 NFL Draft is upon us as the San Diego Chargers will travel to Heinz Field to do battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The marquee will once again light up brightly as it features the names of the two teams' draft mate quarterbacks: "Big" Ben Roethlisberger and Philip "Whiskey" Rivers.

This duel between the two gunslingers, their fourth showdown, has added edge because of events that have transpired over the last week. Events that affect each paladin differently. Events we'll refer to as: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The Good: Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin Wednesday on his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: "I'll see how his body responds in the morning and we'll go from there." - http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/05/tomlin-it-was-a-positive-day-for-ben/

Big Ben Wednesday on his arm: "Getting there. I have to talk to Heath Miller. He's my barometer. He tells me how close I am to 100% on velocity and stuff."

Per Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest on Thursday on his Twitter (@BobLabriola) account: "Tomlin tells Teresa Varley of Steelers.com that Ben (Roethlisberger) will start on Sunday: http://blog.steelers.com/2012/12/06/roethlisberger-will-start-vs-chargers/"

This assures the two gunslingers will face each other for the fifth time since their draft in 2004. They're four shootouts (three in the regular season and one in the postseason) have seen Big Ben still standing three times. One time leading to the Super Bowl in 2008.

The two have similarities between them that can't be ignored, either. These are their statistics averaged out over a 16-game regular season through their nine years in the league as of the start of this season:

Big Ben:

Completion percentage: 63.1
Yards: 3,862.9
Touchdowns: 25.1
Interceptions: 14.0
Y/A: 8.0
Y/C: 12.7
QB Rating: 92.1

Whiskey Rivers:

Completion percentage: 63.5
Yards: 3,933.3
Touchdowns: 26.6
Interceptions: 12.5
Y/A: 8.0
Y/C: 12.6
QB Rating: 95.5

Fairly even, thought Whiskey Rivers pleases the fantasy numbers, fancy pants types. That's when things change.

The Bad: When you get down to brass tacks, the two riflemen start to look a little different. Like which one is Wyatt Earp and which is Billy Clanton at the O.K. Corral.

As mentioned earlier, Big Ben has ridden off into the sunset three of the four times. The average head-to-head is as follows:

Big Ben:

Completion pct: 71.4
Yards: 1,048
Touchdowns: 4
Interceptions: 2 (both in 1 game)
Record: 3-1

Whiskey Rivers:

Completion pct: 60.4
Yards: 968
Touchdowns: 8
Interceptions: 4
Record: 1-3

Then things change even more. Big Ben and the Steelers have gone on to take home two Super Bowl trophies, going through Whiskey Rivers to get one of them, and have fought for a third.

Whiskey Rivers? Well, shucks, he hadn't even russled himself up an AFC Championship game.

Now, things get even worse. With his team already sitting at 4-8 and Whiskey Rivers trying to help his team prepare for Sunday, he has to hear this...

The Ugly: According to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego, head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith are to be fired at the end of the season: http://tinyurl.com/a2kvqjh

Sources told Acee that Chargers owner Dean Spanos has “resigned himself to the fact that Smith can’t be kept in the current environment of plummeting performance and fan unrest.”

Then, later, Spanos himself comes out and says that this is not actually the case.

As quoted by Adam Schefter on his Twitter (@AdamSchefter) account: "Dean Spanos: 'I haven't shared my thoughts with anyone. I will make my evaluations at the end of the season. Anything coming out now, from sources or otherwise, is pure speculation.'"

Nah...that won't be a distraction.

We'll leave all that to Judge Roy Bean. Because, whatever ends up happening there, the two quarterbacks will still face each other again for 2004 NFL Draft bragging rights and another notch in their belt come high noon Sunday.

Well, 1:00 p.m. EST at least.

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TIDBITS: Steelers injury/practice report: DNP: Mike Adams, Drew Butler (illness), Ryan Clark (hip), Byron Leftwich (shoulder), Troy Polamalu (not injury related), Ike Taylor (ankle) and Woodley (hamstring); LIMITED: Emmanuel Sanders; FULL: Antonio Brown, Willie Colon, Jerricho Cotchery, Will Johnson, Mike Wallace and some guy named Ben.

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Speaking of Troy...
Per Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account Thursday: "#Steelers Polamalu said today the calf injury that cost him 7 games was to a different muscle than the one in the first game of the season."

So much for them taking it slowly with Troy, as he played in 50 of 64 defensive snaps (78%) against the Ravens Sunday.

Up until that game, Troy had missed nine games and had played five total quarters of football.

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What to expect from Ben Roethlisberger according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/60711/what-to-expect-from-roethlisberger

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The last time Plaxico Burress wore a Steelers uniform inside Heinz Field was the 2004 AFC Championship game.

Burress will make his return Sunday, but it may not be a triumphant one. It could be a dud, per Mark Kaboly: http://tinyurl.com/bmtw6af

Junior Seau - The Darkness And The Light

This hits a little close to home.

Wednesday morning, May 2nd, 2012, it was announced that longtime NFL linebacker, Junior Seau, 43, among the greatest in the history of the game, was found by his housekeeper with a gunshot wound to his chest. It is believed to have been suicide. - http://t.co/HHc9RzUr 

Seau was a former USC star and was selected fifth overall in the 1990 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played there from 1990-2002, then spent three years with the Miami Dolphins before finishing his career with the New England Patriots from 2006-2009.

Seau made the Pro Bowl 12 times and was a 10-time All-Pro. He was also on the NFL's All-Decade Team.

“Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they’re doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family,” the Chargers said in a released statement.

Maybe there were signs. That's what first came to mind when I started to digest this earlier. When we think of these types of individuals we think they don't have a care in the world. That they live charmed lives of fame and fortune. That even when they lose, which Seau did in Super Bowls XXIX and XLII, they still have their fans and money to fall back on.

Rarely is that truly the case. Early in his career Seau was nicknamed "Tasmanian Devil" because of his play. It turns out he may have had his own demons to battle.

In October 2010, he drove off a beachside cliff in Carlsbad, California in his SUV and was found in the car on the beach, about 100 feet below the roadside. Hours before that he'd been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence involving his live-in girlfriend.

Seau later said that he wasn't trying to kill himself, but that he simply had dozed off at the wheel.

Like I said, maybe there were signs.

The situations surrounding Wednesday's events do in fact point to a suicide. Per U-T San Diego columnist Kevin Acee, “The gunshot wound was to the chest. It was almost certainly self-inflicted according to someone on scene.”

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that the "Chargers confirmed reports on the stunning passing of NFL great Juinor Seau. Sad day. Thoughts and prayers with Seau's family. Police have [also] confirmed Junior Seau committed suicide.

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the ins and outs of the mindset or home life or anything like that. I don't know all of the details, though they may be divulged eventually, and won't speculate any further than I already have.

I'm writing this rather to say that judging or speaking out of hand about this is morally and ethically wrong. Sure, jokes will be made-it's inevitable. But nature abhors a vacuum, as does the mind of a dullard. The only way to fill that void is to callously joke about another person's suicide.

If it seems I feel strongly about this it's because I absolutely do. I've contemplated suicide twice in my life. I even made a poorly executed attempt once.

I've been told many times over the years of my adult life that I'm the type who gives good advice, or at least that I'm a good listener. I'm told how I seem to never let things affect me. I've been told that, aside from when I'm watching my Steelers or Lakers play, I have a quiet calm. Well you know the old saying, "Beware of the quiet ones."

It is that very type of person, though, that has been through much more hardship and gone to lower depths than you or than you may realize. Otherwise he wouldn't have been able to come up with those encouraging words in the first place. He knows them first-hand.

Unfortunately, some aren't able to cope the same way or as well. Some allow drugs or alcohol to befriend them. Some don't feel they have the strength and succumb to those aforementioned demons.

The mind is a vast frontier that has yet to be truly mapped or conquered. So I am most certainly not going to attempt pseudo-psychology and try to stake a claim on Seau's grey matter and reasoning. I don't begin to claim to know the actual cause for this or what he was thinking at the time. I simply remember what I was thinking. And it was frightening.

I had great respect for Seau on the field. Off the field he did have his share of domestic problems, though. Hopefully that won't be the focus of the initial reports.

Let's first remember the brilliant light that he stood in on the football field and not too quickly peer into the shadows that followed so closely behind in his personal life.

My condolences to his family. - John 5:21, 28, 29

Running Back Mike Tolbert May End Up With The Steelers

I blogged a few days ago that Mike Tolbert, free agent running back with the San Diego Chargers, did an interview where he mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers as a desired possible destination. I was plain at the time that I didn't expect it to happen.

I may have been wrong.

U-T San Diego columnist Kevin Acee reported via his Twitter account that Mike Tolbert could end up in either Pittsburgh or Carolina.

He posted this to his account: “Mike Tolbert expected to land in Pittsburgh or Carolina ... I'm told this isn't like Malcom Floyd, who returned last yr after deal was dead.”

Later Acee, @UTKevinAcee on Twitter, tweeted: "I think Pittsburgh is the leader for Tolbert, but how perfect would Carolina be? He'd join Turner, Brees, Sproles, Jackson in NFC South.”

It's well known that the Steelers feature running back, Rashard Mendenhall, will start training camp and presumably the season on the PUP list. Mendenhall could be on the shelf anywhere from week 7, once he's off of the PUP list, to as late as week 13 because of how the rules read for such players.

Pittsburgh could be concerned over whether he'll come back as strong and as dynamic of a runner as before. They also could simply be cover themselves for any eventuality.

The Steelers would potentially have gone into training camp with six or seven running backs. If, that is, you include unrestricted free agent Mewelde Moore. Regardless, this is worth watching.

For more from this developing story and Kevin Acee: http://m.utsandiego.com/news/sports/chargers/

3-4 vs. 4-3 Defense: Is it time for a change?

It was recently suggested to me that the 3-4 defense the Steelers run had lost it's effectiveness and that it was time to move on from it. As preposterous as it sounded at the time, I've never been one to summarily dismiss a notion without first considering the facts. So neither will I do so here. Let's actually look at the two defenses, examine the differences and consider what experts have to say about the two.

The history of 3-4 defense in NFL dates back to 1974 when former Oklahoma Sooners coach Chuck Fairbanks introduced it in his second season as head coach of the New England Patriots. He used the 3-4 on nearly every down that season with Ray Hamilton as his Nose Tackle - the first one ever seen in the modern NFL. Though the Sooners mainly used a 5-2 defense up through the early 1970s, Fairbanks, considered the Grandfather of the "30 Front" 3-4 defense, introduced the basis of the 3-4 as early as the 1950s. Because of that, other coaches did pick up on this new style of defense. There were quite a few teams, therefore, who used it before the Steelers. Among them were New England, Miami, Denver, Oakland & Buffalo.

For a brief synopsis of coach Chuck Fairbanks and his Oklahoma years, follow this link: http://www.eteamz.com/WNBA/news/index.cfm?cat=746490&subsite=5678765

It should be noted that Joe Collier, NFL coach and defensive coordinator for 30 years, coached with the Bills for seven seasons, from 1962 to 1968 in the AFL. It was there, at least as far as pro football is concerned, that the 3-4 was born, with Collier using it as first defensive coordinator and then head coach. “We initially used it in 1964, but we used it quite a bit against San Diego in 1965 in the AFL Championship Game,” Collier said of a 23-0 Bills victory that gave them their second straight title game victory over the Chargers, the top-scoring team in the league that year. “But for the most part, we didn’t use it. It was not a big part of our defense, maybe for just five or six plays." So this was the first time that pro football, not the NFL, but pro football saw the 3-4 defense.

So the suggestion of dumping the 3-4 defense begs the question: Is the 4-3 defense better? Or more pointedly, was the 1970s Steelers' 4-3 defense better? The Steelers switched to the 3-4 because of injuries and retirements. It wasn't as if Noll had a sudden stroke of genius, rather it was out of necessity. But with some tweaking and a player or two playing somewhat out of position, the 3-4 in Steeltown had begun. The Steelers are, in fact, the only team to strictly use 3-4 for last 30 years. But does that mean it's better than the 4-3? Well the Steelers defenses of the '70s were stellar to say the least, and full of hall of famers. The 1976 defense for instance is considered by some as the best defense ever as it allowed only 138 points over a 14 game schedule and completely blanked 5 of it's last 9 opponents. That calculates out to just 9.85 points per game. Simply devastating. The 1978 Steelers defense only allowed 195 points for a 12.19 points per game average as well. The Steelers also accomplished something no other team in the modern era has in representing the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award three straight years. No other team since the merger has accomplished this.

Then as all the stars of the '70s Steelers dynasty faded, the much dimmer '80s were endured. The team had meager success, only making the AFC Championship game once, after the 1984 season. The Steelers simply weren't as strong or intimidating either. From 1985-1992 the Steelers only recorded more than 40 sacks in a season once. In fact, in 1988 they only recorded 19. If you go simply by those numbers, awards and results, it would seem that a 4-3 defense is something the Steelers might want to consider again considering the pourous defense that has been witnessed so far this season. But as an analyst on the four-letter network is fond of saying, "Not so fast, my friend." There's a gentleman who might like to make an argument in favor of the 3-4. His name is Dick LeBeau.

Fans in Steeler Nation refer to the team as Blitzburgh because of LeBeau's Zone Blitz schemes in the 3-4. For years before LeBeau first became the defensive coordinator, he was the defensive backs coach. His impact, though, could still be felt as the likes of current Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson terrorized offenses. Then when LeBeau was elevated to defensive coordinator, all he did was coach the defense to the no. 3 and no. 2 defenses respectively and a trip to the Super Bowl in 1995. Dick LeBeau, Coach Dad as he is also referred to at times by teammates and pictured above, left after two seasons as defensive coordinator, but returned in 2004 and has been here since that time. Under LeBeau the Steelers have only once failed to be in the top five in the NFL in defense, no. 9 in 2006, and have been the best in total defense three times. He's also coached two Defensive Players of the Year, James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, and has been to the Super Bowl 4 times, winning 2 of them.

More information on the actual comparison of the two defenses is in an article written by NFL.com senior analyst, Pat Kirwan. You can read the article here: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80d6974b/article/effectiveness-of-34-vs-43-is-found-in-the-numbers

LeBeau, though, is himself a Hall of Famer and, quite simply, a legend. His Zone Blitz 3-4 schemes, mentioned earlier is built on confusion. Organized confusion. The fact of it is that it’s usually hard to decipher for opposing offenses. Pass rushers come from all different directions in a myriad of situations. On one play, they come from the left, then the next play from the right, or the middle. Sometimes, a lot of them will come, and on other occasions, few, or maybe even no one. There are so many things going on all at the same time, so many stunts, so many linebackers and safeties moving in and out of spots as the quarterback barks out the signals, that it can become a blur in trying to figure out who’s going to do what, and when. For years it's been that way. Until this year...

The 2011 version of the Steelers defense has only one turnover and only 7 sacks. Worse yet, the defense is being gashed on the ground, giving up two 100-yard rushers in 4 games. Not teams, individual runners. That is something that Steeler Nation simply isn't used to seeing from it's defense. At all. Since 2007 the Steelers had only allowed three 100-yard rushers. Again, there have already been two in four games this year alone. Thus the reasons for the article being written in the first place. Are these really signs that time has caught up with LeBeau and the 3-4? Is it time to revert back to a 4-3 defense? After all, Coach Tomlin did have major success with a 4-3 Cover 2 defense at his previous stops. Is this a possibility?

To answer this properly you'd have to ask whether the deficiences on defense are actually scheme related. That's key. Because, let's face it, the tool is only as good as it's user. If the defense is sound but the execution is flawed, then the fault lies not in the scheme. The best examples of this come from the Texans game in week 4. The Steelers found themselves succeptable to the stretch play on multiple occasions and were caught in a slant regularly. In one instance the nose tackle Casey Hampton was cut, and the outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley was hooked into a seal block. Because the inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons overplayed to the strong side, the running back Ben Tate found a wide open lane for a big gain. In the fourth quarter Arian Foster was allowed to run basically untouched 42 yards for a touchdown because Polamalu arrived late to the play and Woodley was caught embarrassingly out of position because he bought full-price the bootleg that Schaub was selling. So much so that whatever remaining chance Polamalu had of making the play, Woodley took it from him by colliding with Polamalu, freeing Foster completely. Things of this nature happened all game long.

It isn't just a matter of being caught out of position, though. There have also been missed opportunities and plenty of missed tackles. James Farrior had a chance to tackle Arian Foster in the backfield on one particular play and seemed to have him dead to rights. Foster fought through the grasp of much to easily and turned a loss into a big gain. These are examples of what has happened all year on defense. These are not scheme issues, these are plainly and simply matters of lack of gap sound execution, poor tackling and not being able to hold blocks that would normally free up the linebackers for pressuring the quarterback.

The good thing about this is that it's all able to be fixed. These are matters of getting back to fundamentals and playing your gaps and not getting caught watching the paint dry. Read, react and keep the feet moving. The Steelers know how to do this. LeBeau knows how to coach 'em up. This is, after all, the same defense that was no. 2 in the NFL last year and that went to the Super Bowl. So this isn't a scheme issue or a "The NFL has passed you, LeBeau" issue. It's an executon issue. This is absolutely something that can be rectified. It's like my poppa always said, "When ya done something wrong, when ya stray off course, what'r the directions back? Turn 'right' and keep goin straight." And the Steelers can certainly "right" themselves. They just have to be willing to roll their sleeves up and actually do it.