2016 Offseason

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Feeney is too thin now, but he has the frame to add 20-25 lbs this season and reportedly has good pass rushing skills...maybe he's an option for ROLB in '17.

From what I read from TribLive was that Feeney is reportedly being rostered as an ILB. Can't remember who reported it though since IIRC it was a tweet. Haven't read any articles to back that up yet. He would need to be put on an extensive mass gain regimen this offseason which may take him a season or 2 before he reaches OLB status.

I was predicting that he is going to take over Garvin's ILB/ST role. Which he wouldn't need to stack on very much for that.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

More than anything...the Steelers have put the ball in JJ's court. IMO if he has a season like LY...they will make a market rate offer...but I think he needs to be watching over his shoulder for Fenney and others...if the WAS kid bulks up about 20lbs and maintains his athleticism...he could be the guy.

Looking through the option guys...I have to pat myself on the back...the UGA LB I wanted in that draft was Ogletree...with a no go on Mingo and Jarvis Jones...he's the only LB taken in the 1st rd that got his option picked up.

Also looking at the pick 18 thru 32...it was a lean yr.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

From what I read from TribLive was that Feeney is reportedly being rostered as an ILB. Can't remember who reported it though since IIRC it was a tweet. Haven't read any articles to back that up yet. He would need to be put on an extensive mass gain regimen this offseason which may take him a season or 2 before he reaches OLB status.

I was predicting that he is going to take over Garvin's ILB/ST role. Which he wouldn't need to stack on very much for that.

You might be right...my thinking is he supposedly has good pass rush skills...at 6'4", getting him up to 255ish should not be a big problem over 12+ mos.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

JJ shouldn't feel much shame then.

That said...LY was clearly his best yr...if he builds on that, I expect to see him back in '17. FWIW...I've never heard any of the coaches say he's not working hard enough, etc...I've always liked him as a football player...he's lunch pail, hard hat type mentality...just wish he was more productive...5+ sacks, a FF or two, a few other TFL and I'm happy.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

You might be right...my thinking is he supposedly has good pass rush skills...at 6'4", getting him up to 255ish should not be a big problem over 12+ mos.

If he can do it without losing any of his abilities, then I'd be all for it. The kid plays with a wreckless abandon that I love. It is what appealed me the most to Jordan Zumwalt. And this is the same journey that Z-man attempted. I wonder if the added weight led to all the injuries to Z-man? He was 230ish coming out of the draft.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

JJ shouldn't feel much shame then.

That said...LY was clearly his best yr...if he builds on that, I expect to see him back in '17. FWIW...I've never heard any of the coaches say he's not working hard enough, etc...I've always liked him as a football player...he's lunch pail, hard hat type mentality...just wish he was more productive...5+ sacks, a FF or two, a few other TFL and I'm happy.

I'd like to see what he can do with a larger role. If he can finally stay healthy then I think he could prove the doubters wrong. But being in the rotation we may never see it.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

If he can do it without losing any of his abilities, then I'd be all for it. The kid plays with a wreckless abandon that I love. It is what appealed me the most to Jordan Zumwalt. And this is the same journey that Z-man attempted. I wonder if the added weight led to all the injuries to Z-man? He was 230ish coming out of the draft.

Too much weight too quickly can have an adverse effect I understand...we'll have to see...the ILB spot might be the best place for him...seems to have the footspeed to play inside.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'd like to see what he can do with a larger role. If he can finally stay healthy then I think he could prove the doubters wrong. But being in the rotation we may never see it.

Exactly why I feel 5+ is a good measurement for him...350-400 DEF snaps...there's a good chance Harrison will get more 3rd down snaps again.

 

[Bridgeburner]

I am a JJ fan. I think he's a good football player, but thought it was a good move not to grant the option...I know guys can blossom late like a Worilds...and hopefully he does, but the sample size is large enough to project. He looks like a 5-6 sack guy top side.

The Rooney's are fair, and imo will make him a fair market offer if he plays as well as LY.

Freeney is too thin now, but he has the frame to add 20-25 lbs this season and reportedly has good pass rushing skills...maybe he's an option for ROLB in '17.

Yeah. And like you said, if they platoon the position he might not have the opportunity to blow up and earn a big deal.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yeah. And like you said, if they platoon the position he might not have the opportunity to blow up and earn a big deal.

Speaking on the DEF in general.

I really think Jones is part of the reason we've seen the Steelers back off of college tape a little and focusing more on going after guys that are top shelf athletically, but maybe more raw in terms of production in college. We saw it with Shazier, Dupree, and the top 2 picks in this draft....speed and athleticism seem to be the common thread.

That puts more pressure on the staff, but if you can afford half a season to a full season before guys are relied on to take a lot of snaps...this should result in a faster, more athletic DEF...when you're picking teens or later every year...that might not be a bad route to take.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Speaking on the DEF in general.

I really think Jones is part of the reason we've seen the Steelers back off of college tape a little and focusing more on going after guys that are top shelf athletically, but maybe more raw in terms of production in college. We saw it with Shazier, Dupree, and the top 2 picks in this draft....speed and athleticism seem to be the common thread.

That puts more pressure on the staff, but if you can afford half a season to a full season before guys are relied on to take a lot of snaps...this should result in a faster, more athletic DEF...when you're picking teens or later every year...that might not be a bad route to take.

The contrast between Rds 1 & 2 of that '13 draft is a perfect example. Seeing how Bell came in and instantly upgraded the offense despite the learning curve as opposed to JJ's development. It really has a lot to do with having such an amazing coaching staff in place. It allows them to grab these highly athletic prospects and mold them quicker. We've been talkin about that for years ATL, beating that drum every offseason... But we knew they had to change their methods and get the talents on the field quicker. Too much time was being invested into the learning curves. The transition from Lebeau's system played a huge part in JJ's development. He was drafted to a team where the scheme essentially worked against him. Now that he has a lighter scheme to work in, his natural abilities should become more apparent.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The contrast between Rds 1 & 2 of that '13 draft is a perfect example. Seeing how Bell came in and instantly upgraded the offense despite the learning curve as opposed to JJ's development. It really has a lot to do with having such an amazing coaching staff in place. It allows them to grab these highly athletic prospects and mold them quicker. We've been talkin about that for years ATL, beating that drum every offseason... But we knew they had to change their methods and get the talents on the field quicker. Too much time was being invested into the learning curves. The transition from Lebeau's system played a huge part in JJ's development. He was drafted to a team where the scheme essentially worked against him. Now that he has a lighter scheme to work in, his natural abilities should become more apparent.

Yep...it's just coming to fruition fully these last few drafts. To the outsider, the drafts don't look as sexy maybe because these guys don't have the gaudy college stats to support their draft slots in some cases.

But this is exactly what they needed to do, get younger and faster...Ben is entering the last phase of his HOF career, they don't have 2 yrs to wait for guys to learn all the nuances of Lebeau's brand...once Tomlin heard Butler's version of the DEF and flexibility...that's all he needed to hear...hired! We're seeing more two deep, I think we'll finally see more 4 man DL outside of goal line and short yardage.

DEF Rebuild almost complete...Gay @ 31 is the only holdover north of 30...of course they have taken CB to groom and most likely they are grooming for his spot. We keep looking at Golden as a stop gap, whose to say Davis SS & Golden FS are not the S for the long term...Mitchell will be 30 next June....that leaves Timmons and by them so far not extending him to knock his CH down...maybe '16 is his last yr and VW takes over FT as the buck.

As with every team, this had to be done of course, and to keep the team competitive during this change over...Colbert & Tomlin have done a pretty good job imo...now if they can deliver #7...MT most likely will retire from the Steelers whenever that might be. We know how we feel about Haley, but for him to attract a former HC for a position job (OL coach)...he must be a smooth communicator.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

PHASE 3 approaching!

Rookie minicamp roster announced

Here is the rookie minicamp roster:

2016 Rookie Minicamp Participants
No. Name Pos. Ht Wt Exp.** College
2-O Nick Arbuckle* QB 6-1 215 R Georgia State
8-O Jacob Huesman* QB 6-2 220 R Tennessee-Chattanooga
4 Dalyn Williams* QB 6-0 215 R Dartmouth

39-O Brandon Johnson* RB 6-2 228 R Penn State
30-O Cameron Stingily* RB 6-1 245 1 Northern Illinois
40-O Abou Toure RB 6-2 235 1 Tennessee-Martin
49 Christian Powell RB 6-0 235 R Colorado

82 Demarcus Ayers WR 5-11 190 R Houston
16 Issac Blakeney WR 6-6 225 1 Duke
18 Levi Norwood WR 6-0 197 1 Baylor
15 Tobais Palmer WR 5-11 178 1 North Carolina State
19 Shakim Phillips WR 6-2 204 1 Boston College
83 Canaan Severin WR 6-2 205 R Virginia
87 Marcus Tucker* WR 5-10 190 R Northern Michigan

25 Artie Burns CB 6-0 197 R Miami (Fla.)
40-D Montell Garner CB 5-11 188 1 South Alabama
3 Cheatham Norrils* CB 6-0 195 R Toledo
44 Al-Hajj Shabazz CB 6-2 200 1 West Chester (PA)
9 Donald Washington* CB 6-0 197 4 Ohio State

46-D Tyler Matakevich LB 6-1 235 R Temple
41-D Travis Feeney LB 6-4 226 R Washington
30-D Grant Campbell* LB 6-1 230 R Baylor
33 Cory Magwood* LB 6-2 228 R Furman
57-D Tyriq McCord LB 6-3 241 R Miami (Fla.)
45 Jamal Palmer* LB 6-3 250 R Baylor

37 Jordan Dangerfield S 5-11 199 1 Towson
28 Sean Davis S 6-1 202 R Maryland
6 Branden Dozier* S 6-0 202 R Charlotte
5 Kelvin Fisher, Jr.* S 5-11 200 R UTEP
42-D Jacob Hagen S 6-3 205 1 Liberty
42-O Matt Dooley LS 6-4 242 1 Indiana
39-D Ray Vinopal S 5-10 197 1 Pittsburgh

65-O Jerald Hawkins OT 6-6 305 R LSU
71-O Matt Feiler OT 6-6 330 1 Bloomsburg
62-O Wade Hansen* OT 6-5 295 R Virginia Tech
69-O Brian Mihalik OT 6-9 302 1 Boston College

67 B.J. Finney C/G 6-4 318 1 Kansas State
79-O Justin Malone* G 6-7 320 R Mississippi State
64-O Cole Manhart G 6-4 298 1 Nebraska-Kearney
57-O Michael Matulis* G 6-5 293 R South Carolina
61-O Quinton Schooley C 6-4 298 R North Carolina State

85 Xavier Grimble TE 6-4 261 1 USC
41-O Gus Penning* TE 6-6 250 R Baylor
46-O David Reeves TE 6-5 255 R Duke
48 Jay Rome TE 6-6 250 R Georgia

79-D Javon Hargrave DT 6-2 305 R South Carolina State
65-D Lavon Hooks DT 6-3 312 1 Mississippi
69-D Roy Philon DT 6-3 291 1 Louisville
61-D Devaunte Sigler DT 6-3 290 R Jacksonville State

8-D Ty Long K 6-1 207 1 UAB
2-D Will Monday P 6-4 210 R Duke

64-D Giorgio Newberry DE 6-6 295 R Florida State
62-D Johnny Maxey DE 6-5 283 R Mars Hill
71-D Khaynin Mosley-Smith* DE 6-0 305 R Pittsburgh

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Rookie Jersey Numbers:

82 Demarcus Ayers WR 5-11 190 R Houston
83 Canaan Severin WR 6-2 205 R Virginia
*Severin better make the team if he's going to wear Heath's number!

25 Artie Burns CB 6-0 197 R Miami (Fla.)
*From Ryan Clark to Brandon Boykin to Artie Burns!

46-D Tyler Matakevich LB 6-1 235 R Temple
41-D Travis Feeney LB 6-4 226 R Washington
*The new Will Johnson and Lee Flowers

28 Sean Davis S 6-1 202 R Maryland
*Is he going to be a Cortez Allen or a Chris Hope? lol

65-O Jerald Hawkins OT 6-6 305 R LSU
*Faneca wore that bad boy for 2 seasons. Then Al Woods?

79-D Javon Hargrave DT 6-2 305 R South Carolina State
*Trai Essex? Probably the only name I can remember wearing this number lol

 

[Superbelt]

Steelers release three; trim roster to 90 

Steelers release three:

Mike Adams, OT
Ty Long, K
Abou Toure, RB

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Steelers release three; trim roster to 90

Steelers release three:

Mike Adams, OT
Ty Long, K
Abou Toure, RB

Wow... I knew Hawkins was going to push Adams out the door, but I didn't think it would happen this early!

 

[Bridgeburner]

No kidding... just saw that.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Sorry if this is redundant, I didn't read the article. But what a piece of shit. Last offseason he showed up out of shape and his back gave out.

@SteelersPride ... He must have been sittin on the couch all offseason again!

BYE FELECIA!