Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis: Offensive Line

Steel Curtain Rising begins its analysis of the Steelers 2013 roster with the offensive line.

Starters:  Mike Adams, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert
Back ups: Kelvin Beachum, Guy Whimper, Cody Wallace

Strengths: The Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line via premium draft picks. On paper, these men have the pedigree to grow into a dominat unit....

Weaknesses:   ...And that is also the groups greatest weakness. This is a young an inexperienced line. Expect growing pains. How severe will the growing pains be?

The Skinny:  Beyond the issue of growth, the Steelers have crossed their fingers in the hopes that the injury gods do not again rain their wrath down upon the Steelers offensive line, as they did in '08, '10,'11, and '12. Because if they do, this is a unit that has next to no depth as Willie Colon is in New York and Doug Legursky is in Buffalo. Max Starks is available, but the team has not been interested in renewing the love affair yet. An injury to Gilbert or Adams could change that fast.

Click here and scroll around to read analysis of other position areas on the Steelers 2013 Roster.

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Chargers Cut Max Starks; Could Starks-Steelers Hook Up One Last Time...?

The Pittsburgh Steeerls have announced that they will make their final cuts on Saturday, but many other NFL teams are not content to wait.

The San Diego Chargers made one move that should catch the attention of Steelers Nation:

Chargers announced: Released veteran OT Max Starks.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) August 30, 2013

Ah yes, Max Starks. Earlier this year the Steelers completed one half of what has become a familiar ritual for them – informing Max Starks that he is no longer in their plans. Starks, opted to sign with the Chargers seeking starting money.

But a woeful performance vs. the San Francisco 49ers made him expendable (Starks himself is reported to say that it was the “worst game of his life.”)

• Its been widely acknowledged that the Steelers would search the wavier wire in depth to bolster their offensive line.

Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams are set as starters, although Kelvin Beachum has been rumored to challenge Gilbert. But Beachum is also a back up at guard and center.

After Beachum the Steelers have Guy Whimper, who has lived up to his surname by all reports…

…Could the Pittsburgh Steelers and Max Starks be destined to complete the cycle? Could we see Max Starks once resign with the Steelers for a final time.

• Dale Lolley of the Irwin Observer-Reporter suggests it’s a possibility.

The Steelers and Starks are very much like that couple in high school that keeps breaking up, only to get back together again. The Steelers and Starks have more break ups and reunions that The Who.

The "no we won't" "yes we will" relationship between Starks and the Steelers began before the waiving and resigning began. In 2008 the Steelers named Starks their transition player, yet Max Starks couldn’t win a starting job and couldn’t even get top back up priority over Trai Essex in 2008, making him the highest paid 4th tackle in NFL history.

• But Starks did come off the bench after a disastrous two quarter experiment with Essex at left tackle and Starks saved their 2008 season and did so again in 2011.

It could happen again. Its a good bet that his dear friend Ben Roethlisberger will lobby Kevin Colbert to bring him back.

Eagles Cut Robinson, Dixon

The danger of the Philadelphia Eagles becoming “Steelers East” appears remote, as the Eagles cut former Pittsburgh Steelers Dennis Dixon and linebacker Adrian Robinson. This move comes one week after Adrian Robison was traded to Philly.

Felix Jones on the other hand very well may have earned himself a roster spot.

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Tomlin Says Kelvin Beachum Threatening Starters; Le'veon Bell Injury Less Severe than Feared

Trai Essex held down a roster spot, and a lifeline to the NFL, with his ability to be the 6th offensive lineman. But that took time, as Essex was drafted as a tackle in 2009, only moving to guard full time in 2009, and didn’t see action at center until 2011.

• Steelers 2012 7th round draft pick Kelvin Beachum is threatening to do it all in just his sophomore season.

During training camp Beachum has practiced at all five offensive line positions. And while that versatility is golden as the Steelers depth at offensive line remains precarious, Mike Tomlin is not ruling out giving Beachum a shot at starting at either right or left tackle.

As the Steelers head into their third preseason game vs. the Kansas City Cheifs, if nothing else Tomlin's words should serve as a wake up call to incumbent starters Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams.

Bell’s Injury Less Severe than Feared

The Steelers got some good news on the injury front, as reports that 2nd round pick Le’veon Bell’s foot injury is less severe than feared. Bell has sprained ligaments in his foot, including apparently the lisfranc ligaments, but he is progressing rapidly and will not need surgery.

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Steelers Tight End Matt Spaeth Carted Off Field @ St. Vincents

This time you can't fault Kevin Colbert for not having a contingency plan.

The 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers entered training camp as a team with many needs and little in the way of a safety net. As recently observed here, the Steelers openly decided to tempt fate, wagering that the offensive line injury muses would not look down in disfavor again, and assembled a roster with precious little depth at either offensive tackle position.

Should Mike Adams or Marcus Gilbert fall injured, the Steelers contingency plans are named Guy Whimper and D'Anthony Batiste. Neither strike fear on to hears of Haloti Ngata or Terrell Suggs.

In contrast, knowing full well that Heath Miller would not be available to start the 2013 season, the Steelers put a contingency plan in place.

• Unfortunately it looks like the contingency plan himself got hurt.

Late into the afternoon Mark Kaboly dropped this bomb via Twitter:

Steelers TE Matt Spaeth carted off with injury. Didn't see what it was.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) August 7, 2013

Matt Spaeth of course was a member of the Steelers 2007 draft class, and Kevin Colbert's decision to resign Spaeth off of the free agent market turned some heads but it ultimately made sense.

• No one would accuse Spaeth of being a world beater, but he certainly offered more value than Leonard Pope. 

Colbert also gave himself another back up option, in deciding to resign tight end/fullback David Johnson, a member of the Steelers 2009 draft class whose shift to fullback in 2012 was widely heralded, only to be derailed by Johnson's torn ACL.

• Johnson however, began training camp on the PUP list.

The nature of Spaeth's injury is not known. The news broke in the late afternoon via Twitter, but it wasn’t until the late evening that the Post Gazette published a story on it, and then on PG Plus. The Tribune Review had not published a story on it as of 11:38 Buenos Aires time (yeah, that’s right, how often do you see that time stamp on Pittsburgh Steelers stories?)

• But players rarely get carted off the field unless it is serious.

At tight end the Steelers also have David Paulson, whom they drafted with their second pick 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft and Jamie McCoy whom they also drafted in the with their first 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Spaeth’s Injury Steel Curtain Rising’s Fault?

If a server personnel crisis at tight end can’t be laid at the feet of Kevin Colbert, might Steel Curtain Rising be the culprit…?

Who knows. But the fact that Spaeth got injured on the same day that we published an full throated endorsement of Mike Tomlin’s “No to Golf Carts, Yes to Full Contact” training camp philosophy is ironic to say the least…..

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Batiste Signing Begs the Question – Will We Be Singing “Where did you go Maxwell Starks, Steelers Nation Turns Its Lonely eyes to you….”

It is far, far too early for Steelers Nation to begin panicking, but the injuries the Steelers have suffered thus far in training camp reveal just how little margin for error the Steelers have left themselves in 2013.

In wrapping up the Steelers 2013 off season, Steel Curtain Rising looked back at the gloom and doom predictions and preceded free agency, and complemented Kevin Colbert for pulling off the equivalent of a salary cap “Loaves and Fishes” miracle.

The premise was that, while the Steelers might have had to swallow hard watch stars on the rise like Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis depart for greener pastures, Colbert had positioned Pittsburgh to get the most bang for its salary cap buck.

While that analysis holds true, success in such a maneuver depends on some very calculated risks.

Steelers Operating Without Safety Net

As Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest pointed out, the Steelers in many ways are entering 2013 without much of a safety net.

• Doug Legursky a staple “next man up” philosophy on the interior offensive line is in Buffalo
• Max Starks, who bailed out the line in both 2008 and again in 2011 is in San Diego
• Instead of Keenan Lewis, to fill in for injured Cortez Allen, the Steelers instead must rely on William Gay

In no area are the Steelers more exposed than on offensive line.

While the Cortez Allen’s injury is believed to be minor and should heal well before the season, in addition to Gay, the Steelers can still count on Curtis Brown and Josh Victorian, even if Demarcus Van Dyke and 5th round draft pick Terry Hawthorne are out with injuries of unknown severity.

They also have 4th round pick Shamarko Thomas, whose versatility is already on display (in camp at least):

With Cortez Allen out and William Gay moving up to LCB, look for #Steelers to use rookie Shamarko Thomas in the nickel defense
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) August 2, 2013

The loss of Nik Embertate is drawing a lot of attention, some of that is simply because of the nature of the NFL news cycle. Fans have long demonstrated a nearly insatiable appetite for news about the NFL, and in the age of smart phones and tablets, they have the means to get it.

Websites respond in kind with “content.”

But it goes beyond that....

Steelers Tempting Fate with the Offensive Line?

....The Steelers Achilles heal in 2011 and 2012 was neither their secondary nor their inability to create sacks and force turnovers on defense. No, it was the instability on their offensive line.

In Marcus Gilbert, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Mike Adams the Steelers have given themselves a potentially strong starting front five. Kelvin Beachum gives them another solid, young back up. John Malecki also has some game experience and adds stability to the inside.

Depth gets thin, quickly at tackle. Guy Whimper is the only player with real NFL experience, and Whimper’s ability has been savaged from every where from Behind the Steel Curtain to the Steel City Insider.

The hope was that Embertate would show enough to be an option their, if not on game days then certainly on the practice squad. Mike Golic Jr. was brought in as a tackle, but word his he looks better at guard.

Jim Wexell wrote glowingly about Pittsburgh-area native Mike Farrell and of course the Steelers have Joe Long, Jake Long’s younger brother.

• But the Steelers may have tipped their hand in signing D’Anthony Batiste

Batiste has played for 3 teams in six NFL seasons and been cut loose after his only extended stretch as a starter. Yet, as Neal Coolong has observed, he’s out performed Whimper….

The injury streak suffered by the Steelers at offensive line has been uncanny. The Steelers had some hard salary cap calculations to make.

• Did they roll the dice and calculate that lightning can’t strike 3 times?

Too Early to Start Missing Max Starks? 

Steelers Nation rightly cringes at the thought of either Adams or Gilbert falling injured. The decision to sign Batiste signals that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert do too.

“Where did you go Maxwell Starks Steelers Nation turns it lonely eyes to you…” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as the famous bar from Mrs. Robinson, but hopefully those bars will not be hummed on the South Side this fall.

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Steelers Bad Luck with Offensive Line Injuries Continues: Nik Embernate Goes Down....

The Pittsburgh Steelers began their 2013 training camp with Steelers Nation crossing their fingers that dice would have memories – namely that the horrendously bad luck the team has endured with injuries to offensive lineman would end.

Its still early, but those hopes already appear to be in vain, as offensive lineman Nik Embernate of San Diego State went down at St. Vincents. Dan Gigler of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it form the scene:

UFA Embernate from SD St. carted off w/ serious potential leg injury
— Dan Gigler (@gigs412) August 1, 2013

During the Mike Tomlin era no position has been the subject for more turmoil for the Pittsburgh Steelers than offensive line. In and effort to change that, the Steelers have invested heavily in rebuilding their offensive line in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 NFL Drafts, with the picks of Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, and David DeCastro.

• Alas, by mid-season 2012, Mike Tomlin again was forced to play plug and patch, and musical chairs on offensive line again became the norm as the team’s playoff chances faded away.

In spite of that, the Tomlin along with Kevin Colbert chose to risk the wrath of the injury gods and did not select a single offensive lineman with their 9 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft.

They did however, include quite a few offensive lineman in their 2013 undrafted rookie free agent class. For other franchises that might be a ho-hum observation, but not in Pittsburgh.

Kevin Colbert has had an uncanny knack for striking gold in the undrafted rookie free agent pool. And Colbert has done particularly well with undrafted rookie free agent offensive lineman, with Darnell Stapelton, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster starting in Super Bowls for the Steelers.

While Mike Golic Jr. grabbed everyone’s attention when joined as rookie free agent, many felt that Nik Embernate had better long-term prospects.

If the reports of the injury’s severity are confirmed, those prospects might have to wait until another summer…..

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Steelers 1st Day at St. Vincents: Roethlisberger's Knee and PUP List

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 47th training camp at St. Vincent’s college in Latrobe to a subdued atmosphere as the franchise attempts to retool, recalibrate, and refocus after a disappointing, inconsistent, injury-plagued 8-8 finish in 2012.

The first day’s agenda consists of little more than players moving and Mike Tomlin’s run test, but there was a little news for Steelers Nation to consume.

Big Ben Sits Out Run Test, Gilbert Carted Off

Ben Roethlisberger had minor knee surgery in early June and while the quarterback reported the he felt fine, Mike Tomlin held him out as a precautionary.

The quarterback spoke about the infamous Roethlisberger-Haley relationship, and admitted to being “frustrated” with Todd Haley’s offense last season, although he confirmed that most frustration lay in new terminology.

While Roethlisberger downplayed the absence of former locker room leaders like Hines Ward and James Farrior, he said he planned to take a larger leadership role this season, and had asked Maurkice Pouncey and Heath Miller to follow suit.

In what might not be so good news, Marcus Gilbert, the Steelers projected starting tackle, passed the Tomlin’s run test but had to be carted off the field after that. Given the utmost important role that the offensive line will play for the Steelers this season, this is not encouraging news.

Miller, Johnson, Spence and Ta’Mau Head Steelers PUP List

The Steelers also began camp with four players on the physically unable to perform list, or PUP list. As expected Heath Miller and Sean Spence headed the list. Reporter Dale Lolley indicated “…[Miller] looks closer to a guy who intends on playing from the get-go than he does somebody who will be out the first six weeks.”

Sean Spence stated that his goal is to make the active roster by mid season.

The other two players starting on the PUP amount to somewhat of a surprise. David Johnson is one, who reportedly is still working his way back to health from the ACL tear he suffered last year in preseason.

The other is Alameda Ta’amu, who reportedly has a hamstring issue. This is very bad news for Ta’amu. The Steelers traded up in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft to get Ta’amu and he has done nothing but disappoint since then.

Adams, Cleared to Play

Steelers Nation did get good news on the injury front. Starting tackle Mike Adams, who was stabbed last month on the South Side continuing what has become the Steelers "June Curse", has been fully cleared to participate in all activities.

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Back to School: 3 R's to Guide the Steelers at Saint Vincents: Retool, Recalibrate, and Refocus

It is fitting that the Pittsburgh Steelers still hold training camp at a college, because this franchise needs to concentrate on the 3 R’s while at St. Vincents.

Of course the 3 R’s in question are not reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic but Retool, Recalibrate, and Refocus. While each of the Steelers "3 R's" represents an area of individual urgency, all of them are interrelated.

Steelers First "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Retool

The Steelers personnel philosophy since opening Heinz Field has been simple:  Keep the core together.

• Victories in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII vindicate management’s M.O.

But a shift away from this philosophy began after 2009 (see the departures of Willie Parker and Deshea Townshend) and has continued in fits and starts (see the return of Foote and Randle El in ’10) since then.

• Now the Steelers strategic personnel pivot has reached its end-game.

Whether the draftees and rookie free agents of 2012 and 2013 can win starting jobs and roster spots is now a moot question. They will win them because there are no veterans left to hold them back. Max Starks is in San Diego, Willie Colon is in New York, James Harrison is in Cincinnati.

The question now is can players like Jason Worilds, David DeCastro, Cortez Allen, and Mike Adams produce at high enough level for the Steelers make a Lombardi run while Ben Roethlisberger retains some youth (and health).

• The Steelers have been here before.

Precisely 30 summers ago a fair contingent of the Super Steelers had retired, and Pittsburgh found itself with some aging, yet viable, stars mixed with untested youth.

We now know that there were too many Keith Gary’s, Walter Abercrombie’s and not enough Tunch Ilkin’s, Brian Hinkle’s and Louis Lipps for the Steelers to snatch the elusive “One For the Thumb.”

But in 2013 Mike Tomlin has two advantages that Chuck Noll lacked in 1983:

• Terry Bradshaw was 35 and Ben Roethlisberger is 31
• Free agency, yes, free agency

The benefit of a younger franchise quarterback is self-evident. Free agency’s is not, but perhaps it should be.

Historically Steelers Nation has had a hate-hate relationship with free agency, viewing it has a force that has robbed Pittsburgh of talented players as they reach their prime. And that of course has happened.

But free agency also gives the Steelers the ability to divest itself of players who are not up to par or might be good but don’t fit their system. In practical terms this means that Mike Tomlin can get rid of Ryan Mundy whereas Chuck Noll was stuck with Lupe Sanchez.

The story of the Steelers 2013 off season was Kevin Colbert’s attempt to get the most bang out of the Steelers salary cap buck.

They made hard choices, saying good bye to tenured veterans and promising youngsters alike. At St. Vincent’s this summer Mike Tomlin's challenge is to simultaneously develop and mold that talent into a winning roster.

Steelers Second "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Recalibrate

We all know the story of the Steelers 2012 season.

• When the offense was effective, the defense lacked
• When the defense began shutting down opponents, the offense imploded

Injuries were at the core of some of this ineffectiveness and inconsistency in 2012, but not all of it.

On offense Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley kept denying friction existed between the two of them until the Steelers Digest itself outed them, labeling the improvement of the Roethlisberger-Haley relationship as the off season imperative.

• On defense the issues are both trickier and more challenging.

Statistically the Steelers have fielded a dominating defense each of the last two seasons. But statistics can deceive. For as strong as the Steelers were in limiting yards, taking away the big play, and winning on third downs turnovers and sacks remained in short supply in both ’11 and ’12.

And this was also the case for the Steelers in 2009.

• There’s a pattern here, and one that reveals a deficiency that Dick LeBeau must rectify.

It won't be an easy task, and a single example suffices to show this.

The Steelers defense has been predicated on stopping the run. Casey Hampton took away the middle of the field almost single handedly, and James Harrison, for all of his hell raising in the backfield, was phenomenal vs. the run.

Stopping the run has been cited as a weak point for both Jason Worilds and Cameron Heyward – two potential starters on the front seven.

Dick LeBeau has a delicate balance to strike.

Steelers Third "R" for 2013 Training Camp:  Refocus

Friend and Behind the Steel Curtain scribe (full disclosure I also write for BTSC) Ivan Cole recently submitted were that were it not for a fumble in Oakland and one in Dallas that the Steelers would have finished in a three way tie for the AFC North crown.

• That’s a tantalizing hypothetical, as success or failure in an NFL season often does boil down to a handful of plays.

But the picture in Pittsburgh in 2012 was far more complex. Several times in 2012 in the comments supporting the Steelers post-game report cards it was observed that coaches shouldn’t be held responsible for fumbles and inopportune penalties.

• And that’s true.

Neither Mike Tomlin nor Amos Jones forced Antonio Brown to fumble in Dallas, just as momentum swung to Pittsburgh.

But Brown’s fumble wasn’t an isolated incident. There were myriad lapses vs. Oakland. The Cleveland road game was a comedy of errors, and vs. Chargers nearly everyone wearing black played just like they’d exited shock treatment. (Heck Mendenhall didn’t even grace the team with his presence that day.)

It is ironic, but not coincidental that the Steelers followed their best game of the season, the backup-powered road victory over Baltimore, with their worst, at home against San Diego where they did their best to make Norv Turner and Philip Rivers look like a modern day Air Croyle

• Such erratic performance generally boils down a lack of focus.

Fortunately focus is something that can be taught, practiced and bred into a football team. Chuck Noll called it "Singleness of Purpose." Neither Greg Lloyd nor Merril Hoge were gifted with natural athletic talent. But both men became household names in Steelers Nation because they with competing on every play in every practice, did extra reps and always put in the necessary physical and mental preparation.

A generation later, Hines Ward and James Harrison followed their example.

• And so it must be with 90 men the Pittsburgh Steelers have brought with them to Latrobe.

Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher both referred to training camp as the time to lay a team’s foundation. Mike Tomlin is no different. The summer the Steelers spent at St. Vincient's in 2013 needs to be a time where they lay a foundation based on fundamentals and focus.

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Prudence, Rather than "Steelers June Curse" Lurking Behind Roethlisberger's Surgery

For a moment there, the collective heartbeat of Steelers Nation stopped on Wednesday when the news broke:

#Steelers say Ben Roethlisberger had scope on his right knee this morning. No long-term effects, team says. Right knee. Clean up.
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) June 5, 2013

This was after all the month of June. It involved surgery, and it involved Ben Roethlisberger.

But there is surgery and surgery, and the reports are that this was a simple procedure to clean up some cartilage. Roethlisberger had a similar procedure done during he 2005 season and only missed 2 games because of it.

• But with that said you never want to have someone go under the knife if it can be avoided.

Or do you?

About a year ago the Steelers faced a similar situation with James Harrison. Harrison knee was bothering him, and the Steelers and Harrison chose to let the knee heal on its own.

A respectable strategy, until the knee refused to heal, swelling continued, and Harrison had surgery in the middle of August. Not only did the surgery keep him out of the line up for the first few weeks of the season, but it wasn’t until mid season that Harrison regained full strength.

Clearly the Steelers are not going to burn their hands on the same pot twice.

June Curse Strikes Royally…

Mike Adams’s stabbing was of course enough to invoke the specter of the Steelers “June Curse,” Adams, however, was not its only victum.

The Steelers placed reserve cornerback Justin King on injured reserve, ending his season long before it had a chance to begin. No reason was given for the move, but the Steelers certainly did not make it lightly as King will cost them over $750,000 against the salary cap.

To take his place the Steelers signed cornerback Nigel Malone.

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Steelers "June Curse" Continues - Mike Adams Stabbed in South Side Robbery

Mike Adams now finds himself the unfortunate carrier of what is becoming a rather dubious Pittsburgh Steelers tradition of new millennium.

Perhaps Steelers Nation should begin referring to it as “The Curse of June.” That’s “June” as in “Clever” but rather the month of, because this month it has not been kind to the Pittsburgh Steelers since the turn of the century.

It was in June 2006 that Ben Roethlisberger had his near fatal motorcycle accident. And it was in June of 2008 that Dwight White was taken from us, officially bringing the Steel Curtain to half strength. Steelers Hall of Fame Running back John Henry Johnson likewise passed away during the month of June.

2010 turned out to be a banner year for Steelers Nation’s “Curse of June” Willie Colon tore his Achilles’ tendon in June of that year, and the Steelers 5th round pick from the 2010 Draft Chris Scott also injured himself in off season workouts.

Now fate has seen to it that Mike Adams is forced to bear this burden, as he was stabbed last night outside his South Side home, trying to keep three robbers from stealing his truck.

The Pittsburgh Steelers website is quoting General Manager Kevin Colbert as saying “We are aware of the situation regarding Mike Adams being stabbed earlier this morning. We are in direct communication with both Mike and his family. Mike is expected to make a full recovery."

Adams himself had this to say on Twitter:

I had an angel lookin out for me! Ill be ok just gotta fight to get back harder then ever
— Mike Adams (@Channel75live) June 1, 2013

According to a report in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Adams confronted three robbers near the interception of 17th and East Carson on Pittsburgh’s south side. One had a gun, another had a knife, and Adams was stabled in the forearm in the stomach.

Adams required surgery, but the stab wounds did not touch in vital organs.

Steel Curtain Rising wishes Mike Adams Godspeed and a good recovery, and advises the rest of the Steelers to stay on guard as its only June 1st.

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Watch Tower: Analyzing Press Coverage of the Steelers 2013 Draft

The 2013 NFL Draft is in the history books. The Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Draft Class has been revealed, and Shamarko Thomas is the first to be signed.

The NFL Draft is a veritable media bonanza, and 2013 was no exception, give the Watch Tower plenty of materials to shine its light on. Let’s take it from the top.

Steelers Draft Board vs. Steelers Needs

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2013 with a draft needs matrix that was wide and deep. Factor in the egg that the franchise laid with their 2008 Draft class, plus the need to re-arm while Ben Roethlisberger still has prime years of play, and health, remaining and getting the 2013 Draft right was imperative for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

• How did such imperatives impact the Steelers as the draft unfolded?

Well, it depends on which journalist’s rendition you’re reading.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, concluded that the Steelers managed to walk the tightrope arguing:

The Steelers have long maintained they stick to their draft board, taking the player with the highest grade and not reaching to fill any position. And general manager Kevin Colbert reaffirmed that stance Saturday when the three-day NFL draft came to a close. 

But, after drafting nine players and addressing each of their biggest needs in the first four rounds, the Steelers did a deft job of sticking to the board and filling positions with players who have a chance to help make up for some of their significant losses. Whether luck or coincidence, it seemed to work. [Emphasis in the original]

That’s a reasonable conclusion, but hardly a universal one among the Pittsburgh Pro Football Writers chapter.

Allan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review took the opposite tack, observing:

This is the draft in which the oh-so-traditional, oh-so-reliable Steelers Way wasn't the Steelers' way at all.

The Steelers insisted they stuck with the tried and true and drafted the best available player with their nine picks in seven rounds. But it appears to be anything but coincidental that in a draft in which their needs for an outside linebacker, running back, wide receiver and safety were as glaring as fuschia lipstick, the first four players they drafted were an outside linebacker (Jarvis Jones), running back (Le'Veon Bell), wide receiver (Markus Wheaton) and safety (Shamarko Thomas).

Who is right? Perhaps both and perhaps neither.

The fact is that the Steelers needs were so diverse, that they could have remained faithful to their draft board and filled their needs.

Revving Up the Steelers Running Game

The Steelers once-vaunted running game hasn’t been the same since Willie Parker’s injury in the 2008 season. The issue has gotten the attention of everyone in the franchise from Art Rooney II on down so it was no surpise when the Steelers drafted running back Le’von Bell in the second round.

The move, did however, prompt an interesting comment from Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who contended that:

The Steelers wanted to improve their running game in 2012, then they did a strange thing: They did absolutely nothing to help the rushing attack and, in fact, reduced their chances of running the ball better heading into last season. [Emphasis added.]

Regular readers know that the Watch Tower’s purpose isn’t to slam writers who voice dissenting opinions (although that does happen, at times) but the Watch Tower does hold writers accountable to the facts.

On a simplistic level, Bouchette is right. The Steelers did neither used a premium pick to draft a running back in the 2012 NFL Draft nor did they sign one in free agency.

• But does that mean “They did absolutely nothing” to boost the fortunes of the running game?

No, not by a long shot.

In fact, the Steelers made several moves that aimed at least in part at beefing up their running game:

• Drafting David DeCastro in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft
• Drafting Mike Adams in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft
• Moving Willie Colon from tackle to guard
• Selecting Chris Rainey in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft

Granted, of the four moves, only moving Colon to guard yielded any benefit in 2012 and then only for a short time. But two major draft picks, one minor pick, and one position change is far cry from “absolutely nothing.”

Beating a Dead Silverback

The ghost of James Harrison loomed large over the Steelers draft, in the eyes of the Post-Gazette’s Ron Cook who argued that the Steelers “dug themselves into a hole” prior to the draft.

It all goes back to the botched negotiations with linebacker James Harrison. Both sides allowed personal feelings to get in the way of a business deal that would have benefited each party.

When the Steelers parted ways with James Harrison, Cook made a strong plea that James Harrison is still enough of a game-changer that you keep on your team no matter what. That’s an excellent argument.

But to say that the Steelers “botched” the negotiations stretches credibility. If anything, the Steelers were willing to offer too much money. To say that pride prevented Pittsburgh from taking Harrison back, belies the calculated low-cost moves the Steelers made with money they saved from Harrison.

The “Source” and Sean Spence’s Injury

One of the Watch Tower’s chief mission’s is to get at the nut’s and bolts of how stories about the Steelers come to live, and the situation of Sean Spence provided an excellent opportunity.

The biggest potential scoop on draft day came not from the Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, or even ESPN, but from Behind the Steel Curtain’s editor Neal Coolong, who dropped this bomb:

The Steelers have been oddly quiet about Spence's status heading into the 2013 season.
As it turns out, there's a specific reason for that.

A source close to the team is saying the Steelers are optimistic Spence can play in 2013, but not enough to publicly discuss it. They are targeting Penn State linebacker Michael Mauti - a player who's coming off a knee injury of his own.

When all was said and done, the Steelers passed on Michael Mauti and Steelers Linebackers coach Kevin Butler said it would be “miraculous” if Spence made full recovery.

• Both developments it would seem, would amount to a big black eye for BTSC, right? 

Not so fast.

Only a few days after Butler’s pronouncement, Mike Tomlin offered a very different take on the prognosis for the linebacker the Steelers took in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, topping off his retort with a classic Tomlinism:

All the rehab is going to according to plan. No news there. I did hear the opinion regarding Spence. My opinion differs. I think he'll have a full recovery. But now you have two opinions, neither of which are expert medical opinions, so do with it what you will

Kevin Colbert also spoke on the Spence’s health, seemingly taking a middle position telling a conference call of Steelers season ticket holders:

When you have as serious a knee injury as he unfortunately had, it sometimes is a very long process. Sometimes it takes over a year to fully rehabilitate. But the good thing is we are seeing signs of progress, albeit small steps. But it is progress.

Clearly, there is a legitimate diversity of opinion on the South Side with respect to the Sean Spence’s prospects for a recovery and clearly that diversity lends some legitimacy to BTSC's reporting.

(Full disclosure: I also write for BTSC and correspond frequently with the editor but I neither have access to nor knowledge of the source in question.)

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Would a Steelers off season be complete without stories on Max Starks contract or lack thereof situation? Stories on Max Starks contract situation have provided bloggers and professional press pundits with legitimate copy every spring since 2008 and 2013 is no exception, except that it might be the last time this is true.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of course signed free agent Guy Whimper, a veteran offensive tackle who brings a decidedly mediocre track record to Pittsburgh. The move was significant because the Steelers lack depth on the line, and as Ed Bouchette explained:

By signing Whimper, the Steelers likely are indicating that they are moving on without Max Starks, an unrestricted free agent who has yet to sign with any team. 

Concluding that Guy Whimper's arrival spells Max Starks exist are a logical conclusion on Bouchette’s part. But the problem was that it was only part of the story.

Mark Kalboy of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review took the extra, but hardly extraordinary, step of calling Max Starks and getting him on the record to confirm that his days in Pittsburgh were likely done:

Let me say this, (Starks and the Steelers) had a conversation prior (to the Whimper signing), and that decision (to sign Whimper) was made after our conversation.
Now it wasn't said directly to me, but you kind of take that as an indication of what they are thinking. It is not so much on my part as more of them wanting to move on.

Kaloby went on to explain that Starks neither seems himself as a back nor as someone who should play for backup money.

Put bluntly, Bouchette got badly out hustled on this story by Kalboy.

Bouchette Delivers on Greene Retirement

After throwing Bouchette under a bus not once but twice, it is only appropriate that he get his just due on the Joe Greene story.

Bouchette’s coverage of Joe Greene's retirement was overall very good, both in the regular PG and PG Plus (no, PG Plus has not decided to take my money, I got a free view there). He managed to cover something that other missed:

Noll hired him to coach his defensive line in 1987 and, after five years of doing so, Greene was a finalist to succeed Noll after the coach's retirement following the 1991 season. But when the job went to Bill Cowher, and the new coach did not keep Greene on his staff.

"When Chuck retired and I basically got fired, that was definitely emotional," Greene recalled.

Many forget that Greene was a strong candidate to replace Chuck Noll, and his non-selection drew very little coverage at the time, and was seldom discussed after his return to the team during the Cowher-Colbert era.

Kudos to Bouchette for getting Greene on the record on one of the under reported stories in Steelers history.

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Steelers-Max Starks Break Up for Real? Pittsburgh Signs Guy Whimper

They say breaking up is hard to do. The Pittsburgh Steelers and free agent tackle Max Starks can attest.

The Steelers have had a love-hate relationship with Max Starks since drafting him in 2004 that has seen the front office offer him a transition tender only to see the coaches start the season with Starks on the bench.

That was in 2008, and Starks bailed out the team and helped lead them to victory in Super Bowl XLIII. One of the team’s first moves after the NFL 2011 lockout was to cut Max Starks. Starks was of course back in October, going from walking the streets to starting on consecutive Sundays.

Word was that when the Steelers drafted Mike Adams in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft their hopes were that Adams would replace Starks. But when it became clear in training camp that Mike Adams wasn’t quite ready to take over the reigns and left tackle, Starks was signed again.

Pittsburgh is thin at tackle, and Starks is still available, but again he’s not the preferred option, as the Steelers have signed veteran tackle Guy Whimper as reported a few days ago by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Whimper was originally drafted by the New York Giants in 2006 and played the last three seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Behind the Steel Curtain, (full disclosure, I also write for BTSC) labled the signing as curious, citing a Football Outsiders J.J. Cooper’s analysis that had Whimper giving up sacks in nine straight games in 2011. Interestingly enough, Cooper started 15 games in 2011 but was not a regular starter in 2012 and in fact was listed as a tackle/te in Pro Football Reference.

Whimper was signed for the league minimum, so the Steelers can easily cut him in training camp if he does not work out. And who knows, perhaps Max Starks will be available to replace him.

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The Colbert Record: Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd Round NFL Draft Picks 2000-2012

The 2013 NFL Draft is only days away which means its time for Steel Curtain Rising's latest edition of the The Colbert Record, and in depth review of Kevin Colbert’s performance.

Last year The Colbert Record praised the Steelers General manager for never missing on a first round pick. The development (or lack thereof) of Ziggy Hood and/or Cameron Heyward might force us to revise that, but even then Kevin Colbert’s record in the 1st round of the NFL draft would remain without no peer. (Click here for a full review of Colbert's 1st round record.)

• This year we take aim at Kevin Colbert’s body of work in the second round.

Although still highly coveted, second round picks in the NFL Draft are considered second best, and they are a lot harder to evaluate. Indeed, during the 1980’s the NFL Draft's second round became known as the Steelers “Jinx” round as Pittsburgh misfired on players like Charles Lockett and Derek Hill (to name two).

How has does Kevin Colbert’s record in the second round stack up against that of Tom Donahoe and Dick Haley? Today we take a look.

In his time in Pittsburgh, Colbert has made 11 second round NFL Draft picks, opting to trade the pick in the 2006 and 2009 NFL Drafts.

Here’s a Snap shot of Colbert’s Second Round Picks (click on the name for a more detailed profile)

2000: Marvel Smith, tackle
2001: Kendrell Bell, linebacker
2002: Antwaan Randle El, wide receiver
2003: Alonzo Jackson, linebacker
2004: Ricardo Colclough, cornerback
2005: Byran McFadden, cornerback
2006: Traded to to get Santonio Holmes
2007: LaMarr Woodley, linebacker
2008: Limas Sweed, wide reciever
2009: Traded out of 2nd Round for 3rd round picks Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, and Kraig Urbik
2010: Jason Worilds, linebacker
2011: Marcus Gilbert, tackle
2012: Mike Adams, tackle
2012: Scoring Kevin Colbert's Second Round Record

Steelers 2000 2nd Round Pick, Marvel Smith

When Kevin Colbert arrived in 2000 the Steelers were mess at tackle even though Tom Donahoe had invested heavily at the position throughout the late 1990's. Unfortunately most those Donahoe picks were busts, from Jamain Stephens in 1996, to Paul Wiggins in 1997, to Chris Conrad in 1998, and Kris Farris in 1999.

Colbert sought to rectify that by picking Marvel Smith in the second round of the draft, and Smith became an immediate starter and developed into a Pro Bowler. After starting at right tackle, he moved to left tackle following Wayne Gandy’s departure, and helped anchor a line that led the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL.

Smith suffered from a series of injury issues, and the last one which came in a street fight down in Jacksonville, ultimately cost him his career. But Marvel Smith he was an excellent second round pick.

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Steelers 2001 2nd Round Pick, Kendrell Bell

The Steelers traded down in the 2001 NFL Draft and still got the man they wanted, Casey Hampton. Trading down in the first allowed the Steelers to move up into the second, where they signed Kendrell Bell.

Kendrell Bell was an immediate sensation who appeared incapable of wrong . His goal line stop of Jerome Bettis during training camp and the ensuing “crack” that was heard all over Latrobe were the stuff of legend.

• Bell took the league by storm as a rookie, registering nine sacks and earning AP all Rookie Honors.

Unfortunately, like previous Steelers who’d won the Joe Greene Rookie of the Year award (see Delton Hall, Troy Edwards), Kendrell Bell turned out to be a one year wonder. Injuries set him back in 2002, but when healthy he was effective. In 2003 he appeared lost, with some commentators suggesting that Tim Lewis had “coached the aggressiveness out of him.”

Injuries again were an issue in 2004, and Larry Foote replaced him in the starting line up, and he openly discussed about whether he wanted to jeopardize his value on the free agent market by playing the Steelers playoff games.

Bell clearly had athletic talent, but apparently resisted learning coverage schemes and assignments, an attitude which can cost you dearly in the NFL.

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Steelers 2002 2nd Round Pick, Antwaan Randle El,

Antwaan Randle El is easily the most versatile of Kevin Colbert’s 2nd round picks. Randle El made an immediate impact as a rookie returning kickoffs, returning punts, catching passes, running reverses, and throwing passes.

Randle El continued to be a quadruple threat for the Steelers in 2003 and 2004, before graduating to the starting role in 2005. Measured in pure quantitative terms, the trend line of his production dropped after his rookie year, but in qualitative terms his contributions got larger.

While a legitimate threat running a reverse, this former college quarterback also threw four regular season touchdown passes for the Steelers, showing he could hurt the opposition in multiple ways.

And of course his most pass was the last one he threw in his first stint with the Steelers. You might remember it from Super Bowl XL:




Randle El of course returned to Pittsburgh in 2010 for a second tour of duty.

And while the coaches were unimpressed with his speed or by how much he’d forgotten of the playbook, El gave it his all and his 2-2-0-2 passing record shows the element of unpredictability he brought to the offense.

LaMarr Woodley and/or Marvel Smith can lay a stronger claims to being Kevin Colbert’s best second round pick, Randle El was unquestionably the most exciting to watch.

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Steelers 2003 2nd Round Pick, Alonzo Jackson

Shortly after the 2003 NFL Draft the Steelers Digest published a profile of him at Steelers mini camp with a photo of Jackson warning number 95. Upon seeing that I uttered aloud (much to the confusion of my wife), “Son, you have to earn the right to wear Number 95 in Pittsburgh.” (“95” of course being the number worn by the legendary Greg Lloyd.)

Unfortunately, Jackson either never understood that or quite simply lacked the God given ability to live up to the challenges of the NFL.

In 2 seasons with the Steelers, Jackson appeared in only 9 games and recorded 2 tackles.

• Alonzo Jackson was an unmitigated bust.

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Steelers 2004 2nd Round Pick, Richard Colclough

Amazingly Ricardo Coclough lasted 4 seasons with the Steelers, showing some promise as a rookie and in his sophomore season as he registered 2 sacks and one interception while appearing in 30 games.

Things petered out quickly for Coclough in the third game of his third season as he fielded a punt he should not have, allowing Cincinnati to back the Steelers up deep in their own territory. Bill Cowher put him in injured reserve the next day.

• Mike Tomlin actually gave him a second chance, but Coclough only made token appearances in three games.

At the end of the day, Coclough was neither able to make the transition to NFL corner nor was he able to make himself a threat in the return game. Another bust.

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Steelers 2005 2nd Round Pick, Bryant McFadden

It’s never really a good thing when play 6 years in the NFL and your best play comes in your rookie year, as Byrant McFadden’s did when he made a key pass defense in the end zone in the Steelers AFC Divisional Playoff victory vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

However, unlike Kendrell Bell, Bryant didn’t fade after his rookie year, but rather never quite seemed to realize his potential. As a second round pick Bryant was supposed to replace Deshea Townsend, but never could quite beat him out, and when he finally did, he had to split time with William Gay

The Steelers of course allowed McFadden to defect to Pittsburgh West after Super Bowl XLIII, only to bring him back during the 2010 NFL Draft. While McFadden was an improvement over William Gay (who struggled as a starter in 2009), he clearly wasn’t the answer and lost the starting job to an improving Gay in 2011.

You’d generally like to see a little more out of a second round pick, but the Steelers got decent value for B-Mac, and he certainly was no bust.

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Steelers 2007 2nd Round Pick, LaMarr Woodley

The first two picks of the Mike Tomlin era were both linebackers, and for a long time Steelers Nation often wondered if the order shouldn’t have been reversed. LaMarr Woodley did not get a ton of playing time as a rookie, but he made four sacks in spot regular seasons duty.

• He turned it up with two more in the Steelers playoff loss to Jacksonville.

When the Steelers reached the playoffs in 2008, Woodley again turned it up registering two sacks in each of the Steelers playoff games, including a strip sack that ended any chance of a Kurt Warner fueled comeback in Super Bowl XLIII.

• Woodley continued his playoff sack streak in 2010, and the streak was not broken until the Tebowing in January 2011.

“Streak” may be a key word with Woodley, as he does appear to run hot and cold, and injuries have ruined the second half of his 2011 season an most of 2012.

• But clearly LaMarr Woodley is one of Kevin Colbert’s second round picks.

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Steelers 2008 2nd Round Pick, Limas Sweed

You know things are bad when you’re a wide receiver whose signature plays are critical drops in playoff games and one hellacious block in the AFC Championship Game vs. Balitmore.

Limas Sweed had a lot of talent. What many people forget is that on those infamous drops, Sweed had completely burned the DB’s tasked with covering him.

But Sweed suffered from psychological issues, and had the misfortune to injure himself during the Steelers nightmare 2010 off season.

• Some things are not meant to be, and so it was with Limas Sweed, another of Colbert’s second round busts.

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Steelers 2010 2nd Round Pick, Jason Worilds

Entering his fourth year, more is unknown rather than known about Jason Worilds. And that is not necessarily a knock on the college defensive end turned linebacker.

Worilds had the good luck to be drafted by a team with a strong tradition at linebacker, and one whose 3-4 defense thrives on dominant outside linebacking. Worilds had the bad luck to be drafted by a team whose two starting outside linebackers were LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.

Worilds played well on special teams as a rookie and flashed in spot duty. In 2011 Worilds got extensive playing time as both Harrison and Woodley were injured for periods. Worilds performance was pedestrian at best, but the linebacking corps as a whole suffered with multiple players playing out of position.

Worilds got more time in 2012, and early in the season was the team’s sack leader. Clearly the kid has some upside, but 2013 will likely prove to be the definitive “make or break” year for Jason Worilds.

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Steelers 2011 2nd Round Pick, Marcus Gilbert

Marcus Gilbert wasn’t supposed to see action as a rookie, but an opening day injury to Willie Colon changed all that. Gilbert was forced in the starting line up, and did fairly well considering the circumstances.

Their was talk of Gilbert moving to left tackle in 2011, but that did not happen. Gilbert also had the misfortune to collide with several Steelers, either injuring them badly or ending their seasons. Gilbert struggled in 2012 and then got injured himself in mid 2012 and was lost for the year with an ankle injury.

The jury is still out on Gilbert, assuming he fully recovers from the injury. If the Steelers take a tackle early on in the 2013 NFL Draft, that’s a clear sign that they’re concerned.

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Steelers 2012 2nd Round Pick, Mike Adams

Mike Adams holds the distinction of being the only collegiate player to get himself knocked off of the Steelers draft board only to work himself back on.

Adams had been projected as a first round pick, but his positive test for marijuana knocked him into the second round where the Steelers swooped him up, and immediately decided to move Willie Colon from tackle to guard.

Adams, however, did not win the starting left tackle position during training camp, but injuries to Marcus Gilbert did force him into the line up, where he did well for a rookie, until he himself got injured vs. Cleveland.

• It is way too early to make a pronouncement on Adams, but clearly the Steelers are counting on him.

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Scoring Kevin Colbert's 2nd Round Record

Out of his eleven second round picks, Kevin Colbert has drafted four players who developed into solid starters or better in the form of Marvel Smith, Antwaan Randle El, Bryant McFadden and LaMarr Woodley.

Kendrell Bell was a solid contributor for a year, then provided nothing, while Jason Worilds has delivered some value in the opportunities that he’s been given.

Alonzo Jackson, Ricardo Colclough and Limas Sweed were busts, there’s no way to sugar coat that, no other available conclusion exists.

It’s too early to reach a conclusion on either Marcus Gilbert or Mike Adams.

So to score it, Kevin Colbert has 4 clear wins and 3 clear losses in the 2nd round, with one break even (summing the contributions of Worilds and Bell), with the fate of 2 undetermined picks left to be decided.

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