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Steelers Pulse
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Steelers - state of the franchise (part 1) |
The Steelers Franchise has recently been undergoing some changes, and not slim ones.
The first one is the departure of GM Cohen to the Sand Diego Chargers, and the arrival of new GM Ratajczak from Jacksonville.
Suffice to say that the mix results obtained by the new GM both in Denver (his beforehand stints) and Jacksonville are not well welcomed by the fans who are desperate to a title.
Change of regime often brings drastic changes in the roster, but that is not how it seems to happen actually.
GM Ratajczak has been smooth and quiet, focusing on working the roster and the coaches.
All coaches have been confirmed, in the GM words, "there are no reasons to not maintain confiance in them all ; they have been here and they know better ; we are going to work the better ends to shape the roster as best".
The first direction taken is to reshape the roster to fit a 3-4 defense. Not that hard a transition because more or less the key players are already there. The GM was looking to add 3-4 DE's and another inside linebacker. As so the team made the following moves :
- they traded Demarcus Lawrence (a typical 43 DE) to the Chargers for 1.31, 2.31 and future Chargers second to gain draft capital (the team had only picks in day three)
- they also traded WR Christian Kirk to the Jaguars for 2.09 as same purpose of having draft capital
- they sent Broncos 4th to the Jets for DT Morgan Fox () who will move to DE
- they traded 2.31 to get MLB Antonio Morrison () ti play ILB number 2
- they signed FA DT Martin Ifedi () to also move him to DE
On offense, the pressing need was getting a starting center ; which was done by signing FA Eric Olsen.
Once, draft was about to start, the team was having 1.31, 2.09, 5.06 and three 7ths to work BPA.
All in all once draft ended, the Steelers were drafting as following :
- 1.31 :: Qb Drew Locke - Missouri
- 2.09 :: SS Saquon Hampton - Rutgers
- 5.06 :: traded to Jacksonville for TE Jordan Thomas ()
- 7.06 :: C Alec Eberle - Florida State
The other picks are either not signed or cheap depth ; moreover, an in-depth draft recap will be done later to discuss more about the palkyers and ratings.
SS Hampton will be moved to FS where he will the starting FS as FS Mark Barron will be heading to GB in exchange of DE Tank Carradine ().
Withe the releasing of CB Van Dyke and the one to come of CB Fred Bennett, the defense will be set for the 2019 Season.
The offense needs some adressing still, and the team is looking to next rounds of FA to get done. More about it in the part 2 of this article to come just before PS starts.[/url] |
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Forum Discussion
(by O_Ratajczak on 06/12/2024)
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Replies - 0 :: Views - 14 |
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Steelers off-season updates |
The Steelers ended the 2015 season with a record of 6-10 which means that going into the 2016 season the team will have to win a minimum of 7 games to ensure GM Cohen stays off the hot seat. With that said, it has been a very hectic offseason for the Steelers to say the least. Going into the draft (and following a vetoed trade of 1.1 to the Tennessee Titans for QB Keith Wenning) the Steelers had 1.1, 1.4 and 1.7 but not much cap space so we had to get creative to ensure the addition of top tier young talent but with lower salary then those picks. Below we will detail the off-season moves up to this point.
[b]Resigns: No one
Match Eligible: No one
Restructure: WR Deandre Hopkins 7 year/29.63M salary/11.83M bonus[/b]
[b]Trade 1: Steelers/Washington [/b]
CB Vontae Davis and Pit future 5th
For
Washington future 1st and 6.05
[b]Trade 2: Steelers/Titans[/b]
1.1, 7.27 and Pit future 4th
For
1.6, Ten future 2nd and SS Jordan Richards
[b]Trade 3: Steelers/Jaguars[/b]
QB Matt Schuab
For
2.4 and 2.29
[b]Trade 4: Steelers/Broncos[/b]
1.6
For
1.21, 1.30 and 2.30
[b]Trade 5: Steelers/Bucs[/b]
1.4
For
1.16 and 1.20 and 7.29
[b]Trade 6: Steelers/Colts[/b]
1.30 and 2.30
For
QB Andre Woodson
[b]Trade 7: Steelers/Vikings[/b]
1.20 and Pit future 6th
For
Min future 1st, 4.6 and MLB Jeremiah George
[b]Trade 8: Steelers/Cowboys[/b]
1.21 and Pit future 7th
For
Dal future 1st and 6.27
[b]Trade 9: Steelers/Bills[/b]
1.16 and 2.4
For
1.9, 6.11 and 7.2
[b]Trade 10: Steelers/Bengals[/b]
1.7, 2.29 and Pit future 3rd
For
1.23, 2.15 and Cin future 1st
[b]Trade 11: Steelers/Chargers[/b]
1.23, WR Jordan Matthews and FS Morgan Burnett
For
WR Tandon Doss and 2.3
[b]Trade 12: Steelers/Chargers[/b]
Pit future 1st, 2.15 and WR Malcolm Kelly
For
1.16 and SD future 7th
[b]Trade 13: Steelers/Broncos[/b]
2.3 and 4.6
For
2.2 and 7.30
Now that we got all those moves out of the way (confusing - I know), let’s look at the draft and who was selected as well as the game plan for the 2016 season:
[b]1.9 - LT Laremy Tunsil 22 y/o, 6,5”, 310 lbs
Pre skew - 94 str, 56 awr, 71 agi, 80 acc, 95 pbk, 92 rbk
Private workout - 96 str, 54 awr, 71 agi, 76 acc, 93 pbk, 93rbk[/b]
Tunsil private workout reveals a possible skew down in most categories but still feels like he has the potential to be a stud. With the current state of the oline it is safe to assume that Tunsil will shift over to play RT and hopefully will be an anchor for years to come.
[b]1.16 - QB Nate Sudfeld 21 y/o, 6’5”, 240 lbs
Pre skew - 55 awr, 99 thp, 85 tha, 99 inj
Private workout - 55 awr, 99 thp, 84 tha, 97 inj[/b]
The original plan was to try to get Sudfeld later in the 1st round or possibly very early in the 2nd round however, during the SFL radio show multiple GM’s spoke about him which scared us so we decided to trade up and draft him with the hopes of him being our starter in a few years after he is mentored by our current starting QB Andre Woodson.
[b]2.2 - RG Cody Whitehair 23 y/o, 6’3”, 300 lbs
Pre skew - 99 str, 74 agi, 79 acc, 88 pbk, 89 rbk
Private workout - N/A (all out of PW’s so we are hoping the skew is favorable)[/b]
Whitehair will be starter day one as we look to revamp the old line by bringing in young talent and getting rid of some of the older players, especially those on expiring contracts.
[b]Game plan for the 2016 season:[/b]
The main goal is to get 7 wins and avoid hot seat next season. The issue is that we will need to find the right balance as we want to ensure that Sudfeld develops but we also need to win games. On top of that, we need QB Andre Woodson to get at least 2 progression points so that he can mentor next season as well (currently 30 years old with 90 AWR so without the progression points we are doomed). The thought process of GM Cohen is to use the draft capital in hand (4 future 1sts and 2 future 2nds) to trade for some talent that will improve the roster and help the team improve and start to compete on a regular basis. |
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Forum Discussion
(by G_Cohen on 07/07/2023)
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Replies - 0 :: Views - 15 |
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Behind the Steel Curtain: 2013 Review - Offense |
| Steelers in uncharted territory |
Review of 2013 Steelers season
After starting the season 3-0 and 4-1, the SFL Pittsburgh Steelers season took a turn for the worse, seeing them go 2-9 over the rest of the season to end up at 6-10 and once again, last in the AFC North.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers ended up 27th in points scored, 28th in total offense per game, 28th in pass offense per game, and 18th in rushing offense per game.
Defense was a little better. The Steelers were 6th overall in points allowed per game, 11th in total yards per game, 12th in passing yards per game, and 14th in rushing yards allowed per game.
For the season, the Steelers were plus 7 in turnovers which was good for 7th in the league.
Part of the struggles for the offense this year was a clear lack of playmakers on offense, an indecision on which quarterback would start from week to week, and trying to get young players experience for future seasons. The trading deadline departure of Adrian Peterson probably did not help the offense but the week 12 injury to Jordy Nelson really seemed to put the offense into a tailspin.
The Quarterbacks
John Beck ended up leading both QBs in completion percentage (51.95 to 47.03), yards (1,861 to 1,459), touchdowns (13 to 10), interceptions (4 to 11), sacks (28 to 16), and QBR (90.5 to 65.2). This is to be expected with Beck getting a majority of the playing time plus being a much more seasoned quarterback. Beck did progress nicely with the Steelers this year but will hit the dreaded 30 year old mark this coming offseason which will make him dumber, weaker, slower, and less accurate. Second year man and QB of the future, Andrew Luck, had a hard time progressing this past season but will always be in the mix due to the amount that the Steelers gave up to get him.
The Running Backs
The departed Adrian Peterson led the Steelers in rushing this season with just over 800 yards while with the Steelers and averaging almost 4 yards a carry. Peterson went from setting an SFL record of TDs last season to only scoring 4 times this season, but he did have only 4 fumbles on the season with 3 of those coming in week 2. Peterson's best game of the year by far was in week 11 against the Ravens when he went 23 carries for 118 yards averaging over 5 yards a carry. He also added 2 receptions in that game with a touchdown.
Coming in second was LeSean McCoy who ran for 630 yards this season but only averaged 3.44 yards per carry. He added 11 receptions for 113 yards. He totalled 5 rushing tds and 2 receiving TDs for the season.
The only other running back with a touchdown was LenDale White with 1.
This is an area of clear concern for the Steelers. McCoy, while he has the strength and ability to break tackles, seems to lack the breakaway speed and awareness to hit the holes. The Steelers did just resign McCoy for 5 more seasons this past offseason.
The Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
There is Jordy Nelson and then....???
The Steelers seem to really want Rocky Ross to develop, their 4th round pick out of UCF in 2010. But, is 6'2" really tall enough any longer in this league? Of the top 10 receivers in the league, there were a couple at less than 6'3" but they had elite combinations of speed, agility, and acceleration. Ross worked on his speed this past season but not sure if it was enough. On top of everything else, Ross is in a contract year...
Tyrone Calico, acquired in the Adrian Peterson trade, seems to be too expensive for the Steelers plans and will most likely be cut this offseason.
As for the tight ends, by the end of the season, the Steelers had moved their week 1 fullback to starting tight end, their week 1 tight end to fullback, and the match eligible acquisition that they gave up a 4th round pick ended up with the most receptions but those were less than 20 with 1 touchdown on the season. The Steelers love to have a strong tight end game going but need to figure out who is starting and what they want from the position.
The Offensive Line
There were three certainties on the offensive line: Zane Beadles was going to start at left tackle, James Martin was going to start at right tackle, and Leroy Harris was going to start at center.
The guard position was a mix and match all season long, sometimes going with the veteran Frank Omiyale and Maurkice Pouncey, other times going with the physicially skilled but inexperienced Keith Williams and George Bussey.
Beadles earned himself a new 7 year extension to solidify that side of the line. However, James Martin hit the dread 30 year mark last season and father time will unmercilessly jump on his back this offseason.
The Steelers have another tough decision in what to do about back up center Maurkice Pouncey whose contract expires this offseason.
Overall
The Steelers did retain their first round draft pick for 2014 which ended up being the 7th overall pick and look to have a little over $4 million in cap room for the 2014 season.
Steelers GM Tim Miller will again be on the hot seat for 2014. Will he get tired of the hot seat and look to really fix things or leave Pittsburgh altogether?
A review of the defense and special teams will come later.
This has been Oliver Closeoff reporting.
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Forum Discussion
(by T_Miller on 11/06/2022)
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Replies - 0 :: Views - 16 |
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Behind the Steel Curtain: Steelers in unknown territory |
| Steelers in uncharted territory |
Miller back on the hot seat?
This is Oliver Closeoff and I am happy to say that we have finally tracked down Steelers GM Tim Miller. A slightly different place than the last few weeks, Tim is in Crazy Charlie's Meditation, Yoga, and Pizza located off of I-80.
OC: Tim, what are you doing here?
TM: Shhhh! This is a place of meditation and inner peace.
OC: OK.. and why are you here?
Tim: If you must know... I don't know what the f**k to do!
Out of nowhere, a man with wild eyes ran up with a gong and hit it.
Tim: Oh... that is crazy Charley. That is the penalty for swearing here.
OC: OooooK. So again, why are you here?
TM: *breathing heavily* In through nose, out through mouth... or is it in through mouth and out through nose?
OC: Tim?
TM: OK... we, meaning the Steelers, have never been here before! We have never been undefeated after week 3 and let alone after week 4!
OC: Well, last week was a bye so...
TM: Details! We have no idea when the smoke and mirrors will disappear and the short fat man will appear behind the curtain.
OC: What about all that "going for speed and strength..."
TM: Malarkey! All of it! I was just trying to get decent cheap players for the NEXT GM! And then we somehow shut out the Titans in week 1, and kicked the s**t (GONG) out of the Texans and Patriots.
OC: Well, what will happen now?
TM: No idea! We have no players ranked in the top 10 of any category. Our QB and HB are 150 years old. Our cornerbacks are shorter than Bill Ryan's usual strippers. I dunno how we are doing it.
OC: Perhaps it is team chemistry?
TM: Have you seen the morale on my team??!! They threw parties for the guys that were cut or traded plus included DVDs with their highlights so another team might sign them.
OC: The Chargers are coming up this week. Any thoughts?
TM: Only "How in the Hell (GONG)"... That is not a swear word! It is a location! Like San Diego or Oakland! Anyway, how in the hell are we going to stop Brady Quinn when no one else has? (Chargers GM) Will Cook has already been gameplanning for us and seems to actually give a hoot this year. It is like every week is Redskins week!
OC: Well, how much gameplanning have you been doing?
TM: None! I have been here! Meditating and eating pizza!
OC: Not even drinking beer?
TM: NO! I have been drinking.... gasp.... it is so hideous.... WATER!
OC: I just.. I just... wow!
TM: I know! I have no idea what I am doing. Thank goodness the winning streak will end this week against the Chargers!
OC: This has been Oliver Closeoff reporting.
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Forum Discussion
(by T_Miller on 09/12/2022)
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Replies - 0 :: Views - 16 |
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At A Glance
| AFC North |
| RNK |
TEAM |
W-L-T |
PCT |
DIV |
| #11 |
 y-Browns |
11-5-0 |
0.688 |
4-2 |
| #4 |
 x-Bengals |
11-5-0 |
0.688 |
3-3 |
| #19 |
 Ravens |
6-10-0 |
0.375 |
2-4 |
| #29 |
 Steelers |
5-11-0 |
0.313 |
3-3 |
| STEELERS SCHEDULE |
| Preseason |
| WK |
DATE |
OPPONENT |
SCOUT/RESULT |
| P1 |
Fri |
vs  Eagles #21 |
Match-up |
| P2 |
Thu |
at  Bills #30 |
Match-up |
| P3 |
Sat |
at  Vikings #2 |
Match-up |
| P4 |
Thu |
vs  Panthers #8 |
Match-up |
| Regular Season |
| 1 |
Sun |
vs  Texans #20 |
|
| 2 |
Sun |
at Browns #11 |
|
| 3 |
Sun |
at Eagles #21 |
|
| 4 |
Mon |
vs Ravens #19 |
|
| 5 |
Sun |
at  Jaguars #13 |
|
| 7 |
Sun |
at Bengals #4 |
|
| 8 |
Sun |
vs  Giants #31 |
|
| 9 |
Mon |
at  Redskins #9 |
|
| 10 |
Sun |
vs  Colts #23 |
|
| 11 |
Sun |
vs  Chargers #17 |
|
| 12 |
Thu |
vs Bengals #4 |
|
| 13 |
Sun |
at  Patriots #28 |
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| 14 |
Sun |
vs  Cowboys #6 |
|
| 15 |
Sun |
at Ravens #19 |
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| 16 |
Sun |
at  Titans #1 |
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| 17 |
Sun |
vs Browns #11 |
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