Cracking roster at linebacker isn't easy for rookies

[fordfixer]

On the Steelers: Tough room to play rookie LBs have it tough
Cracking roster at linebacker isn't easy for rookies
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11235/1169148-66.stm

It's a daunting task for a rookie to enter the linebackers meeting room at Steelers headquarters with two roster cutdown dates still to go.

"Everywhere I turn in the meeting room there's an All-Pro," said Chris Carter, an outside linebacker the Steelers drafted four months ago in the fifth round.

That would include James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison, who also was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2008. Their fourth starter, Lawrence Timmons, looks like a Pro Bowler in waiting. Even their backups are talented, with Larry Foote having started 97 games in nine seasons, and second-year linebackers Jason Worilds and Sylvester Stevenson on the rise.

Cracking the roster of Steelers linebackers isn't easy. Ask Thaddeus Gibson, a fourth-round pick who did not last two months last season. Or Bruce Davis, a third-round pick in 2008, and Alonzo Jackson, a second-round pick in '03. Each lasted only one season.

Yet there is at least one roster spot open and possibly two for a young linebacker to stick, and Carter and Mortty Ivy are making the most of the chance.

Carter came to the Steelers in typical fashion as an outside linebacker prospect; he played mostly defensive end at Fresno State in a 4-3 defense and will take some time to make the conversion.

Ivy's road was different, an undrafted rookie in 2010 from West Virginia through Gateway High School.

He signed with the Carolina Panthers and spent time on the practice squad there as well as that of the Miami Dolphins last season.

He signed with the Steelers in January.

Carter and Ivy have made plays in games, on special teams and in practices.

"You can make this team on special teams, that's really the only way you can make this team," said Farrior, the defensive captain. "With the good group of veterans we have, the best way is to work as hard as you can on special teams and that's what I tell them."

The Steelers kept nine linebackers on their roster last season but when they needed to add a defensive lineman after Aaron Smith was injured Oct. 24, they released Gibson and stayed with eight the rest of the season.

Keyaron Fox left and everyone else returned, so there is room for one, maybe two.

Foote made it in 2002 as a fourth-round pick staring at the likes of Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, Clark Haggans, defensive rookie of the year Kendrell Bell and the newly signed James Farrior in that same meeting room.

The years and faces change, but the talent at linebacker holds steady among the best in the NFL.

"That started back in the '90s with Greg Lloyd and those guys," Foote said. "People upstairs really value that and have a good eye for it."

And if they get it wrong, they don't compound it by keeping him too long, thus the Gibson and Davis releases of recent vintage. Neither played special teams.

"Coach Tomlin has been staying true to his word since I've been here," Foote said. "If you impress and you show up on that tape, we'll make room for you."
Essex re-signs

The minor knee injury to tackle Jonathan Scott was enough to throw a scare into the Steelers because they re-signed tackle/guard Trai Essex to a one-year contract.

Essex, who was drafted in the third round in 2005, has started 25 games for the Steelers at either tackle or guard. He won the right guard job in '09 and started all 16 games. He opened last season as the starter but sprained an ankle in the second game. He returned to start three more games at midseason but then lost his starting job to Ramon Foster.

Essex became an unrestricted free agent this year.

Scott left the game Thursday with a knee injury on the first play from scrimmage. There was no ligament damage, but the Steelers have no experienced backups at tackle and there had been talk of re-signing 36-year-old Flozell Adams.

The Steelers released first-year guard Nevin McCaskill to make room for Essex on the roster.

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[hawaiiansteel]

Backers to the future: Young Steelers LBs to watch

Posted: Saturday, August 20, 2011
By Mike Bires mbires@timesonline.com

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/timesonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/8c/b8c9e555-e7ce-5020-81ef-72f40c1bd8bb/4e5049955dcfd.preview-300.jpg

Linebacker Jason Worilds sits on the sideline with his teammates at the Steelers preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field on Thursday.


PITTSBURGH -- The way D!ck LeBeau sees it, the Steelers must never be short of talent at linebacker. In the 3-4 defense he coordinates, it's the linebackers who are set up to be the most prominent playmakers.

"In a four-linebacker system, you need ‘backers who start and reserve ‘backers who can start," LeBeau said.

No position on the team has had more Pro Bowler than the linebackers since 1992. That's when Bill Cowher arrived in Pittsburgh and permanently made the made the switch from 4-3 to 3-4. Ten Steeler linebackers have made it to the NFL all-star game at least once since that change in defensive philosophy.

Virtually every year in the draft, the Steelers pick at least one linebacker to make sure they're well-stocked.

"Usually, it takes a while to learn the defense," linebackers coach Keith Butler said of Jason Worilds, Stevenson Sylvester and Chris Carter, the team's three most recent draftees at linebacker. "So they have a lot to learn. They're in that process right now.

"But I like ‘em. They have a chance to be good players for us someday."

JASON WORILDS

Second-round pick, 2010

The Steelers have no reason to believe Jason Worilds will end up a bust like their second-round pick in 2003. He's not the second coming of Alonzo Jackson.

"Jason is starting to get comfortable with what he's doing within the defense," linebackers coach Keith Butler said. "He looks a little quicker out there at times. He looks a little stronger out there at times. He still has a long ways to go, but I look for him to be better and to be a contributor for us."

Like most young linebackers drafted by the Steelers over the years, Worilds must bide his time on special teams while continuing to learn the idiosyncrasies of Dick LeBeau's defense. He must wait for his chance to start.

That could come in maybe one, two or three years, pending the health of right outside linebacker James Harrison, who's 33 and still not 100-percent recovered from two off-season back surgeries.

Worilds, a second-round pick in last year's draft, is actually the Steelers' first option behind Harrison and left side outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley. If either Harrison or Woodley need a rest or were hurt, next on the pecking order is Worilds.

"Things are a lot better for me than in Year 1," he said. "I'm a year better. I'm a year more mature. I know the environment. It's pretty cool being the No. 3 guy. Naturally, I want to be in the top two. But to be behind those two guys is an honor. It's an honor for me to be part of this great Steelers lineage at linebacker."

Like so any of the Steelers' outside linebackers since former coach Bill Cowher made the 3-4 defense a staple in Pittsburgh, Worilds, who's 6-foot-2 and 262 pounds, was a defensive end in college. He played in Virginia Tech's 4-3 scheme and recorded 15.5 sacks in two years as a starter.

Jackson, who recorded 23 sacks at Florida State, only lasted two years with the Steelers and never had a sack. Last year as a rookie, Worilds had two sacks. He figures to have many more in years to come.

Worilds has been bothered by a groin pull at times this summer. In fact, he left practice Saturday when he pulled up lame. Still, he says, "My time will come."

STEVENSON SYLVESTER

Fifth-round pick, 2010

A year ago, Stevenson Sylvester made a huge rookie mistake. For the first road game of the regular season, he drove to the wrong airport and missed the 3 p.m. charter flight to Nashville. Instead of driving to Pittsburgh International Airport, he got directions to Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin.

By the time he realized his mistake and drove to Pittsburgh International, the team plane was long gone. So he flew commercial on Southwest Airlines. But that flight had a connection in Chicago with a one-hour layover.

"It was crazy," said Sylvester, an inside linebacker who's 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds. "My heart was rushing. My first road game ... as a rookie, you don't want to mess up. But sure enough, I did."

Luckily for Sylvester, he arrived at the team hotel in Nashville on time to make the evening team meeting. He was chewed out by coach Mike Tomlin. But Tomlin still dressed Sylvester the next day, and he played well.

On the opening kickoff, he threw a block that helped spring Antonio Brown for an 89-yard touchdown return. On the subsequent kickoff, Sylvester forced a fumble the Steelers recovered in their 19-11 upset of the Titans.

Sylvester went on to play in every game, playing primarily on special teams.

Last year, he was third-team behind starters James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons and backups Larry Foote and Keyaron Fox. This year, with Fox no longer on the team, Sylvester is Timmons' backup. He could be who replaces Farrior, who's 36, in a year or so.

"When I found out I was drafted here, I had to do a double take and see if it was true because this is such a great place for linebackers," said Sylvester, an outside "rover" linebacker when he played college football in Utah's 4-3 defense. "And to think I'm part of the Steelers' linebacker tradition. I'm loving it.

"It's a process. They like to break you in and make sure you know what you're doing before you're able to start. There are a lot of things I have to work on. But every day I'm getting more confident with what I'm supposed to do."

CHRIS CARTER

Fifth-round pick, 2011

Long before envisioning that he'd one day play for the Steelers, Chris Carter was a huge Troy Polamalu fan.

As a high school star in southern California and later as a standout at Fresno State, Carter admired Polamalu so much that he wore jersey No. 43.

"I just like the way he plays," Carter said of the Steelers' all-star strong safety.

So far in his rookie season, the Steelers like the way Carter plays outside linebacker.

"He's got a good motor and a lot of speed off the edge," said linebackers coach Keith Butler. "He has the ability to be relentless. That's part of his makeup."

Because he's only 6-foot-1 and 248 pounds, many of the pre-draft publications believed Carter too small to play in the NFL. But the Steelers thought otherwise. They believe he's big enough, strong enough and certainly explosive enough.

In time, Carter figures to get bigger and stronger through strength training, so the Steelers are confident he'll make the transition from college defensive end to outside ‘backer.

Carter has a lot to learn. He's basically starting from scratch when it comes to pass coverage because he rarely dropped back into it at Fresno State. His forte was rushing the passer, and he was good enough at it that he totaled 19.5 sacks during college, including 11 as a senior when he was WAC defensive player of the year.

"Even though I was a stand-up defensive end in college, I feel like I'm learning a new position," he said. "With all the different drops I have to do in pass coverage, it's a big transition. But at the same time, the Steelers are allowing me to use my abilities which got me here, and that's my pass rushing ability."

In Thursday's preseason game, Carter played with the third-team defense. But at practice Saturday, he said the coaches moved him up with Worild's on the second team.

"I'm not naïve," Carter said. "I know it won't happen overnight. It's going to take time.

But I'm willing to put in the work. I have the perfect setup around me. My coaches and the linebackers already on this team will help me get there."

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local ... 99e8e.html (http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/backers-to-the-future-young-steelers-lbs-to-watch/article_1fe4c7a2-e42c-5a9f-9027-48b82f799e8e.html)

[StarSpangledSteeler]

Great article. Thanks for posting.

One of my favorite things about the Steelers is how they treat, train, instill, and develop their rookies. All three of these guys seem to have great attitudes. As soon as they arrive they are taught the "Steeler way" which means you not only wait your turn in line, you support the guys playing in front of you and behind you. You put your selfish desires aside and you focus on the team first. The only stat you should be concerned about is called "Wins". And your reward for doing all of this is something better than fame and better than money... It's called Super Bowl rings.

[papillon]

What has anyone seen from Worilds up to this point in the pre-season? I've watched the first two games and tried to watch Worilds and what I've seen doesn't appear to be very good. He seems to get sealed from the backside easily and needs to get better at the point of attack. Is this me not knowing or has anyone noticed this as well?

Is this just part of the learning process? Or, is he the player on the rise that Butler is making him out to be?

Pappy

[Tedolz]

My only wish is that they give Mario Harvey a chance. From what I saw last year he is another James Harrison in the wings. He and his DE almost beat WVU by themselves last year. Please do not cut him Mr. Steeler. :(

[Ghost]

"That started back in the '90s with Greg Lloyd and those guys," Foote said. "People upstairs really value that and have a good eye for it."


Foote might want to check his history. It started just a tad before the 90's....

[Snatch98]

What has anyone seen from Worilds up to this point in the pre-season? I've watched the first two games and tried to watch Worilds and what I've seen doesn't appear to be very good. He seems to get sealed from the backside easily and needs to get better at the point of attack. Is this me not knowing or has anyone noticed this as well?

Is this just part of the learning process? Or, is he the player on the rise that Butler is making him out to be?

Pappy

The real question here should be, when are people going to start trusting the organization on all facets? Keith Butler and Dick Lebeau certainly know what they are talking about. One is a hall of famer and the other is the eventual replacement for that hall of famer when he retires. Worilds doesn't have to show me sh.it right now as long as Lebeau and Butler believe he's capable at some point.

[steelblood]

What has anyone seen from Worilds up to this point in the pre-season? I've watched the first two games and tried to watch Worilds and what I've seen doesn't appear to be very good. He seems to get sealed from the backside easily and needs to get better at the point of attack. Is this me not knowing or has anyone noticed this as well?

Is this just part of the learning process? Or, is he the player on the rise that Butler is making him out to be?

Pappy

He's got a groin pull, Pappy. I think that has hampered his performance a bit. Hopefully, he will heal up and be ready for the regular season. We need to get our OLBs some rest so they are fresh for crunch time.

[papillon]

What has anyone seen from Worilds up to this point in the pre-season? I've watched the first two games and tried to watch Worilds and what I've seen doesn't appear to be very good. He seems to get sealed from the backside easily and needs to get better at the point of attack. Is this me not knowing or has anyone noticed this as well?

Is this just part of the learning process? Or, is he the player on the rise that Butler is making him out to be?

Pappy

The real question here should be, when are people going to start trusting the organization on all facets? Keith Butler and bad word Lebeau certainly know what they are talking about. One is a hall of famer and the other is the eventual replacement for that hall of famer when he retires. Worilds doesn't have to show me sh.it right now as long as Lebeau and Butler believe he's capable at some point.

I wasn't complaining or criticizing only offering my opinion of what I've seen and then added "Is this me not knowing", I admit that I'm not a talent evaluator, but I had a question based on what I've seen, that's all.

I know Lebeau and Butler have forgotten more about football than I'll eve know. It just appears that Worilds hasn't played well to the "untrained eye" and I was curious what others thought.

Pappy

[papillon]

What has anyone seen from Worilds up to this point in the pre-season? I've watched the first two games and tried to watch Worilds and what I've seen doesn't appear to be very good. He seems to get sealed from the backside easily and needs to get better at the point of attack. Is this me not knowing or has anyone noticed this as well?

Is this just part of the learning process? Or, is he the player on the rise that Butler is making him out to be?

Pappy

He's got a groin pull, Pappy. I think that has hampered his performance a bit. Hopefully, he will heal up and be ready for the regular season. We need to get our OLBs some rest so they are fresh for crunch time.

With the way James is talking he isn't going to be 100% all year. It would be great to be able to give some snaps off during the season to keep him as fresh as possible.

Pappy

[fordfixer]

My only wish is that they give Mario Harvey a chance. From what I saw last year he is another James Harrison in the wings. He and his DE almost beat WVU by themselves last year. Please do not cut him Mr. Steeler. :(
Welcome to the Planet :tt1 :tt1

[hawaiiansteel]

My only wish is that they give Mario Harvey a chance. From what I saw last year he is another James Harrison in the wings. He and his DE almost beat WVU by themselves last year. Please do not cut him Mr. Steeler. :(


nice first post! :Clap

you a Marshall fan?